Clearbrook, VA. Wal-Mart Project Rises From the Dead
A Wal-Mart proposal in Virginia has risen like a vampire from the dead to terrorize an entire neighborhood. On February 3, 2007, Sprawl-Busters reported that a Tennessee developer was trying to build 204,000 s.f. Wal-Mart superstore across from the Clearbrook, Virginia Elementary School. But a group called Citizens for Smart Growth challenged HolRob Investments, the developer, and the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors.
HolRob tried to have the citizen’s lawsuit dismissed, but the developer’s motion was denied by the court, and the project went to a Circuit Court judge. The CSG group charged that the project’s review process was collapsed into just six weeks, ending in a 4-1 vote by the County Board in October, 2006. The citizen’s group wanted the case remanded back to the County’s Planning Commission, with a full traffic study to be done this time. The group retained Richmond, Virginia attorney Phillip Strother, who also served as the victorious lead counsel for citizens in Front Royal, Virginia before the Virginia Supreme Court.
The residents pointed out that the land Wal-Mart wanted was intended for a “village concept” in the county’s Overlay District guidelines. The Clearbrook Overlay District Concept calls for small commercial and retail development similar in feeling to a village street-—the antithesis of a Wal-Mart supercenter.
“The first time the overlay is questioned the county rolls [over],” one CSG member complained. “Some folks have said we’re doing away with the overlay,” the County’s Administrator said “But they’re complying with the overlay” by seeking the special-use permit it allows,” he added. “All of us hoped for more of a type of development” in style and size--- things like doctor’s offices, sit-down restaurants and small office buildings.
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Posted by Al Norman on Wednesday, September 10 | 0 comments | Permalink
Berlin, MD. Get Away From Strip Malls & Visit Wal-Mart By the Sea
Wal-Mart discount store #2560 sits along Ocean Gateway road in Berlin, Maryland. According to local officials, the store is “over-shopped.” If that’s true, it’s not from people in Berlin, because the community has less than 4,000 people living there, an increase from 1990, when the population was 2,616. The nearby community of Ocean City, Maryland has roughly 7,000 people—so the two communities combined couldn’t “overshop” any store. If they did, the competitors would have no business at all.
The entire county of Worcester in Maryland has just about enough people to support a superstore: 49,500. Worcester County pitches itself to tourists—not to big box shoppers. Located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Worcester County is Maryland’s only seaside county, “known for Ocean City’s clean sandy beaches, outdoor recreation, steamed crabs and the famous wild pony herd on Assateague Island State Park and National Seashore.” Worcester County also claims to have the best birding in the state, “and 100 miles of marked bicycle trails on flat country roads.” And if no citizen opposition creates waves---Worcester County will soon be able to claim the 14th supercenter in Maryland.
But it turns out that Worcester County, which is now considering plans for a long-delayed Wal-Mart supercenter, is talking out of both sides of its mouth. In one tourist promotion, the tiny town of Berlin is described to visitors as “the exquisite, Victorian-era town of Berlin with its romantic bed and breakfasts. Or visit historic Snow Hill and Pocomoke City, with their 100-plus century-old homes and proximity to the beautiful Pocomoke River.
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Posted by Al Norman on Tuesday, September 09 | 0 comments | Permalink
Spooner,WI. Wal-Mart Asks County For $1 Million Welfare Bail Out
Wal-Mart wants the small city of Spooner, Wisconsin to spoon-feed them money.
On July 10, 2008, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart, the icon of the free market, wanted the Washburn, Wisconsin County Board to prevent public land surrounding its proposed superstore from being sold to Wal-Mart competitors for 40 years. That’s just one of the problems associated with this mercurial proposal from the giant retailer. Wal-Mart has waged an on-and-off campaign to build a 153,000 s.f. superstore in Spooner, Wisconsin on 35 acres of county land.
This project has been in the works for three years. Last January it was reported by the Washburn County Register that the Wal-Mart supercenter project in Spooner was on hold. “There is nothing yet to report on the status of the project on Spooner,” a Wal-Mart senior manager of public affairs said in an e-mail to Spooner Mayor Louie Villella. “While no decision has been made regarding the Spooner project, I feel it’s important you know what’s driving these decisions, and that you know these decisions are shaped by Wal-Mart’s desire for a responsible and managed growth strategy. Again, there is nothing yet to report on the status of the project in Spooner, but my colleagues at Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Bentonville expect this project to be reviewed in the coming weeks. I will of course keep you informed.”
