FLORIDA SITE FIGHT: MARY ESTHER DENIES REZONING FOR WAL-MART

Mary Esther denies rezoning for Wal-Mart [Northwest Florida Daily News]

MARY ESTHER — Wal-Mart thinks it has found the perfect place for a Supercenter. Too bad the City Council doesn’t agree.

The property eyed by Wal-Mart should stay residential, the council decided by unanimous vote Tuesday.

Wal-Mart was looking for a land use and zoning change to build a store near the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and Wright Parkway.

However, the council didn’t think a business belongs there.

“I find it incompatible with the surrounding properties,” said Councilman George Crews, who added the proposed 24-hour store was at odds with the bedroom community of Mary Esther.

Other council members pointed to city founders who purposely created a commercial district in the center of town.

“To the best of my knowledge, there has not been a mistake in the zoning,” said Councilman Ron Stearns.

Wal-Mart can appeal the council’s decision in court, and the company’s representatives were not shy about making the thinly veiled threat.

“We don’t want to go to court. Nobody does,” said Karl Sanders, an attorney representing Wal-Mart. “It’s going to take money and it’s going to take time.”

Sanders pointed to Target on U.S. 98 as precedent that denying the change for Wal-Mart could be viewed as arbitrary and discriminatory.

Several residents took exception to Wal-Mart’s tact.

“I think we saw the real Wal-Mart come out tonight. They’re not cute, fuzzy little rabbits,” said Sharon Dinwiddie. “This is Wal-Mart.”

Outside the meeting, Wal-Mart representative Cindi Marsiglio said it was premature to say whether the matter was headed to court or not. She said the company will need to discuss that internally.

Some opponents to the rezoning and land use change said Wal-Mart would not win too many fans if they sued. They said Mary Esther was in the right.

“If it does go to court, God forbid, the facts are on our side,” said Charlotte McKamy.

Posted by Beth Gostanian on Wednesday, August 01, 2007

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