These people are nuts. Walmart will be much better than the trashy stores (except for Hancock's) that are there now. I'll continuie to shop at InTown Ace Hardware for the great customer service, as well as locally owned shops in downtown Decatur. But for a set of towels or sheets or a toaster, will probably go to Walmart. Those who fear increased crime should realize that crimes are related to the location of the store, not the store itself. I'm wondering if some of these folks aren't just in desperate need of attention!

I really don't get this group and their aversion to real opportunity in the area. First off traffic - if the existing retail space was fully utilized and successful with any kind of tenants (Wal-mart or not) there would be more traffic. You cant have more vibrancy in that space without traffic. So these 'obstructionists' must like the retail space as-is. Secondly, the major stores still in the plaza are not Local anyway unless I misunderstand the scope of Big Lots and Family Dollar. Yes there are some local businesses but I'd be curious to know which stores are driving current traffic and sales in the area and which employ the most people. Thirdly, low wages - I suppose WM might be a bit lower than Big Lots and Family Dollar, but I can't see it being a major difference.

It feels like an Anti-Walmart group trying to hide behind weak arguments. But I'm open to learning more about some substantive concerns. the entire corner there is an eyesore and has had plenty of time to lure in more local business - its just not happening. Try something new.

I have to question where the money is coming from. I know that the Dekalb Farmer's Market had some info about the group forming on their Facebook page. Unfortunately this group will not be required to disclose their funding.

Thanks, Jonathan. We believe that Walmart is not 'real opportunity'. Walmart will not only displace more jobs than they will hire, but stores like Hancock's and Ace will be driven out of business - it takes about 2 years for most, if not all, surrounding businesses to fold.

Saying that SP has been in blight for years does not address what Walmart does to an area. A mixed-use plan would be ideal; did anyone suggest it? Most of the community never even heard about a proposed Walmart until November, although there is evidence that local legislators were talking to the developer long before that. Why they didn't decide to hold multiple public meetings is a mystery.

More traffic is to be expected with a vibrant shopping area, but what should be studied before a deal is approved, is how to route those increases and how to facilitate routine ambulance travel from Emory to Dekalb Medical. No traffic impact study was done, yet these are major arterial roads.

In my own experience, the public is invited to many preliminary meetings or charrettes to brainstorm ways to re-invigorate an area. The process is not exclusionary to the leaders and great ideas for smart growth can be generated from stakeholders and community.
Were stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's considered? We don't know at this point, because the process was not completely open and participatory from the beginning.

Our funding came from many small donations - we have records of everyone who contributed.

Good Growth Dekalb is not anti-development nor are we obstructionists. We are a group of sane citizens concerned about the development of our neighborhood. We want to see SP developed into a thriving commercial center too. We should not settle for Walmart for the sake of progress at any cost. The most comprehensive review of published literature (2002-2010) on Walmart's impact on communities concluded that Walmart is a bad commercial neighbor. If you're interested: http://advocate.nyc.gov/files/Walmart.pdf.

Also, keep in mind that nearly half of Walmart's sales are groceries. Walmart is opening a grocery store that will compete with Kroger and Publix. These stores could suffer a sales hit of up to $250,000 per month. It's not just small businesses at risk, it's major retailers as well. Walmart would love to be the only convenient grocery option, which has been its strategy for many years, but that's not a real option for the area. Here's a link to the grocery study: http://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/index.php/Kellogg/article/wal_mart_supercenter_versus_the_traditional_supermarket.

I don't think Walmart will help property values either. Tax revenues will increase, but because Walmart does not pay a living wage many of its employees rely on public assistance. Ultimately, Walmart is a drain on a community. SP might look nice at first, but Walmart is the wrong choice. We want to see a better commercial neighbor develop the existing property.

