WILDOMAR: "Fighting" for a Wal-Mart Supercenter
Retailer study: City might not be able to support supercenter
By AARON CLAVERIE - Staff Writer | ∞
WILDOMAR ---- City officials and members of the business community are lobbying Wal-Mart to revive plans for building a supercenter near the Bundy Canyon Road/Interstate 15 interchange.
A supercenter features a full-service grocery store and all the products stocked at a regular Wal-Mart ---- clothing, tools, electronics, toiletries and more ---- under one roof.
Based in Bentonville, Ark., Wal-Mart owns about 25 acres of land near the southeastern corner of the interchange and the company was moving forward with the construction of a new supercenter there as recently as spring 2005.
Those plans were shelved, however, when the company decided in fall 2007 to scale back on building new stores, said Wal-Mart spokesman John Mendez.
Wildomar City Councilwoman Sheryl Ade said Monday that a new market-study matrix developed by Wal-Mart shows the area might not be able to support a supercenter. She said Wildomar missed the cutoff by a couple of percentage points.
The results of that new study haven't stopped her, however, from pitching Wildomar directly to the company's board of directors as a great spot for a new store.
Ade said she has sent a letter to the board, lobbying them to take into consideration how the new supercenter would affect financing for the city, which incorporated July 1 after voters approved it in February.
When county officials were looking at putting the question of incorporating on the ballot, a fiscal study was produced that approximated the budget for a then-hypothetical city of Wildomar.
Included in that study was $450,000 in sales tax revenue that was directly attributed to a new Wal-Mart.
City Councilwoman Bridgette Moore said the author of the fiscal study, Gary Thompson, produced an alternate version of the study that showed Wildomar's budget would be OK without the $450,000.
"We don't need Wal-Mart to succeed," she said.
Ade agreed, saying Wildomar will be able to survive without that revenue. Yet, she said she's not giving up on Wal-Mart because development at that corner has been anticipated for years.
Many of the residents who live near that interchange, including people who live in the planned community called The Farm, have been patiently waiting for a new supermarket and shopping center.
During the incorporation campaign, some of those residents, particularly residents in The Farm, said they were supporting cityhood in part because the county had not been able to spur development at that site.
On the other hand, cityhood critics said a Wal-Mart would never be built in Wildomar and that the incorporation supporters were using the promise of the store to help sell cityhood.
Gatlin Development, a San Diego company, filed an application to build the 240,000-square-foot supercenter and an adjoining commercial building in the spring of 2005.
Ade, who said she talked with Frank Gatlin of Gatlin Development on Friday, said he also is fighting to move the project forward.
"He's not accepting the fact that Wildomar might be cut off the list," she said. "Wal-Mart made a commitment. He's saying, 'I gave the county and the city my word and now Wal-Mart is going back on its word.'"
Ade said Wal-Mart's plans for the site could shift when Wall Street looks at the effect the company's scaled back growth plan has had on its earning reports.
"I haven't given up, (Gatlin) hasn't given up and certain people in the Wal-Mart regime haven't given up," Ade said.
Gatlin Development was contacted Monday, but a representative at the San Diego office declined to comment.
Mendez said Wal-Mart still owns the land in Wildomar and the company plans to hold on to it until it determines its best use.
"In the meantime, we continue to serve Southwest County with the stores in Lake Elsinore, Murrieta and Temecula," he said.
The president of the Wildomar Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, Jeff George, said chamber members have talked to people and they haven't found anyone in the business community opposed to a new supercenter.
Chamber members believe a supercenter would be a rising tide that lifts the entire city's business community by making Wildomar a destination for area shoppers.
"A lot of people drive by Wildomar, but this would make them stop here," he said.
The closest Wal-Mart Supercenters are in Hemet and San Jacinto and there are talks of building one in Murrieta near Madison Avenue and Murrieta Hot Springs Road.
Mendez was asked if Wal-Mart executives would take into consideration the wellspring of goodwill in Wildomar when it makes a decision on a new store opening.
"We're always looking for the best locations to serve existing and new customers," he said.
Contact staff writer Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or aclaverie@californian.com.
