From Steve Tobia of Abingdon:
Last week Wal-Mart sent out bulk mail to residents in the Abingdon and Bel Air Zip codes. If you live in these areas you most likely received two Wal-Mart public relation brochures promoting a new store. They did not say they were building or introducing a new super center but rather they were “proposing” a new super center. What was more surprising was the brochure contained a postage paid return card soliciting our support and asking that we write letters and attend meetings on Wal-Mart’s behalf. Why do they need our support? This is not a done deal!
We all know brochures are typically decorated with pretty pictures and designed to tout the advantages a company has to offer. Wal-Mart’s brochures were no different as they advertised the advantages a new Bel Air super center would offer our community. The advantages listed were:
Jobs. Wal-Mart states a new super center will bring approximately 100 new jobs in addition to those already at the Constant Friendship store. This is a slight exaggeration. On Wal-Mart’s website it indicates that a Constant Friendship size store employs 225 people and a super center employs 300 which would be an increase of 75 mostly part time positions. Now subtract the number of jobs local merchants will eliminate because of lost business. The resulting number will be the employment benefit a new Wal-Mart super center will add to Harford County.
Tax Revenue. The brochure states that the new Wal-Mart will pay thousands of dollars a year more in taxes to the county. Not tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars but thousands of dollars a year? That is not a lot of money considering the size of this new store and the fact that it will cost the taxpayer millions of dollars for the road improvements necessary to accommodate this new store.
Family Savings. The brochure indicates that an independent study found the average household will save approximately $3100 per year shopping at Wal-Mart. Who are they comparing this savings to? Certainly not other discount stores in the area. In addition, the non-consumable items sold at a new Wal-Mart would be no cheaper than the items sold at their Constant Friendship store. If Wal-Mart converted their existing store to a grocery selling super center, as our county executive and the people of Abingdon and Bel Air have requested and that the people of Edgewood would surely enjoy the convenience of, there would be no consumable or non-consumable pricing advantage to building a new store at the proposed Plumtree site.
Leading the Industry in Green Initiatives. It is respectable that both individuals and corporations are striving to be more environmentally conscious. In our quest to do so, we often overstate the environmental benefit. For example, Wal-Mart says in addition to using LED lighting which is more efficient, they will be installing sensor –activated low flow faucets. Wow! That is quite an initiative. How much environmental benefit should we expect from sensor-activated faucets installed in the stores public restrooms, employee’s restrooms and the sink in the break room. How many people even use restrooms at big box stores? The question we should be asking Wal-Mart is, “How many millions of gallons of runoff water will drain from the roof of their 185,000 sq. ft. building. And how many millions of gallons of oil tainted water will run off of their 250,000 sq. ft. parking lot that will end up in drainage ponds and ultimately the ground or bay. Is abandoning one store only to build another considered a green initiative? ….Hardly.
I hope those who have or contemplate returning Wal-Mart’s postage paid card recognize that an expanded and renovated store at Constant Friendship will provide all of the same benefits that a new store will provide without nearly the environmental impact or traffic congestion issues. I thought twice before I dropped my card in the mailbox. On it I wrote in big bold letters, “NO BEL AIR WALMART.”
Steve Tobia
Abingdon, MD
See you at the new Walmart, Steve. Please make sure your car is not leaking oil so it doesn’t taint the runoff water.
While I understand your implication, I don’t appreciate your defeatist attitude which appears designed to un-motivate people. You do realize that by discouraging people from getting involved now (losing battle, or not) you are ENcouraging them to be disengaged from the process and making it more likely the community goes through this all over again for another large development project, right?
Once people become involved, civically, in their community and local processes, they are more likely to stay engaged and informed, which is better for everyone, and I’m pretty sure you don’t disagree.
I’m more cynical than anybody, but mocking, tearing down, dismissing, and criticizing people for wanting to be involved doesn’t help anybody.
Noble,
Two comments.
First, I want the new Walmart on Plumtree and I realize I am in the minority of those posting on The Dagger. I couldn’t say whether that is the minority or majority of those in the local area. I know you oppose it and I respect your right to do that and to do it vociferously if you so choose. Also for you to encourage others to join you.
Second, I don’t have enough time available to spend much on lost causes and I consider this issue to be decided. If people have learned any lesson from this it should be that decisions made by our government at all levels have both intended and unintended consequences and they need to be very aware of both and act before the cause is lost.
Noble I do not think that is what Alex is doing at all. Hopefully the community learned to pay attention to those zoning hearing signs. Something that if they had done would have prevented this Wall-mart. I too want the new Wall-Mart. My other problem I have with the Anti-WM folks is not their over whelming desire to stop it but the fact that they do so by acting as if they are on a Holy Crusade and wish to make up for their dis engagement from the process by demanding a redo. Life does not work that way.
While your article is well written and I agree with most of your comments, I wish you had not returned your post card. Do you really think they will read the card? I truly believe they will just add the card to the pile and count it as support. “We received ___ cards in support of our new location.”
Keep ABINGDON Walmart
I can’t wait for it to open!
If you hated the traffic in/around the CF area, get ready to hate life to the ultimate degree if you have to be in that area.
Hey wally world, maybe you folks should put some trading coins together and build yourself at the bottom of the ocean.
People are unhappy that it is a Walmart contaminating their “rural” Bel Air, what are they expecting? A Nordstrom or Nieman Marcus? Neither of those stores are well known for putting locations in “rural” areas.
Nordstrom? Don’t I just wish. But, Kharn, there would be every bit as much howling about Nordstrom except that the people doing the howling wouldn’t be able to look down their nose and reference ‘cheap goods from China’ and would have to find something else. In reality many of the people howling don’t want anything built anywhere near them but could care less no matter what it is in someone else’s backyard.
How many super centers do we need in one county?
Apparently the suits at Walmart think we need at least one more. They wouldn’t sink millions of dollars into it if they weren’t absolutely certain that it will be successful.
As many as demand for their goods will support.