Sierra Club: Choose Reckless or Sustainable

A healthy and vibrant Northcross design must be sustainable. Otherwise, when the big box reaches its end of life (and they all do), it will be a lot worse than what's there right now.

It's interesting how you can approach the issue from several different angles and end up at this same conclusion. We've talked a lot about the urban planning perspective. What about the environmental perspective?

Chris Lehman, chair of the Austin Regional Group of the Sierra Club, writes in the current edtion of the Austin Sierran:

And where on earth does an overly accommodating city command a premium over one that protects its citizens from the reckless pursuit of profit. We all pay with our health if we don't require business models that are sustainable. And these are models that any retailer can adopt.

And, we hasten to add, these are models any developer can adopt. Yes, we're lookin' at you, Lincoln Properties.

You can read the full article in the February 2007 newsletter over at the local Sierra Club web site.

For convenience, the text of the article is reproduced below, with permission.

Chair's Column

CHRIS LEHMAN

I have a personal interest in the Northcross Wal-Mart issue. I own a house 2,000 feet north of the existing mall building (not 300 feet as I imagined). I don't think it is a conflict of interest any more than the interest of a member living next to the Longhorn Pipeline or one owning a home anywhere in the community we serve. These are not conflicts with Sierra Club interests. They are in fact shared interests.

There has been some discussion asking why we would even see it as within our mission to care about a new big box in the urban core. So I write to explain:

The Issue For Some

A big box retailer wants to locate on the site of the soon to be demolished Northcross Mall. Neighborhoods are affected well beyond the limits of the City's 300 feet notification perimeter. Many neighbors are concerned about the addition of a huge traffic generator on streets already barely passable. While most Big Box retailers are located on freeways, this one is decidedly not on a freeway and is located on a much more limited road.

Our Mission

To explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives (Emphasis added [by author].)

The Environmental Issue

Big Box developments are by definition sprawl inducing: they are low-density, single-story buildings with surface parking. Sprawl spreads our human demand for urban space and land laterally into open spaces previously serving our agricultural, recreational, wilderness, and water quality needs. Instead of a mixed-use multistory development with sufficient density to allow retailers to prosper within walking/easy delivery distance of the consumer, the Big Box requires you to drive farther than ever before. The Big Box's purpose is to serve a wider area from one location so its success requires that more consumers drive farther for goods and services than they would drive if their neighborhood retailers could compete in a market driven by costs measured only at the cash register, and ignoring the expense of pollution and loss of open spaces.

So, you can probably see that this is not Wal-Mart bashing. It is Big Box bashing. Neighbors and Environmentalists Working Together Recognizing the broad impact of the proposed redevelopment, a coalition of neighbors from Allandale, Brentwood, Crestview, North Shoal Creek, Rosedale, and Wooten neighborhoods have formed Responsible Growth for Northcross (RG4N.org). They invite all to join their efforts. The fight against Big Box is not just a NIMBY effort. Opponents of the proposed Big Box applaud and advocate redevelopment of Northcross Mall. But today's realities, including Global Warming and traffic congestion, require smart urban redevelopment with mixed uses and vertical development.

There is another concern about equity and an unintended way that a big box can kill off local enterprise. The required Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) points out the sad truth that a big box developer can squeeze its huge traffic generating development just under traffic levels that would trigger roadway improvements as a condition of development. That sets up the next developer of even a small local mom and pop enterprise for a denied request since the roads would then be pushed to failure levels of traffic. And of course, gradual growth of traffic would trigger congestion misery and a tax burden for roadway upgrades while the Big Box on the block innocently looks askance on our little problems. Many are concerned that the traffic impact has been understated dramatically in the case of the Big Box redevelopment of Northcross Mall.

Elitism or Equality

While this isn't an environmental argument, it addresses a falsehood that is used to undermine sustainability. Some argue that resistance to business as usual is anti-business and in this case hardest on those who either need a job at Wal-Mart or need to shop there. These are serious concerns, but to forfeit everyone's health and the health of generations to come for a low-paying job or a few bucks saved on groceries and consumer goods is too short sighted. Wasted space in the city is lost agricultural land or wilderness. Increased driving will compromise our air quality now and increase our demand for oil and gas. That will drive up prices for the same and increase urban land values, propelling the poor further outward and increasing their transportation burden.

And where on earth does an overly accommodating city command a premium over one that protects its citizens from the reckless pursuit of profit. We all pay with our health if we don't require business models that are sustainable. And these are models that any retailer can adopt.

Action Items – Tell Us What You Want

If you want Big Box developers to shape the future of your city and the destruction of open spaces let us know. Send your Executive Committee Members a brief email that states or even supports your position.

But, if you think that a business friendly approach to new development and real economic sustainability requires prudent governance that balances our core values and encourages growth in a way that sustains life and safety, send any of your Executive Committee Members an email along those lines.

My email address is lehmanck [at] aol [dot] com The rest of ExCom's email addresses are located on the website and towards the back of the newsletter with all our officer contact information.