It is time for you and I to act. Our Village officials must understand how stongly we feel about this issue. Do as many of the following as you can and get your neighbors to do the same.
Contact your Village Officials Their names and contact info can be found at the bottom of this page.
Sign our e-petition. Follow this link and then forward the link to others: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthesupercenter/
Attend the Village Board meeting when the expansion is addressed. We will notify you by email if you wish, we will post the date on this website and we will send out a flyer to each residence. Whether you address the board yourself or just show your support for those who do, let your voice be heard.
Any citizen can address the board; stand up and simply tell them that you don't want a WalMart SuperCenter and why. The more residents they hear from, the more likely it is they will find a way to "just say no."
However you contact your officials, in person, by phone, email, or letter; you must tell them WHY you don't want the SuperCenter. They will not respond to statements with no back up. So tell them: too much traffic, crowded parking lot, loss of small businesses, too many grocery stores...they will listen when enough of us speak out.
Vote for the following candidates for Village Trustee on April 17:
Phil Morris
Joe Micheletto
Margaret Moggio
John Navin
Friday, March 30, 2007
Update
Last Tuesday, March 20, our Planning and Zoning Commission failed to heed concerns regarding parking and traffic issues and voted 5 to 1 to move the WalMart expansion plan forward. It is now up to the Village Board of Trustees and the Zoning Board of Appeals whether or not WalMart and THF Realty destroy Cottonwood Mall, remove small businesses from our community and add to the traffic problems that already exist.
The Village Trustees and Mayor insist that it is not within their power to simply deny the proposal, as it meets all our existing Ordinances. If our Village Board were to deny the proposal, WalMart would have a legal basis to sue our Village.
But the WalMart expansion proposal does NOT meet our Ordinances. WalMart/THF have requested a variance for the parking lot. Do you know that the current WalMart store already has a variance that allows them to provide FEWER spaces than those required by our laws? And now they are requesting a further variance to provide an even lower percentage of the required parking spaces for their new SuperCenter.
Fewer spaces and more cars...
In addition, the traffic report submitted by Crawford, Bunte and Brammeier traffic engineering firm states that the increase in traffic will have minimal impact at any specific entrance. Really? That's amazing, since according to their own report the new SuperCenter will result in a net increase of 4,670 trips daily. An additional 4,670 trips in and out of Cottonwood per day will have minimal impact? This is the traffic report our Planning and Zoning commission used to make the decision to approve WalMart's site plan.
We are demanding that our Village require a FULL TRAFFIC IMPACT study before they even consider voting on the propsed expansion. Please call and email your Trustees and insist that a full traffic impact study be performed to insure the right decision is made for our community.
And the Zoning Board of Appeals can stop this fiasco in its tracks. The parking lot variance does NOT have to be approved! If the Board of Appeals fails to grant the variance, WalMart cannot expand and there is no legal recourse they can take. A business cannot force our community to lower their zoning practices and standards; these laws were established for the good of our citizens. All we need is for our Zoning Board of Appeals to uphold our communities standards and our town keeps out a SuperCenter that will destroy businesses and increase traffic hazards in our Village.
The Village Trustees and Mayor insist that it is not within their power to simply deny the proposal, as it meets all our existing Ordinances. If our Village Board were to deny the proposal, WalMart would have a legal basis to sue our Village.
But the WalMart expansion proposal does NOT meet our Ordinances. WalMart/THF have requested a variance for the parking lot. Do you know that the current WalMart store already has a variance that allows them to provide FEWER spaces than those required by our laws? And now they are requesting a further variance to provide an even lower percentage of the required parking spaces for their new SuperCenter.
Fewer spaces and more cars...
In addition, the traffic report submitted by Crawford, Bunte and Brammeier traffic engineering firm states that the increase in traffic will have minimal impact at any specific entrance. Really? That's amazing, since according to their own report the new SuperCenter will result in a net increase of 4,670 trips daily. An additional 4,670 trips in and out of Cottonwood per day will have minimal impact? This is the traffic report our Planning and Zoning commission used to make the decision to approve WalMart's site plan.
