Wal-Mart brouhaha in Austin

I usually limit my neighborhood stuff to Houston, but my buddy (and occasional guest blogger) Matt asked me to post something about this story concerning a Wal-Mart planned for Northcross Mall, so here it is. And it's a pretty interesting story, too:

Lincoln Property Group wants to redevelop part of Northcross Mall into a 217,000-square-foot, 24-hour Wal-Mart. Residents from six neighborhoods have come together to oppose it.

The case coincides with proposed new rules that could forever change Austin's big-box debate. The rules, which the City Council will vote on later this month, would require a public hearing and a special permit for any proposed store bigger than 100,000 square feet. The city would also have to notify more residents than it currently does of planned big-box projects.

The rules could affect national chains such as Home Depot Inc., Costco Wholesale Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., whose stores average more than 100,000 square feet, according to the national retail research group the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. (An average supermarket is 44,000 square feet.)

"Our goal is not to ban big boxes," said Susan Moffat, a board member of Liveable City, an Austin nonprofit that has pushed for the rules. "We just want to make sure the stores are wisely placed and give the community a chance to assess their impact."

Critics say the rules would unfairly drag all big stores through the wringer that is Austin's public review process.

"If some people want to keep certain retailers out of Austin, for social reasons or other reasons, there are better ways to address that than through zoning," said Chris Ellis, a principal at Endeavor Real Estate Group.

Right now, plans for big-box stores on land already zoned for big stores don't go through a public review. City staff members approve or deny the plans privately and only notify neighbors within 300 feet of the project. Only rezoning requests require a public hearing. The proposed Northcross Wal-Mart, for example, never got a public airing because the land didn't need to be rezoned.

The 300-feet rule is outdated, Moffat said, because big-box projects market to regions, not neighborhoods, and their effects on things such as traffic and local businesses can extend well beyond a few blocks.

The new rules would require the city to notify all neighborhood associations within a one-mile radius of any big-box plan. The developer would also have to post a 4-by-8-foot sign on the land, listing contact information and describing the project.

Northcross Mall neighbors say that extra notification is needed; they learned about Wal-Mart's plan through the rumor mill.

"We feel like this has been sprung on us," said Hope Morrison of Responsible Growth for Northcross, the group of neighborhoods fighting the project. "It's in (the developer's) interest to work with us and gather our input up front, because they're going to depend on surrounding neighborhoods to shop at their store and make it profitable."

Big-box developers would also have to apply for a special permit, called a conditional-use permit, under the proposed rules. The permit, which is already required for projects such as some bars and car dealerships, requires a public hearing and approval from a city board.

"It allows for a public discussion about the costs and benefits of a project," said Chris Riley, a member of the planning commission, which recommended the new big-box rules in an 8-0 vote. "The community can make its expectations known, and a developer can show its willingness to meet neighborhood interests."

I think the neighborhood has a pretty good case for changing the city's rules on permits for situations like this. Certainly, the 300-foot rule strikes me as being too narrow, and there ought to be some public input on large development like this, especially when it's done in an established, densely populated area. It may well be that if the developer were to pay a little attention to the neighborhoods' concerns, they can address them in a fashion that will allow the project to go forward without further objections.

Here's a view of the area, which spells out one reason why the locals don't care for this project as it is currently defined. The neighborhood groups involved are banded together as Responsible Growth for Norcross, and they've got a rally planned for tomorrow (Thursday), December 14, to let Austin's mayor and city council know how they feel about this. The details for that are:

• Come at 12 noon to City Hall (map)


• Bring your yard sign or we have some for you


• Park in the FREE parking garage below City Hall


• Meet us outside in the plaza on the south side


• At 6:00 P.M. the council will discuss the Northcross issue.


• Register now at one of the City Hall kiosks to show support or to reserve a speaking spot.

They're on the agenda for Council tomorrow, so they'll at least get to speak. Here's their contact info if you want to get involved.

(Full disclosure: Hope Morrison, who's quoted in the story on behalf of Responsible Growth for Norcross, is an acquaintance of mine. She has also done a guest-blogging stint on this site. She did not contact me about this, however; only Matt did.)

Posted by Charles Kuffner on December 13, 2006 to Bidness | TrackBack