Skip to content
  • (413) 834-4284
  • [email protected]
  • 21 Grinnell St, Greenfield, Massachusetts
Search
Close
Sprawl-busters
  • Home
  • About
  • Resources
    • Links
    • Books
    • Movies
    • Home Towns, Not Home Depot
    • The Case Against Sprawl
  • Victories
  • Blog
    • Share Your Battle
  • Contact
Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Resources
    • Links
    • Books
    • Movies
    • Home Towns, Not Home Depot
    • The Case Against Sprawl
  • Victories
  • Blog
    • Share Your Battle
  • Contact
  • Uncategorized

City Agrees to Review ‘Smaller’ Wal-Mart

  • Al Norman
  • March 12, 2008
  • No Comments

Since July 6, 2006, Sprawl-Busters has written 8 articles about Atascadero, California’s battle against a Wal-Mart supercenter. For close to two years, Wal-Mart has generated nothing but controversy. On October 30, 2007, Sprawl-Busters reported that the City Council in Atascadero, California had voted 4-1 to require city staff to stop processing a Wal-Mart proposal for a 195,000 s.f. store on Del Rio Road. Then-Mayor George Luna said at the time that continuing the review process would only prolong the inevitable defeat of the proposal. “I don’t see the reason for getting more information on a store I would never vote for,” the Mayor told the media. The city’s General Plan has a limit of 150,000 s.f. for big box stores — but the zoning ordinance has no such limit. On December 18, 2007 local residents 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.” According to the group Oppose Wal-Mart, the Measure will ask the voters to amend the Atascadero Zoning Ordinances to approve a maximum limitation (cap) of 150,000 s.f. on the size of any single big box commercial structure and prohibit discount superstores in all zoning districts of the city. On February 4, 2008, we 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. This week Wal-Mart got its chance to push its superstore again. Wal-Mart dropped the automotive maintenance center and drive-through pharmacy from its plan. “The council said they could support a project under 150,000 square feet, and we’re asking the City Council to hold true to their word,” a Wal-Mart spokesman told the San Luis Obispo Tribune. “All you are doing is accepting an application,” Wal-Mart told the Council. The Council accepted the proposal for review, so Wal-Mart will have to begin the environmental review process mandated by the California Environmental Quality Review Act (CEQA). Testifying in support of the Wal-Mart supercenter, was the head of the local Firefighters Association, who said the store would help prevent budget cuts to the fire department. But opponents pointed out that Wal-Mart brings no added value to the Atascadero economy, because most of its sales will come from existing merchants. Tom Comar, a co-founder of the group Oppose Wal-Mart, said the “smaller” store, which is about the size of 3 football fields — not counting the parking lot — is still out of scale for the community. “Wal-Mart knows what the requirements of the General Plan and zoning are,” he told the Council. “Yet it insists upon going forward with a plan that is out of scale.” But after the public hearing was over, the Atascadero City Council voted 4-1 to accept the supercenter application. Current Mayor Mike Brennler, along with Councilmen George Luna, Jerry Clay and Tom O’Malley voted in favor of accepting the plan for review. Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Beraud voted against it.

The next step is for the city to hire an “independent” firm to conduct the site review, that will be paid for by the developer, the Rottman Group. It will take several months to advertise for, and hire, this consultant. The Wal-Mart application requires the city to vote for a General Plan Amendment, changing 10.3 acres of land from its current Residential zoning, to Commercial. The city is under no obligation to make this change, and must look not only at the scale issue, but what impact this store will have on the residential properties it abuts. The people who live near this 10.3 acres of residential land bought their homes assuming that the land in question would remain residential, not morph into a huge commercial retail store. The city is under no obligation to rezone land for anyone, especially when other surrounding homeowners will lose residential value. Readers are urged to call Atascadero Mayor Mike Brennler at (805) 470-3400 with the following message: “Mayor Brennler, Your city boasts of its ‘blend of natural beauty and rural lifestyle’ and its ‘oak-studded hills, creeks, and scenic vistas.’ A suburban sprawl supercenter does not fit into that picture. Regardless of whether Wal-Mart is 195,000 or 146,000 square feet — the Council is under no requirement to rezone residential land. Either size store will have a major impact on the character of the surrounding area, and is incompatible with the ‘rural lifestyle’ you brag about. This scale of store will dramatically alter the goals of your General Plan, and make Atascadero look like so many other anonymous California towns. You don’t have to accept a store three times the size of a football field. You can do your environmental review, but remember that there is no mandate to rezone land — especially if it harms the neighbors who already live there.”

