WISCONSIN SITE FIGHT: MORE LAND TO BE REZONED NEAR ALREADY CONTROVERSIAL WAL-MART PROJECT?
Land near Wal-Mart site could be rezoned [My Muskego Now (Wisc.)]
The Muskego Plan Commission has recommended rezoning a 30-acre parcel behind the approved Wal-Mart Supercenter from residential to business park district.
The parcel would be developed with three to five buildings suitable for light industrial use. It would be located east and north of the proposed Wal-Mart site on the east side of Moorland Road south of College Avenue.
The commission vote Nov. 4 was 6-1 with commission member Gerald Hulbert opposed. Hulbert said he voted for the Wal-Mart project earlier this year assuming the land to the east would remain residential as a buffer for residents in the Glenbrook Subdivision.
Project would create jobs
But other commissioners supported the rezoning and the plans presented by Interstate Partners, developers of the project. Mayor John Johnson said with only about 9 percent of the city’s tax base in commercial property, it needs more.
“This project is good for the overall community with its jobs and economic development,” he said.
City Planner Jeff Muenkel said developers estimate the project could bring in 275 to 350 jobs. A residential development on that site would result in about a $5 million increase in the city’s tax base; each of the three proposed buildings would be worth that much.
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Topics: | Community Impact | Environment | Zoning Regulations | | |
Posted by Luke West on Thursday, November 13, 2008 | Permalink
MINNESOTA SITE FIGHT: MORE ON WAL-MART APPROVAL IN SARTELL
Sam’s Club and Super Wal-Mart approved for Sartell, Minn. [Real Estate Journal (Minn.)]
Site plans for a new Sam’s Club and Super Wal-Mart in Sartell, Minn. were approved last week by the Sartell Joint Planning Commission.
The 97-acre commercial development, to be called Epic Center, will be considered by the Sartell City Council on November 10.
The proposed 176,311-sqaure-foot Super Wal-Mart will anchor the southeast corner of Epic Center and the 142,585-square-foot Sam’s Club the southwest corner. Epic Center will be located between Stearns County Road 120, Stearns County Road 1 and Minnesota Highway 15 according to the plans.
As part of the Joint Planning Commission’s approval, rain gardens, wetlands and ponds will occupy 35-percent of the 97-acres as well as pedestrian trails. Epic Center will also pay $293,639 to the city for park dedication eligibility. In addition, Epic Center will pay an additional $15,000 to the Sartell Eagle Habitat Seed Fund.
Posted by Luke West on Thursday, November 13, 2008 | Permalink
Red Bluff, CA. Wal-Mart Plays Another Hand, After Five Years of Waiting
Wal-Mart never seems to know when it’s holding a losing hand. On March 7, 2008, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart had lost a high stakes bet in a small California city. A court ruling forced their hand. Red Bluff, California is a community of just over 14,000 people. The city’s mission says: “To sustain consistency, growth and a high quality of life in our community, we are committed to long-range planning, effective management of resources and openness toward innovative ideas.” Apparently city officials consider a Wal-Mart supercenter to be an innovative idea---but local residents did not agree. A court stepped in put its cards on the table. According to the Red Bluff Daily News, a Tehama County judge last March ruled against the city of Red Bluff in a lawsuit that will delay the building of a 198,785 s.f. Wal-Mart Supercenter. This was a setback for Wal-Mart, which has been trying to bluff its way past Red Bluff officials since the fall of 2003. That’s when Wal-Mart filed its site plan. It took the city until June of 2005 to complete its Environmental Impact Report, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The EIR was approved in November of 2006, but the following month, a resident’s group called “Citizens for a Healthy Community” filed a lawsuit on charges that the EIR failed to meet CEQA standards.
