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Small Town America vs. Big Box Stores
The dollar store invasion has hit rural Maine. Banning the retailer is one way to stave it off, but how can locals guarantee long-term financial resilience?
In an episode of the Strong Towns podcast, she explains how companies like Walmart or Target convince local officials that they’re bringing jobs and financial benefits to the area often in exchange for tax breaks and subsidies to cover the cost of land or construction. Earlier this year, the town approved a six-month moratorium on non-residential developments over 4,000 square feet, buying time to explore what policy levers they can pull to push back against what Gross calls a “faceless corporation.” But are bans the best way to ward off the dollar store invasion? Besides parking mandates, minimum lot sizes, setback requirements, and completely isolating commercial from residential uses make it difficult for small businesses to operate in traditional, walkable downtowns, where space is limited and adaptability is key.
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