Still sounds like anti-Walmart to me. If there was desire for a thriving retail community prior to now, where has Good Growth Dekalb been? I am well aware of the many negative views on WM. I'd still like to know what vision GGD has for the area that is based in reality, not wishful thinking. I'd love there to be beautiful walking mall full of locally owned shops, artists, organic farm foods and kid friendly stores. Not going to happen - its already there in downtown Decatur.

If GGD manages to block WM, I'll be waiting to see their vision - and the traffic studies, runoff studies and impact on other businesses - when their utopian set of shops comes asking to rebuild the area.

Our GGD group formed as the result of the proposed Walmart. We're not city planners, although some of us have experience working with civic alliances tasked with reinvigorating cities. But we will get urban land use experts involved. The bigger issue is an overall plan for the area. Why do we need another Walmart in Suburban Plaza when there is one 3.8 miles away on Memorial Drive?

MrMatt, your question is valid - why haven't the neighborhoods - you included - pressured their legislators to come up with a better mixed use plan for the region? There are plenty of restaurants and shops in Decatur now, it took over 10 years of drawing in retailers to make the city what it is today.

That could happen to Suburban Plaza if Dekalb county and the current developer who owns the property put some effort into it. But it's probably easier (and faster turnaround for profit) to sell to one big retailer. Does that make sense, or does it help small businesses or enhance the area? Why isn't there a big-box retail ordinance in all of Georgia that would trigger environmental impact reports, traffic studies, and could spur smart growth and offer tax incentives for small business? No study was mandated for Walmart, even though the store will certainly create a traffic mess and their underground parking excavation could create more run-off problems for the areas downhill.
These types of questions spark not only good debate, but good solutions.

Blah, Blah, Blah. Saw your anti-WalMart signs decorating post boxes up and down the streets today...what a negative group of folks masquerading as progressive thinkers. Why don't you spend your money supporting local businesses like the Blue Elephant Bookstore instead of scaring away retail business from Decatur/DeKalb? I heard you at the meetings - whining for a (big box) Trader Joes at Suburban Plaza. Who do you all think you are fooling when you want to dictate which businesses come and go in the neighborhoods? Looks to me like your group is trying to bully the rest of us who actually understand that Selig has tried and been unable to interest upscale small businesses in locating in this neighborhood. You like to demonize Selig but the truth is, there aren't small businesses standing in line to put their money where your mouths are.

I suspect that some of those who have countered GGD's protest won't even care about this possibility. All that air borne asbestos from the demolished site that may be circulating around the neighborhood. For decades. That is, unless the builder follows the EPA regulations for remediation and abatement. I haven't heard anything about this issue yet. The Decatur library was shut down for a year while asbestos was removed.

I haven't heard a thing from the county or the builder about how they're going to deal with the problem of asbestos. Most of the buildings are from the 1960's.

As for violations from the store itself, in 2001 Walmart was fined $1 million by the EPA for Clean Water violations in 3 states. In 2004 it was fined $3.1 million by the EPA for Clean Water Act violations in 9 states. In 2005, Walmart was fined $1.15 million by the EPA for the same violations in CT in 22 stores.

More facts about Walmart's policies and practices can be found here: http://www.walmartmovie.com/facts.php

You are not doing your cause any good.

Deanne, thanks for the info about the asbestos, but if you read the huge number of EPA violations that Walmart has committed, it doesn't exactly make them a trustworthy or stellar corporate business.

I'm aware that Walmart is only a tenant and that is cause for concern, too. When you say long-term tenant, what is the contractual term? Are they obligated to stay if they're not making a certain amount of profit?

In terms of why Selig pulled out of its 500,000 square foot multi-use project in 2007, we obviously have the answer. My point is that long-term development or smart growth - not an antiquated idea of traditional drive-to only shopping - takes time. Walmart is a huge gamble for this community, just as it's been for many others.

