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!"
1 comment:
Dear Fellow Citizens,
My husband and I attended last week's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. We were heartened by the number of citizens in attendence voicing their concerns. We were not pleased with the response: that the Planning and Zoning Commission is not the forum for our concerns to be discussed.
I decided to review meeting minutes for the last nine months from the Village Board, the Planning and Zoning Committee, the Building and Development Committee and the Residents Advisory Board. These were apparently not the correct forums either, as other than citizens addressing the Village Board, there appears to be no discussion of these issues on public record.
I decided to address the Village Board at tonight's meeting. Following my comment is the letter I read to the Village Board and presented to the Village Clerk for the record. After the meeting I was questioned by two reporters.
I beleive we need to create an action alert network. We need to continue attending Glen Carbon Village meetings, not only for the Planning and Zoning committee, although they currently have the power to stop the expansion. We need to have our voices heard in every Village forum. I believe our actions will be best felt at the following two meetings:
Mar 21, 2007
Residents Advisory Board
7:00 p.m. Public Safety Facility
March 29, 2007
Comprehensive Plan Workshop
7:00 p.m. Public Safety
Sincerely,
Karen O'Koniewski
To Mayor Jackstadt and the Village Board of Trustees
Glen Carbon, Illinois
On behalf of many families in Glen Carbon and Edwardsville, I would like to express my concern regarding the possible expansion of our local Wal-Mart to a Super Center.
I would first like to say that I love our Wal-Mart. I won’t go to any other pharmacy; the staff at our Wal-Mart is professional and caring. I enjoy the shopping I can do at Wal-Mart without driving to other stores in Fairview Heights or Florissant. I will soon be able to drive ten short minutes to Collinsville and shop at a Wal-Mart Super Center.
My family moved to Glen Carbon to live in a less commercially developed area. I like privately owned and unique businesses and would love to see many more of them in my town. I love walking my children to the candy shop, just like I did as a kid. I gladly accepted the fact that I would need to drive some distance to meet all of my shopping needs.
I did not want to live in Fairview Heights. I do not want to live in a town that “everyone goes to” for their shopping. I do not see the need for a SIXTH grocery store within a one mile stretch of Route 159. I do not want to lose any other businesses in my community to a Wal-Mart Super Center.
I like my Wal-Mart just the way it is.
I share these and many other concerns and opinions with many of the residents of Glen Carbon. My question is where and when is the Wal-Mart expansion being discussed by the decision makers, our elected officials?
On three separate occasions, residents presented concerns regarding the Wal-Mart expansion to the Village Board. Last week 80 people came to the Planning and Zoning meeting, many in protest of allowing the expansion to take place. These citizens presented many concerns regarding the impact a 24-hour Wal-Mart Super Center might have on their community; economic impact on local businesses and their employees, traffic, accident rates, increased crime, increased noise from truck traffic, closing of Cottonwood Mall lessee businesses, loss of small businesses that are important to our community…just to name a few.
I have reviewed the posted Village Board, Building and Development Committee and Residents Advisory Board meeting minutes from June 2006 to the present. I did not find any public record of these issues being discussed. I also do not see a spot on the board agenda to discuss these issues tonight. I respectfully request that the board conduct a sincere debate of these concerns in a public forum.
According to the Village of Glen Carbon website, the purpose of government is to take care of the needs of its people and improve their quality of life. Glen Carbon public servants and elected officials try to make that a reality by living up to Glen Carbon citizen's expectations every day.
Glen Carbon’s citizens expect you to give their concerns thought and consideration. Glen Carbon’s citizens expect you to inform them of the information this decision is being based on. Glen Carbon’s citizens look forward to you proving that you do, indeed, take care of the needs of its people and improve their quality of life.
Thank you for your time,
Karen O’Koniewski
40 Autumn Glen Drive
Post a Comment