The CHC lawsuit charged that the number of parking spaces was 34 spaces too small, the level of noise was unacceptable, and there was a real threat of urban decay because the new supercenter was going to leave the city’s current Wal-Mart empty. The lawsuit charged that lack of adequate parking would lead to other traffic problems. “Specifically, individuals who are unable to find an on-site parking space will be forced to leave the site and search for parking either on surrounding streets or in the parking lots of nearby businesses,” said a traffic engineer, Neil Liddicoat, hired by the residents. County Judge John Garaventa said the city also failed to measure the effect of nighttime deliveries on sleep. The lawsuit claimed that Wal-Mart would receive 7 deliveries at night between 10 pm and 7 am each week. The citizens also noted that “Wal-Mart has left many vacant and deteriorating former stores across the country after opening nearby Supercenters.” Red Bluff City officials were smart enough to reach an agreement with Wal-Mart that the retailer would pay for all the legal costs that resulted from this lawsuit. That expense could mount up if this lawsuit drags out. It also meant that Wal-Mart’s adventure in Red Bluff was going to stretch beyond the five years it has already cost the company. Shareholders will not be pleased to learn that five years have gone by without one single dollar in sales at this site. Instead of appealing the court ruling, Wal-Mart decided to redo the Environmental Impact Statement.
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Topics: | | Community Impact | Economic/Small Business | Environment | Site Fights & Local Ordinances | Traffic/Sprawl | Lawsuits | legislation | Organizing
Posted by Al Norman on Thursday, November 13, 2008 | Permalink
‘Scanner-Lady’’ wins another suit against Wal-Mart for overcharging
Mary Bach, a woman from Murrysville, Pennsylvania has won her fourth lawsuit against Wal-Mart after being over-charged for a dress. Bach, nicknamed the ‘scanner-lady’ has gained a certain level of fame recently, as a champion of consumers for filing numerous small-claims suits against retailers for what she calls: “electronic shopper-lifting.” She has sued Kmart and Eckard after being over-charged for products. Wal-Mart plead no-contest, having violated a consumer-protection law and had to pay Bach $164 including court fees. “Bach said it is not about the money” says WPXI-TV (Pa.), who also quoted her as saying:
“Here you have retailers who can reach into your wallet by overcharging you multiple times and they then shrug their shoulders and say, ‘oops it’s a mistake.’”
The Associated Press said that Bach was a key player in passing a law which requires the state to conduct inspections of price-scanners.
Wal-Mart is accustomed to being sued over pricing issues. Just over a year ago, we posted a story from the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter about how Wal-Mart was fined almost $90,000 from the Wisconsin State Legislature for over-charging for bulk food items.
Woman Sues Wal-Mart Over Price Problems [WPXI-TV (Pa.)]:
DELMONT, Pa.—A woman won a lawsuit against Wal-Mart after she claimed she was overcharged for purchases at the chain’s store in Delmont.
Wal-Mart pleaded no contest and will play Mary Bach $164, including $64 in court fees.
In an earlier version of this story, Channel 11 posted only a portion of Wal-Mart’s response to the litigation. The following is Wal-Mart’s response in its entirety:
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Topics: Lawsuits
Posted by Luke West on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | Permalink
NEW YORK SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART ‘LACK OF ACTION’ TO DELAY ROAD OPENING?
Road linking mall, Wal-Mart stalled [Watertown Daily Times (N.Y.)]
What is the value of a 60-by-923-foot strip that could be used to connect Salmon Run Mall to Wal-Mart? It depends on who does your appraisal.
P.J. Simao, the Alexandria Bay developer who owns the swath of land in question, said his appraiser told him last year that it was worth $743,000. But he said town of Watertown Supervisor Joel R. Bartlett told him last week that the town’s appraiser said the land is worth about $63,657, or $50,000 per acre.
Mr. Bartlett disputed that claim Monday, saying he has not had the opportunity to read the document, which the town received Oct. 27.
If the strip is acquired by either the county or the town, a road could be built on the 1.27-acre parcel that would join the west side of the Salmon Run Mall parking lot, between Sears and Bon-Ton, to the east side of the Sam’s Club parking lot. The road would run to the north side of Wal-Mart and connect with County Route 202, which is near completion.
