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mcnts, btan,.i, a]olw vah. w retailers ~em.'rali? qu,tJJt', a'. in,vh-mtcnsir)
<br />or regional retail/commercial usus. They arc occasum~liv
<br />whhJ, h~h~ industrial d,~rict~ two, use d~ev ~rc des~ucd just like
<br />warehouses, but i~ Js important not to define warehouse clubs as
<br />warehousing establi~hmcnt~, which arc used for storing but not
<br />sdling merchandise. The di~erences be~'een warehuusc clubs and
<br />warehouses m parking requirements, traffic generation, and most
<br />code or sa(et)' reqmrcments are significant.
<br /> Power ccnters~shopping centers composed o; numerous large
<br />tenants~arc a diflbrent matter. According to Urt)a, ~n~ these
<br />devdopments eau range finn', 200,000 to '5(},0(J0 square f~et and
<br />can contain up to 12 anchor stores. They generally dedicate more
<br />than 60 pcrcem of their square footage to big box tenants, and thc
<br />impacts of the individual stores arc not as discernablc. Fairl~x
<br />Count', Virginia. defines this s~dc o(rctail development as
<br />superregkmal shopping center:
<br />
<br />IA} supcrrcgiona] stropping center is a group of commercial
<br />enterprises oftering a range of retail commercial goods and
<br />services in an aggregate of 1,400,000 square tee, tlr mort- of
<br />gross floor area whicil are designed as a single commercial
<br />group, whether or no, Ioca,ed on tile same lot: (bi arc under
<br />olle common ownership tlr management, or having one
<br />cnmmon arrangemeot for the maintenance of the grounds:
<br />(c} are connected by parr)' walls, partitions, covered canopies,
<br />or other structural members to form one continuous
<br />structurm (d) share a common parking area; and (e) otherwise
<br />present the appearance o£ one continuous commercial area.
<br />
<br /> There are few shining examples of big box retailers designed
<br />with an orientation to bicycles, pedestrians, or transit. Large-scale
<br />retailers sell items in bulk (24-rol1 boxes of paper towels or gallon
<br />jugs of salsa) and stock large products like picnic tables or file
<br />cabinets. Most customers need a vehicle to carry their purchases. In
<br />fact, the loading lanes in front of most warehouse clubs or categou,
<br />killers are designed to accommodate a high volume of pick-up
<br />traffic. Also, most stores are located in the suburbs, where alterna-
<br />tive modes of transportation are usually unavailable. Most develop-
<br />ers do install sidewalks.
<br /> Landscaping and signage for value retailers depend largely on
<br />locai regulations. Ifa communi~ does not specit:y landscaping at
<br />the design review stage, it should not expect to see it when the store
<br />opens. These establishments thrive because they present a no-frills/
<br />all-value image. This philosophy ma), benefit the communit)',
<br />however, in the area ofsignage. Most value retailers have one wall
<br />sign in the design of their logo on the building face, and a free-
<br />standing sign near the street entrance. If the store anchors a
<br />shopping center, it will probably require the top spot on a free-
<br />standing shared sign, usualh' ar the entrance to the shopping center.
<br />If the store is located within a power center with multiple anchors,
<br />it usually is listed as a tenant below the name of the center itself.
<br />
<br />Parking and Traffic
<br />Basically, parking lots for big box retailers can double as landing
<br />strips. Since 1965, the shopping center industry has clung to the
<br />prescribed standard of 5.5 spaces per 1,000 square leer'of gross
<br />leasable area (GLA). Although there has been some decrease,
<br />evidence suggests that this figure is still considered appropriate for
<br />very large shopping centers. In 1978, the lT£Journalpublished the
<br />results ora study of parking demand at regional shopping centers.