Wal-Mart admitted that the Spooner Supercenter was in a “holding pattern” while the company tried to “manage our growth to insure the long-term success.” After roughly four months in limbo, Wal-Mart announced in April that under new “business parameters,” the supercenter project would proceed---on a smaller scale than originally proposed. The Register reported that residents asked that the city council to slow the process down and prepare a developer’s agreement carefully. One resident warned the Council that officials in Rice Lake, Wisconsin regretted that they had not conducted more research when they accepted a Wal-Mart Supercenter---which caused their “smaller” Wal-Mart store to sit empty at a $200,000 liability. Another resident recommended an “advisory referendum” to see how many citizens wanted Wal-Mart in Spooner.
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Posted by Al Norman on Tuesday, September 09 | 0 comments | Permalink
Liberty, Ohio. Mayor Learns How to Make Water Into Jobs At Wal-Mart
There’s some strange alchemy going on in Ohio. The Mayor of Youngstown, Ohio has learned how to convert water into jobs. Unfortunately, many of those jobs are at Wal-Mart, and not really worth the water.
On July 16, 2008, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart was desperately trying to find some water for its proposed superstore on Belmont Avenue in the old Liberty Plaza in Liberty, Ohio---but politics was keeping the tap shut.
Liberty township’s Administrator, Patrick Ungaro, told officials that Wal-Mart informed him in July that their superstore project is on ice over the issue of water. Delays on this project are not a new issue. Last year at this time, Wal-Mart indicated that they were putting the project on hold for its own internal reasons—mainly due to a change in Wal-Mart’s growth plans. The township was ready for the project last year.
In July of 2007, Administrator Ungaro told the Vindicator newspaper, “The plans are approved. The land will be transferred and everything is ready to go.” But now, more than a year later, no work has begun on the site. Wal-Mart told Liberty officials in June that unless the township and the city of Youngstown, Ohio agree to set up a Joint Economic Development District (JEDD), which allows Youngstown to supply water to the Liberty Plaza site, the supercenter could be in trouble. A JEDD is an agreement between two communities to share services in exchange for compensation. Construction on the supercenter was slated to begin this summer. A Wal-Mart spokesman told the Times-Chronicle newspaper, “At this time, our plans are to continue to move forward with this project.”
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, September 08 | 0 comments | Permalink
North Tonawanda, NY. City Boards Happily Fawn Over Wal-Mart
City officials in North Tonawanda, New York---from the Mayor on down---think they can grow their economy by cannibalizing their retail sector. They are in for an unpleasant surprise when they invite the cannibal for dinner. On April 8, 2008, Sprawl-Busters reported that the Mayor of the city of North Tonawanda was thrilled with the idea of a Wal-Mart supercenter---before he had even gathered any data on the potential impact of the store on his community.
His city has lost about 9% of its population since 1990—which should be a clear indicator that expanding retail square footage is a mistake. As of 2006, the city had just under 32,000 people. The city also has 6 Wal-Mart stores within 19 miles, including a Wal-Mart discount store 3 miles away in Amherst, New York, and a supercenter 10 miles away in Clarence, New York. North Tonawanda is located midway between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, and is the second largest community in the County of Niagara. Historically, North Tonawanda was an important regional manufacturing center, but today, the city is focused on waterfront development, entertainment and tourism.
Although this community has ample access to cheap Chinese imports, Wal-Mart is still pressuring city officials to let them build a superstore. Only one thing stands in the way: local residents. The retailer’s first proposal did not go over well, so the corporation fell back and came up with a “Plan B.” In early March, 2008, Wal-Mart’s supercenter proposal ran into a Wal of opposition at a public hearing.
According to the Tonawanda News, at least 100 residents packed into the Grant Elementary School to protest the superstore. Although the chairman of the city’s Planning Commission told the audience that Wal-Mart was not the issue at hand, most people testifying made it clear that Wal-Mart was the problem. Most of the focus has been on the traffic problems that this store will create.
Dave Seeger, a lawyer representing North Tonawanda First, the citizen’s group opposing Wal-Mart, challenged Wal-Mart’s typical assertion in its traffic “study” that a superstore would actually improve traffic in the area. “How does that happen?” Seeger asked the Planning Commission. “Answer: You cheat.” To counter North Tonawanda First, Wal-Mart cobbled together a “citizens” group called Lumber City Liaisons for Wal-Mart, which testified in favor of the plan. In April, the Wal-Mart project came before the Planning Commission. The city hired the engineering firm Wendel Duchscherer to advise them on the project.
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, September 08 | 0 comments | Permalink
North Whitehall, PA. Supervisors Tell Wal-Mart To Do Their Own Traffic Study
This case dates back to September 25, 2007, when Sprawl-Busters reported that the tiny township of North Whitehall, Pennsylvania--population roughly 2,000--had a big problem tossed in their lap: a Wal-Mart supercenter.
