Covell and Coltrane

[hfry]

Pretty sure this failed today. Will be interesting what happens next on if Walmart will fight things out, pick a new location or what.

[Plutonic Panda]

It did.

Planning Commission turns down Walmart site plan - The Edmond Sun: News

[jerrywall]

Pretty sure this failed today. Will be interesting what happens next on if Walmart will fight things out, pick a new location or what.

Hopefully they'll play by the rules for once. Walmart seems to be used to cities being so desperate that they roll over for them completely. Edmond isn't.

[Plutonic Panda]

Plans For Walmart Grocery Store In North Edmond Fail - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Edmond commission denies Walmart's proposal to open store | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com

http://kfor.com/2015/10/20/walmart-p...d-store-fails/

[Eddie1]

So they cut down all of those trees and cleared that land for nothing?

[Celebrator]

So they cut down all of those trees and cleared that land for nothing?

Right! How was that allowed?! What the heck is going here?

[Plutonic Panda]

Walmart files appeal for new location in Edmond | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com

http://www.edmondsun.com/news/walmar...62e39f8bc.html

[Plutonic Panda]

Right! How was that allowed?! What the heck is going here?

Don't worry, they reseeded the area once they realized what they did. It's okay.

[Plutonic Panda]

This goes back before the city council on Monday for rehearing.

http://agenda.edmondok.com:8085/agen...#ReturnTo34714

[Plutonic Panda]

Edmond council to hear Walmart's appeal over Neighborhood Market | News OK

http://okcfox.com/news/local/edmond-...-walmart-plans

[Tundra]

These kind of deals are made with a handshake under the table...... No way the citizens win this one.

[Plutonic Panda]

Walmart appeal voted down - The Edmond Sun: News

[OklahomaNick]

It is ridiculous that this failed. Again..

The only reason the homeowners are fighting this is because it's Wal-Mart. It it were Whole Foods then they would be doing back flips.

I am not ignorant enough to think that some of the homeowners concerns were not legitimate, but their expectations were completely irrational. This parcel of land was zoned commercial before one of the major neighborhoods fighting it was even built.

I am not advocating for Wal-Mart. I personally do not like Wal-Mart and try to avoid going there at all costs. But when citizens can influence a city council to dictate what businesses can and CANNOT open even when that business complied within the legal perimeters then that is a very slippery slope.

[Plutonic Panda]

I do tend to agree with that and it seems that Walmart has taken all the necessary legal steps for this to open.

I do NOT want a Walmart to be built here, but if they have taken all the legal steps and the land is zoned as such, they should be able to.

Really what the homeowners should have done is let the thing get built and not support it and it would probably eventually go out of business unless people from Logan County started driving here.

[OklahomaNick]

Really what the homeowners should have done is let the thing get built and not support it and it would probably eventually go out of business unless people from Logan County started driving here.

I remember when the Fox Lake neighborhood fought the 15th & I-35 Wal-Mart SuperCenter tooth and nail.. I wonder how many of them shop there now..?

[Plutonic Panda]

That is what I thought of too. I would be willing to bet if this was built, a good portion of the neighborhoods surrounding it would shop there.

[ctchandler]

But when citizens can influence a city council to dictate what businesses can and CANNOT open even when that business complied within the legal perimeters then that is a very slippery slope.

OklahomaNick,
So, you believe that the people should have no say in what their elected officials do? I thought they worked for us, not the other way around. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your comment caught my attention.
C. T.

[OklahomaNick]

OklahomaNick,
So, you believe that the people should have no say in what their elected officials do? I thought they worked for us, not the other way around. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your comment caught my attention.
C. T.

Sorry if I was unclear. The point that I guess I did not drive home was when citizens can influence a government to tell someone they CAN'T do something when clearly the law states that they CAN then that is a slippery slope!

You shouldn't be able to pick and choose who gets to follow the common law and who is held to a higher law!

[Rom]

The fact of the matter is the residents didn't want a Walmart in the area to drive down the value of their homes. They absolutely would not fight a Whole Foods. Congrats to the residents for fighting for their neighborhood! The City Council does indeed work for the residents on occasion.

[Colbafone]

Totally agree with the citizens here. The issue isn't about a grocery store coming in. It's that it is specifically a Wal-Mart. If this were an Uptown or Trader Joes or Whole Foods, there would be no issue. A Wal-Mart Neighboorhood Market isnot a decent representation of the people in that area.

Imagine, if you will, if Wal-Mart did this exact same thing with the old Cresent Market location in Nichols Hills. Very similar scenario. No way they would have been let in.

[Plutonic Panda]

The fact of the matter is the residents didn't want a Walmart in the area to drive down the value of their homes. They absolutely would not fight a Whole Foods. Congrats to the residents for fighting for their neighborhood! The City Council does indeed work for the residents on occasion.

Totally agree with the citizens here. The issue isn't about a grocery store coming in. It's that it is specifically a Wal-Mart. If this were an Uptown or Trader Joes or Whole Foods, there would be no issue. A Wal-Mart Neighboorhood Market isnot a decent representation of the people in that area.

Imagine, if you will, if Wal-Mart did this exact same thing with the old Cresent Market location in Nichols Hills. Very similar scenario. No way they would have been let in.

That is the point I'm making.

[OklahomaNick]

Property owners of proposed Walmart development sue Cit of Edmond:
Property owners of proposed Walmart development sue Edmond | News OK

Very interesting! I guess ALL property owners have rights not just residential owners..

[Plutonic Panda]

So this is what they need to do. The city either needs to ban Walmart completely(I believe there have been a few cities that have done this) but that leads to a slippery slope and not one I particularly agree with.

Or they need to increase the requirements to build around this area such or establish a design review committee(which I don't think Edmond has), but that might take awhile.

Or they need to let this Walmart get built because it seems to meet all of the requirements and requires no variances and leave it up to the people to not shop there which I doubt they'll do because people usually seem to have little self-control(myself included and I'm working on it).

These developers know that if a Walmart is built there, a lot of people who even protested it would likely shop there and there is money to be made. If that isn't true, let them build it, go out of business, and leave the store there.

[Pete]

If the property already has the necessary zoning for commercial use (which I believe it does) then any municipality opens itself up to lawsuits if they just arbitrarily decide they don't want a particular business to go in.

[jerrywall]

If the property already has the necessary zoning for commercial use (which I believe it does) then any municipality opens itself up to lawsuits if they just arbitrarily decide they don't want a particular business to go in.

From what I understand though, and even from the story about the lawsuit, it doesn't look like they arbitrarily blocked the business from going in. It seems to be more about differences in regards to elements on the proposed site plan.