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

Residents Want Town to Rescind Wal-Mart Zone Vote

  • Al Norman
  • March 31, 2008
  • No Comments

A little insurrection is taking place in the community of Bristol, Tennessee over a proposed Wal-Mart superstore off the Volunteer Parkway. Here’s a report from the Concerned Citizens for Responsible Growth in Bristol: “We started our battle on Jan.28, 2002. After the city council gave final approval on March 5, we had 17 days to stop the rezoning of property to permit a Wal-Mart Super Store locating in our small town in the middle of residential areas. Signatures were gathered in sufficient number to require the city to recind the rezoning or submit it to a ballot for voting by the city voters. Wal-Mart has countered with a ‘threat’ to locate across the state line in Virginia.” After their petition was filed, the Sullivan County Election Commission declined to act on the petition aimed at reversing the rezoning of the site. According to an editorial in the Bristol News, “It should be clear, however, that opposition to the proposed supercenter is substantial, and it isn’t confined to the more than 20 households that could find Wal-Mart as their new neighbor.” Residents had to gather more than 1,100 or so signatures to present to the Election Commission . This number, however, was less than the 15 percent of registered city voters needed to call a referendum under state law. But they’re about twice the number specified under a City Charter provision allowing voters to challenge city ordinances — and put them on the ballot if the council declines to rescind them. So the controversy over Wal-Mart has now become a controversy over whether the City Charter or the state law applies in this case. The citizens have protested that on Feb. 5, when council members voted 4-0 to rezone the 63-acre tract from residential to business, they were in such a big rush they didn’t even name the company proposed for the project — despite the fact that Wal-Mart admitted it was interested in the site.

Residents say that on April 9th, the State Election Commission ruled that although their petition did not meet the state requirements for placing the issue on a ballot, it was appropriate for petitioning the city to “reconsider” the zoning change that they had approved in March. “Our petition had been presented to the city requesting that the rezoning be reconsidered,’ the group says. “Scheduled elections are in August and November of this year.” For more background on the bristling over Wal-Mart in Bristol. contact Jack Cannon at [email protected]

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 5 hours ago

AMAZON FILES PRE-PREEMPTIVE LAWSUIT AGAINST NY ATTY. GEN. who is investigating AMZN over Covid worker safety issues. AG also wants warehouse worker productivity goals lowered. https://t.co/yNdfdzlXR1

Read More
Al Norman 5 hours ago

WALMART NOW HAS MORE THAN 170,000 PERSONAL SHOPPERS, who pick online orders, load them into cars. This adds nearly $4 B a year to WMT’s grocery costs, which must be passed onto consumers. “Feels like you’re a robot.” https://t.co/LhWfIZisfh

Read More
Al Norman 1 day ago

WALMART ADMITS IT “MADE A MISTAKE” IN FL. VACCINE ROLLOUT. Several thousand people under age 65 with underlying conditions were given appointments. https://t.co/VPF3CBeezv

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.