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
Portland, OR. Shhhh. It’s Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart is getting a wet reception in Portland, Oregon, where a Canadian developer has tried to sneak the giant retailer in under its raincoat. Sprawl-Busters received the following report from the frontlines in Oregon from the group Save Madison South: “A quiet neighborhood in Northeast Portland, Oregon got a rude wake up call in fall 2006 when a developer announced plans for a 240,000 s.f. development including a 180,000 to 190,000 s.f. big store for a former gravelpit/landfill/golf driving range site directly across from one of the city’s high schools. Residents immediately became alarmed at this initial proposal, as it far exceeded the current zoning of 60,000 s.f. and would thrust a retail environment as far back as five blocks into residential streets and add 900 parking spaces. Initial traffic estimates also back up data that this would add another 7,000+ car trips a day on NE 82nd Avenue which is already a state designed High Crash Corridor. Other concerns included obvious cut-through routes that would bring increased traffic near middle and elementary schools, in addition to the high school across the street. Jumping immediately into action, neighbors gathered at the September 2006 neighborhood meeting to hear from the developer and see the proposed design. A tense discussion followed as resident after resident queried the representative from SmartCenters, a Vancouver, BC developer who has very close ties to Wal-Mart, about the exact tenant that they were working with. The big box store was not identified, but, as SmartCenters planner Sean Fujiki admitted later in the discussion, that there was a high likelihood that it will be a Wal-Mart. In a classic case of David versus Goliath, a movement has been underway in the Madison South and Roseway neighborhoods of ordinary citizens and residents that has taken on increasing urgency, as SmartCenters has put in a permit with the city and is preparing for the hearing process. Traffic engineers have been hired and the developer’s community relations team has jumped into action, going to local business associations in June 2007 and making a case for this so-called ‘regional shopping center’. The neighbors have also geared up for action, and have now amassed an 800-member action list of neighbors, businesses, education groups and activists who are kept up to date with frequent communications and a dedicated core of 20 volunteers who are fundraising, creating community awareness, and planning large-scale events to engage the neighborhood and the city in this discussion.”
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Posted by Al Norman on Tuesday, June 19 | 0 comments | Permalink
WASHINGTON SITE FIGHT: LOOKING AT NEXT STEPS
Tumwater residents consider next step in Wal-Mart plans [The Olympian]
TUMWATER — Residents say they are reviewing a final environmental report released Friday on a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter before deciding on a next step.
“We’re paying attention, and we’re working with the community,” said Sherry Buckner, a leader of Tumwater Liveable Community, a citizens group that opposes the project. “We’re also communicating with other organizations that have concerns about Wal-Mart.”
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Monday, June 18 | 0 comments | Permalink
Hercules, CA. Court Overturns City’s Eminent Domain Against Wal-Mart
Eminent domain is a powerful tool. The municipal police power that allows a community to take property for a public purpose, has been a controversial move---whether used to promote development, or to stop it. In more cases than not, cities and towns have used eminent domain powers to promote a big box store, but in a few cases, the method been used to stop development. On December 2, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that the city council in Hercules, California had voted to use eminent domain powers to acquire a parcel of land owned by Wal-Mart. Residents opposed to Wal-Mart applauded the move, but the retailer’s response at the time was, “Eminent domain is not supposed to be used as a popularity contest.” The city ruled that Wal-Mart’s property was economically “blighted” because of the lack of activity there. The city said Wal-Mart’s plans to build a supercenter did not conform to a 64,000 s.f. store size limit at the so-called Bayside Marketplace. In late 2005, Wal-Mart purchased the Bayside Marketplace to build a superstore, but this set off a public explosion of opposition from residents who argued that the project clashed with Hercules’ pedestrian-oriented development goals. In September, 2006, the city reaffirmed the Hercules Redevelopment Agency’s authority to invoke eminent domain in a part of the city known as “the Dynamite Area,” and extended this power for 12 years. But Wal-Mart argued that the Hercules Redevelopment Authority’s power to invoke eminent domain in this case had expired. The city council argued that its action was a “resolution of necessity,” which allowed the Hercules Redevelopment Agency to initiate an eminent domain action without a further council vote within six months. The city would have paid Wal-Mart the fair market value for the property. Wal-Mart’s suit against Hercules was filed Nov. 7, 2006 in Contra Costa Superior Court in Martinez. This week, a Contra Costa judge invalidated the Hercules ordinance that was used to justify the city’s eminent domain action. The city charged that Wal-Mart had shown bad faith by filing application after application for a store that would exceed the size limit under a 2003 development agreement with the previous owner of the tract. The parcel remained fallow, leading to a finding of economic blight by the city. Wal-Mart’s most recent application last year was for a 99,000 s.f. store, shrunk from the 140,000 s.f. size of two earlier applications. The city says the size limit for the Dynamite Area parcel (named after a former dynamite plant there) is 64,000 s.f., but Wal-Mart says a 168,000 s.f. store is allowed on the roughly 17 acre parcel.