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Fool-Dimar wrote on Aug 4, 2008 9:22 PM:Well, Wildomar you can thank Gary Thompson for the fairy tale that was your "Comprehensive Fiscal Analysis." I guess comprehensive means projecting revenue from businesses before they actually exist in your town. Without the Walmart Supercenter your city will be broke by 2009-2010. Maybe they offer subprime loans for cities? And for Mr. Thompson...He's just landed himself a cushy new job as Menifee's Finance Director, another city he produced a CFA for. How convenient. Can you see a pattern emerging here? However, since he was one of the few people who could interpret the made up numbers in his report I guess they had to hire him. Bonus for Gary Thompson is that he actually picked the city that can afford to pay his six-figure salary. There's one born every minute...in this case an entire City was fooled.
ModernRock wrote on Aug 4, 2008 9:48 PM:Um, there is a Walmart less then 5 miles awsy in Lake Elsinore?!
Bob wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:33 AM:Let them have it if the want and stop the Murrieta expansion.
Characterless Council wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:16 AM:It's pretty obvious that the county planners, Supervisor Buster and his staff, and Wildomar Incorporate Now and their slate of council candidates all knew the Wal-Mart project had been shelved months prior to the February election.
They actively hid the fact from voters to make sure cityhood won. Now we will have to suffer for it. Shows you what kind of people are running our new city.
Fooled for sure.
To Bob wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:44 AM:Stopping the Murrieta expansion isn't very realistic. It's too far along and too much a sure thing for Wal-Mart.
There are huge environmental and infrastructure problems with the Wildomar property.
To ModernRock wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:17 AM:Yes, there is a Wal-Mart just 5 miles up the road in Lake Elsinore, and bigger, better, newer ones in Murrieta and Temecula.
Add to that the two new Target Supercenters well underway in Menifee and Murrieta, and you have to wonder why any major big box store would rush to build in Wildomar. Think about it.
Kathy wrote on Aug 5, 2008 8:30 AM:I seriously doubt that any of our illustrious new council members have even bothered to ask the residents living immediately adjacent to the proposed Walmart Super Center (I-15/Bundy Canyon) what they think about it. I challenge the Walmart supporters to take a drive to San Jacinto and witness for themselves how that Super Center has negatively impacted the adjacent neighborhoods. For even a bigger thrill - visit the store at night! Bundy Canyon/I-15 is a traffic nightmare and improvements adjacent to the development will not begin to mitigate the impacts of a super center. All the county planning/funding reports indicate that the ultimate widening/improvements to Bundy Canyon (I-15 to I-215) are many years away. To the "Walmar-teers" out there, expect a fight if you push this location on us. I guarantee we will delay the project for years. This site is the wrong place for a super center. As a neighbor commented to me, since the council thinks so highly of Walmart and Gatlin Development, maybe they should rename the new City as "Wal-di-mart."
Hey Kathy wrote on Aug 5, 2008 9:31 AM:If you and your neighbors have serious objections to a Wal-Mart SuperCenter, now is the time to make your voices heard. Don't wait until Sheryl Ade and the council makes some sweetheart deal with the Wal-Mart guys or anyone else. Speak up now.
The council, the Chamber of Commerce and the media are doing everything they can to convince Wal-Mart and others Wildomar has the welcome mat out for any kind of commercial, revenue generating development.
This council doesn’t care what the neighborhood or the community wants. Do they care if we can’t get on or off the freeway? NO! Do they care that our old, beat up roads will be mired in traffic? NO! As long as it brings in money the city council and the business community will be happy.
Rural wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:23 PM:I thought Wildomar wanted to keep their rural image? Why don't they focus on more stores that are unique to the area. I'm so sick of driving by all these new communities seeing the same thing over and over. McDonalds, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Sam's Club, Costco, McDonalds, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, Jamba, etc. etc. and on and on and on. Bring some character and culture into this community please before we all turn into robots.
Thanks
To Rural wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:16 PM:It's a nice thought, Rural, but in today's economy it's never going to happen. The locally owned mom-and-pops can't compete with the corporate behemoths and franchises so they can't survive. If you don't have a 'name' attached to your business, you have about a 5% chance of surviving.
