So call it a gallery, not a store. Open a Tesla Internet Kiosk next door, with Tesla trained assistants to aid "Internet users". Guise it as a coffee shop. Or a business meeting center.
On March 12, 2016 3:37:01 AM CST, brucedp5 via EV <[email protected]> wrote: > > >http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Bob-Horton-Time-to-jolt-retail-laws-into-the-6872420.php >Bob Horton: Time to jolt retail laws into the modern age >March 5, 2016 > >What makes a store a store? And, specifically, what makes a store >worthy of >a coveted space on Greenwich Avenue, arguably the region’s highest-end >retail strip. > >Those are questions being asked as the Planning and Zoning Commission >contemplates Tesla Motor Company’s request to spotlight its luxury >electric >cars in a 1,900-square-foot showroom at 340 Greenwich Ave., between >Restoration Hardware and the Apple Store. >Anyone who has been to the Westchester Mall in White Plains in the last >several years knows full well that the Tesla showroom is more retail >store >than traditional car dealership. There is no service department, no >huge >parts inventory for sale and no lot full of new and used cars waiting >to be >test-driven. It is a brightly lit, highly polished space designed to >entice >shoppers to take a look at and eventually buy the latest Tesla models. > >Such a space would be a welcome addition to the Greenwich Avenue retail >landscape. Other store owners would welcome the increased foot traffic >generated by people’s curiosity about the newest electric cars, and the >Tesla brand prestige would add to the already considerable allure of >The >Avenue as a shopping destination. >Unfortunately, it seems likely that the Planning and Zoning Commission >will >reject Tesla’s request because town zoning regulations have not kept up >with >21st century retailing trends, and an antiquated, anti-competitive >state law >mandates that only dealerships can sell cars. Tesla has no dealers; it >sells >directly to consumers. > >Tesla has promised not to sell cars at its Greenwich store, which keeps >it >in compliance with state law and could give our P&Z commissioners, if >they >were so inclined, the legal basis to allow a car showroom on Greenwich >Avenue. Car dealerships are defined as places where vehicles are sold, >stored and serviced. Without car sales, the Tesla space does not meet >the >definition of a dealership. >In a town where elected officials continually rail against state >interference in all matters municipal, one would think they would >welcome >the chance to take on the state by challenging its right to limit which >retailers can sell cars. After all, this is the town that set up a >commission to study state tax laws because one prominent hedge fund >owner >moved to Florida. Doesn’t changing a law that inconveniences many >Greenwich >and other state shoppers warrant a similar effort from our elected >leaders? > >But the promise not to sell cars seems to eliminate Tesla as a store, >at >least according to one P&Z commissioner. “You’re displaying things >(cars) >that can’t be put up for sale. That’s a key part of retail use,” said >commissioner Richard Maitland. And he has a point, because if street >level >retail spaces were leased to non-retailers, foot traffic would decrease >and >the health of the entire retail zone would be jeopardized. But Tesla’s >innovative luxury electric cars are a high interest item that would >generate >more foot traffic than many other “stores” that actually sell goods or >services. > >Greenwich, Fairfield County and many other parts of Connecticut are >target-rich environments for Tesla, so the company will continue to >pursue >retail locations and changing state law. And it will be interesting to >see >how the town’s fully Republican state legislative delegation comes down >on >this issue. Will they support the free market principles that >Republicans >profess to cherish, or will they come down on the side of existing car >dealers, who don’t want the competition? > >Connecticut car dealers are so threatened by the Tesla business model >that >they sent the president of their trade association, the Connecticut >Automotive Retailers Association (CARA), to the Greenwich P&Z meeting >to >argue their case. > >“CARA and its local car dealers in the town support the Greenwich >Planning >and Zoning Board’s recognition of the illegality of Tesla’s plan to >sell >cars in Greenwich,” wrote the CARA rep in a statement issued the day >after >the meeting. “Tesla not only wanted an exemption from the local zoning >laws >but is pushing a bill at the state capitol that also lets it operate >outside >of long-time existing state laws. They are demanding their own >non-competitive playing field and will not commit to a dealer franchise >system that is in the best interest of the consumer.” > >I particularly love the president’s claim that Tesla is “demanding >their own >non-competitive playing field.” So, CARA thinks there should only be >one >non-competitive playing field, and the dealers have it. Why should >someone >else get one too? >Come on legislators. Give us our Tesla store. Free us from the >anti-competitive tyranny of the automotive dealer franchise business >model. >[© 2016 Hearst Media] >... >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Avenue >Greenwich Avenue, formerly Greenwich Lane,[1] is a southeast-northwest >avenue located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New >York >City. > > > >http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/guest-column/2016/03/05/make-evs-affordable-ny/81378066/ >Make EVs affordable in NY >March 5, 2016 The programs' goals are to provide rebates or tax >credits for >EV buyers, to increase the number of available EV charging stations, >and to >add 30,000 EVs to New ... > > > > >For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: >http://evdl.org/evln/ > > >{brucedp.150m.com} > >-- >View this message in context: >http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/Time-to-modern-age-jolt-NY-retail-laws-Greenwich-Tesla-store-tp4680936.html >Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at >Nabble.com. >_______________________________________________ >UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub >http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org >Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ >Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA >(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. 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