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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, May 9, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 17, 2004 Irene Edwards, 92, left, and Margaret Walch talk about Wal-Mart during their appointments at The Hair Works in Central Point. Both said they supported a Wal-Mart Supercenter for their city. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Central Point residents discuss Wal-Mart vote The viewpoints are mixed on the City Council’s denial of a supercenter By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune At her morning coffee klatch in downtown Central Point on Friday, Carol Fischer and friends steamed over the City Council’s decision Thursday against Wal-Mart. This 68-year-old Central Point woman said many longtime residents resent those who want to stand in the way of the 207,000-square-foot supercenter at the corner of East Pine Street and Hamrick Road. "The newcomers come in and tell us what they want and tell us what to do," said the former City Council member. "They holler the loudest." Fischer and her friends are part of a community divided over the world’s largest retailer’s proposal. Reflecting this division, a citizen’s advisory committee first recommended against the supercenter in March, the Planning Commission voted for it on April 6, then the City Council voted unanimously against it late Thursday night. Advertisement Eric Berger, spokesperson for Wal-Mart, said a decision hasn’t been made yet whether there will be a challenge, but "the chances of appealing to LUBA are very strong." Wal-Mart has 21 days to appeal to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. Wal-Mart, he said, believes the project met or exceeded the city’s requirements for a property zoned C-4, although opponents and the City Council thought the supercenter required a C-5 zoning. Toni Wallick, a Central Point mother of three, applauded the City Council’s decision. "I think it’s wonderful that they voted against it." She said she has never shopped at Wal-Mart because she can’t stand the sort of capitalism that the retailer represents. "It’s more like a monarchy," she said. Denouncing everything from the low wages to the kind of goods sold there, Wallick said, "I just don’t like the whole idea of Wal-Mart." But Fischer questions whether some people in the community are being hypocritical. "I look at the City Council and wonder how many times their wives go into Wal-Mart," she said. Margaret Walch, who was getting her hair done at The Hair Works on Friday, said many of the newcomers are inconsistent in their opposition to growth, citing the construction of a new amphitheater nearby. Walch said something’s going to be built at Hamrick and East Pine, so why not a Wal-Mart? She can’t understand why the city made a decision against it. "They passed it once and they turned around and did the opposite," she said. Irene Jacobs, who also was getting her hair done, said the people in town are tired of going to Medford for their shopping. "We need a Wal- Mart," said the 92-year-old Central Point woman. "We’ve got to have something here." Becca Croft, a spokesperson for the citizen group Central Point First, said she understands there are many people in town who like Wal-Mart, but there are also many people who oppose one being placed at this particular location. Croft said her opposition is based on Wal-Mart trying to circumvent zoning rules. She said the City Council finally echoed many of the reasons she had been citing over why the supercenter wasn’t suitable for this 21-acre site. Until Thursday night, she said, "I never had any indication that what I was saying was being understood. It was a relief finally to know I wasn’t speaking to a vacuum." Croft said there are a number of uses in the Wal-Mart store that would violate the C-4 zoning, including a tire center, a garden center, outdoor sales, a furniture center, hardware center and others. "If you eliminate all the non-permitted uses, you would only have a 60,000-square-foot store," she said. The Grange Co-op property on Highway 99 is zoned C-5, she said, allowing it to have an outdoor garden area. The Grange, at about 20,000 square feet, is the size of the entire outdoor area of Wal-Mart, she said. Central Point First has presented a petition with 884 signatures to the city opposing the project, while Wal-Mart, which sent out a mailer to 10,000 residents, has received 1,300 in favor of the project. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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