Red Hook Neighbors Want State Hearing On IKEA.
June 30, 2005
Residents in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York think that a huge IKEA furniture store is a bad IDEA. The group issued the
June 2005
Wal-Mart Project Stalled By Legal Challenge
June 30, 2005
A group called American Canyon Community United for Responsible Growth has gone to court to stop a Wal-Mart superstore from being built in their small
Developer ‘Stunned’ by Wal-Mart Defeat
June 29, 2005
Wal-Mart has lost a second Canadian battle in just over a week. After years of fighting the giant retailer, residents of Vancouver, British Columbia are
Home Depot Now a ‘Dead Deal” As Time Runs Out.
June 28, 2005
Residents in Bellevue, Idaho received some good news this week, when representatives of Atlanta-based Home Depot pulled the plug on their plans to build a
City Has Right To Reject Big Projects
June 28, 2005
The city attorney in Miami, Florida has issued a legal opinion that will send chills through the big box developers preying on small neighborhoods. According
Legal Battle Ties Up Wal-Mart Distribution Center
June 28, 2005
The only thing standing between the city of Alachua. Florida, and a 1.l million s.f. Wal-Mart distribution center, is a lawsuit filed in 2003. The
Wal-Mart Developer Gets Stuck In His Own Traffic Jam.
June 28, 2005
A California developer has gotten stuck in his own bumper-to-bumper traffic. Those pesky citizens in Temecula, California have been wreaking havoc on the timetable of
Wal-Mart Shuts Down Old Store, Opens Supercenter
June 26, 2005
When I did the 60 Minutes TV show in 1995, part of the segment focused on how a small Wal-Mart in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, only 43,148
Town Council Rejects Land Use Change
June 25, 2005
The Town Council in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina voted this week not to allow a land use plan change that would have allowed a large
Residents Battle To Hold Off Wal-Mart
June 25, 2005
Residents in Monroeville, Pennsylvania are trying to prevent their town from becoming Wal-Martville. Here’s their local report on the battle: ” We are currently fighting
City Council Rejects Wal-Mart Rezoning
June 25, 2005
Another small town has voted to reject the big box formula for success. The City Council in Harrison, Ohio this week voted down a rezoning
Residents Gear Up to Stop Big Box Retail Development
June 24, 2005
There is no corner of America that big box retail has not affected. The residents of Anchorage, Alaska, who may have wanted to leave big
Wal-Mart Faces Two ‘Whistleblower’ Lawsuits
June 19, 2005
Two Wal-Mart “associates” from very different backgrounds have filed lawsuits against their former company, charging that they were dismissed for blowing the whistle on unethical
More Child Labor Violations At Wal-Mart
June 19, 2005
For the past ten years or more, Wal-Mart has run afoul of federal and state officials in a number of states for violating child labor
Wal-Mart Rezoning Defeated
June 19, 2005
In April, 2005, Wal-Mart Canada approached the city of Burlington with a proposal to rezone land from Mixed Use Corridor Retail to allow the construction
Citizens Beat Wal-Mart After Three Year Battle.
June 18, 2005
It took more than three years, but the stalwart residents of Front Royal, Virginia have finally overcome a Wal-Mart threat to build a 184,000 s.f.
Wal-Mart Reverses ‘Work Always’ Policy
June 16, 2005
Short as the life of a fruit fly, Wal-Mart’s “open availability” workshift policy we wrote about yesterday has been cancelled. Apparently, Wal-Mart’s home office realized
Wal-Mart Developer Threatens City
June 16, 2005
Residents in Portland, Oregon are working to fend off an unwanted Wal-Mart superstore. Here’s their latest report from the frontlines, “There was a neighborhood meeting
Court Upholds No Sewer Decision, Wal-Mart proposal sinks.
