Monona Wal-Mart Supercenter seeks final plan approval at meeting tonight
By Karyn Saemann
Correspondent for The Capital Times
December 12, 2005
Wal-Mart is front and center for a trio of local communities this week, as they hold major Supercenter votes. Monona, Stoughton and Jefferson face similar broad issues, with opponents citing concerns about Wal-Mart's labor practices and high-priced employee health care; its alleged track record of driving surrounding small businesses out of business; and traffic, lighting, noise, crime and environmental worries. Proponents, meanwhile, broadly say they welcome the low prices that make shopping affordable for seniors and low-to-middle-income families and welcome the opportunity for jobs that may not pay at the top of the scale but that are a good, flexible fit for many workers. But each community also has had its own distinctly local discussion. Unlike in Stoughton, where the Supercenter site would be carved out of prime farmland, a long-vacant Kmart and SuperSaver grocery store would be razed for the Monona Wal-Mart. The final vote on Monona's Wal-Mart comes before its Plan Commission tonight. One of the opponents' chief concerns is that a Supercenter might draw business away from Monona Drive. "We have put a lot of energy into Monona Drive to bring it back. I have a feeling this is going to take the wind out of the sails," said Andrew Taylor, a member of the local anti-Wal-Mart group "A Better Monona." Wal-Mart representatives have said the proposed Monona Supercenter is anticipated to bring in nearly 500 jobs and annually generate $250,000 in real estate taxes, $61,000 in personal property taxes, $3 million in state sales taxes and $298,000 in county sales taxes. Brent Denzin of Midwest Environmental Advocates, however, said there has been no mention, in discussions about new jobs and tax revenue that will be generated by Wal-Mart, of the potential tax revenue and job losses if existing businesses are forced to close. Opponents of the project have also said Beltline traffic congestion will unacceptably worsen with a Supercenter and that the proposed 203,000-square-foot building with a lower-level parking garage is simply too tight of a fit on the site. "It's just very, very large for that lot," said Taylor. "Certainly there was a grocery and a department store there, but not nearly as big." In addition to echoing these concerns, Ald. Peter McKeever said in a recent letter to the Monona Plan Commission that he believes traffic projections will prove too low, particularly during the holiday season. The Monona Plan Commission has made Wal-Mart come back four times for revisions to its plan, with several of those meetings lasting more than five hours. Out of those discussions has come the suggestion to construct a roundabout at South Towne and Industrial Drives, to help control traffic flow. The Plan Commission has also required Wal-Mart to include more than twice as much green space as was required by Kmart and SuperSaver; it has required that all four sides of the building have attractive architecture and that loading areas be well screened; it has required much greater efforts to reduce storm water and sediment run-off than previously; and it has pushed for access by bicycles and pedestrians. And Continental Properties, the company that owns the site and will lease it to Wal-Mart, is being asked to pay the city $50,000 per year for 15 years once the project is approved to help cover police and fire protection, transportation and other costs. Monona Mayor Robb Kahl said Friday he is "very comfortable" with the final proposal going to the Plan Commission and with the amount of work the commission has put into it. Every appearance by Wal-Mart before the commission was accompanied by a public hearing, he noted. "We have put them through the wringer, so to speak, on many fronts," Kahl said. "We have been meticulous in the process. We have done everything that we would do in any normal plan commission process times three." "After all of the debate, input and analysis, I think this has ended up being a fantastic project," Kahl continued. "I think that citizens of Monona will be pleased with the outcome, and so will the greater Madison area." Kahl said he has heard little to no concern raised about the proposal by existing Monona business owners. And he said he has seen the same dozen opponents at meetings. "They have the right to express their opinion, but I don't govern by the vocal minority," Kahl said.
|