HOME |  UPDATES |  INITIATIVE |  ELECTIONS |  TOP 5 WAL-MYTHS |  EVENTS |  LINKS/TOWNS |  PRESS |  BUILDING SITE |  ABOUT |  CONTACT |  HOW TO HELP |  DONATE

The proposed Super Wal-Mart will cover 26 acres at the north end of Atascadero. Do you think this scale of development fits Atascadero's character?

Here are some comparisons with the largest commercial sites to date in North County: Proposed Super Wal-Mart, 207,000 sq ', 5-600 employees Paso Wal-Mart, 112,000, 300 employees Paso Target, 108,000 sq feet, 170 employees Atas Vons, 50,000 sq ft, 80 employees Atas Albertsons, 48,000, 140 employees Atas Food For Less, 48,000, 150 employees Atas Spencer's, 23,000 sq ', 80 employees SLO Trader Joe's, 12,000 sq ', 70 employees Below is the footprint of the proposed Wal-Mart Super Center in the Del Rio neighborhood. Note that it is five times the size of the neighboring outlet center.

Comparitive Sizes Below is a chart produced by the New Rules Project, a program of the Minneapolis-based Institute for Local Self-Reliance. "A growing number of cities and towns are adopting store size caps to ensure that new retail development is scaled appropriately for the community and does not overwhelm the local economy or exacerbate sprawl and traffic congestion. Most communities choose an upper limit of between 35,000 and 75,000 square feet." For more information on store size caps and other measures to control big box development in your community, see: www.newrules.org/retail Far-Flung Suburbs Want Good Life Too LA Times February 20, 2007—"Southern Californians who live in new developments seek fancier places to dine and shop but have to persuade businesses to come to them." From shopping centers to lifestyle centers LA Times December 10, 2006—"Shopping malls are finally fulfilling their original destiny: re-creating the essence of urban life."

Copyright Oppose Wal-Mart, All Rights Reserved.