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Daily Planet Staff 

Boutiques are cute, but where does a person go when she needs a bar of soap? 

Close to midnight Tuesday, the council debated the question of allowing new chain stores in Berkeley. 

A resolution by Councilmembers Linda Maio and Dona Spring won the day: city staff and the Planning Commission will explore creating a policy to limit the number of “formula” businesses coming into the city, those businesses where the name, the merchandise and the look are all the same. If this policy is adopted, a chain applying for a business license would undergo a review specific to formula businesses. 

The resolution also asked staff to explore creating a “buy Berkeley” program, to encourage people to shop at local small businesses. 

The vote was fractured, with Mayor Shirley Dean and Councilmembers Maio, Spring, Margaret Breland, and Kriss Worthington voting for the resolution, Councilmember Betty Olds voting in opposition, and Councilmembers Maudelle Shirek, Diane Woolley and Polly Armstrong abstaining. 

There was no consensus among councilmembers on which businesses would qualify for the “buy Berkeley” certification. While Maio argued that non-chain businesses get involved in community activities and good works, the mayor said she believes it is the chain stores, such as Starbucks, that get involved. 

Maio attacked the “big boxes,” saying “they tend to drive out locally owned business.” 

But Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rachel Rupert wrote the council with a diametrically opposing view: “If the council is really interested in creating a unique niche for small business, you are going to have to understand how important business like Kinko’s, Sees candies, Walgreen’s, Ross and Barnes and Nobel are to the economic vitality of Berkeley.” 

Rupert explained that these businesses are often anchor tenants that attract people to a shopping district. 

Armstrong said allowing chain stores provides a choice for shoppers. 

“I don’t want to turn Berkeley into a place that is a boutique (only),” she said. “Some of those chain stores provide people with lower cost goods.” 

Shirek had another concern. She wanted to be sure that rules were made so that chains would not be excluded in the more affluent areas, yet allowed in lower-income parts of town. 

“I hope we are not spot zoning,” Shirek said.