Site Fight of the Week: Crofton, MD
Topics: Maryland | Community Impact
Crofton First is a group based in Crofton, Maryland, committed to preserving the character of its community. In April, Wal-Mart applied for permission to build its fifth store in Anne Arundel County, sparking concerns that the big-box retailer would corrode Crofton’s small-town feel.
From the Baltimore Examiner:
Torrey Jacobsen, president of the Greater Crofton Council, said the grassroots group representing about 30 homeowners’ associations in Crofton, Gambrills, Odenton and Davidsonville, will meet Tuesday night to discuss the situation. “We’re not happy,” Jacobsen said...“We’re not against growth and we’re not against Wal-Mart. We just don’t want one humongous building in one place.”
To solicit more community involvment, in June members of Crofton First handed out flyers and collected petition signatures, then issued its first press release a few weeks later. Every Friday morning the group gathers at the proposed Wal-Mart site to protest the contentious development.
Crofton’s Wal-Mart battle mirrors previous site fights in Chestertown, Kent Island and Dunkirk, leading some to suggest that protesting Wal-Mart is practically a Maryland birthright. From the Annapolis Capital:
At least three times in the past 15 years, bitter fights over proposed Wal-Marts have ignited, dividing neighbors, dragging on for years and—in some cases—providing examples of how to win...Activists argue their passion stems from Wal-Mart’s business practices, the footprint the stores leave on the environment, the traffic and large parking lots, and the impact on small businesses.
Earlier this year Maryland turned heads when the legislature passed the Fair Share Health Care law, an unprecedented measure that requires companies with 10,000 or more employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health care. But it’s groups like Crofton First that wage the most important battles. After all, community activist groups are the first line of defense in the war against Wal-Mart.
- Click here to learn more about the Crofton site fight.
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Thursday, June 29, 2006
