CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHT: WAL-MART MAKES ITS CASE IN LODI
Wal-Mart tries again in Lodi [The Record (Calif.)]
LODI - It’s not déjà vu.
After a protracted legal battle and months of speculation, studies and relative quiet, Wal-Mart representatives today will be back in familiar and not always friendly territory: making a case for a bigger retail center in Lodi before city planners and protesters.
The Supercenter project, approved three years ago but later shot down in court, calls for a 226,441-square-foot retail and grocery store at the southwest corner of Lower Sacramento Road and Kettleman Lane.
A revived project has been on hold since the spring. As the retail giant slowed growth of its Supercenters across the country, Wal-Mart representatives said the worsening economy forced executives to evaluate whether to continue pursuing the Lodi project. The discount chain announced in August that it would proceed.
Also see: Lodi, CA. Wal-Mart Willing To Pay Fee To Help Restore Downtown [Battle-Mart Blog]
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Posted by Luke West on Wednesday, October 08 | 0 comments | Permalink
CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHT: TRACY RESIDENTS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT WAL-MART’S LABOR PRACTICES
Letter: No to Wal-Mart [Tracy Press (Calif.)]
EDITOR,
In response to Melanie Mulford’s letter (Saturday, Your Voice) about the Wal-Mart supercenter, if you can no longer afford to shop at Safeway, there are other less expensive options for shopping here in Tracy.
I am not opposed to having a way to make my grocery money go farther, but not at the expense of the employees exploited by Wal-Mart. This is not a mom-and-pop business that cannot offer benefits or better wages. This is a massive giant that contributes to the problems of the working poor.
Wal-Mart is capable of contributing in a huge way to the quality of the lives of its employees and does not.
I am guessing that Wal-Mart employees can’t afford to shop at Safeway, either.
Posted by Luke West on Wednesday, October 08 | 0 comments | Permalink
Lodi, CA. Wal-Mart Willing To Pay Fee To Help Restore Downtown
Wal-Mart is getting desperate in Lodi, California. They have agreed not to leave an existing store empty, and are willing to pay a hefty fee to the city to help repair some of the damage their proposed superstore will do to other merchants in the downtown.
On July 27, 2008, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart insisted its proposal for a new supercenter in Lodi was not stuck. But after six years of waiting---who can blame residents for wondering why Wal-Mart keeps trying to have its way? After six years, Wal-Mart has yet to begin work on its proposed supercenter. On February 16, 2007, a San Joaquin County judge overturned the city of Lodi’s approval of a Wal-Mart Supercenter. The judge ruled that the company’s environmental impact report (EIR) failed to take into account the impact of other Wal-Mart stores and energy consumption.
In response to a lawsuit filed by Attorney Steve Herum and the group Lodi First in March, 2005, the judge ruled that the city’s EIR left out how the new supercenter would affect Lodi, given the fact that there are already two other Wal-Mart supercenters nearby. This Wal-Mart project was originally proposed in September of 2002, but was not approved until February of 2005 on a 3-1 vote of the City Council. After the judge’s ruling, Lodi officials decided to charge Wal-Mart and its developer, Darryl Browman, a ‘big box’ development fee, which would run $4.50 per square foot, to offset losses that downtown businesses could face if the 226,868 s.f. supercenter opens.
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Posted by Al Norman on Wednesday, October 08 | 0 comments | Permalink
Atascadero, CA. One Candidate Supports Limit on Superstore Size On November Ballot
The Presidential election will be the preoccupation of millions of American voters on November 4th, but residents in one small California community will be focusing on a local vote with big impacts as well. One month from now, voters in Atascadero, California will go to the polls to decide whether or not to place a cap on the size of retail buildings. To prevent the initiative from passing, Wal-Mart is spending money on voter identification, TV ads, and other local organizing. They’ve got a super-size budget to spend on the Atascadero election.
Dozens of communities across California and the nation have used a size cap to limit the scale of new development in order to preserve character and quality of life, and to mitigate the adverse effects of traffic and environmental impacts. On December 18, 2007 local residents in Atascadero filed an initiative petition entitled “Taxpayers’ Initiative Ordinance To Reduce Costly Effects Of High Intensity Urban Development By Preserving Atascadero’s Unique Small Town Character.” Measure D-08, called the Atascadero “Shield Initiative”, prohibits commercial buildings in excess of 150,000 s.f., and prevents any store in excess of 90,000 s.f. from having more than 5% of its gross floor area dedicated to nontaxable goods, such as groceries. On the same day that voters take up this ballot question, they will also elect three new members to the Atascadero City Council. On July 7, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that the Rottman Group, a developer based in San Luis Obispo, California, announced that it had “concluded negotiations with Wal-Mart to partner in the development” of a project known as The Annex. Rottman said Wal-Mart has purchased 26 acres of land in the project area on the southeast parcel of The Annex. The Rottman Group called Wal-Mart “a strong anchor for the proposed project.”
