Northbay Uprising - Information for the liberated zones of the San Pablo Bay

2012-01-10 "Napa Local formed to maintain area’s unique qualities" from "Napa Valley Register"
[http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/napa-local-formed-to-maintain-area-s-unique-qualities/article_08db7a54-3b48-11e1-bb52-001871e3ce6c.html]
The following was written by Alex Shantz from Napa
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Napa Local formed on Dec. 20, 2011 to organize against the prospect of Starbucks opening up on First and Main streets in downtown Napa. Napa Local is composed of concerned people in Napa dedicated to preserving the unique qualities of downtown Napa, enhancing Napa’s diverse culture and commerce and revitalizing Napa’s local economy.
Starbucks is a formula business, which, by definition, is designed to propagate standardization in “services, décor, uniforms, architecture, signs or other features.” It is designed to be identical to businesses that exist nationally and globally, consequently undermining the unique qualities of a community. Since they are generally multinational corporations, formula businesses remove money from the community instead of circulating it within the community.
A growing number of cities throughout the nation are enacting ordinances to regulate formula businesses in order to preserve and enhance the diversity and unique qualities of the community. Nearby examples of such cities include Fairfax, Calistoga and Benicia. Calistoga’s municipal code defines a formula business as one “which is required by contractual or other arrangement to maintain any of the following: Standardized services, decor, uniforms, architecture, signs or similar features.”
In keeping with our desire to support the vitality and uniqueness of downtown Napa as it grows and changes, Napa Local has adopted four demands:
1) We do not want Starbucks to open on the corner of First and Main streets.
2) We do not want a Starbucks to open anywhere in downtown Napa.
3) The city of Napa must adopt an ordinance to regulate formula businesses to conform to the existing Downtown Napa Specific Plan.
4) The city must implement a moratorium on any new formula businesses until such an ordinance is adopted.
Napa Local urges the City Council to implement a moratorium on any new formula business until it has adopted an ordinance. This issue promises to be relevant within the coming years. The future development of downtown Napa and our community is at stake.
We plan to address these issues at the Jan. 17 City Council meeting.