We are demanding that our Village require a FULL TRAFFIC IMPACT study before they even consider voting on the propsed expansion. Please call and email your Trustees and insist that a full traffic impact study be performed to insure the right decision is made for our community.
And the Zoning Board of Appeals can stop this fiasco in its tracks. The parking lot variance does NOT have to be approved! If the Board of Appeals fails to grant the variance, WalMart cannot expand and there is no legal recourse they can take. A business cannot force our community to lower their zoning practices and standards; these laws were established for the good of our citizens. All we need is for our Zoning Board of Appeals to uphold our communities standards and our town keeps out a SuperCenter that will destroy businesses and increase traffic hazards in our Village.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Zoning & Planning Meeting Tuesday!
We have the momentum. We have the people. And most importantly, we have the the facts on our side! But none of that will matter if we don't show up on Tuesday for the Zoning & Planning Commission's re-hearing of the Wal-Mart expansion on Tuesday. A magically manifested traffic study will be present with some...interesting findings to say the least.
Come and sign up to speak. Get the facts. Let the village know that from now on, they can't just impose their vision of Glen Carbon on us!
Oh, and expect some fireworks. If nothing else, it will be interesting.
Come and sign up to speak. Get the facts. Let the village know that from now on, they can't just impose their vision of Glen Carbon on us!
Oh, and expect some fireworks. If nothing else, it will be interesting.
Zoning & Planning Meeting
Tuesday, March 20th
7pm
Village Hall, 151 North Main Street
Tuesday, March 20th
7pm
Village Hall, 151 North Main Street
*As a service, we've posted the text of Wal-Mart's "traffic study" below, back-dated to 1/1/07 to keep it from filling up the page. The date on the report is March 8th.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
VICTORY!
Last night, the Village of Glen Carbon's Planning and Zoning Commission voted to "table" Wal-Mart's and THF development's proposal to add over 80,000 square feet to their Cottonwood Mall location, wiping out parking and neighboring shops.
For media on this victory, follow these links: Edwardsville Intelligencer, Belleville News-Democrat, The Telegraph.
Nobody can accuse Glen Carbonites of forgetfulness: two weeks ago the Planning and Zoning Commission failed to meet a quorom when commissioners declined to show up and face an angry public. They rescheduled the meeting for yesterday, March 6th, and we showed up in force!
Glen-Ed Citizens for Fair Growth showed the Board true people power, and the developer and Wal-Mart wilted under the pressure--they even insisted they had submitted a non-existent traffic report analyzing the impact a huge Wal-Mart expansion would have on an already hectic roadway.
"I have to correct you," Building and Zoning Administrator Will Shashack said. "I don't have a traffic study."
The outpouring of opposition to the expansion being forced on us sent a clear message to Wal-Mart and THF: this is our community.
Glen Carbon resident Phillip Bailey summed it up best:
"I've talked to a lot of people. We don't want your Superstore."
Don't be fooled, though: this isn't the end. Wal-Mart and THF will be back, and we'll have to be vigilant and make sure that every time they try to sneak something through, we're there to say, "We don't want your Superstore!"
For media on this victory, follow these links: Edwardsville Intelligencer, Belleville News-Democrat, The Telegraph.
Nobody can accuse Glen Carbonites of forgetfulness: two weeks ago the Planning and Zoning Commission failed to meet a quorom when commissioners declined to show up and face an angry public. They rescheduled the meeting for yesterday, March 6th, and we showed up in force!
Glen-Ed Citizens for Fair Growth showed the Board true people power, and the developer and Wal-Mart wilted under the pressure--they even insisted they had submitted a non-existent traffic report analyzing the impact a huge Wal-Mart expansion would have on an already hectic roadway.
"I have to correct you," Building and Zoning Administrator Will Shashack said. "I don't have a traffic study."
The outpouring of opposition to the expansion being forced on us sent a clear message to Wal-Mart and THF: this is our community.
Glen Carbon resident Phillip Bailey summed it up best:
"I've talked to a lot of people. We don't want your Superstore."
Don't be fooled, though: this isn't the end. Wal-Mart and THF will be back, and we'll have to be vigilant and make sure that every time they try to sneak something through, we're there to say, "We don't want your Superstore!"
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