Wal-Mart Digs Up Trouble With Turtles
From St. Petersburg Times:
When a work crew tried to unearth some gopher tortoises on the site of a proposed Wal-Mart recently, it stirred up more than soil.
Instead, workers unleashed the ire of local activists who gathered Tuesday night on the steps of Tarpon Springs City Hall and waved banners and flaunted photos of a backhoe.
The group’s hand-painted signs said, “Bury Wal-Mart, not the turtles,” “Wal-Mart is an environmental predator” and “First the turtles, next 800 trees, then our heritage and way of life.”
“We’re asking the Board of Commissioners to find the will and compassion to intervene,” said Dory Larsen, a member of Friends of the Anclote River, which opposes the Wal-Mart project.
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Posted by Vasudha Desikan on Friday, April 06 | 1 comments | Permalink
Tarpon Springs, FL. Wal-Mart Removes Endangered Tortoises From Superstore Site
Endangered species in your way? Rent a backhoe. That’s what Wal-Mart did this week in Florida. A Wal-Mart backhoe began removing an endangered species from the proposed site of a superstore in Tarpon Springs, Florida---before they even have their building permits. The site has been a source of controversy for several years. The Concerned Citizens of Tarpon Springs took the city to court for approving the supercenter project on a 3-2 vote. In March of 2006 a three judge panel in the 6th.
Circuit Court for Pinellas County ruled against the Concerned Citizens of Tarpon Springs, and the group, running out of funds, had to end their legal challenge. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee gave Wal-Mart a permit in April, 2005. authorizing the retailer ‘to take gopher tortoises, their eggs and their burrows within its development boundaries where such taking is incidental to development activities.” Wal-Mart was required to contribute to the acquisition of 2.17 acres of tortoise habitat by paying $15,943 to the FWC Land Acquisitions Trust Fund. At the hearing Wal-Mart said they would relocate the gopher tortoises.
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Posted by Al Norman on Tuesday, April 03 | 0 comments | Permalink
Athens, GA. Wal-Mart Warned: Stop Selling Contaminated Cypress Mulch
An environmentalist in Georgia has warned big box retailers with garden centers to stop selling contaminated ‘cypress’ mulch, or face legal liability for doing so. Environmental scientist Dr. Sydney Bacchus of Athens, Georgia, sent a note this week to the legal departments of Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Publix, informing them of the “significant corporate libability” they face for distributing and selling mulch made from cypress trees. “Your stores are selling stacks of cypress mulch in plastic bags,” Bacchus told Wal-Mart. “Cypress is a native wetland tree in the southeastern United States. Redbay, another tree native to the southeastern United States, occurs in areas where cypress trees grow. Redbay trees are being infected with a lethal fungal pathogen transported by the Asian beetle, Xyleborus glabratus. That invasive alien beetle initially was documented in 2002 near the Savannah, Georgia port, presumably arriving in contaminated material imported from Asia...In its native lands, that beetle is known to attack all species in the redbay family, in addition to tress in the oak/beech and wax myrtle family...After trees are infected by the pathogen, the leaves ‘wilt’ and the trees die.” According to Bacchus, redbay trees are logged and chipped together with cypress trees and sold as ‘cypress’ mulch. The chiping process does not kill the lethal pathogen or the Asian beetles in the infected trees. The beetles and the pathogens are “too small to be noticed” during the chipping process, and the bagged materials sold at these big box stores have the beetles and pathogens in them. “Your corporate liability from distributing and selling ‘cypress’ mulch is not restricted to the potential contamination of the mulch with the Asian beetle and lethal fungal pathogen it carries,” Bacchus notes. “During my researh on cypress in the southeast, I documented other fungal pathogens in cypress trees that do not require an insect vector and are capable of infecting many different species of trees and non-woody species.” Bacchus says these mulch products are a threat to valued landscape trees and other plants, and that trying to treat this mulch with fungicides and pesticides would only create a hazardous product for customers. The legal liability from selling contaminated ‘cypress’ mulch is that unsuspecting customers may kill their tress and other plants by using this mulch. Bacchus says the cypress tree is a “critical nesting habitat” for the federally protected wood stork, and the continued harvesting of cypress trees is a “taking” of the wood stork’s habitat. “In addition to the extensive corporate liability,” Bacchus concludes, “the ruinous practice of selling ‘cypress’ mulch carries a considerable anti-green stigma that a corporation concerned about its future would choose to avoid.” Bacchus gives the big box companies an out: there are environmentally sound alternatives to ‘cypress’ mulch, such as the chipped melaleuca, which is an alien invasive species. “Hopefully your prompt action to discontinue the distribution and sale of ‘cypress’ mulch at all of your stores will spare you from legal action arising frm damage caused by this mulch.”