Murrieta Resident wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:35 PM:Personally, after the Wal Street Journal report about the efforts of some Wal-Mart executives to influence how their managers and employees vote I am boycotting Wal-Mart. Our area has room for more retail, but let's get some ethical companies to take the place of Wal-Mart. Target and Costco are welcome in my book. Costco in particular has demonstrated that it can give consumers good values, and also take better care of its employees.
Murrieta Mom wrote on Aug 5, 2008 2:50 PM:The new city should be call Bewildered-Marred I think now Murrieta sounds kind of nice. Boycott Blue!
Loop on wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:01 PM:It all comes back to forming districts. Lets Sheryl Ade and the others bring up these whacked out ideas and it won't take much to vote them out. Power to the people.
Tony wrote on Aug 6, 2008 6:47 AM:Don't forget that Wal-Mart will want plenty of tax breaks and incentives. They will also want Wildomar to put in the infrastructure, streets, and lights for the new building. Maybe Wildomar will break even after all is hammered out in long negogiations with the likes of Ms Ade and the others on the Council.
Wal-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot and Costco are going to save the city...sure, and I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. We are doomed...stillborn and in want of cash...there is none to be had.
wildomar resident wrote on Aug 6, 2008 7:02 AM:I will personally write to the council opposing WAL-MART ("never") in our city.
Please do the same and show this newby council the citizens are watching!
Huh wrote on Aug 6, 2008 10:58 AM:I thought I read on menifee 24/7 they were going to build a Super Walmart In Menifee?????
To Wildomar Resident wrote on Aug 7, 2008 6:29 AM:If you and your neighbors as truly opposed to a Wal-Mart coming to Wildomar, don't rely on the city council to hear your concerns. Write directly to the Wal-Mart board of directors and tell them a Wal-Mart is not welcome. Sheryl Ade should be able to provide you with the Wal-Mart contact information.
The city council and the chamber of commerce are doing everything possible to encourage Wal-Mart to build at the Bundy Canyon site because they can only see the potential revenue a project like this would generate to help rescue the new city financially. They don't care what the community wants.
Chris wrote on Aug 7, 2008 3:48 PM:I am shocked that any community would go looking for a Wal-Mart. It has been documented that Wal-Mart's presence in a community causes other small businesses to lose business and close. It has been documented that political decisions (such as who to vote for) are pushed on employees and management. Most importantly, it has been documented that Wal-Mart's economic presence is destructive--to the countries that manufacture their goods, to the local employees, who are not paid fare wages, can't organize (unions), and don't recieve health insurance. Unfair compensation means the community pays--through higher medical bills and public assistance.
The "value" of inexpensive prices on products sold at Wal-Mart does not over-ride the problems this company causes. Wildomar residents need to look at the bigger picture, and not make the mistake of investing in this plan.
To Chris wrote on Aug 10, 2008 1:10 PM:Let's be clear. The community has not gone looking for a Wal-Mart. Only the commercial development orientated city council members has gone looking for a Wal-Mart to generate funds for their grandiose schemes and to cover up the fact that the CFA that supported cityhood was blatantly over optimistic. They are being aided and abetted by the business community and special interest groups that got them elected.
The taxpayers and residents of Wildomar with have to foot the bill, and part of that cost will be the environment most of us moved here to enjoy.
Walmart Hater wrote on Aug 24, 2008 8:25 AM:People do your homework. The walmart in Lake Elsinore will close when this one is built. Walmart no longer wants to be in LE because they arent getting their fair share of tax revenue now. They had an agreement when it was first built and now the revenue goes back to the city so they are picking up their toys and leaving. Big babies. All of you Walmart lovers need to watch the video THE HIGH COST OF LOW PRICES, it will change the way you look at that store forever.
vicky wrote on Aug 24, 2008 11:54 AM:Its not a WalMart its a Super walmart big difference bring it on. Buy all your supplies food automotive needs all in one store for a good price. We need a super walmart.
Diane wrote on Sep 4, 2008 10:46 AM:I say bring it on, with the cost of food in the regular grocery stores I will shop at Walmart to save a buck anyday. Why drive to Murrieta and Temecula and support their economy when we can give to our own if one is here in the area. I have had my rages with Walmart too, but you cannot beat the prices and with a super walmart, better yet!!!
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