Sign the Petition to limit new or expanded chain stores in Curtis Park

So what's a neighborhood to do?  Well, we can organize to promote shopping local and also to support new restrictions on formula businesses in Curtis Park.  Communities all over the country have implemented ordinances to protect their unique virtues and we can too.   Please visit our petition on Change.org and sign your name!  You don't need to live in Curtis Park to sign it because - in the same way we ALL have a stake in agricultural land and national parks - we ALL have an interest in maintaining neighborhood diversity.  Please leave a comment explaining your connection to the neighborhood, and why you support this effort.  Thank you!

Here is another link to the petition :)

And the great businesses that give our neighborhood amazing character

Let's not take these folks for granted! They contribute just as much to our neighborhood's character as do our unique homes, wonderful parks and beautiful streetscapes.  It seems like a strong possibility that some of them will feel the impact of an additional 256,000 square feet of commercial space in the area (the amount currently being marketed at the Curtis Park "Village").

Support them as much as you can!  And help us develop new code to protect them from invading corporate chains that only want to sell us replicated commodities even as they erode the character of our neighborhood.

And then there is Broadway...Our best hope for a walkable urban streetscape!

So much potential.  There are some really great locally owned businesses on Broadway, many of which have signed on to our project (Thank you Sterling Cleaners, L'Amour Shoppe and Pancho's Cucina & Grill so far!).  But in the Curtis Park section of Broadway?  One big DMV parking lot (which is slated for future development) and Subway, Carl's Jr, Der Wienerschnitzel, McDonalds and Taco Bell, all within 2 blocks.  We are aware that the owners of the McDonalds in particular have invested a LOT in the remodeling of their store - that is to be commended.  And thank you also to ULI for working with the Greater Broadway Partnership on a very interesting 2012 Vision Plan for the corridor.  The report calls out the need for "Creating a unique character and urban form along the Broadway Corridor" and for development that "Reinforces the existing "funky, off beat vibe" of the neighborhood.   More of the same is just not going to get us there.  How many more of these obesity-inducing character killers do we need?

Broadway needs to turn a corner.  It's our neighborhood's best hope for interesting small businesses, shops and restaurants that we can walk or bike to.   So we need to get serious about protecting it from mediocrity and homogeneity.

SCNA is on record opposing big boxes and chain stores in CPV

The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association, which represents Curtis Park, has been advocating for neighborhood-serving small businesses in the Curtis Park Village project for a very, very long time.  Below is a screenshot from the Association's website describing their position, again related specifically to the CPV project.  As of July 2014, the SCNA board has not taken a position on the Curtis Park Character Advocates new petition language proposal which would essentially extend this policy to the rest of the Curtis Park neighborhood.  They have assigned two board members to work with us as we continue to collect information from neighbors, raise awareness of the benefits of shopping local, and plan for a new "Shop Local" campaign and events. 

Bravo Sarah Singleton for pushing back on CVS

While we are sympathetic to the needs of the Sacramento Children's Home, which owns the land, like many others we are very uncomfortable with the plan to replace a locally owned independent business with a corporate pharmaceutical chain store, no matter how "nice" it looks.

Sarah started a petition on Change.org to oppose this change.  If you read the comments, you will find equal parts love for Mercado Loco and DREAD of another neighborhood character-killer in the form of a generic chain store.

567 signatures as of July 4, 2014.  Thank you Sarah for galvanizing this movement!

Curtis Park "Village" being marketed to big box chain stores

Meanwhile, while there is no "official" announcement of any tenants who have signed leases to occupy the commercial area in CPV, there is this promotional video that was posted on Youtube last year which makes clear the developer's intentions:

Link to YouTube video of CPV Marketing

Not only is the depiction completely unlike a "Traditional Center" as it defined in the General Plan Urban Form Guidelines and as it is zoned, but it is full of the kinds of big boxes that neighbors have been opposing for years.

But alas, invites Superstores to wreak havok with them...

Last year the Sacramento City Council decided to make it easier for Big Boxes to locate in Sacramento's City limits, by eliminating what was basically a toothless requirement to study the impact of these "Super" stores on local wages and other small businesses.  With comments 2-1opposed to this action, who exactly was the council working for? And where does this leave us as we face potential Big Box development in Curtis Park "Village"?

http://blogs.sacbee.com/city-beat/2013/08/sacramento-city-council-eases-restrictions-on-big-box-stores.html

Excellent commentary leading up to the vote by Cosmo Garvin in the News &Review:

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/big-box-theory/content?oid=10217191