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, March 26 | 0 comments | Permalink
Manatee County, FL: Making Bad Traffic Worse
Manatee County reviews new Wal-Mart expansion plans [Southwest Florida Herald-Tribune]
A Wal-Mart Supercenter proposed for the intersection of University Parkway and Lockwood Ridge Road may make a bad traffic situation even worse, Manatee County commissioners said Tuesday.
“I think we’re cramming too much in this shopping center,” Commissioner Joe McClash said. “I mean this is one of the worst intersections in the county.”
Wal-Mart wants to expand the size of its existing 113,400-square-foot store on the site by 21,713 square feet to provide it with a new facade and to add a grocery store.
The discussion Tuesday was part of a land use preview, during which commissioners got their first look at the expansion plans. A vote to approve or deny the plans will come at a later date.
A traffic study that would show the impact of the expansion has not yet been completed. But the store sits on a 30-acre site along University Parkway, which is already considered overwhelmed by traffic.
“We just can’t add any more traffic there,” said Commissioner Donna Hayes.
The proposed expansion follows a failed bid by the company to relocate to a vacant site northwest of University Parkway and Honore Avenue.
That plan fell through after receiving strong opposition from the county.
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Friday, March 23 | 0 comments | Permalink
Davie, FL. Wal-Mart Loses Court Appeal in Superstore Case
This past week, a Broward County, Florida judge gave residents in Davie, Florida something to get juiced about. Wal-Mart had proposed to build a 24/7 superstore on 36 acres of land in Davie. The project was vigorously opposed by residents of the Rolling Hills Lake Estates, and Pine Island Bay. On July 20, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart couldn’t muster a single vote when their project came before the Town Council. The retailer’s plans for a 202,853 s.f. superstore was slam-dunked on a 4-0 vote. Wal-Mart’s argument hinged on a legal settlement from 17 years ago that allowed larger stores than the town now allows. We reported on October 12, 2006 that Wal-Mart had filed a lawsuit in Broward Circuit Court, charging that council members wrongly denied their plan. Town Attorney Monroe Kiar told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “We’re very confident the court will uphold the Town Council’s decision.” Five months later, the town can be even more comfortable, because Wal-Mart’s case was thrown out by Judge Cheryl Aleman. She ruled that the Town Council was correct to deny the site plan in July. The Sun Sentinel quoted Davie Mayor Tom Truex as saying, “Good for us. I think the residents in that area are going to be extremely relieved. The plan as submitted was not compatible [with the area].” Wal-Mart has the option now to appeal further, and waste more of the taxpayer’s money. In their suit, Wal-Mart charged that the Davie town council erred, because the site was zoned for commercial use.
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Posted by Al Norman on Thursday, March 22 | 0 comments | Permalink
Wal-Mart In Palm Beach
Marie from West Palm Beach, Fla. asks Al:
In West Palm Beach, Fla the oldest Wal-Mart is on Forest Hill Blvd, west of Military Trl. near Jog Rd. Another (superstore) was build about 4 miles north of that on Military & Belvedere. I recently heard that there is going to be another on Military & 45th St about 5-6 miles north again. There is another Super-store in Boynton Beach about 7 miles south of the first. There may even be another about 7-10 miles west. I think all of these locations are in Palm Beach County, not smaller cities, but I may be mistaken. Any info on this area?