<br />Author Richard Gem reported that "more than 75 percent of the
<br />parking accumulations observed during the p~k retail sales days
<br />and peak traffic activity days in 1973, 1974, and 1975 resulteci in a
<br />
<br />daiiy peak palking dcmaiM rati. of'%0 ,m less cars parked per 1,000
<br />square tcc~ ot-(;LA." Hc suggest5 that, by reducing :he standard
<br />ratio by one-hah'space per 1,(30(~ square t~ct of GLh. four to 10
<br />acre~ of land couid be spared m a shopping centc~ wi:h a G~
<br />between 800,000 and 2 million square t~et. Hc ~rthcr suggests that
<br />a reduction to four spaces (or each 1,000 square feet bc recom-
<br />mended if employees agree to park their vcifides on off'site lots
<br />during the peak shopping periods: the week~ benvecn Tbanbgiving
<br />and New Year's Day, pre-Easter, and Mother's Day.
<br /> In 1981, an Urban ~nd Institute study concluded that the
<br />parking generation rate was lower than five spaces fo~ 1.000 square
<br />feet. hs recommendations appea~ed most recenth' in a 1990 joint
<br />publication by UL1 and the National Parking ~ssociation, Thc
<br />l)ime,swns qf /)mSi,g. They recommended:
<br />
<br />· 4.0 spaces per 1.000 square feet of GL& for centers having a
<br /> GLA of 25,000 to 400,000 square feet.
<br />
<br />· 4.0 to 5.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of GL& for centers
<br /> having from 400,000 to 600,000 square feet.
<br />
<br />· 5.0 spaces per 1,000 square feet of GLA for centers with a GLA
<br /> exceeding 600,000 square feet.
<br />
<br /> To see whether these recommendations are being imple-
<br /> mented, Zoni,g Neu,s sun, eyed a few communities that either
<br /> have big box retailers or have provisions for large retail facilities
<br /> within their ordinances.
<br /> In Hamilton Count),, Ohio, a ] 57,000-square-foot Sam's Club
<br />is being built on 25 acres. There is room for outparcels, and the
<br />planning commission has required 5.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet.
<br />It has found, however, that the developer is installing 6.5 parking
<br />spaces per 1,000 square feet. Ken Moore, design review administra-
<br />tor, says the count~' commission feels this is too much parking and
<br />is seeking a compromise.
<br /> Indianapolis has several large-scale value retailers ranging in size
<br />from 100,000 to 200,000 square feet. tt is using a standard of one
<br />space per 15~0 square feet of net floor area for stand-alone stores,
<br />and 2.1 spaces per 160 square feet of net floor area for those located
<br />within integrated shopping centers.
<br /> Houston has a 50,000-square-foot Sam's Club on five acres
<br />within a retail center that has a 300,000-square-foot GLA. It
<br />included four parking spaces per 1,000 square feet.
<br /> Bellevue, Washin~on, also requires four spaces per 1,000 square
<br />feet for shopping centers between 15,000 and 400,000 net square
<br />feet; 4.5 spaces per 1,000 net square feet between 400,000 and
<br />600,000 net square feet; and five spaces per 1,000 net square feet
<br />for shopping centers over 600,000 square feet.
<br /> Citrus Count)', Florida, requires one space per 200 square feet of
<br />GLA for retail stores of 50,000 square feet or less; one space per 250
<br />square feet of GLA for stores between 50,001 and 100,000 square
<br />feet; one space per 300 square feet of GLA for buildings between
<br />100,001 and 400,000 square feet; and one space per 350 square feet
<br />of GLA for stores larger than 400.000 square feet.
<br /> Although these parking requirements surest that value retailers
<br />create a major traffic impact, an article by Was Guckert in the April
<br />1993 ]TEJouma/sugoests= otherwise. The study, com~ared~ the trip-
<br />generation rate of a traditional ] 10,000-square-foot shopping center
<br />with those of a '110,000-square-foot warehouse club. The rates for
<br />the warehouse club were significantly lower (see Table 1).
<br />
<br />Big Stores and Small Towns
<br />The impact of value retailers in suburban areas is mostly limited to
<br />how much they add to the traffic and acres ofimpervio~us surface.
<br />
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