DEAR EDITOR:
The Dispatch editorial on Wal-Mart (Feb. 25) is correct about
responding to legitimate questions and not getting bogged down in
ridiculous demands. Requiring Wal-Mart to have a viable tenant
signed for its existing building before approving the new one is
crucial, given their record of leaving vacant buildings in other
cities. Preventing the Wal-Mart parking lot from becoming an RV
campground is another necessity. In other cities Wal-Mart actually
encourages RVs to park there.
DEAR EDITOR:
The Dispatch editorial on Wal-Mart (Feb. 25) is correct about responding to legitimate questions and not getting bogged down in ridiculous demands. Requiring Wal-Mart to have a viable tenant signed for its existing building before approving the new one is crucial, given their record of leaving vacant buildings in other cities. Preventing the Wal-Mart parking lot from becoming an RV campground is another necessity. In other cities Wal-Mart actually encourages RVs to park there.
However I disagree that adding a Wal-Mart Supercenter will be a “drop in the bucket” – not so when it competes with our four local grocery stores who are the anchors of their shopping centers. The other big boxes are regional attractions and not the same kind of threat to local-serving business. The Wal-Mart Supercenter would add little sales tax beyond what is generated at its current store, but it would take around 20 percent of sales (national average) away from our four grocery stores. The grocery pie is only so big and Costco has already taken a slice of it.
If Wal-Mart takes several more slices, it could mean the failure of one or more local grocery stores who would take with them the smaller stores in their center. A full-service grocery store takes 3,000 households to support it. This equals 10 years of population growth in Gilroy.
According to Retail Forward, in other states the opening of a Wal-Mart Supercenter kills off two local grocery stores. Is this how Gilroy wants to treat Safeway, Nob Hill, PW and Arteaga’s who have built us beautiful new stores, supported our fund drives and BBQs?
Economic Development Director Bill Lindsteadt says we need to attract more high-paying jobs to Gilroy. What about keeping the better paying grocery store jobs we now have?
Yes, the key question IS whether a Wal-Mart Supercenter will be good for Gilroy. The Council should follow their policy and order a non-partisan economic impact report specific to Gilroy to get the factual answers to that question.
Connie Rogers, Gilroy
Submitted Tuesday, March 9 to ed****@****ic.com