Like this article?

Share on facebook
Share on Facebook
Share on twitter
Share on Twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on Linkdin
Share on pinterest
Share on Pinterest
Al Norman

Al Norman

Al Norman first achieved national attention in October of 1993 when he successfully stopped Wal-Mart from locating in his hometown of Greenfield, Massachusetts. Almost 3 decades later they is still not Wal-Mart in Greenfield. Norman has appeared on 60 Minutes, was featured in three films, wrote 3 books about Wal-Mart, and gained widespread media attention from the Wall Street Journal to Fortune magazine. Al has traveled throughout the U.S., Barbados, Puerto Rico, Ireland, and Japan, helping dozens of local coalitions fight off unwanted sprawl development. 60 Minutes called Al “the guru of the anti-Wal-Mart movement.”

Leave a comment

Find Us

  • 21 Grinnell St, Greenfield, MA
  • (413) 834-4284
  • [email protected]

Helpful Links

  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
Menu
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Recent Posts

CHRISTIAN SMALLS, FIRED AMZN WAREHOUSE WORKER, FILES RACE DISCRIMATION LAWSUIT. …

November 16, 2020

DUE TO THE SURGE IN CORONA CASES, WMT IS LIMITING SHOPPERS TO 5 PER 1,000 SF. A…

November 16, 2020

AMAZON RECENTLY ANNOUNCED FREE 1 HOUR GROCERY PICK UP FOR PRIME MEMBER ORDERS &g…

November 15, 2020

AFTER BEING REJECTED BY THE DEERFIELD, MA PLANNING BOARD, DOLLAR GENERAL APPEALS…

November 15, 2020

WILL TRUMP ALLOW ORACLE & WALMART TO INVEST IN TIK TOK? The deadline to ban …

November 14, 2020

AMAZON ACCUSED OF BREAKING ANTITRUST RULES IN EUROPE. “Data of 3rd-party sellers…

November 14, 2020

WALMART PET CARE NOW SELLING PET INSURANCE. My 3 year old mixed breed cat would …

November 13, 2020

WALMART’S GOING TO THE DOGS. 90 M OF ITS CUSTOMERS HAVE DOGS. You’d be Goofy not…

November 13, 2020

WALMART CASHIERS STILL LOOKING FOR A SEAT. They won a $65 M lawsuit in 2019, but…

November 12, 2020

4 DAYS BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION,THE CO-FOUNDER OF HOME DEPOT SAID: “Pres…

November 12, 2020

Recent Tweets

Al Norman 3 hours ago

TRUMPUBLICANS: “I am not starting a new party...No. Wouldn't that be brilliant? Let's start a new party & let's divide our vote so that you can never win. No, we're not interested in that.” https://t.co/nqeNiYsi4z

Read More
Al Norman 4 hours ago

TRUMP tells CPAC: “We will fight the onslaught of radicalism, socialism, & indeed it all leads to communism once and for all. That's what it leads to.” https://t.co/B0mvwy4Bui

Read More
Al Norman 4 hours ago

PLATFORM WARS: AMZN buys Selz, which helps small biz to create online stores. WMT partners with BigCommerce to attract more small biz to WMT’s platform. Shopify calls itself the #1 e-commerce platform to help biz start their own online store. https://t.co/UfHkj9eB42

Read More

Ⓒ 2020 - All Rights Are Reserved

Design and Development by Just Peachy Web Design

Download Our Free Guide

Download our Free Guide

Learn How To Stop Big Box Stores And Fulfillment Warehouses In Your Community

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.