Small businesses in a 5-10 mile radius can be devastated forever in less than 2 years. That's only one reason that NYC doesn't want one. Walmart often abandons these super-stores, it's part of their unpublicized yet widely researched corporate strategy - don't take my word for it, read the multiple economics studies from the last two decades. What's the concession to the community in that case? These are questions not everyone has heard answered, and some, such as mandating a traffic impact study, weren't considered by city engineers for more than 24 hours.

I'm saddened by the potential closing of Hancock Fabrics. WalMart does not compete with them as it does not sell fabrics, except for small pre-cuts and a few kits, any more. I live in Tucker, just outside DeKalb County in Gwinnett, and pass the Tucker WalMart on my way to Hancocks when I need fabrics and notions. As a quilter, I love Intown Quilters near North Dekalb Mall but there are times when I need inexpensive fabrics or cartoon prints that they just don't carry----and Hancocks always has what I need. RIP, Hancocks. You've been in Suburban Plaza for many, many years and will be missed.

I am constantly amazed at these groups who think they have a right to tell owners of private property and businesses what they should do. My goodness, why haven't we thought to contact Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to let them know that we are requiring them to open stores in Suburban Plaza. Gosh. Thanks for bringing that up.

All these "studies" about the impact of Walmart. I think we can look around the Atlanta area and find several instances of Walmart moving into areas where revitalization follows. Howell Mill Road & Chamblee to name a few.

Interesting that someone points out that Kroger & Publix will be impacted by the WalMart. Once again, I wonder who is funding this group. I already know that Dekalb Farmer's Market has at least publicly voiced their support.

Charettes???? I have only heard of charettes being held when determining the use of publicly owned property.

Has anyone thought to ask Hancock what their plan is. There is certainly plenty of retail space available in the area. If they are making money in this area, they will not leave. They can easily go to another center in the area.

And I as, Who????? would go to Memorial Drive to shop at Walmart. Memorial Drive? Really? Be sure to pack some heat.

No one has yet mentioned that much of retail business is migrating online. Is building more giant retail stores- so close together- in a bad economy a good idea? I appreciate that Selig is trying to keep some small businesses, but most statistics show that once a Walmart goes into an area, local business dries up.

Huffington Post (11/9/2011):
"Wal-Mart has become very adept at shutting down stores. Since the 1990s, Wal-Mart has closed down more stores than its competitors will ever open. As of last month, Wal-Mart Realty had 12 million square feet of "dark stores" to sell or lease. The giant retailer often hires regional real estate brokers to move all their empty inventory.

...as electronic sales eat up market share, Wal-Mart's superstores look more and more like oversized dino-stores, the equivalent of an ice age business model."

Grist magazine (11/29/11): "The last thing the U.S. landscape needs is more retail space. At more than 40 square feet per capita, we now have twice as much retail space as we did in the early 1990s and nearly three times as much as Europe — and a shocking amount of it now sits empty.

...Walmart’s development projects often encounter a host of local and state environmental regulations, but the retailer is remarkably adept at getting around them. In California, for example, Walmart has been using the initiative process to evade the requirements of the state’s Environmental Quality Act."

Links to posts above should anyone want to read the full articles:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-norman/the-incredible-vanishing-_b_1083012.html
http://grist.org/business-technology/2011-11-29-can-you-say-sprawl-walmarts-biggest-climate-impact-goes-ignored/

Walmart has proposed 4 new Walmarts for Dekalb County when there are already how many Chamblee, Tucker, Avondale, Gresham, what am I forgetting,etc.., Is there not a point of oversaturation from one retailer? I have spent time on galileo reading all the academic, etc., studies on the topic of big box stores and the economic outcome(jobs, taxes, etc.) is not what is promised when the projects start. My major objection is the size of this proposed Walmart, They have other much smaller models they could build for this urban model. I have appreciated my neighborhood near Suburban is not as dense traffic- wise as Alpharetta and Perimeter and so our quality is better or has been so far. We have been very lucky so far.

This is ridiculous. Viva la Walmart! Save money. Live better than the GGD.

