In October of 2005, the Marina, California Planning Commission amended a use permit for property on Beach Road for a project known as The Marina Landing Shopping Center. The developer, Tallen & Keshan Holdings, said the parcel would be used to create a multi-use shopping center that Marina could feature as part of the city’s downtown revitalization, a boost to the tourism trade, and compatible with the Marina General Plan. At the meeting,the developer said it was “stepping up now without a tenant” to buy the property. But local residents charge that Tallen & Keshan had plans to put a Wal-Mart supercenter at the Marina Landing, and the Citizens Against Wal-Mart In Marina are now urging city officials to revoke the use permit on the grounds that the permit was “granted on the basis of false material information.” According to Steve Zmak, of the Citizens group, “Wal-Mart comes with negative impacts on our community that need to be addressed… By invading our City, Wal-Mart is derailing Marina’s General Plan and we as citizens need to work to protect the plan in which our City has invested so many years of time, energy and careful thought… Our primary goal is to still present our case to the Planning Commission that Tallen & Keshen may have negligently provided false material information at the Oct. 13, 2005 Planning Commission meeting on which the Commission based their decision to amend the use permit, and therefore, the Planning Commission should modify or revoke the use permit pursuant to the Marina Municipal Code.” The Planning Commission has set a public hearing for their April 27 meeting, to decide whether or not to hold a hearing to modify or revoke the use permit. In the meantime, several City Councilors are now seeking to have the full Council consider a size cap ordinance in Marina similar to one passed in Turlock, California that was recently upheld in the California courts. One Councilor has suggested forming an ad hoc committee, possibly
consisting of 2 City Council members, City staff, and a Wal-Mart representative, to address citizens’ concerns and employees’ concerns pertaining to Wal-Mart.
The Citizens Against Wal-Mart in Marina is a volunteer citizens group of residents and businesses opposed to a Wal-Mart in or around Marina who want multiple retail tenants occupying the Marina Landing Shopping Center. For further information, go to:
http://www.marina-ca-news.blogspot.com, or call 831-883-4459.
