TONIGHT - walmart meeting

[Crystal Young-Otterstrom]

Hello MESJ OF SLC:

Please read below about a walmart meeting being held tonight by MESJ of SLC member, Ash Sanders.

Thanks,
Crystal Young-Otterstrom

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ashley Sanders <sanders...@gmail.com>
Date: Jan 7, 2008 3:13 PM
Subject: Wal-Mart meeting! READ
To: Kate Kelly < kate....@gmail.com>, Neil Ransom <neilr...@gmail.com>, ": CJ Whittaker" < albion...@gmail.com>, Ann Marie Whittaker <lady.of...@gmail.com>, Crystal Young-Otterstrom <crystalm...@gmail.com >, Crystal Young-Otterstrom <CYo...@utahsymphonyopera.org>, Bart Tippetts <bar...@msn.com>, Amy Peterson < amyfpe...@gmail.com>, Katy Savage <sava...@gmail.com>, Tristan Philip Call <trist...@gmail.com>, Jason Cone < jc...@backcountry.com>, m cline <jardine...@yahoo.com>, erin johnson <erinjo...@gmail.com >, "fetzer, martha" <mjf...@yahoo.com>, janema...@comcast.net, Linda Parsons < linda.j...@gmail.com>, jannek...@gmail.com, n.e.chr...@utah.edu, "gmail, sophie" < sophie...@gmail.com>, chris nielsen <niels...@gmail.com>, sanders...@gmail.com, jake wilhelmsen < jakewil...@hotmail.com>, Carrie Porter <cp...@hotmail.com>, heather....@gmail.com, "foster, chris" < chris_...@byu.edu>, Ashley Christensen <rippi...@gmail.com>, Shannon Cornelius < shannon....@gmail.com>

Hey everyone,

 

This is the first of the big Wal-Mart meetings I have been telling you about. This one is not sponsored by Wal-Mart, however. It is a meeting sponsored by Foothill Development Watch (the group I am part of) to inform citizens about the Wal-Mart issue and give them talking points for letters.

 

CJ and I will be presenting a slideshow that will give people the details of this specific Wal-Mart fight and also detail the problems with big box stores in general. We will also give possible solutions to the problem.

 

I have been talking with several major people in the anti-big-box world (Stacy Mitchell of Big Box Swindle, Al Norman of Sprawl-Busters, and the head of the American Independent Business Association). They are helping me to organize a group that will do more than fight this specific Wal-Mart. I am going to form a group that introduces legislation against big box stores in general. This zone fight is going to be the beginning of a larger push to require Economic Impact Assessments (EIAs) before any big box store can begin to build in the state. The EIA means, essentially, that the big box store will have to prove--through a study conducted by an impartial third party--that it will increase jobs and cause no unreasonable harm to the local economy (tax base, existing businesses, etc). Anyone who is interested in this group can also get more info at Thursday's meeting.

 

Please come to the meeting on this THURSDAY, JANUARY 10th at 7 PM at the Sprague Library (in Sugarhouse). This is a very important meeting, whether your goal is to get more informed, write letters, or get more involved. Tell everyone you know and show up Thursday!

 

More info below. (For those of you who come to discussion night, we will be starting at 8:30 instead of 7:30 this week).

 

Thanks,

 

Ash

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jan Brittain <wilsh...@comcast.net>
Date: Jan 2, 2008 2:57 PM
Subject: January 10 meeting
To: Nikki Mouse <nikk...@comcast.net>

The next meeting of Foothill Development Watch is Thurs., January 10, 7 p.m., Sprague Library downstairs meeting room.

 

Anyone who can write a letter, send an email, or attend a meeting and give public comment needs to come and learn the talking points and what the issues are that need to be addressed.  Please bring your neighbors, friends and relatives.  We will have information on when and where to send comments, and dates of upcoming meetings that have public comment periods.

 

 

Wal-Mart is starting to make their move and we will need to be prepared to speak to the zoning issue in the next two months. 

 

At this time, Wal-Mart is planning to use the existing building if they don't get a zoning change.  They cannot increase the size of the building, but they can use the entire interior, and take out the wall between the existing Kmart and the old grocery.

 

Wal-Mart will present their plans at a meeting of the East Bench community councils on Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at Dilworth Elementary.

 

Right now it looks like 2705 Parley's Way will be a Wal-Mart.  If we stop the rezone petition, we may have to live through a few more years of mass merchandizing at the site, but there is hope that the next owners will figure out that they probably won't get a zoning change if Wal-Mart couldn't, and we'll finally get a reasonable neighbor.

 

Preserve the Current Zoning

 

We Can Do IT!

--
Crystal Young-Otterstrom
801.652.0737