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.
State agricultural officials in Michigan, instead of protecting valuable farmland, are protecting Wal-Mart. The Bay City Times reports today that the state’s Department of Agriculture
The mood in Rapho township, Pennslyvania, is a lot lighter this week-end, as the shadow of a Wal-Mart supercenter has suddenly disappeared. The Intelligencer Journal
In the old days, Wal-Mart could breeze into a community, talk up the local folks, blow a zoning change by the City Council, and be
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
Residents in Eagle, Colorado are battling to stop a huge “mixed-use” project from swallowing up their town as they know it. Sprawl-Busters received the following
On February 19, 2007, Sprawl-Busters reported that the Planning Commission in Groton, Connecticut had rejected a proposal from Konover Development to construct a 200,000 s.f.
W/S Development Inc. of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts has been promoting big box stores throughout New England for more than 20 years. Nearly everywhere they go,
There was another public relations setback for Wal-Mart this week, when the over-sized retailer announced after a year and a half of lobbying, that it
A Superior Court judge in California has brushed Wal-Mart back from its legal attempts to interfere in a San Marcos ballot referendum, saying the huge
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,
Residents in Roanoke, Virginia are not content to sit back and watch another Wal-Mart supercenter get greased through the permitting process. The Roanoke Times reports
When City officials in Ventura, California found out two years ago that Wal-Mart was scouting the area for possible store locations, they began stepping up
Heber City, Utah voted in 2005 for a cap on the size of retail stores — but city officials recently voted to give them a
Should small businesses and homeowners in Robert, Louisiana have to pay taxes to support the largest retailer in the world? In Louisiana, the punishment for
On September 15, 2004, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart wanted to locate on a parcel of land in Prescott Valley, Arizona — a parcel which was
Over the years, Wal-Mart has learned to mimic citizen’s groups when approaching city hall for a building permit. They hire PR firms to organize “customers”
In 2006, at least 50 or more Wal-Mart superstore projects were defeated by citizens, or withdrawn by the retailer. Add another California town to the
It’s been a slippery slope down for Wal-Mart on what Fortune magazine calls its “definitive report card on corporate reputations.” On February 22, 2006, Sprawl-Busters
This has to be one of the biggest corporate welfare subsidies in America. This week, Sprawl- Busters received the following email from an Arizona community
A new Wal-Mart supercenter has just opened on routes 6 and 85 in Commerce City, CO, and taxpayers are helping to subsidize the world’s richest
It happens often, and its always painful to watch. A developer sells homes in a housing subdivision, telling residents that the abutting land will just
Tomorrow night the Planning Board in Lawrence, New Jersey will hold a hearing about what the local newspaper describes as a “controversial application” to build
One of the largest pension funds in the world, which says its invests “for the greater good,” has been asked to put pressure on Wal-Mart
Is Tucson, Arizona for sale? How much does it take to get a big box store exempted from the zoning rules? That’s what Wal-Mart hopes
Wal-Mart approached the city of Atascadero, California with plans to build a 187,000 s.f. supercenter almost a year ago. When they got around to filing
Wal-Mart already has a supercenter in the city of Broomfield, Colorado, but they want to build another one. So they are organizing their own customers
Home Depot is trying to nail down a deal in Newark, Delaware, but local residents aren’t cooperating. Residents in Newark told Sprawl-Busters in mid-January that
On December 22, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart had spent a King’s ransom to elect a Mayor in Rosemead, California. They Mayor was a supporter
Environmental concerns and the sheer scale of their proposal have sunk Wal-Mart’s plans for a 200,000 s.f. supercenter in Groton, Connecticut. Groton is the home
Does your town need a new firestation — but can’t find the money to pay for it? Here’s an angle that local officials are sure
There are consultants who hire themselves out to Chambers of Commerce across America, promising to teach small businesses how to “survive and thrive” in the
On January 10, 2007, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart had been defeated in Wichita, Kansas — but that the battle was far from over. At the
Don’t like the growth policies of your local town officials? Form your own town! When officials in Irmo, South Carolina decided to annex land from
On January 24, 2004, Sprawl- Busters reported that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunties Commission (EEOC) had filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart, accusing the giant retailer
On January 5, 2002, Sprawl-Busters posted the story of Rodney Jackson, a disabled man with a Service Dog who was kicked out of a Wal-Mart
When Sprawl-Busters last looked in on Lodi, California on January 6, 2006, we reported that a San Joaquin County judge had ruled that the city’s
The municipal council in North Grenville, Ontario this week approved the rezoning of 84 acres of land for a 118,000 s.f. Wal-Mart. But local residents
Wal-Mart has unveiled a new tactic in its strategy to win the hearts and minds of local voters. The way to a voter’s heart, Wal-Mart
Efforts by major retailers like Wal-Mart and Home Depot to open up their own banks have bounced — at least for now. The Federal Deposit
According to a new report released February 1st by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health & Human Services, state taxpayers in the Commonwealth spent $7,223,580.77
An estimated crowd of 2,500 people yesterday in Austin, Texas, formed a human chain to protest the proposal for a Wal-Mart chain store. As Sprawl-Busters
Home Depot has always been a “fun” kind of place, with merry, productive ‘orange-blooded’ workers busy making sales under the watchful eye of their extravagantly-paid
A proposal from Great Island Development didn’t do so great in Sanford, Maine this week. The board voted down a Wal-Mart expansion, but Great Island
In New Hampshire, the “live free, or die” state, Wal-Mart has found a way to live free off the taxpayers of the Granite State. Town
Four black men from Texas are suing the convenience store chain, charging that a clerk referred to them as “niggers.” The incident happened when the
On June 29, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that a judge of the Delaware Court of Chancery had ruled that a real estate developer could search the
Another Wal-Mart proposal in Maine is heading south, after a bitter, three year battle with local residents. It was announced today in the Portland Press-Herald
Officials in Franklin, North Carolina are getting cold feet over plans for a Wal-Mart supercenter. The reaction comes on the heels of a local retail
Last night, local residents in Great Falls, Montana told their city commissioners that it was time to impose limits on big box sprawl in their
The strategies written here were produced by Sprawl-Busters in 2006 at the request of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), mainly for citizen groups that were fighting Walmart. But the tips for fighting unwanted development apply to any project—whether its fighting Dollar General, an Amazon warehouse, or a Home Depot.
Big projects, or small, these BATTLEMART TIPS will help you better understand what you are up against, and how to win your battle.