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28 Aesthetics, Community Character,and the Law Pedestrian Flows.To encourage pedestrian accessibility,the standards require. • sidewalks of at least eight feet in width along all sides that abut public streets; • sidewalks along the full length of any facade featuring a customer entrance and any facade abutting a public parking area; • internal pedestrian walkways to provide weather protection fea- tures such as awnings within 30 feet of all customer entrances;and Big boxes aren't the only retail outlets being subjected to an • internal pedestrian walkways must be distinguished from driving increasingly stringent and surfaces through the use of special paving materials. sophisticated generation of Parking Lots.To prevent huge expanses of asphalt separating the su- design review programs.Local perstores from streets, the standards encourage structures to be lo- governments are realizing that cated closer to streets and to break parking areas up into modules sep- smaller-sized businesses may arated by landscaping and other features.No more than 50 percent of just as quickly erode the off-street parking area for the entire property shall be located be- community character if not tween the front facade and the pnmary abutting public street. properly integrated with their natural and architectural surroundings. The Fort Collins standards provide a strong model for other communi- ties concerned about mitigating the aesthetic impacts of large-scale retail- ers on the local landscape.Other jurisdictions should be careful,however, to tailor new standards to their own local political and economic contexts." Design standards for corporate franchises. Big boxes aren't the only re- tail outlets being subjected to an increasingly stringent and sophisticated generation of design review programs. Local governments are realizing that smaller-sized businesses may just as quickly erode community char- acter if not properly integrated with their natural and architectural sur- roundings. Design review can ensure that drug stores, roadside motels, Fleming notes that both gas gas stations,and the like are designed so as to respect community charac- stations and chain restaurants e cater to,and rely heavily on, ter.Such design review efforts have been particularly successful with cor- porate franchises, especially gas stations and fast-food restaurants, since the automobile,and their most many of these are controlled by national chains that are beginning to un- attributable design features are to the car. derstand how sensitive design can make good business sense. Fleming (1994) discusses the evolution of today's standardized franchise designs and explains how communities can use design review to require corporate franchises to respect community character. Fleming notes that both gas stations and chain restaurants cater to,and I 1 rely heavily on, the automobile, and their most prominent design features are attributable to the car.Since the bulk of their customers arrive by road, corporate marketing departments demand instant recognition from pass- ing motorists. As a result, gas stations feature tall, colorful, well-illumi- nated signs displaying the corporate logo, often visible from miles away Chain restaurants rely on oversized architectural details (e.g., golder r- arches), bright colors, and huge banners advertising the current sale o' ;;ypromotional gimmick. Not only do these stores cater to the automobile =< but they also encourage further sprawl by continuing to require more a I and higher parking-lot-to-building ratios, and by marketing agb The need for speed and I to new suburban development.Rehabilitation of older facilities is unusua convenience also influences for both gas stations and fast-food chains, since both find it more cost-el franchise design,resulting in site plans that emphasize fective to invest in new construction. efficiency over respect for The need for speed and convenience also influences franchise desigr community character. resulting in site plans that emphasize efficiency over respect for coir munity character. Gas stations feature additional pumps to reduce wa times, pay-at-the-pump stations to allow fill-ups without ever enterin the store, and broad,brightly lit canopies covering large service plazl to shelter customers from the weather.Anxious to accommodate rushe