Rottman said at the time, “We recognize that there are many issues surrounding the possible location of a Wal-Mart in Atascadero. We are not ignoring public comment, but are asking residents to give Wal-Mart a chance to introduce itself, correct misconceptions and make a case for why it will benefit Atascadero.” The Rottman Group claimed that The Annex would “bring people to Atascadero – including its downtown.” “We see our proposal as a win-win situation for Atascadero,” the developer said, “ providing shopping choices and significant new retail sales tax to help the city.” To try and fit into the city’s zoning code, Rottman scaled back its store, and on February 4, 2008, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart had returned with plans for a 146,507-s.f. store on Del Rio Road---a cut of about 25% in building size.
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, October 06 | 0 comments | Permalink
CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHT: EVERYONE HAS THEIR REASONS
Letters: Special interests oppose Wal-Mart with phony reasons [Daily Triplicate (Calif.)]
The unionized special interests continue to bring up the most ridiculous, phony and self-serving excuses to delay Wal-Mart expansion when they know it will be approved anyway.
This isn’t Russia. Anyone can build anything with normal approvals. No one complained about other store moves, expansions and construction. A noisy few cannot control the needs and wishes of the rest of the area population.
The nearby creek is not an issue. Condo construction 300 feet upstream of that “ditch” has already bulldozed the creek in several places and will dump tons of silt into the stream when rains come. No complaints about that because Wal-Mart doesn’t own it.
Old-fashioned competition is the issue. Compete or fail. Law of the jungle. A huge hardware store did not put a highly competitive and well stocked store nearby out of business. A new drug store will not put another close-by store out of business. New coffee stands don’t put others out of business. A new casino wont put others, or close-by motels and restaurants, out of business.
With soaring grocery prices, competition is the best thing that could happen to us. Price and choices are the key to success. Earn more or spend less. Special interest groups accomplish nothing but delays in progress, all over the county. If you don’t like it here, go somewhere else.
Bob Douglas
Smith River
Posted by Luke West on Thursday, October 02 | 0 comments | Permalink
CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHT: ATASCADERO CHAMBER CLEARED OF WRONGDOING IN BOGUS WAL-MART SURVEY
Atascadero chamber is cleared in Wal-Mart survey [San Luis Obispo Tribune (Calif.)]
The Atascadero Chamber of Commerce did not violate the state’s Political Reform Act as alleged by anti-Wal-Mart activist Tom Comar and the Yes on Measure D-08 Committee, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Comar filed the complaint in mid-September, alleging that the chamber violated its nonprofit status by paying for a survey of local business owners asking whether they want a Wal-Mart Supercenter in town.
Comar also alleged that the chamber erred in advocating for residents to vote against Measure D-08, the so-called Atascadero Shield Initiative, which will be on the ballot in November.
In a response letter issued Monday, FPPC Executive Director Roman Porter said the commission did not find a violation of the act and the file on Comar’s complaint was closed.
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Posted by Luke West on Thursday, October 02 | 0 comments | Permalink
CALIFORNIA SITE FIGHT: NO SHORTAGE OF OPINION IN MERCED
Letter: Support Wal-Mart [Merced Sun-Star (Calif.)]
Editor: I have been a member of the Merced business community for more than 27 years and I am writing this letter in support of the Wal-Mart distribution center.
Wal-Mart is simply asking to come to our city and provide much-needed jobs, which in turn will produce much needed revenue to the community.
I believe the Wal-Mart distribution center will benefit the Merced community, and it is my hope that the Merced City Council will support this endeavor.
LARRY S. THOMPSON
Merced
Posted by Luke West on Tuesday, September 30 | 0 comments | Permalink
IDAHO SITE FIGHT: SUPERCENTER ONE STEP CLOSER IN CLARKSTON
Super Wal-Mart construction one step closer [KLEW-TV (Idaho)]
CLARKSTON - The grounding breaking for the Clarkston Super Wal-Mart may be just weeks away.
According to City of Clarkston Building Inspector Jim Braddock, plans for the box store have been reviewed and accepted and all the permits with the city are in place. They city has also received a check from Wal-Mart covering all the permit fees.
Braddock says the company has met all criteria and local code.
The building will be 187,000 square feet with a tire and lube center, a pharmacy, garden center, nail salon and Subway. There will also be three lots of about an acre that will be sublet.
Braddock says the city is hoping for restaurants in these locations but it’s up to Wal-Mart to make that decision.
Posted by Luke West on Tuesday, September 30 | 0 comments | Permalink
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