The Green Bay Plan Commission on Monday had no discussion of a Wal-Mart Supercenter planned on the city's far-east side, but the proposal was nonetheless a hot topic for people who came ready to speak their minds on either side of the aisle.
"I think as far as the traffic, the crime — it's just more people in the neighborhood. A 24-hour Supercenter has people all hours of the day," said Rachel Charles, who has lived about a quarter-mile from the proposed site for more than three years. "We've never had any major incidents in this neighborhood since we've moved in. We feel very safe and secure here. It's nice to keep it that way."
Charles spread fliers in her neighborhood over the weekend since word broke that Wal-Mart eyed a roughly 50-acre parcel bounded by East Mason Street, South Huron Road and Finger Road in the Interstate 43 Business Center. But east-side developer John Bunker, one of the property's owners, argued the concerns are off-base and that many businesses in the developing Eastern Arterial corridor support the plan.
"It should be a tremendous boost for the business and for the area in general," said Jack Gregg, owner of the neighboring I-43 Business Center Shell, noting that people who stop at his convenience store on a daily basis ask him when a store or grocery would come to service the area. "Once a day for over four years I've heard the same question."
The recently completed Huron Road, aka Brown County EA, has quickly developed mostly in the residential and industrial sectors. But a Wal-Mart superstore would be a big step with general retail development.
Preliminary plans on file with the city are for a 203,819-square-foot store with more than 900 parking spaces, similar to the size of the West Mason Street Wal-Mart Supercenter. The store would face East Mason Street, and two outlots, each larger than an acre, would face South Huron.
Wal-Mart's Supercenters include the usual Wal-Mart discount merchandise, plus a full grocery store and several specialty shops.
The chain also operates a Supercenter in De Pere. A Wal-Mart in Bellevue is less than three miles from the proposed site, and there's speculation that it would close when the new store would open.
City Planning Director Rob Strong said that although the request to amend zoning for the proposed shopping center was introduced on Monday's agenda, his staff will need two weeks to consider the proposal before bringing it back to the Plan Commission. Those eager to speak on either side of the topic can do so on April 24.
More than a half-dozen people left Monday's meeting after learning the matter wouldn't be discussed.
East-side resident and local activist Rebecca Katers brought a copy of a new book about Wal-Mart and its example of modern capitalism. Her arguments echoed people across the nation who have clamored against the heavy-hitting retailer.
"It cannibalizes all the other stores in the area, so it's not economic growth," said Katers, who is executive director of the local Clean Water Action Council. "I really think there needs to be a conscious effort to turn economic focus onto local ownership and building local, sustainable businesses."
East-side Green Bay Wal-Mart proposed
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