June 16, 2005
A resident’s committee in Kent Island, Maryland (Stevensville) in Queen Anne’s county called Up Against the WAL has finally poked a hole in Wal-Mart’s efforts
Wal-Mart’s Ethics Code Slapped Down by Germans
June 16, 2005
Wal-Mart lost something in translation this week, when a German labor court ruled that part of the American retailer’s ethics code of conduct for its
Planners Reject Wal-Mart Expansion
June 16, 2005
The Cobb County, Georgia, Planning Commission has unanimously rejected expansion plans submitted by Wal-Mart. The decision now goes to the Cobb County Commissioners. The Planning
Environmental Commission Votes To Deny Wal-Mart
June 16, 2005
The score in St. Petersburg, Florida is Citizens 1, Wal-Mart 0. This week the city’s Environmental Development Commission, after nearly 10 hours of debate, voted
Wal-Mart Workers Must Be Available’Always
June 15, 2005
The Charleston Gazette in West Virginia carried a story this week that Wal-Mart workers have been informed that they must be available to work for
Dateline To Air Wal-Mart Sweatshop Story
June 15, 2005
The National Labor Committee reports that this Friday, June 17th. At 8 pm EST, NBC’s Dateline show will air “an in-depth, undercover investigation of sweatshop
Court Grants Managers At Home Depot Class Action Status
June 15, 2005
Home Depot has found itself with a huge legal problems this week, as a group of managers at the home improvement giant have won class
City Plans To Use Eminent Domain to Take Homes for a Wal-Mart
June 12, 2005
A correspondent in Wheeling, West Virginia reports that “on May 3,2003, the THF Realty and Glimcher Corporation announced through our local paper that they were
Two Communities Add Size Caps To Keep Out Big Boxes
June 12, 2005
Sprawl-Busters traveled to the township of Charlevoix, Michigan last year to help that small community defend itself from a big attack from a proposed 157,000
Wal-Mart ordered To Pay $188,000 In Maternity Leave Case
June 12, 2005
Wal-Mart spends about $1.4 billion a year on advertising, and much of that money is spent cultivating a family-friendly image. But their track record on
Wal-Mart Loses Appeal, Buys Land
June 11, 2005
What part of “No” don’t they understand? Sprawl-Busters has been following events in Central Point, Oregon, where the city voted to reject a 207,000 s.f.
Planning Board Rejects Home Depot
June 11, 2005
The Miami Herald this week described the battle to stop a 152,000 s.f. Home Depot in Pembroke Pines, Florida as “fierce opposition from neighbors.” That
Shoppers Urged to Avoid Wal-Mart For Back-To-School Supplies
June 11, 2005
Activists across the country are organizing an effort to keep shoppers out of Wal-Mart stores this fall when they stock up on back-to-school supplies. Wal-Mart
TIAA-CREF’s Investments in Wal-Mart Stock Questioned
June 10, 2005
Activists across the country are urging the retirement fund, TIAA-CREF to reassess its ownership of stocks from companies like Wal-Mart that are socially deficient. Here’s
Citizen Pressure Pushes Wal-Mart Out.
June 9, 2005
Sprawl-Busters has received the following update from the battle in Titusville, Florida, where residents have been locked in a struggle to push a proposed Wal-Mart
City Votes to Limit Size of Stores
June 8, 2005
The City Council in Heber City, Utah has voted unanimously to set size limitations on stores that will keep retailers from building huge outlets in
Citizen Lawsuit Holds Up Wal-Mart
June 8, 2005
Residents in Papillion, Nebraska have forced Wal-Mart to put its superstore plans on hold. Here is a report submitted this week to Sprawl-Busters: “There is
Court Closes Shutters On Vendor’s Home Depot Lawsuit
June 7, 2005
Three judges in an appellate court in Santa Fe, New Mexico have reversed a judgment by a lower court that had awarded $15 million in
Home Depot Pulls Out of Plan
June 7, 2005
Citizens in Acton, Massachusetts have celebrated a victory over the world’s largest home improvement chain. A developer who had proposed to buy a landfill in
Plenty of Crime Available At Wal-Mart
June 5, 2005
You can find just about anything you want at Wal-Mart — and that includes crime as well. Whatever kind of heinous act you prefer, you
State Considers Bill On Economic Impact of Superstores
June 5, 2005
An amendment to a bill currently before the Oregon legislature would give the city of Beaverton, Oregon the right to reject a big box store
New Film On Wal-Mart Due Out In November
June 5, 2005
Wal-Mart spends $3.8 million every day on advertising, so it’s only fair that the other side of the WAL gets a some public exposure as
Wal-Mart Uses Hurricane Ivan To Attract More Customers.
June 5, 2005
A press release issued by Wal-Mart on September 17th. regarding the aftermath of Hurrican Ivan may have the effect of bringing more shoppers to their
Study Paints Grim Picture of Wal-Mart Economic Impact
June 4, 2005
On June 7, voters in Aberdeen, South Dakota will vote on zoning changes that could clear the path for a Wal-Mart supercenter. To help educate
Wal-Mart Upset by Phone Campaign On Ethics Violations
June 4, 2005
Wal-Mart is up to its briefs in legal problems, but the company wasted no time this week, in the middle of its hyped Annual Meeting,
Residents Say Wal-Mart Picks Inappropriate Site
June 3, 2005
It’s a common theme: Wal-Mart saturates an area with stores, and proceeds to propose more stores in more inappropriate locations. Here’s a first hand account
Wal-Mart Tries To Keep Health Care Subsidy A Secret
June 3, 2005
Wal-Mart has a secret it’s trying desperately to keep in Minnesota. The company is fighting efforts to reveal how many of its “associates” get publicly-supported
Planning & Zoning Rejects Wal-Mart
June 1, 2005
Wal-Mart has one strike left in Twin Falls, Idaho, having lost the support of the city’s planning department, and this week the Planning & Zoning