Picketers protest Walmart again
- 7/22/12
- Categorized in: Business, DeKalb News
Flash flooding in Decatur July 13 did not stop a group from protesting a proposed Suburban Plaza Walmart.
Carrying handmade picket signs, members of Good Growth DeKalb, which is opposed to the Walmart development, gathered at the usually busy intersection of Medlock Road, North Decatur Road and Scott Boulevard.
Carter Joseph, of Decatur, participated in the protest with a sign that read “Walmart = Disaster for Decatur.”
“True, this particular parcel needs redevelopment, but not a Walmart Supercenter,” Joseph said, complaining that residents of the city of Decatur do not have input into the development, which is just outside the city’s border.
“That is one horrendous intersection,” Joseph said. “Emergency vehicles will not be able to get through at critical times of the day.”
Walmart is planning to construct a 150,000-square-foot store with groceries, deli, a pharmacy and optical center with underground parking.
The developer, Selig Enterprises, has predicted that the improved development would add 600-800 jobs to the community and spur redevelopment in the corridor.
Joseph said Walmart officials should consider moving to Scott Boulevard where there are several vacant lots that were once car dealerships.
“If you’ve got to come in, that’s better,” Joseph said.
Betty Blondeau of Good Growth DeKalb (GGD) said GGD and representatives of Selig Enterprises did not find “common ground” during a July 12 meeting.
“Speaking through their lawyer, Selig made it clear from the beginning there was nothing to discuss about Walmart. It’s not going to change and it’s not going away,” Blondeau said.
GGD presented Selig “a petition signed by more than 3,000 people who oppose Walmart and cited the 500 plus ‘Stop Walmart’ signs that are all over the neighborhood as well as our survey, which has 75 percent of the responses opposed to Walmart,” Blondeau said.
Blondeau said the developers are unwilling to budge on the Walmart plan because “the deal with Walmart provides a financial base for Selig to bring in junior anchor stores like Fitness, Michaels and Bed, Bath & Beyond.”
“Thus, the gateway to Decatur becomes another mall filled with chain stores,” Blondeau said. “It seems there’s little interest in small, local businesses and mixed-use [developments] that have followed the precedence set so successfully in downtown Decatur.”
“At this point, finding a legal course to pursue is the only alternative to stop this Walmart,” Blondeau said.
Rep. Rahn Mayo, (D-91), who sponsored a resolution passed by the Georgia General Assembly supporting the efforts of GGD, said the group’s work is “very important to the quality of the development and the community in which these individuals live.”
“They’ve taken the initiative to be responsible for the quality of what comes into this community,” Mayo said. “It’s very important to protect property values and the growth that comes about from establishments that may not be in the very best interest of the citizens.”
Mayo said the “pride of this community is at stake” as GGD works to “get what we deserve and …protect the integrity of this community.”
GGD’s “work and continued work is recognized by the Georgia House of Representatives and the importance of citizen engagement couldn’t mean more than us standing here in the rain this afternoon representing what so many people have worked so hard for,” Mayo said.
(Other improvements listed in the negotiated Conditions on MANA's website.)
Carter Joseph's frustrations expressed in the “Picketers Protest Walmart Again” article are certainly understandable as Good Growth Dekalb doesn't seem to be providing its supporters with all of the information available. Hopefully, my take will be helpful:
City of Decatur residents are represented in the ongoing process with Selig (and soon, Walmart). As a Decatur Heights neighbor, I'm pleased to be serving on the cross-neighborhoods committee made up of neighbors from the surrounding neighborhoods (most of us served as reps during negotiations). I am fully committed to helping to reinvent Suburban Plaza into an enjoyable destination filled with useful businesses to meet our community's needs-- a large and wonderful community made up of county and city residents of all ages, races, backgrounds, interests, and economic status.
Our cross-neighborhoods committee entered into the design and development phase cautiously optimistic that our neighborhoods' decisions to work in good faith with Selig and Walmart would continue to bring good results. We never expected that the Selig folks would turn out to be so receptive to our input. It's a true pleasure to be working with them on this project. Our committee will strive to establish the same rapport with the Walmart folks when they reenter the process.
