Lockport, NY. Hearing to be Held Tuesday
TOWN OF LOCKPORT: Wal-Mart hearing set for Tuesday [Union-Sun & Journal (NY)]
The public is invited to weigh in, again, on the Wal-Mart question Tuesday night.
In a formal public hearing at 7 p.m., the town planning board will re-present Wal-Mart’s proposal to build a supercenter at the Lockport Mall property.
The required hearing was held last year, but after a succeeding, lengthy gap in town-corporate communications, Wal-Mart asked for, and the planning board agreed to host, another one.
“The board thought it made sense because it’s been out of the public eye,” attorney Dan Seaman said. “We’re not looking for repetition, but everybody will be given a chance to speak.”
Wal-Mart appears on the verge of getting the town’s permission to erect a supercenter at the mall site after several years of on-and-off pursuit and protracted public debate. According to town planner Drew Reilly, Wal-Mart representatives will present the company’s proposed site plan, and members of the public will be able to comment again on its effects.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, October 01 | 0 comments | Permalink
Lockport, NY Wal-Mart Back On Agenda After Extended Delays
Lockport, New York already has a Wal-Mart, so the town is basically being asked to swap the smaller store for a larger supercenter. The proposed Wal-Mart supercenter is on the agenda again in Lockport—back by unpopular demand. Tomorrow night, the town’s planning board will give local residents the chance to sound off again on the Wal-Mart plan. There was a similar hearing last year, but the project has been locked down in Lockport for over a year, with very little communication back and forth between town and retailer. Citizen opposition forced Wal-Mart to withdraw its original plan for a 203,000-s.f., 24-hour supercenter at an old mall site. Wal-Mart presented officials with a reworked proposal, that was more amenable to town officials, but did not garner the support of the Lockport Citizens for Smart Growth. Wal-Mart reduced the supercenter to 185,600 s.f., increased the back buffer to allow a 10-foot wall that would “protect” adjacent residential backyards from 50 to 100 feet, extended the wall northward to “shield” homes on another road, and added a 40-foot-wide ‘’detention pond’’ between the back of the store and the protective wall, and added other minor enhancements. The existing mall will be redeveloped, with the exception of the 81,000 s.f. Bon-Ton store, which would share Wal-Mart’s 1,452-space parking lot. Wal-Mart also dropped its plans for a gas station in their parking lot. Residents still wanted Wal-Mart to locate closer to the street, which would give residents a larger rear setback. ‘’If they’d move the store forward so they’d have parking on the sides and more green space in back, less noise, I think the neighbors would be less freaked by it.’’ one resident said, more than two and a half years ago. Several weeks ago, Wal-Mart asked the Planning Board to host the new meeting. Negotiations had halted between the retailer and General Growth, who owns the mall site, but the issue was brought back in front of the board in late August.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, October 01 | 0 comments | Permalink
Pennsylvania Does Not Want You To Suffer Kidney Failure
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has announced they will investigate an outbreak of E. coli-related illnesses believed to be the result of tainted beef. Topps is the guilty party - the company has been selling frozen, round beefsicles since 1940 - and announced a recall after 21 people in eight states fell ill.
The most serious case occurred in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where a teenage girl spent three weeks in the hospital because of kidney failure. Her Mother purchased frozen Topps patties in mid-August, and young Samantha Safranek made the unfortunate mistake of grilling and eating one just days later. The USDA has since tested multiple boxes, turning up the same strain of E. coli that caused Safranek to become sick. Safranek’s family, incidentally, has sued Wal-Mart for continuing to sell the product.
From the Business Wire:
Topps Meats announced on Tuesday that it would recall 331,582 pounds of frozen beef patties distributed in the New York City area as well as nationwide. Also, Wal-Mart recently announced it would remove the Topps burger products from its stores.
“We’re not sure why it took both Topps and Wal-Mart so long to respond to this danger,” Schlesinger said. “They were both notified last month, once Samantha’s lab test results were completed and once the E. coli diagnosis was made.”
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Posted by Corey Himrod on Friday, September 28 | 0 comments | Permalink
Kilbuck, PA. One Environmental Mess? Check. Now, Who’s Next?
Wal-Mart Shifts Focus To North Hills [KDKA TV 2]
(KDKA) ROSS TOWNSHIP With Wal-Mart scrapping its plans to build a store in Kilbuck Township, has the retailer set its sights on setting up shop in the North Hills?
The company already owns the land where Sam’s Club and Chi-Chi’s were located along McKnight Road. But Wal-Mart still has some major hurdles to clear.
