Small Box Retail Diversity Study City of New Orleans City Planning Commission Robert D. Rivers, Executive Director Leslie T. Alley, Deputy Director Prepared on: November 27, 2018 Revised on: December 18, 2018 Prepared By: Emily Ramírez Hernández Travis Martin Sabine Lebailleux Paul Cramer Aspen Nero James Gillie Amos Wright Table of Contents A. Executive Summary....................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Recommendations ................................................................................................................................... 6 Next Steps ................................................................................................................................................. 12 B. Scope of Study ............................................................................................................. 14 Motion (As Corrected) No. M-18-256 ............................................................................................. 14 Study Goals ............................................................................................................................................... 16 C. Small Box Discount Retail Overview ......................................................................... 17 Definition ................................................................................................................................................... 17 Small Box Discount Store Expansion & Economic Impacts ..................................................... 17 Small Box Discount Store Data .......................................................................................................... 24 History of Small Box Discount Stores in New Orleans .............................................................. 26 D. Public Input ................................................................................................................. 28 Public Comments Summary ............................................................................................................... 28 Stakeholder Meetings ........................................................................................................................... 29 E. Current Regulations .................................................................................................... 30 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance .................................................................................................. 30 Plan for the 21st Century ...................................................................................................................... 37 City Code Regulations .......................................................................................................................... 43 F. Current Enforcement ................................................................................................... 44 Department of Safety & Permits ....................................................................................................... 44 Department of Sanitation .................................................................................................................... 46 Department of Code Enforcement ................................................................................................... 47 CleanUpNOLA .......................................................................................................................................... 48 Louisiana Department of Health ....................................................................................................... 48 G. Food Retail & Public Health ...................................................................................... 52 Health Landscape ................................................................................................................................... 52 Health Department Goals .................................................................................................................... 53 1 Food Access .............................................................................................................................................. 53 Small Box Discount Stores & Public Health Impacts ................................................................. 70 H. Case Studies ................................................................................................................. 73 Tulsa, Oklahoma ...................................................................................................................................... 73 Kansas City, Kansas ................................................................................................................................ 78 Minneapolis, Minnesota ....................................................................................................................... 80 Baltimore, Maryland .............................................................................................................................. 85 Local Policies ............................................................................................................................................ 86 Best Practice Findings ........................................................................................................................... 89 I. Small Box Discount Store Regulation Issues, Analysis, and Recommendations ... 91 Land Use Regulation Issues ................................................................................................................ 91 Neighborhood Character & Quality of Life Issues ...................................................................104 Permitting & Licensing Issues ..........................................................................................................106 Enforcement Limitations ....................................................................................................................112 J. Summary of Recommendations & Text Changes .................................................. 114 Proposed Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Text ..................................................................114 Permitting & Licensing .......................................................................................................................119 Enforcement ...........................................................................................................................................119 Other Recommendations...................................................................................................................119 Further Study ..........................................................................................................................................120 Next Steps ...............................................................................................................................................121 K. City Planning Commission Meeting ........................................................................ 123 City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes .............................................................................123 L. City Planning Commission Recommendation ........................................................ 124 Proposed Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Text ..................................................................124 Permitting & Licensing .......................................................................................................................129 Enforcement ...........................................................................................................................................129 Other Recommendations...................................................................................................................129 Further Study ..........................................................................................................................................130 Next Steps ...............................................................................................................................................131 2 A. Executive Summary Introduction Small box discount stores, commonly known as “dollar” stores, have operated across the United States for well over a century. These original “five and dime” stores, such as Woolworth’s, have since closed, but newer iterations such as Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree, all of which emerged in the 1950s, have filled the gap. The small box discount industry is well- established in New Orleans and has been for decades. According to Dollar General, for example, the chain opened its first store in New Orleans in 1983. Following national trends, small box discount stores have rapidly proliferated across the city in recent years. New Orleans East, in particular, contains a disproportionate number of these stores compared to other retail options—most notably full-line grocery stores. Currently, two grocery stores and 12 small box discount stores operate in New Orleans East. In an effort to address this rapid expansion citywide, but particularly in the East, including the hypothesis that small box discount stores may impede