Before Gilroy’s City Council approved the super-sized, grocery
hawking version of Wal-Mart, a number of conditions were levied on
the giant retailer.
Before Gilroy’s City Council approved the super-sized, grocery hawking version of Wal-Mart, a number of conditions were levied on the giant retailer.
What follows are those conditions Wal-Mart agreed to and, in some cases, comments about the items:
• RV Parking enforcement
As with other large parking lots in town, RV motorists park their vehicles overnight, sometimes using the lots as their only means for shelter.
Wal-Mart has agreed to post signs at each street entrance of its new store at the Pacheco Pass Center, reminding motorists of the city’s parking laws. Store managers will put flyers on the windows of vehicles that exceed time limits. The notices will remind owners to move their vehicles or be towed.
• No Vacancy
Wal-Mart has entered a purchase agreement, pending the development of the Wal-Mart Supercenter, to sell its existing Arroyo Circle building.
The city wants to make sure the Arroyo Circle building does not remain vacant for an extended length of time. It is requiring the store to be occupied in a year or less. If a new tenant is not found by that time, Wal-Mart will have to ask City Council for an extension.
• Give back
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. makes $250 billion a year. Gilroy City Council wants to see a fraction of it given to local charities.
Already the store gives $40,000 locally and it had promised the amount to reach $50,000 if a Supercenter opened. But after some Councilmen said it wasn’t enough, the store said it would add a $10,000 grant to its yearly giving.
A board made up of the Gilroy Wal-Mart store manager, two City Council members and three community leaders would have sole discretion over which organizations would receive the grants.
• Green toys
Wal-Mart will use energy conservation features, such as special fluorescent lamps, in its Gilroy store, but it will not build one of its so-called green stores.
Wal-Mart will nix its children’s arcade and put in an “Eco Room.” The purpose of the room is to educate children on environmental issues, such as recycling, water conservation, energy conservation and others.
• More shade, please
Wal-Mart agreed to extend the building’s front entrance canopies by four feet to protect from inclement weather.
• Competition classes
Wal-Mart will sponsor seminars in Gilroy by an outside consultant who would conduct seminars about small business and how they can stay alive in a Wal-Mart dominated community.
• Gilroyans for hire
Wal-Mart will team with the Gilroy Economic Development Corporation to recruit local workers.
Wal-Mart and the GEDC teamed up when hiring for the existing store. Currently, 60 percent of the store’s employers are from Gilroy.
