NEWS ADVISORY: WAL-MART SUPERCENTER KILLED; ancient vineyards also get
ax...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Contact: Cres Vellucci 916-996-9170 (cell)
ATTN: News Desk
Wal-Mart plans take another hit Tuesday in Oakley; City Council votes to bar
Supercenters; 44 acres of century-old, ancient vineyards will still be axed
OAKLEY, CA. (June 11, 2008) – The Oakley City Council here late Tuesday night
voted to approve a 690,000 square foot development – but agreed to effectively
bar a Wal-Mart Supercenter from the project as requested by community groups.
It's the latest setback in the Delta/East Bay regions in the past year or so
for Wal-Mart – including a vote to ban Wal-Mart in Concord, and Hercules, and
decisions by the retail giant – after local opposition – to pull out of possible
stores in other parts of the region, including Vallejo.
Community groups were concerned that Wal-Mart was in "stealth" mode,
pretending to be disinterested in Oakley and then sneaking in after the project
is approved, as Wal-Mart did in American Canyon, where they became tenants only
after city leaders approved development projects without Wal-Mart's name
attached to the proposals.
However, the Oakley City Council vote – which banned retailers of 100,000
square feet or more that sell groceries – was bittersweet for opponents because
lawmakers agreed to destroy 44 acres of "old-growth" vineyards to make way for
the River Oaks Crossing project.
"We are satisfied that the city council action to ban Supercenters will
protect existing shopping centers and the downtown business environment, and
provide all Oakley residents with a satisfied shopping experience without the
overbearing influence of Superstores," said Phil Tucker, director of California
Healthy Communities Network, a project of the Tides.
"Residents are not happy because the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is
deficient, and this decision will lead to the destruction of century-old,
ancient, old-growth vineyards. We will continue to fight to stop this travesty,"
said Eve Diamond of the Delta Greens.
Recall Drive Underway for Suisun City Council
Written by Cornell Barnard, Reporter
SUISUN CITY, CA - Anger over a proposed Walmart store spilled over at the
Suisun City Council meeting Tuesday night when a group of residents served city
officials with recall notices.
The group calling itself, 'Save our Suisun' fought against a proposed Walmart
Super Center to be built near Travis Air Force Base. The group says it will
cause traffic bottlenecks and is located too close to the base's flight path.
View Full Story
Residents hear critiques of big-box retailers
OAKLEY: Large, new stores are in direct conflict with plans to restore
downtown, activists say
By Paula King
STAFF WRITER
A few weeks after Wal-Mart abandoned its plans to locate a Supercenter in
Oakley, a local citizens group opposed to the megaretailer held a town hall
meeting to discuss the impact of big-box development on the evolving city.
The speakers at Thursday's meeting addressed community concerns about the
proposed 77-acre commercial project where Wal-Mart was planning to move. They
discussed the environmental review process and future public hearings
surrounding the River Oaks Crossing shopping center.
"It's not too late to include the citizens and taxpayers of Oakley in the
process of deciding what kind of commercial growth we want in our community.
Bigger is not necessarily better," Save Oakley Now spokesman Bob Caughron stated
in a news release.
The panel of speakers urged Oakley residents to get involved in the young city's
impending commercial growth and hold public officials accountable for any
related impacts. Land use attorney Mark Wolfe and Phil Tucker of California
Healthy Communities Network spoke about how big-box development in Oakley could
harm ongoing downtown revitalization efforts.
According to Tucker, the development of big-box shopping centers and the
redevelopment of Oakley's downtown represent two competing visions. He added
that the area doesn't have enough potential shoppers to support both retail
endeavors.
"These plans overlap each other and what that means is they are drawing their
primary shoppers from the same area," Tucker said. "The downtown development
plan doesn't have much of a chance."
Wal-Mart officials said that the Oakley Supercenter application was withdrawn
because of the nation's sluggish economy and stagnant stock values. Wal-Mart has
decided not to construct more than 140 planned stores.
