Sprawl-Busters in Bedford Township, Michigan report that they have updatd their zoning code to — among other things — put a limit on the size of stores in a commercial district. Here’s the local report: “The Bedford Township Board passed an Architectural Standards ordinance on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2002. The general purpose of the ordinance is to maintain the small town, rural look and feel of the Temperance, Lambertville and Samaria communities. The ordinance sets standards for building design and size limits applicable to various types of businesses. The ordinance will limit the size of C-2 business to 70,000 sq ft. This is large enough to accommodate modern grocery stores or other general line merchandise stores which intend to do the majority of their business with local residents. Beford Twp stopped a proposed Meijer store (170K) and is currently battling a Wal-Mart proposal. Wal-Mart has submitted a proposed site plan for 150K sq ft.”
Go to 12/11/2001 for an earlier story on the background of the Bedford, Michigan Wal-Mart battle. For local contacts in Bedford, contact [email protected]