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Lynchburg Deals with Big Box Store
posted 11:27 pm Thu May 08, 2008 - Lynchburg, VA
reporter: Margaret Clevenstine
posted by: Webteam
They can wreak havoc on traffic and turn trees into asphalt, but they also bring in thousands of dollars in tax revenue and can make a city a shopping destination. We're talking about big box stores like Wal-Mart and Target.
The planning commission is grappling with how to set standards for these types of stores without discouraging developers and that's a tricky thing to do. For one, the city wants to be able to have a say... but not so much that it prevents new stores from opening.
The Lynchburg planning commission is talking about creating an ordinance that would give the city some control on things like design, when developers bring in projects of a certain size. The planning commission looked at other areas in Virginia that have similar ordinances dealing with big box stores... they met today to talk about what they've learned so far.
A main issue is determining how big is a "big box." Should the ordinance apply to fifty thousand square feet stores--or one hundred thousand square feet? Another issue is how to encourage developers to redevelop old shopping centers versus starting from scratch.
Laura Hamilton, Lynchburg Planning Commission - "We're really trying to wrestle with incentive based building while we're still maintaining the way we want the walk-ability and the pedestrian access and the traffic mitigation and all the issues that are already within an already established neighborhood."
Talk of this ordinance originally came up with city council, when Wal-Mart announced it was building on Old Forest Road. That project is moving forward as planned.
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