The Supercenter was expected to bring more than 450 new jobs and $700,000
annually in sales tax revenue. Meanwhile, city leaders are pushing forward with
River Oaks Crossing by luring other major retailers to the site.
According to Wolfe, Wal-Mart realized the demand is not strong enough in Oakley.
"It still boils down to these competing visions and the delusion that it doesn't
exist," he said to a crowd of area residents attending the forum at Vintage
Parkway Elementary School.
Wolfe mentioned several California cities that have banned superstores or
imposed limitations on retailers like Wal-Mart. Among those cities are Los
Angeles, Oakland, Turlock, Stockton and Vallejo, he said.
As Save Oakley Now's land-use counsel, Wolfe asked residents to get involved in
the public process for River Oaks.
"What we can insist upon is that all that information is laid out in front of
us," he said.
Mark Gagliardi spoke as an Oakley resident and board member of the Contra Costa
Central Labor Council. He said he is also interested in seeing the downtown
successfully redeveloped.
"I just think there is a smart way to do it," Gagliardi said. "We don't need to
put up a big store that is going to take out the competition."
Oakley resident and Delta Green Party member Paul Seger said Wal-Mart's way of
doing business is un-American. He asked Oakley residents to demand
accountability from local officials.
"There are so many ways we can use this land," Seger said.
Paula King covers Oakley. Reach her at 925-779-7189 or
pking@bayareanewsgroup.com
Oakley on prowl for businesses - By Paula King
STAFF WRITER
OAKLEY -- Following the news that Wal-Mart had withdrawn its
application for a Supercenter in Oakley, city officials announced this week that
they are still actively pursuing commercial businesses and economic development.
View Full Story
Wal-Mart drops Oakley store plans Slow economy, sagging stocks prompt
company to withdraw proposal for Supercenter that some opposed By Paula King
STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 02/23/2008 03:05:33 AM PST
OAKLEY -- The nation's sluggish economy coupled with stagnant stock values
have prompted the world's biggest retailer to retract plans for a Supercenter in
Oakley. Wal-Mart officials announced Friday afternoon that the company has
withdrawn its application for the proposed anchor store in the future River Oaks
Crossing commercial center on the north side of Main Street. In all, Wal-Mart
has decided not to construct more than 140 planned stores.
Click here for rest of story
Hold town hall meeting on Wal-Mart Published
02/08/2008 - 1:00 a.m. PDT
In an interview in this newspaper several weeks ago, Oakley’s new mayor,
Bruce Connelley, said the following regarding Wal-Mart’s application to open a
super center in the River Oaks Crossing shopping center, which is planned for
the Cline vineyards property on Main Street between Bridgehead and Big Break
roads: Click here for rest of story
Welcome
Welcome to Save Oakley Now. We
are a community group fighting to save Oakley from
development that alters the friendly, small-town
character where we live or work. The current
proposed big box development that is planned for our
downtown, Main Street area will change our community
forever. How would you like to be greeted when you
leave Highway 4 by a huge big box development,
including a Wal-Mart supercenter that generates tens
of thousands of additional car trips a day on the
already-congested entry to our city?
We don't need or want the
additional traffic, pollution (air, noise, litter.
etc.), empty storefronts, and crime that accompany
Wal-Mart and its big box development. We understand
the need to keep people and local sales tax dollars
in Oakley, but small-scale retail development can
accomplish this without the negative impacts of big
box stores. We also oppose the use of hidden
taxpayer subsidies to attract big box development.
The citizens and taxpayers of Oakley deserve to know
"all" the costs of the proposed big box development
in our town.
We invite you to join with us in
our fight to Save Oakley Now. The small town
character of our community is something special and
worth protecting. As many communities across the
U.S. have found out too late, you can't buy that
special sense of community that we now enjoy with
big box sales tax dollars, especially considering
the blight and negative environmental impacts that
accompany such retail development. For more
information email
info@saveoakleynow.org