By the way, did you know that the Big Lots at Suburban Plaza happens to be their highest grossing store in Atlanta? Those of you who see the businesses in Suburban Plaza as a blight and the people who shop there currently as "undesirables" might just be out of touch with the vitality of business currently there. The ugliness of Suburban Plaza is due to Selig's refusal to make any updates in this plaza in 20 years. Heck, The Sav-Rite closed years ago and the best Selig could do was "black out" their name on the marquees. Klassy. Selig has let Surburban Plaza deteriorate and has pinned the blame on the hard working businesses in his plaza. Holding out for the big bucks that Walmart would bring him, that is Selig's modus operandus. He and our elected Dekalb County officials hid his intentions from the public because they didn't want any nasty uproar before the deal was sealed. Sorry Selig.

I would say look at Briarcliff Villlage as a model for redevelopment. That plaza is of similar size and vintage in a similarly high traffic situation and in a similar $ demographic. Over the years the plaza has seen its share of empty storefronts but in the last several years has been able to turn it around and attract new and enticing businesses (brand new Chipotle built to replace the slagging Pizza Hut, etc.) They've kept an eclectic mix of older and newer businesses, of chains and Mom and Pop stores. They didn't have to demolish 3/4 of the plaza to accommodate an ill-fitting Walmart big box to keep it vital. But that center is not owned by Selig; it's owned by Regency. Too bad Selig didn't compare notes with their community-focused yet profitable development plan.

Yes, the center has been neglected by Selig for years. Here's one very small, recent example: During the time leading up to the DZBA vote, Selig failed to be sure 2 of the 3 public hearing signs were posted. (Shame on DZBA for allowing any vote to happen without proper public notice.) They've left the remaining sign up for 2 months after the vote.

When you take a look at Suburban Plaza, and add up all the small things that Selig doesn't do -- even when it could negatively affect them -- it becomes clear that the company doesn't care about the center or the community surrounding it. Selig cares about the many deals they've entered with Walmart, which will make them, not any of us on this blog, much richer.

Yes, the traffic study was a major part of the DZBA vote. You can't park at Walmart unless you can get to it.

Did you ask which businesses are "fine" with the proposal? Is that on record? Are you sure none changed their minds? Almost every one of the businesses GGD asked, both large and small, are against it or are highly concerned about how it will affect their bottom line. If Selig cared, it would have talked to them all. But Selig was busy paying off DeKalb under the guise of the LCI.

Places like Blue Elephant can thrive when there is a right mix of business for the community. Walmart is not a good match. It will strangle many of our beloved, local shops.

It's worth traveling a short distance to get to Hancock's but not to Walmart 3.9 miles away?

You do understand that the variance hearing was about the number of parking spaces, don't you? I was at the meeting and understood that the purpose of the hearing wasn't to dazzle anyone about replacement businesses. It appeared to me that a number of the anti-WalMart folks were confused about the purpose of the meeting and couldn't stop chattering about traffic and crime when those issues weren't in the scope of the zoning board. Even one of the zoning board members seemed confused about her limited jurisdiction.

Not thrilled that this will be a Walmart, but these comments are bordering on the absurd. Suburban Plaza has been half-empty for God knows how many years, and suddenly everyone has all these wonderful ideas for what Selig should do with it. Love the comment above about how this will be bad for those small local nearby grocery stores referring to Publix and Kroger, seriously??? I hope the traffic issues are addressed at Scott/N. Decatur but it's bad now and that has nothing to do with Suburban. Why hasn't GGD been working on that the past few years, seems like a more modest project handled effectively would have been a great start to build confidence in your ability. So, what are GGD's plans for all the blight of the empty car lots, and what stores are they telling those property owners to put in? That's a proposal I'm more interested in. They are a nuisance.

A better question to ask is whether the public is going to be taxed for this development. Walmart's request in initial meetings was for public funding.

