Will Wal-Mart Vote Impact City Election?

George Wenschhof

Last night, The City of Frederick board of aldermen voted 5-0 to rezone the Fredericktowne Mall property to general commercial allowing a third Wal-Mart to be built in the city.

The controversial decision followed a previous city rezoning of the property allowing for high density residential use following an argument by property owner attorney David Severn that economic conditions had changed.

Several years after that rezoning without the construction of any residential component on the property and a now vacant Mall, the property owner and his attorney were back before the city, once again claiming economic conditions had changed and requesting a zoning change back to general commercial.  This time, touting that Wal-Mart; their buyer for the property would be the savior for the community.

Along the way and prior to this request, city officials, community leaders and business owners formed the Golden Mile Alliance and together developed what they believed to be a guide for the redevelopment of the area.  This guide was dubbed the small area plan.

Amidst cries from Wal-Mart supporters that something had to be done to the mostly empty former Fredericktowne Mall and a previous denial from the city planning commission, city aldermen looked to require conditions to the rezoning to help to ensure capatibility with the previously approved small area plan.

Michael O'Connor was the lone alderman last night asking the hard questions pertaining to the inter-connector road, a pivotal component of the small area plan.  He asked attorney David Severn why the property owner had not secured legal approval to build the road across two adjacent properties. A question that was asked and never answered to satisfaction.

Redevelopment of areas of cities affected by economic and social demographic changes will always be a challenge for city planners and elected officials.  Looking outward to discover what other cities across the country have done successfully in similar circumstances is a must.  Having the courage and conviction to develop a vision and implement it is paramount.

It remains to be seen if the Wal-Mart will be built and if so, what long term impact it will have on the area.

Meanwhile, the city election nears, with two of the current aldermen; Kelly Russell (D) and Michael O'Connor (D) running for reelection, two running for mayor; Karen Young (D) and Shelley Aloi (R) and one; Carol Krimm (D) intending to run for Maryland state delegate next year.

Will their vote on this issue influence voters when they go to the polls this Fall?

Stay tuned.

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Wal-Mart Not the Answer for the Golden Mile

George Wenschhof

It was disheartening, upon my arrival home, to hear of plans for a Wal-Mart to be the latest savior for the Fredericktown Mall, a mall that has been beset with misfortune.

During, my visit to Sonoma County, California, I attended an organized community effort to block a planned Wal-Mart expansion in Rohnert Park.

Interestingly, the opposition invited Robert Reich; chancellor's professor of public policy at UC Berkeley who also served as labor secretary from 1993 to 1997 under President Bill Clinton to speak at a rally they had organized.

Reich used the opportunity to highlight problems with the economy and to emphasize the makeup of our communities and society is still decided by the people who live in them.

Often repeating the “we the people” preamble, of the U.S. Constitution Bill of Rights, Reich urged those in attendance to “take back our economy and take back our democracy”.

Specifically addressing Wal-Mart and their claim to be a job creator, Reich said the global retailer is a "net job destroyer" when it arrives in communities, adding “that for every job they created, 1.4 jobs were lost in the surrounding area”.

The typical worker at the nation's largest employer Wal-Mart makes $8.81 an hour Reich said, and as a result of their low paying jobs, Wal-Mart employees were more likely to live in less expensive suburbs, adding to congestion on the highways.

Many factors have contributed to the tarnish now existing on the once “golden mile” area in The City of Frederick.

The hard work put forward by members of the community, the Golden Mile Alliance, and others to develop a vision for the future, should not be discarded on the basis of an alleged purchase offer made by Wal-Mart.

Thankfully, the city planning commission, in a 4-1 vote, denied the latest proposed zoning change made by the owner of the Fredericktown Mall.

Hopefully, the city board of aldermen will also deny the request.

If anything, hard work needs to be continued to ensure efforts made to revitalize the once vibrant golden mile is well researched with the entire community in mind and with an eye to the future.

 

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