Ross Township Commissioner Grace Stanko says surveys show that most residents don’t welcome the store. She thinks traffic could be a problem.
To get a highway occupancy permit, Wal-Mart must convince PennDOT that McKnight Road could handle the additional traffic generated by the super store. Jim Foringer, assistant district executive for PennDOT, says Wal-Mart is in the process of conducting a traffic impact study.
Jim Davis, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart, confirmed the chain is considering the McCrackin space.
Posted by Corey Himrod on Friday, September 28 | 1 comments | Permalink
Kilbuck, PA. Mother Earth Halts Wal-Mart - For Good
Wal-Mart gives up on Kilbuck development [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said today it will not develop the former Dixmont State Hospital property in Kilbuck where a massive landslide halted a planned shopping plaza construction and closed Route 65 a year ago.
Wal-Mart said its revised stabilization plan will return the hillside to a pre-development, natural sloping condition that includes trees and vegetation.
Wal-Mart officials met with the state Department of Environmental Protection yesterday to discuss the submission of a new site stabilization plan that will incorporate the changes.
The retailer said the revised plans address many of the concerns expressed by the DEP, elected officials and the public about future development of the 75-acre site along the Ohio River.
Wal-Mart said it will continue to explore “other opportunities for growth throughout the greater Pittsburgh area.”
Wal-Mart Scraps Pittsburgh-Area Store [Associated Press via Forbes]
Posted by Corey Himrod on Thursday, September 27 | 0 comments | Permalink
Wellsville, NY. The Road To Wellsville
Group against Wal-Mart gets their day [Wellsville Daily Reporter]
WELLSVILLE — Tuesday night’s meeting, advertised as a Pro and Con Wal-Mart discussion, was civil but a little lopsided.
Four out of the five panelists on the platform were anti-Wal-Mart while one, Professor Lynn DuPuis of Alfred State College, was unbiased. She teaches landscape and design and waste water treatment at the school. She warned that any development near the Genesee River should be done with attention paid to where the water is going.
The other panelists were Wellsville businessman Rick Whitwood, Councilwoman Barb Graves, Hornell businessman Joe Duffy and H.M. Bateman, who is the president of the newly formed Wellsville Citizens for Responsible Development, the group which organized the meeting.
The panelists each received five minutes to talk.
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Posted by Corey Himrod on Thursday, September 27 | 2 comments | Permalink
North Whitehall, PA. Wal-Mart Pleads Its Case
North Whitehall residents turn out to hear Wal-Mart’s side [Allentown Morning Call]
More than 100 area residents turned out for a special Wal-Mart open house at Lehigh Carbon Community College on Wednesday that was intended to inform the public of the retailer’s plans to build a ‘’supercenter’’ in Schnecksville.
Both proponents and opponents attended the session to learn more about Wal-Mart’s plans to build a 176,846-square-foot store on part of 40 acres along Route 309 at Levans Road. The plans are under review by the North Whitehall Planning Commission.
Wal-Mart officials set up several stations containing sketch plans of the site, official engineering plans, a continuous looping video and a presentation touting the company’s achievements and charitable efforts.
James Davis, Wal-Mart’s senior manager of public affairs, said such public presentations are not regularly offered but the company felt it was necessary for North Whitehall, where there has been little in the way of large-scale commercial growth.
‘’I need to hear what their legitimate concerns are,’’ Davis said. ‘’We just hope the people who are undecided, they can make an informed decision.’’
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Posted by Corey Himrod on Thursday, September 27 | 0 comments | Permalink
Belfast, ME. Opponents Dominate Hearing
Big-box opponents dominate council hearing [Waldo County Citizen]
BELFAST (Sep 27): After nearly four hours Tuesday of discussing the big-box issue, City Councilor Jim Roberts said to a disgruntled citizen, “We tried to make a compromise. I give the three on the end of the table (Councilors Cathy Heberer, Roger Lee and Larry Theye) my compliments for doing that. I know it’s hard for them.”
That conciliatory gesture was one of only a few heard during a public hearing on amendments to the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance that will allow a single large retail store along Route 3. The council is expected to approve the changes Oct. 2 at its meeting.
But almost all the 20 or so residents who spoke at the hearing opposed the amendments that effectively lift the 75,000-square-foot cap on new retail stores to permit one large general merchandise store and supermarket in the Route 3 Commercial District.
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Posted by Corey Himrod on Thursday, September 27 | 0 comments | Permalink
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