Wal-Mart, the controversial retailer with plans to build a new
Super Wal-Mart in the Pacheco Pass Shopping Center at U.S.
Wal-Mart, the controversial retailer with plans to build a new Super Wal-Mart in the Pacheco Pass Shopping Center at U.S. 101 and Highway 152, has decided to do a full environmental impact report on the project, even though a less-thorough review likely would have sufficed for the proposal.
“I think this shows the level of our commitment to the project, that everything gets considered,” Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Hill told reporter Eric Leins.
As part of the preparing an EIR, a public scoping meeting has been scheduled so that citizens can tell their city leaders what impacts they think the EIR should address. We’d expect that, given the public attention – talk of a referendum, a demonstration, copious letters to the editor – this issue has drawn, a lot of citizens would want to talk about the Super Wal-Mart proposal.
Which is why we’re confused about the time selected for the session: Tuesday, July 29, at 4 p.m. in City Council Chambers.
Yes, that’s right, during business hours – when many people who’d like to air their opinions won’t be able to get to City Hall to do so.
Regardless of whether you favor or oppose Wal-Mart’s plan to shutter its current store near the Gilroy Outlets and build a new 220,000 square-foot facility, it seems reasonable to schedule a meeting on such a contentious topic for this community outside of normal business hours.
Why was this time scheduled – for the convenience of city staffers? If that’s the case, they need to remember they work for Gilroy citizens and should schedule meetings on such highly watched, highly charged topics when most of their bosses – Gilroyans – can attend.
Was it chosen for the convenience of Wal-Mart’s representatives? If so, that’s just too bad. Most other issues of this nature that go before city panels – including zoning issues that are heard by planning commissioners and city council members – are heard after business hours.
We can’t think of any other reason this meeting would have been scheduled at 4 p.m. It’s too bad that whoever decided to schedule a meeting designed to gather opinions from Gilroyans didn’t have enough common sense to set it at a time when most of them could attend.
No matter whether you are in favor or opposed to a super-sized Wal-Mart in Gilroy, surely advocates on both sides of the issue would prefer that the most voices possible can be heard.
That’s not going to happen at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon.
