Sprawl-Busters received the following citizens’ report this week from the battle lines against Wal-Mart in California: “I am a resident of Elk Grove, CA where a coalition of citizens has been formed to oppose the location of a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter. Elk Grove currently has a Wal-Mart approximately 5 miles from this location and there is a plan under way to build a Sam’s Club in the adjoining county of Sacramento, which is less than 2 miles from the location of the proposed supercenter. The supercenter location is literally in the middle of a residential area surrounded by mostly upscale homes and
within 400 yards of a new elementary school. My wife and I began circulating information around the neighborhood to rally our neighbors and urge them to write to
the City Council when we first learned about this proposal. We discovered that a coalition in the neighborhood adjacent to ours had already been formed and was circulating a petition. We have now joined forces with this coalition and have
enlisted many people in our neighborhood to also circulate petitions. A town hall meeting was held in the city council chambers to rally further support. Close to
four hundred people attended and voiced their objections and concerns. In fact there was not enough room to accommodate all that attended, and people were left straining to hear in the hallway. Many members of the media covered this meeting and the coalition continues to gain signatures of support. The Coalition is named
Elk Grove Coalition Advocating Proper Planning, or EGCAPP. ”
According to the local media, this citizen’s group has drafted a zoning ordinance to ban the Wal-Mart project. Their ordinance was brought before the City Council this week. The residents charge that the supercenter will result in increased traffic and crime in the area. For local contacts in Elk Grove, email [email protected]
