May 22, 2009

Update: In a skirmish pitting Wal-Mart against a Civil War battlefield, preserving history won over discounted consumer goods at least judging from the comments at a 4-hour public hearing.

By a 2-1 ratio, more than 70 speakers told planners in rural Orange County on Thursday night they didn't want to see a Supercenter rise less than one mile from the Wilderness Battlefield in Locust Grove. Many said they could live with the 138,000 square foot store elsewhere in the county.

After the meeting, weary Planning Commission members recessed
until June 11, when members could vote on whether to issue the
special permit Wal-Mart needs to build the store. Supervisors will
consider the planners' decision and hold another public hearing
before making the final call.

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Thursday May 21, 2009

Plenty of folks who live near the proposed Wilderness Wal-Mart are excited to see it coming; yet many others are fighting to keep it away.

Both sides had their chance to weigh in Thursday night at a public hearing held by the Orange County Planning Commission.

Many who showed up in opposition to the proposed 138,000 square foot Supercenter say it's simply too close to the Wilderness Battlefield.

"This is, to me, hallowed ground," said Wal-Mart opponent Mary Jean King. "You don't put a cheap box store on it."

"You can have business development in a rural area that is appropriate and that is truly economic prosperity with good jobs," Nancy McNamara added. "I'm not sure that the Wal-Mart development would be good jobs."

County business leaders, however, say they've heard the anti-Wal-Mart arguments and they're off-base.

"I'm sorry, but that [argument is] just not realistic," said Barbara Bannar, the Executive Director of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. "This is a project that's good for Orange County. If nothing else, it comes with 300 jobs and, in this particular market, 300 jobs are pretty special."

Still, others say it's the possible $500,000 in annual tax money the county needs.

"This is a county where the school system is greatly understressed and the money through tax revenues here would be a big shot in the arm for the school system," Wal-Mart proponent Kurt Christensen argued.

Whatever the argument, Thursday night's public hearing did not seem to change many minds and it is far from the end of the battle. The Planning Commission's vote is really just a recommendation; the final word belongs to the county Board of Supervisors.

There's no word yet on when they will vote on the development, but three of the five supervisors have already come out in support of the project.

For more information on the arguments both sides are making, check out the links below.

http://civilwar.org/walmart08/

http://orangecountyva.gov/

http://orangewalmart.com/