Chain Stores in Venice?
Venice has been relatively free of cookie-cutter
chain stores, unlike most of Los Angeles.
That’s because of Venice’s
depressed economy for most of its history, the small size of most commercial
buildings and a populace that doesn’t particularly like the corporate
shopping experience.
All that could
change with property values rising and new developments going up on Abbot Kinney
Blvd. and elsewhere.
Venice may join
communities around the country that are taking steps to stop the replacement of
local businesses with chain store
outlets.
A proposal is coming before
the Neighborhood Council’s Land Use and Planning Committee (LUPC) on July
13 at the Boys and Girls Club to make Venice free of “formula
retail” stores. That is, chain stores would be acceptable only if they
didn’t look like chain stores. Presumeably existing chain stores would be
exempt.
A new website,
www.veniceunchained.org, and a petition opposing formula retail stores in Venice
are being launched this month.
The
formula retail ban has been upheld in court, and is speading rapidly. On March
30, San Francisco designated some communities free of their chains (stores). In
the San Diego area, the Venice-like community of Ocean Beach is petitioning for
a vote on becoming free of formula retail stores.
More information on communities
banning formula retail stores is on-line at
www.newrules.org/retail/formula.html.
Posted: Thu - July 1, 2004 at 07:50 PM