It is obvious that there is a broad misunderstanding about why GGD is in opposition to this development. We've read the pros and cons for possible consequences for the community; the cons greatly outweigh any positive impact. To understand those points, read the literature that's been compiled by many different university and economics specialists. Links have been offered in these threads.

A delay for a more in depth report on traffic AND parking was exactly what the larger group of concerned neighbors were asking for. We wanted a delay for more time to consider all the ramifications of this large development.
Traffic reports and parking variances are considered in tandem and unseparable, by many cities and counties looking at this sized development in an existing space. But not in Dekalb county, where the ordinances and variances need updating.

I would like to know what concessions Walmart and Selig offered the neighborhoods; for lighting, greenspace, safety, truck re-routing, etc. Is there anything legally binding? Perhaps Deanne could speak to that, since she was involved in the Decatur Heights Selig Action committee.

The future? Dekalb county desperately needs better ordinances. That will involve everyone's understanding of smart urban growth and pressuring our representatives to enact them.

Thank you David D. Exactly. And GGD can point to all the studies they want, but in many cases they are comparing apples and oranges. The current landscape at Suburban is not some bastion of greenery and bustling locally owned shops that are being threatened. It's an already developed space that has been in decline for years. Rather than trashing Walmart, i could support GGD if they simply used this as an opportunity to work with Walmart to make the area as good as possible in their eyes.

I mean come on, that plaza was built over 20 years ago at least. This is a great chance to revitalize the area, work with WM for traffic, enviro, and safety concerns - and provide a valuable low-cost alternative shopping option for the surrounding area. You are far more likely to get some concessions from Walmart (as a huge company who sees profit potential there but also the desire to keep good local PR), than trying to get Selig or a bunch of smaller local businesses, to ante up the funds necessary to cover every base GGD seems to want covered.

I think you're kicking a Gift Horse in the mouth...but i suppose you'd prefer another 10-20 years of slow decline (reality) in the name of achieving your 'idealistic' vision (and strong desire to slam Walmart, regardless of what concessions they make). Put pressure on them, sure, to be respectful of the area and the concerns - but i don't sense that is your aim. It's anti-Walmart through and through.

I too have trouble understanding GGD's mission (besides "No Wal-Mart") and what they hope to accomplish. I am of two minds about Wal-Mart coming because I made a conscientious decision to stop shopping there many years ago. So I get that. However, I don't understand how or why the community should have a say in what goes there as it is a privately owned business. I also feel that the plaza could benefit from revitalization. Do I wish it was anything but Wal-Mart? Sure, but apparently no other businesses have or want to step up to the plate. Also, I think that there has been some romanticizing of non-Wal-Mart big box/chain retailers. I am sure many of them (including some of the ones currently in Subruban like Hancock or Big Lots, or even the much-desired Whole Foods et al) have similarly shady business practices but on a smaller scale.

I would love to hear more about GGD's plan of action beyond "stop Wal-Mart." I would love to hear less about the evils of Wal-Mart. Even if you believe everything that's been written (and I mostly do), it's old news.

The fact that Selig has more or less abandoned this space (it's 50 years old) is no reason to concede all to a huge corporation like Walmart. GGD supports local businesses and wants to see those thrive and be sustainable. In the next few years they could, with the economy slowing returning to normal. They certainly have little chance with a Walmart coming in to compete with lowered wages, and impossibly low costs of goods. Not to be redundant, but most of the profits will never be seen by the local community.
Read the literature on most experiences afterwards. It's not positive.

The city of Athens, Ga is fighting the same kind of retail development. They cite the problems they foresee with some great information, if anyone cares to review.

http://peopleforabetterathens.org/whats-this-all-about/

http://protectdowntownathens.com/overview/

The Athens protest is about design and concessions, not just rezoning. Both groups focus on a much bigger issue than Walmart - about community and whether it thrives or doesn't. The notion that a group is labeled 'destructive' because it has a different perception - is disturbing. There's no other reason for us to be involved except for genuine concern for the future of the area; and we are also trying to see the other side. Is anyone else here willing to see ours?