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, June 18 | 0 comments | Permalink
CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHTS: UP AGAINST A GIANT
Wal-Mart proclaims ‘clear win’ in fight with Hercules [Contra Costa (Calif.) Times]
A Contra Costa judge, confirming her earlier tentative ruling, has invalidated a Hercules ordinance that underpinned the city’s effort to acquire by eminent domain a tract owned by retail giant Wal-Mart.
The ordinance, adopted by the City Council in September, sought to confirm the continued existence of the city’s eminent domain authority in the so-called Dynamite Project Area and extend it for another 12 years.Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley this week proclaimed “a clear win for the many thousands of customers who know Wal-Mart saves them money so they can live better” and said it would resume the process of applying to the city to build a store.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Monday, June 18 | 0 comments | Permalink
CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHTS: UP AGAINST A GIANT
Should Oakley welcome Wal-mart? [Antioch (Calif.) Press]
There may be no retail chain more shopped at, worked in – and reviled – than Wal-Mart.
When a new Wal-Mart is about to open and seeks employees, people are often lined up around the block for the chance to work there. And the fact that it’s one of the most successful businesses in U.S. history is evidence that many people shop there for the good selection and low prices.
But it seems that as many people hate Wal-Mart as shop there, claiming its non-union employees are under-compensated in pay and benefits; that the retail giant underprices mom and pop stores, putting them out of business; and that it’s just, well, too big for its retail britches.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Monday, June 18 | 0 comments | Permalink
CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHTS: PURSUING LAND AND A SUPERFIGHT
Wal-Mart pursuing Skypark Plaza land [Enterprise-Record (Calif.)]
PARADISE—After nine years of controversy over what to do with the land that welcomes people into Paradise, a Wal-Mart Supercenter might be in the works for the Skyway Plaza.
While the sale is not finalized, lead developer Fred Katz said as long as Wal-Mart remains interested, it will fund the development process for the land just west of Paradise.Wal-Mart is not yet an applicant and does not have control of the project, said Kevin Loscotoff, Wal-Mart’s senior manager of public affairs. It is pursuing the opportunity with intent to buy the land, but has not completed the purchase.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Friday, June 15 | 0 comments | Permalink
CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHTS: PURSUING LAND AND A SUPERFIGHT
Super Fight over Suisun Super Wal-Mart [News10.net - (Sacramento, Calif.)]
A citizens group opposed to a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter in Suisun City presented documents Thursday that they say indicate the store, if built, could jeopardize the future of Travis Air Force base.
“We are adamantly opposed to the encroachment on Travis,” said Dwight Acey of Suisun Citizens League. Acey and a half dozen other residents were on hand for a news conference where they released a internal e-mail written by John Foster, chairman of the Airport Land Use Commission.
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Posted by Beth Gostanian on Friday, June 15 | 0 comments | Permalink
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