Fairfax might clamp down on ‘big box’ stores

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to decide this month whether to bring new layers of scrutiny to “big box” stores that want to open up in the county, taking a hard look at large retailers like Home Depot or Wal-Mart and their impact to local communities.

The board has set a public hearing on the proposed ordinance for May 21 and could approve the change directly afterward. It would legally distinguish the buildings from smaller shops based on size and subject new big box proposals to a more stringent approval process. With a few exceptions, the policy would apply to stores ranging from 80,000 to 120,000 square footage of floor space on commercially zoned land.