TEXAS SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART’S PLAN FOR NORTHCROSS MALL APPROVED
Wal-Mart’s Plan For Northcross Mall Approved [KEYE-TV (Austin, Texas)]
CBS 42) AUSTIN Despite outcries from neighbors in the area, Wal-Mart will go in at Northcross Mall, at Anderson and Burnet.
Wal-Mart announced Tuesday that the city of Austin approved its site plan.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Wednesday, June 27 | 0 comments | Permalink
NEW MEXICO SITE FIGHT: STORE SITE NIXED
Wal-Mart nixes Osuna store plan [Albuquerque Tribune]
Wal-Mart has nixed its plans to build a supercenter at Osuna Road and Vista del Norte Northeast, following a defeat at the hands of a city planning commission and other efforts to turn the property into a park.
The Environmental Planning Commission ruled last week that the store would cause too many problems with noise, pollution and traffic.
Meanwhile, the City Council voted unanimously in April to buy or, if needed, condemn the lot, and agreed to set aside $6.1 million for the acquisition. Councilors said they wanted to preserve a good landing site for balloons and perhaps create soccer fields.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Monday, June 25 | 0 comments | Permalink
Albuquerque, NM. No Roses For Departing Wal-Mart
On April 5, 2007, Sprawl-Busters reported that the Albuquerque, New Mexico City Council voted unanimously against a Wal-Mart superstore plan. The council voted to buy the 22 acre site Wal-Mart wanted, and keep it for a landing space for the city’s annual balloon fiesta. Rather than roll up their drawings and steal away in the night, Wal-Mart decided to stay and fight. The giant retailer already has 12 stores in the metro Albuquerque area, including nine in the city. Wal-Mart redesigned its store, and went back to the city’s Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) about a week ago. Wal-Mart’s new plan had a smaller parking lot, a “smaller” store footprint at 126,000 s.f., and a “park” on the land. But area residents raised big opposition to the proposed “small” store. “We’ve tried to work with Wal-Mart in good faith for a neighborhood market on a small scale,” a spokesman for the North Valley Neighborhood Association told the media.
“They’ve refused any overtures to that.” After six hours of debate, the Commissioners ruled that although the area was commercially zoned, the proposed supercenter was not the right fit for the Vista del Norte and Osuna Road Northeast intersection. They said it would generate too much noise, pollution and traffic. “I’m sorry your developer promised you roses,” the vice president of the Commission told Wal-Mart. “You’re not going to get them.” After the decision, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart said the company might appeal.
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, June 25 | 0 comments | Permalink
Littleton, CO. Voters Slam-Dunk Wal-Mart Decisively
On March 21, 2007, Sprawl-Busters reported that frustrated residents in Littleton, Colorado had decided to challenge a 4-3 vote in January of 2007 by their City Council to rezone land for a 187,000 s.f. Wal-Mart Supercenter on 23.5 acres. A group called Littleton Against Wal-Mart needed about 3,000 signatures to force the city council decision to a public vote. The grass roots group pounded the pavement to gather nearly 6,500 signatures. The city clerk stopped counting after she certified there were more than the required number of certified signatures. This week, roughly six months after the City Council vote, the voters of Littleton have overturned their elected officials and tossed out Wal-Mart.
The vote on June 19th wasn’t even close, with opponents of the Wal-Mart rezoning gathering 60.6% of the vote, 7,878, to Wal-Mart supporters’ votes of 5,128. Wal-Mart outspent the citizens by 3 to 1, but the retailer still lost the vote. Campaign reports show Wal-Mart spent $91,025, or nearly $18 per vote. Wal-Mart opponents raised $33,219, or $4.21 per vote. So the everyday low-price votes were not at Wal-Mart. “We have said from the beginning that the most important thing has been to give voters a chance to decide whether a big-box retailer should be allowed to build on property adjacent to South Platte Park,” Debbie Brinkman, chairwoman of the opposition group formed for the ballot question, “Littleton Pride, You Decide,” told the Denver Post. “Voters were given that chance and they said yes to preserve our park and our community.” In typical fashion, rather than acknowledge defeat, a Wal-Mart spokesman told the Post, “We’re going to reassess and hopefully come up with a project that works for us and all of Littleton.” What the retailer learned from the vote was that many residents wanted a Wal-Mart in Littleton. This initiative repeals the Littleton City Council’s vote and makes the current zoning now inappropriate. “The voters have spoken,” said a city spokeswoman, “and we respect their decision.”
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, June 25 | 0 comments | Permalink
TEXAS SITE FIGHT: COMPLAINTS DELAY WAL-MART’S PLANS
Resident complaints delay building of new Wal-Mart [KRIS-TV (Corpus Christi, Texas)]
CORPUS CHRISTI - Wal-Mart had planned to build a Supercenter at the corner of Timbergate and South Staples, something not all of its neighbors supported. The city council was set to vote on the rezoning , but Monday afternoon, Wal-Mart decided to pull that rezoning request, and it may have to do with resident complaints.
City councilmen were set to take up the issue Tuesday at 2 p.m., but that won’t be happening now. Wal-Mart officials said they still plan on setting up shop there one day.
Many residents were opposed to the project because they said it would cause problems like traffic congestion, noise and it would be built too close to the houses lining the property.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Wednesday, June 20 | 0 comments | Permalink
COLORADO SITE FIGHT: COUNTING VOTES IN LITTLETON
Littleton ringing up Wal-Mart vote count [Rocky Mountain News]
Littleton voters today will decide whether to block the building of a 24-hour Wal-Mart near a city park.
The results of the mail-in election are expected to be counted tonight.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Wednesday, June 20 | 0 comments | Permalink
TEXAS SITE FIGHT: STORE SEEKS DELAY
Wal-mart: Store seeks delay [Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times]
Wal-Mart officials pulled their rezoning request for a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter on the city’s Southside a day before the issue was to go before the City Council.
Sally Aiello, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, said company officials notified the city Monday morning they wanted more time to work with the city on a policy that would ensure Wal-Mart’s promises to improve the area would be kept.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Tuesday, June 19 | 0 comments | Permalink
San Diego Mayor vetoes super-store ban
On June 4th, the San Diego City Council voted to ban the construction of supersized retail stores within the city, including Wal-Mart. This past week, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders vetoed that ordinance.
The City Council voted 5-3 to ban new retail establishments larger than 90,000 square feet and which generate more than 10 percent of revenue from the sale of non-taxable goods such as groceries. The ordinance is believed to be aimed at Wal-Mart, which has pushed to build a supercenter in San Diego. Wal-Mart’s move to build a grocery-selling supercenter comes at a time when the three largest grocery chains in Southern California are currently attempting to limit employee benefits in order to compete with the giant retailer.
From the North County Times:
The City Council voted 5-3 on June 4 to ban new retail establishments within the city that are larger than 90,000 square feet and generate more than 10 percent of revenue from non-taxable goods, like groceries.
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Posted by Corey Himrod on Tuesday, June 19 | 19 comments | Permalink
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