North Whitehall already has 7 Wal-Mart stores within 20 miles, including three supercenters, with a supercenter in Whitehall a mere 7 miles away. In its continuing drive to saturate the area, Wal-Mart proposed a 176,846-s.f. superstore on 32.6 acres in a former orchard at Route 309 and Levans Road. In early October, 2007, the township supervisors, chaired by Ron Stahley, held an afternoon meeting for residents to express their concerns about the massive Wal-Mart project---which would be the largest retail building in the history of this community.
Opponents of the project showed up to voice their concerns over the superstore. North Whitehall describes itself as being “Primarily agricultural in nature…a desirable place to live and continues to do so by retaining its unique blend of residential and rural character.” Residents opposed to Wal-Mart formed a group called North Whitehall for Sustainable Development to protect that rural character. This volunteer organization dedicated itself to promoting responsible development that conserves natural resources and ecological balance, while providing for the needs of residents in and around North Whitehall. The organization has been working to prevent the construction of this big box store adjacent to the Schnecksville Fire Company.
Residents’ opposition to the project is based on traffic safety; air, water, noise and light pollution; and loss of open space. The Planning Commission began reviewing the plans in September of 2007. During the review period, Wal-Mart asked for delays, so that it could ‘refine’ its proposal. The final hearing on the proposal took place in early July, 208, and focused on the key issue of traffic.
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, September 08 | 0 comments | Permalink
Salt Lake City, UT. Planners OK Controversial Wal-Mart, But Commission Votes Next
On July 29, 2008, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart was trying to sugar-coat a project in Sugar House, one of Salt Lake City, Utah’s oldest neighborhoods. The area is known for its distinctive local stores and small-town charm. Wal-Mart wants to build a 122,320 s.f. supercenter in the heart of Sugar House, but first it must tear down an empty 113,000 s.f. Kmart it bought several years ago. The city’s zoning ordinance says the existing building can be remodeled—but not torn down. Wal-Mart has therefore asked for a rezoning of the property---and tried to sweeten the deal by offering a landscaping package, “green” features on the building, new sidewalks and other site amenities. “We plan to invest a significant amount of money and resources into the redevelopment of this site, eventually providing the community with a store that is appealing to the eye, technologically modern and environmentally progressive,” a Wal-Mart spokesman promised.
But an advisory group to the council, known as the Sugar House Community Council, opposes the rezoning, claiming that a previous owner of the parcel on E. Parleys Way agreed to the current zoning rules in exchange for zoning flexibility on another piece of property. “I don’t care what the business is, whether it’s Wal-Mart or Kmart or Target or any other business. The thing I’m concerned about is that it stays with the current zoning, with the current types of businesses” in the area, a Sugar House Community Council spokesman said.
But the vice-chairman of the Sugar House Council thinks Wal-Mart is a sweet deal. He told the Salt Lake Tribune that many people oppose the rezoning because they don’t like Wal-Mart. “I fear that they will use their hatred of Wal-Mart, because they don’t like Wal-Mart for Wal-Mart, and they will not judge it for what it will do for the community,” he said. Kmart, which has been at this location for 40 years, is shutting down. Wal-Mart bought the property in 2005, but less than a year later, the city voted to prohibit superstores in the ‘community business’ zone.
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, September 08 | 0 comments | Permalink
Illegal? No. Unethical? You be the Judge
In a story posted today from KXLY.com in Spokane, Washington, it seems that Wal-Mart has found a new market, in undercutting a local high-school. A Wal-Mart store in Cheney, Washington has begun selling shirts that bear the logo of the Cheney Blackhawks, the town’s high-school sports team. Wal-Mart does not pay the school royalties for using the logo, nor do they have permission from the school to sell the shirts and this is bad news according to the school’s Activities Director, Jim Missel who had this to say:
“They can buy their stuff at a larger quantity and be able to sell it at a cheaper price. It hurts us when this happens.”
Cheney High School uses revenues from their own apparel sales to fund school activities and athletic programs, and without that revenue, it becomes increasingly harder to finance such programs. Missel says he doesn’t want to start a war with Wal-Mart, but would likely appreciate some consideration for the situation. Wal-Mart told a journalist from KXLY that the company “tries to give customers what they want at a good price, while still being a good neighbor”.
The ironic thing is that by selling shirts with the Blackhawks logo on them, they are lessening the chance that Blackhawks athletic programs will even continue to exist. If anyone out there knows of this kind of thing happening in their town, feel free to tell us about it in the comments section.
Is Wal-Mart undercutting local athletic programs?
CHENEY - The start of the 2008 football season hits Thursday night, but if you’re looking to get into school spirit there’s at least one team on the West Plains that hopes you consider where you buy your gear from.
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Posted by Luke West on Friday, September 05 | 0 comments | Permalink
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