DALLAS -- Dallas has joined a growing number of major U.S. cities in imposing design and zoning standards for all new "big box" stores, such as Wal-Mart or Target.
Council members approved rules Wednesday that will require retail buildings larger than 100,000 square feet to meet new design criteria to make them look less like big warehouses. Council approval will be required if they are near residential areas.
Wal-Mart representative Myron Dornie told The Dallas Morning News he supported the standards, but any more stringent rules would have crossed the line.
Dallas imposed a moratorium on "big box" stores in the northern section of the city 60 days ago because of neighborhood complaints about the design of proposed stores and their impact on traffic in the area.
Most U.S. cities of more than 50,000 population have adopted or are considering design standards and other measures to control "big box" retail stores, according to the American Planning Association in Chicago.