All the research and evidence does not give us reason to 'believe'. And while I appreciate Deanne's service to her community and her interest and concerns for the project, I have yet to hear or read about any legally binding concessions that Walmart has promised. Yes, I've seen the proposals since November, what I'm asking for is the legalese to ensure that Walmart complies.

I spent years in retail as well - at a large, older corporation with great pay and employee benefits that helped launch naiton-wide small businesses. It was a very different model than Walmart, the opposite results of which have been cited time and time again. I was not involved in the proposed super-store, but I applaud the city of Avondale for voting it down.

We've pointed out facts that have resulted from those with direct experience with Walmart. Can anyone point to thriving urban communities who have Walmarts in their midst? The literature is much more weighted on the negative side. And those results are at least worth a review.

Maybe obsessed is a better word that destructive.

Good to see that the Athens group criticizing Selig's proposed redevelopment (with another Walmart super-store) has come up with a Design 101 plan that both illuminates the problems with the proposal in terms of urban planning, and offers a solution for better integration into the downtown area and community.

The site offers a table of contents with various principles of good urban design illustrated on each link. Very informative. http://protectdowntownathens.com/design-101/a-problematic-plan/

They also offer suggestions on transportation, stating that "Transportation and land use are inextricably linked: a suburban-style parking provision guarantees suburban-style traffic." http://protectdowntownathens.com/transportation/

Based on a friend's experience with running such blogs, most of the posts in defense of Walmart and Selig are from people who are being paid by Walmart and/or Selig. So, for the general public reading this site, please know that.

Wow. Things are getting heated on this board. Here's a thought: Everyone find their happy place, and tell me about meeting your significant other. It'll be a nice refresher, I think (unless you're stuck in a terrible marriage or relationship, and, in that case, I apologize for irritating you). C'mon. Do a guy a favor. Here's the link: http://northdruidhills.patch.com/articles/how-did-you-meet-your-significant-other

Seriously, Jennifer? The only people who could possibly disagree with you must be paid by the big bad developer? Don't flatter yourself.
There is good, thoughtful discussion on both sides of this issue, but its clear that GGD is simply an anti-Walmart group. Where's their alternate plan, like the group in Athens? Their Pay Pal account is simply "nowalmart."
Oh, and the names appear in black after you've clicked on someone's profile. So we know who you've been looking at.

Jennifer has brought up some points that have not yet been answered. The legality of those promises made to all the neighborhoods by Walmart/Selig. GGD does want to see any concessions in writing and signed by appropriate county and development officials. Of course an attorney will be asking for the same information.

David, we have not yet hired an urban designer to come up with an 'alternate' plan for SB. And that would be a positive, so there's one thing we agree on. :)
Athens is at much greater risk - it's a huge development that will reroute traffic and the city deserves better design than the developer has offered. If you would review the problems and solutions that the Athens group is offering, you might find yourself agreeing with the protests.

As for a break in our heated discussion, yes I think Jonathan has a point. But democracy is messy and that's what we're engaged in.

I hope the area ends up with something positive. I don't love Walmart, but i don't hate them either. They are not inherently evil. They are just hugely successful at operating in the global economy, and were one of the first to do it so well. Source cheaply, operate efficiently, continue to grow. Maybe if consumers hated WM so much they would stop shopping there, but it seems that hasn't happened (though i'd say WM's growth in the US is waning due to saturation and competitors catching up - most likely NOT because idealogues just can't stand them).

Also, be careful about calling academic study findings 'facts' - as has been suggested in this discussion. Studies look at a set of variables - they are not exhaustive. Some of the ones linked above discuss how WM hurts jobs. If you read closely, you'll see they almost always indicate RETAIL jobs. But RETAIL excludes the food and service businesses that often are part of 'revitalization' that occurs. Look at Chamblee which now has at least 2 restaurants, a bank and 2 hair salons in the plaza. Not counted as 'retail'.