Thanks,
Marie
Marie,
There are eight existing Wal-Mart stores within 20 miles of West Palm Beach, Florida. A Wal-Mart Supercenter is located at on Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. There is also a Wal-Mart discount store on Forest Hill Blvd in West Palm, and a third store, a supercenter, on Belvedere Road in West Palm. There is a fourth store, a supercenter, in Lake Park, Florida on North Congress Ave, less than 6 miles away.
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, March 19 | 0 comments | Permalink
Southeast Regional News Update: March 16, 2007
ALABAMA SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART PLANS STORE
Wal-Mart plans small store on Cottage Hill [Mobile (Ala.) Register]
Wal-Mart paid more than $2.5 million for 10 acres at the southeast corner of Dawes and Cottage Hill roads, according to attorney B.J. Lyon . The land was sold by the Lyon family and other investors. Wal-Mart plans to start construction this spring on a smaller supercenter, about 123,000 square feet rather than the customary 200,000, according to Jerry O’Brien of O’Brien & Associates, who worked for the discount chain.
GEORGIA SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART COMING?
Southside Wal-Mart takes step forward [Savannah (Ga.) Morning News]
The Savannah City Council on Thursday allowed Wal-Mart to pave its own way to a new Supercenter on the southside. The retail giant received unanimous approval to move a portion of Fulton Road to get more room for a new store that will replace a long-abandoned Wal-Mart store on Abercorn Street across from the Savannah Mall.
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Friday, March 16 | 0 comments | Permalink
Neptune Beach, FL. Wal-Mart’s Litigation Against City Pays Off Big
This story begins in the context of a city with a 60,000 s.f. cap on commercial buildings, and it goes downhill from there. In September, 2006 the city council in Neptune, Florida voted to reject a 117,000 s.f.
Wal-Mart supercenter on 14 acres of land where an empty mall now stands. But under the legal pressure of a lawsuit from the developer and Wal-Mart, the city agreed to negotiate before a “special master” to try to reach a settlement. The city had spent $93,000 fighting Wal-Mart’s project.
About $74,000 had been spent on the city’s attorney, but another $18,000 has been spent on consultants and a traffic engineer. Fast forward to the end of February, 2007. The City Council voted 4-1 to accept a recommended settlement from the Special Magistrate that will allow Wal-Mart to build a Supercenter on Atlantic Boulevard after all.
One Councilwoman told the Florida Times Union she found it “despicable” that Wal-Mart hurts the character of small communities, but said she couldn’t risk taking the city to a lengthy and potentially costly lawsuit if the city rejected the proposed settlement. “We have already spent $100,000 in [mediation] ... I love this community too much to place it in jeopardy of a $1 million or $2 million or $3 million lengthy lawsuit or litigation,” she said.
“I wish I could say, ‘No, I’m not going to support this.’ But for my community, I don’t feel like I have any other choice but to support this.” The settlement from the Special Magistrate contains 16 conditions, including a provision that Wal-Mart pay the city $300,000 for its legal costs.
The Magistrate also threw in a stop light for good measure, and told Wal-Mart to “change the aesthetics” of its store, by using more “earth tones” on its outside walls. The only voice against this “settlement” was Councilman John Weldon, who noted, “This settlement disregards the substantial negative impact that this development will have on both traffic circulation and general quality of life in Neptune Beach.
The monetary contributions called for in this settlement set a particularly bad precedent for future development applications.” Wal-Mart’s lawyer told the newspaper, “Obviously, we’re pleased with the outcome and Wal-Mart is excited about the opportunity to serve its customers at the Beaches.” The Wal-Mart will be located in mall that now must be torn down to make way for the superstore.
Many residents in Neptune Beach were appalled by the way their City Council caved-in to financial pressures. One anti-Wal-Mart activist told Sprawl-Busters.
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Posted by Al Norman on Thursday, March 15 | 0 comments | Permalink
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