Theresa Same of MANA and I joined Selig for their meeting with Good Growth Dekalb. We had all hoped that their representatives would come in to present their ideas and have any concerns other than Walmart addressed, as it was known when Selig agreed to the meeting that Walmart, a signed tenant, would not be up for discussion. Unfortunately, their representatives chose to focus on NO Walmart (unpleasantly so), and passed up their one opportunity to be heard.
Good Growth Dekalb's petition signatures were gathered mostly online and at festivals, and it includes many from folks who live outside of the Decatur area (and across the USA). There are approx. 100-120 Stop Walmart signs displayed amongst the neighborhoods nearest to Suburban Plaza combined. There's never been an objection raised by the neighbors who've chosen to work with Selig and Walmart to these tactics, but Good Growth Dekalb's “declared war” has, sadly, still taken a toll within our neighborhoods.
I often wonder what it is about Good Growth Dekalb's approach that is so admired by some elected officials, and why it is that their uglier tactics go unquestioned by the local media. I wonder too why Suburban Plaza is seen by some elected officials (and Good Growth Dekalb) as an inappropriate site for a Walmart; yet, we've not heard them speak out against the ones that will be going up in other Dekalb locations. It bothers me greatly to speculate on what the difference could be. The fact is, many of our neighbors are looking forward to Walmart's arrival, and many others are willing to set aside their reservations for the benefits it will bring to our community.
I'd like to close by praising the efforts of County Commissioners Kathie Gannon and Jeff Rader, and their equally hard working assistants, for doing all that they could within the limited scope of what they were legally allowed to do to support the surrounding neighborhoods leading up to the negotiations, and for bringing the involved parties-- our neighborhoods, Selig, and Walmart, aided greatly by Dekalb Traffic Ops-- to the table. It's very hard jobs that they have, and I admire them all for how they've handled things in such trying circumstances.
Sincerely,
Deanne Thomas
*Champion readers may also wish to visit the official site for all information related to Suburban Plaza: www.medlockpark.org .
One thing we agree on: Colonel Sanders does not protect chickens. Lol. (I tell my students: “Don’t eat at KFC, MacDonald’s, or Pizza Hut. Half of all Americans are fat and it’s because that’s the kind of diet they eat.” All three, by the way, are on the list of restaurants that, according to the National Diners’ Guide 2012 published by the Restaurant Opportunities Centers – ROC – earned “zero” ratings, because they “...didn’t meet any of the minimum requirements for their workers.” Hmmm. Sounds like a union might be a bit helpful...)
Regarding Don Vito's comment about this development's ability to fix the transportation issues at this six way intersection, that's an interesting perspective. I believe that the only traffic changes proposed are a light on North Decatur between Scott and Church that supposedly will control traffic in and out of the plaza. The latest traffic study also suggested adding a new turn lane on North Decatur in front of Melton's, but who knows if that will happen.
What about the tractor trailers entering off of Church and exiting on Medlock (the agreed upon route)? Any improvement from a new light will be dramatically offset by the addition of this traffic. Once again, Walmart benefits by using our roads as it's inventory management tool, but the community suffers the consequences.
How many Walmarts does one community need? There's already one less than five miles away and in total Walmart plans on building 12 in DeKalb county. Research indicates that for every two jobs created by Walmart, three are lost in the surrounding community. How is this going to help unemployment?
In Nanchang is Baiyi (pronunced 'buy ee') Square, the third largest square in China, that honors the pesant uprising that began the Revolution that led to the modern Republic of China. The large monument there represents something dear to my heart: a government that looks out for the People first, and business second. Directly across one of the streets bordering the Square is a Walmart, a monument to the idea of business first and People second. Adding to the irony is a fact you should know about: before Walmarts could have a presence in China, they had to agree to allow their stores to be unionized in China! So you see, Walmart is willing to compromise, but only if there is an additional profit involved. Hang in there; if the Chinese government can look out for its People, I'm sure the American government can learn to do the same.
But apparently not this year.
Again.