And if WM hurts Publix and Kroger (two very large companies themselves), does that mean we should discourage Whole Foods as well. I know plenty of people who now do some, to 1/2 to nearly all their grocery shopping there. I guess that's okay, because it's not WM getting the business. Are we picking winners and losers now...oh, that seems so very familiar for some reason.

I guess I'd much rather have a Bongs-R-Us shop than a Walmart, so HHS you got a laugh and a nod from me.
We have Emory right down the road, whose demographic seems perfect for the kind of shops in the Oakhurst Village Business district or the Eastside near Grant Park. Why couldn't a developer lure them into SP?

Cities like San Francisco offer pedestrian friendly shopping experiences; each neighborhood can be reached by public transit or by foot. Dekalbs' outlying environs could emulate that model by reshaping their existing structure. Decatur itself has successfully developed their own downtown area.
Stores like Walmart are not designed for walkers nor are they visually stimulating enough for people to want to walk by or stop and congregate - the objective of smart urban planning. That's the problem that the Athens design team is showcasing on their site.

And that has more to do with Selig's proposal and Walmart as a corporate model than anything else. The GGD wants a better retailer for the community. We don't want to return to 1960's suburban life. There is the possibility that small boutiques and hip restaurants could flourish in the Plaza, just as they do in Oakhurst or even in Avondale, where in just a decade the entire dynamic has changed. But another 5 years to a decade might be required to build a sustainable model at SP. I continue to have hope that the neighborhoods around it will flourish, but I don't think a Walmart can possibly help them.

Opponents to this development are operating as though they have a problem with Walmart and Selig but, in reading this thread, it's clear their real problems are with:

1. Our capitalist economy. Like it or not, we have an economy based on survival of the fittest. That means that, when measuring business acumen, we reward those who've most effectively leveraged and/or manipulated the system for maximum returns to themselves and their stakeholders. That's not about right or wrong. That's just how it works.

2. DeKalb County land use policy and regulations. Zoning is the DNA of what gets built and DeKalb zoning is a conventional, separated-use system that favors big boxes. Opponents may be asking for one thing, but the law is dictating something else.

GGD may have legitimate arguments in opposition to either of these two realities. I don't anticipate they could make all that much headway on the first but the second could yield results. But either way, the current discourse is misdirected and irrelevant.

We have no problem with capitalism, but we don't endorse urban sprawl. And Dekalb's ordinances and zoning do need to be revised and strengthened for projects like this one.

During the 2005 Avondale Walmart fight, the mixed-use promise was never actualized. The DeKalb Commissioner was told by Wal-Mart that they would allow a local school to park on their lot. However, the school board was told that Wal-Mart had "liability" issues with allowing them to park on the property. This is why GGD would like to see a contingency plan and ideally have the proposal scrapped - if these types of concessions are not legally agreed upon.

There is speculation now that if a Walmart goes in at SP, the Memorial Drive store will be closed. This is Walmart's strategy; they abandon stores once they've pushed all local businesses out, in order to force loyal customers to drive further away. An outdated and environmentally unsustainable model for retail.

Walmart's goal is not to keep all stores open within 4 miles of each other, it's a strategy to kill competition. If you believe that Walmart is succeeding in an increasingly 'small is smarter' and online shopping world, I suggest you read Forbes magazine's article about the company's low shareholder value since 2000. Other companies are growing faster by providing more value for their customers with better quality and a wider price range. http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2010/10/13/the-wal-mart-disease/

I have seen the folks at Ace quoted as saying that they do not fear Wal-Mart. So it's showing very little faith in Ace or in the strength of your community to assume they will definitely be out of business. This is why I can't get on board with GGD despite my personal reservations about Wal-Mart. Too much doom and gloom and not a shred of realism.