Palmer council looks to regulate box stores

PALMER -- As Fred Meyer builds a grocery store a few blocks from city hall, Palmer officials are looking for ways to tighten the reins on any future so-called "big box store" developments.

When Fred Meyer announced its plans to build a nearly 70,000-square-foot store near the post office, Palmer city officials and neighboring property owners realized they didn't have much power over the course of the development. Even Fred Meyer officials recognized the lack of controlling ordinances.

"They have said they were surprised at the gaps in our code," Sara Jansen, community development coordinator for Palmer, said in a letter to city's Planning and Zoning Commission. "This ordinance was written to fill those gaps."

Palmer administration's recently drafted proposal would regulate retail stores larger than 20,000 square feet by setting up traffic, landscaping and aesthetic requirements.

For example, stores of this size would have to devote 15 percent of their parking lot to landscaping, compared to the 5 percent currently required. The retailers would have to present a detailed traffic impact analysis and establish what the city describes as an "acceptable level of service." They would also have to follow new guidelines for pedestrian access, outdoor lighting, storage, trash collection and snow removal.

Finally, the ordinances strive to deter the so-called "big box store" appearance by encouraging architectural treatments and colors that are compatible with Palmer's existing buildings.

"Chains such as Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Home Depot and other discount stores offer many benefits to a community, especially one that relies on sales-tax revenue as Palmer does," Jansen wrote to the commission.

In addition to tax revenue, large stores also bring Palmer residents the potential of convenience, lower prices, jobs and economic development in their community, Jansen went on to say.

At the same time, city officials recognize that the large-scale buildings can dominate a small town and define its character.

"Economic development is essential to the growth of any city, but it does not have to come at any price," Jansen said.

Jansen presented the new ordinances to the Palmer Planning and Zoning Commission last week. The commission has scheduled them for a public hearing for Aug. 21. After that, the ordinances will be passed on to the Palmer City Council with a recommendation from the commission to either approve, modify or reject them.

Since the commission hadn't had much time to look it over yet, Chairman Jim Rogers said he anticipated last week's work session would be devoted to understanding the proposals.

"This will be our first pass on it," he said. "I expect there will be more questions … as we try to get a feel for where it's at."

With or without a recommendation from the commission, the city council is expected to be interested in the proposals. Several council members urged the code changes when the Fred Meyer discussion first began. At the same time, they've said they don't feel these new regulations should apply to the Fred Meyer grocery store, since that project is already in progress.

"This horse is already out the barn door," Councilman Tony Pippel said at an earlier meeting. "We do have to be fair to everyone involved."

Despite this, Jansen said she felt that the Fred Meyer project, which has been modified some since it was first presented to Palmer residents, would in fact meet many of the standards proposed in the ordinance change.