| The panel consisted
of Greg Taylor, who represented the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce (and
who manages the KOA Campground on Sugarloaf Key); Jimmy Weekley,
mayor of Key West (and owner of Fausto's food markets in Key West);
Jeff Price, owner of Summerland Key ACE Hardware; Ron Levy, former
councilman in Islamorada - Village of Islands, where an ordinance was
passed which effectively keeps out further chain stores; Lee Rohe, local
attorney with strong land-use background; Sherry Phillips, local
resident active in community planning issues. The discussion was
moderated by Last Stand's president, Amy Lachat Lynch.
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Walgreen's Drugs was
specifically invited to participate but chose not to, which was
unfortunate. Last Stand's public panel discussions are kept civil,
and although Big Pine Key is largely against Walgreen's coming there,
Walgreen's did not need to be afraid to participate.
Panel members who
run businesses discussed the differences between company-owned chain
stores, franchise operations, buying cooperatives, and individual
businesses, as well as the impacts of the various types of businesses on
local communities. Panel members whose interests are planning and
community issues explained their views on maintaining community
character, and discussed possible local regulations which may
help keep the Keys from becoming Anywhere USA.
Panelists discussed
pros and cons of chain stores, their impact on competing small
businesses, and such things as differences in employees' pay and
benefits between chains and locally-owned businesses. It was
agreed by all panelists that large chain stores have negative impact on
competing small merchants carrying similar products, some product lines
more than others. Business owners on the panel said they pay
higher wages than chain stores in the same product line, but are
generally unable to match benefit packages of big chains, whose
multi-store buying power saves on insurance premiums and administrative
costs.
Those on the panel
with land-use expertise/interest enumerated negative community impacts
of chain stores, and discussed ordinances some municipalities have
passed which effectively bar some chain stores. Limiting square
footage of new commercial construction, which in the Keys is very
reasonable due to limited space and size of everything, can effectively
discourage chains who insist on large stores or none at all.
Ordinances to prevent further proliferation of chain stores, and to keep
the Keys from becoming the venue for corporate turf wars, a la
Walgreen's vs Eckerd's, are being considered in Key West and
unincorporated Monroe County. If Islamorada can do it, so can
the rest of the county!
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There was general
agreement that "cookie-cutter" chain stores, which make every place look
like every other place, which put many competing small stores out of
business, and which send a greater proportion of local money out of the
Keys, have many more drawbacks than benefits.
An audience member
who owns a small business cited a rash of recent fires in the Lower
Keys, and how local businesses made significant contributions to help
get the affected families through the emergencies, not something chain
stores are noted for.
To the question from
the audience "What can WE do (to keep chains out)?", the
panel's response was to be proactive: |
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- make your
council or commission develop and pass an ordinance; one of the
greatest things about the Keys is that elected officials are
generally approachable -- and they are impressed when a lot of
people want the same thing
- make sure local
planning departments do their job and correctly apply regulations
when reviewing proposed developments; what they do is public record
and subject to citizen scrutiny
- one can do this
only once an unwanted chain store is built... don't shop there
and make sure your friends don't; if the out-of-town chains can't
make a profit, they won't stay Following the 90-minute program, audience and
panelists enjoyed further conversation over tasty refreshments
generously provided by several local businesses.
This was Last Stand's first event outside
of Key West. We recognize that many issues affecting Key West are
Keys-wide issues, and we are expanding our area of interest to include
the Keys, especially the Lower Keys. We thank the people of Big
Pine Key for welcoming us!
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