Agenda - Planning Commission - 08/05/1997

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.. .. JUNE 1997 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION The Cm"itos Auto Square, in Cerritos, Califomia, used creative landscaping to lend an aesthetic quality to its 85-ac/"e site. Acres of Automobiles By Christopher Burke Is bigger really better? Planners increasingly find themselves asking this question in dealing with new developments. As the trend of giantism evolves, megadevelopments take on new :'Jrms, some of which were covered last year in Zoning News (see "Hog-Tied by Feedlots," October; "Zoning and Big Box Religion," November; and "Big Box Meets Big Screen," December). The fastest-growing new form of megadevelopment is automobile dealerships. Like other big box developments, they require large plots of land. According to the zoning ordinances surveyed, most auto lots are between five and 20 acres, with eight acres the average. Unlike most other big box retailers, however, the dealerships raise concerns over waste disposal (oil, gas, tires), noise from servicing cars, and road access. Planners must address most of these issues when dealing with any auto dealer. Howe\'er, wirh rhe recent introducrion of aura supersrares such as Car:--'1ax, Drivers Mart \X'orldwide, CarChoice, and AutoNation, planners are receiving proposals for sites averaging four timcs the size of thc normal auto dealership. A Zoning News survey of zoning ordinances in the Planning Advisory Service library showed that only about 20 percent had a specific definition for automotive dealers. Most codes focus on the activities associated with dealerships, such as trade-ins and storage of used and new automobiles, towing and wrecking services, body shop and maintenance, and sales and leasing. This issue of Zoning News discusses the differences between auto superstores and auto malls, the phenomenal growth of used auto superstores, and the zoning implications of the proliferation of these businesses. What Is an Auto Mall? There is currently no official definition of an auto mall. Bascd on the size of an average auto dealer franchise, however, an auto mall would tend to be either a dealership that incorporates a vast selection of automobiles, or a combination of multiple franchises sharing one parcel of land. These businesses may sell either ncw or used autos, both foreign and domestic models, The rypical auto dealership in a suburban area occupies from n\'C to 20 acres of land depending, among orher things, on rhe local zoning regulations. In contrast, auto malls may covcr 30 acres consisting of several small dealerships using five to sevcn acres each, and can be as large as 90 acres with over 12 101