The road always has been considered part of a three-phase plan to ease congestion and spur additional development on outer Arsenal and Coffeen streets. There’s just one problem: No entity has taken ownership of the connector road phase.
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Topics: | | Community Impact | Traffic/Sprawl | Zoning Regulations | | |
Posted by Luke West on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | Permalink
MINNESOTA SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART PLANS OK’D FOR SARTELL
Wal-Mart, Sam’s site plans OK’d [St. Cloud Times (Minn.)]
SARTELL — Site plans for a new Sam’s Club and Super Wal-Mart sailed through the Sartell City Council at its meeting Monday. The plans were approved unanimously, bringing the stores one step closer to construction.
The council also approved the final plat for Epic Center, the 97-acre commercial development that will be their home. The approved designs picture a heavily landscaped development with 35 percent of the land dedicated to green space. Hundreds of trees and shrubs will mask loading docks and light. Ponds will help improve water quality and provide a scenic buffer.
“Our goal was to gain as much green space as possible,” said Anita Rasmussen, who is Sartell’s planning and community development director.
The development agreement requires Epic Center to pay $293,639 in park dedication funds and $15,000 to the Sartell Eagle Habitat Seed Fund to the city.
The Epic Center plat is situated off Minnesota Highway 15 between Stearns County Roads 120 and 1 in Sartell.
The site will provide plenty of sidewalks and pedestrian trails, connecting business with the outside area.
Also see: Sartell, MN. Wal-Mart Pays To Protect The Eagles [Battlemart Blog]
Posted by Luke West on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | Permalink
TEXAS SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART GOING AT IT AGAIN IN CORPUS CHRISTI
Wal-Mart officials are looking to build a Supercenter in Flour Bluff to replace its store off Waldron Road.
Spokeswoman Sally Aiello confirmed the company’s intent to find a location to build a larger store, saying that the present store offers no room to expand. But she wouldn’t release further details.
“We have three projects in Corpus Christi that are not yet at the point where I can disclose more information,” she said.
Wal-Mart also has proposed a Supercenter at Parkdale Plaza on Staples Street but a lawsuit involving Parkdale Plaza and Sutherlands, a tenant of the plaza’s owners, delayed the store’s plans. The suit was dropped in August, but Wal-Mart officials have not disclosed their plans for the site.
Also see: Corpus Christi, TX. Will Shopping At Wal-Mart Bring People to Jesus? [Battlemart Blog]
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Topics: | Community Impact | Economic/Small Business | Traffic/Sprawl | | |
Posted by Luke West on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | Permalink
CANADA SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART PLANNING NEW STORE IN CALGARY ONLY LESS THAN THREE MILES FROM EXISTING S
Wal-Mart plans massive new store in city’s southeast [Calgary Sun (Canada)]
Giant retailer Wal-Mart Canada Corp. is poised to open a massive store in the city’s southeast, where mammoth shopping outlets have cropped up over the years.
The Calgary Planning Commission is slated to hear tomorrow the proposed project from developer Kellam Berg Engineering at 1 p.m. at city hall.
Wal-Mart will ask the city to approve the development, which includes a 181,779-sq.-ft. store and 871 parking stalls.
The new store is being planned for a 7.7-hectare parcel of vacant land east of Heritage Dr. S.E., west of 11 St. S.E., and south of Heritage Meadows Way.
In 2004, an Ikea opened west of Deerfoot Tr. between Heritage Dr. and Southland Dr.
The city has envisioned Deerfoot Meadows as a commercial power centre comprised of a mix of big-box stores, mid-sized outlets and smaller retail spaces.
An existing Wal-Mart at 9650 Macleod Tr. is located less than 5 km southwest of the proposed new store.
It’s not immediately clear whether the giant retailer will close that store when the new one opens.
Topics: | | | | Canada
Posted by Luke West on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | Permalink
