Johnson City, NY. Wal-Mart Advances Despite Protests

JC Wal-Mart proposal passes two key hurdles [Press and Sun-Bulletin (NY)]

A proposed Johnson City Wal-Mart passed two major hurdles Tuesday night and needs only two more approvals before construction can begin.

The village planning board unanimously declared the project free of any significant environmental impact and unanimously voted to allow developer Marc Newman to divide the site into a 14.1-acre lot for the proposed 132,000-square-foot Wal-Mart and a 1.2-acre lot for a 14,000-square-foot retail store yet to be named.

While the planning board had some environmental concerns regarding stormwater and traffic, board member Gerald Putman said he thought the developer’s plans show how those problems will be mitigated.

The project still needs site plan approval from the planning board as well as a special permit from the village board that will allow a retail store to operate in an industrial-use zone.

The village board is expected to make a decision on the special permit at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the village courtroom.

A group called the Coalition for Positive Revitalization for Johnson City plans to hold a rally at 2 p.m. Sunday at Pavilion Road and Gannett Drive to protest the proposed Wal-Mart for the brownfield site at 90 Lester Ave.

Only two of the 50 people who attended the meeting spoke against the project Tuesday.

Barbara Thompson of Johnson City said she thinks a traffic signal is needed at the corner of Pavilion and Lester Avenue to prevent accidents. Johnson City resident Julie Deemie asked if the planning board would do an economic impact study. Chairman William Klish said such a study was not done and is not required to determine the project’s environmental impact.

After the meeting, Deemie said she has her doubts that the Wal-Mart project will reduce storm water flowing from the site, as Bergmann Associates Project Manager Robert Switala has said.

Johnson City resident Ron Hartman, who works at the Wal-Mart in Vestal, said he was pleased with the planning board’s decision. He was one of 15 people wearing green stickers that read, “Wal-Mart Yes.”

Hartman and another supporter said they received the sticker at a “supporter rally” held at the American Legion on Grace St., Binghamton, preceding Tuesday’s planning board meeting.

Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Wednesday, September 26, 2007

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