Why does this developer need an exception to our zoning law? 

Because the Promenade complex is completely contrary to every standard Hudson has set for itself in the past 150 years.  It is contrary to the Comprehensive Plan.  Contrary to the zoning laws written and approved by our community leaders.  And, contrary to the very character and long-standing tradition that is Hudson.  The developer is trying to single-handedly circumvent our zoning laws.

Just how big will the Promenade Retail Complex be?

The proposed retail complex is the size of more than THREE typical Wal-Mart stores, dramatically exceeding our carefully prepared zoning laws.  Under the newly revised Comprehensive Plan, a 10,000 square foot building is authorized.  The Promenade is proposing buildings of up to 50,000 square feet!

*The largest proposed Promenade store is larger than a football field.  It is also as large as almost all of the stores on Main Street combined!

How big will the parking lot be for this complex?

The asphalt for parking will stretch beyond 5.6 acres!  There will be more than 5 miles of parked cars at this retail complex.

Why is this developer circumventing our process? 

The developers know that our elected officials would never approve their zoning exception.  Duty-bound, they would hold the Promenade to the same standards of all other Hudson projects and require that it meet the scrutiny of residents, City Council, Zoning Commission, and Architectural Review Board.  A public vote is a side step.  It is a way of leaping over our strict standards and circumventing and insulting our elected officials - and you.

The developer claims his big box stores will offer tax benefits to the community.  Is this true?

Research proves that this type of development costs more than it generates in taxes.  A study of Barnstable, Massachusetts, a city of 48,000 people, compared public revenue and costs for various land uses.  It found that the city's small downtown stores generate a net annual surplus (tax revenue minus costs) of $326 per 1,000 square feet.  Big box stores, strip shopping centers and fast-food outlets, however, require more services than they produce in revenue.  A big box store creates an annual tax deficit of -$486 per 1,000 square feet.

What type of development offers the most tax benefit?

The current zoning at Norton Road for specialty retail, light commercial and office space would deliver more tax benefit than the developers plan.  According to the study mentioned above, here is the hierarchy of best tax sources per 1,000 square feet:

Are there other concerns?

Large, mass-market retail ruins the landscape.  Buildings depreciate over time.  Most jobs are minimum wage.  The town of Gainesville, North Carolina added a mall and many big box stores only to find that the new stores generate so many police calls for bad checks, shoplifting and parking lot accidents, that they consume all of the revenue they produce.  The town recently raised property tax rates and, desperate to control rising costs, blocked further big box construction.  Locally, when the Market Place at Four Corners in Bainbridge Township opened, the police department showed an increase of 292 calls in the first nine months.