I've received two negative comments on my previous Ballston Spa post, merely for pointing out that most residents want WM. One commenter insisted that I was an ignorant slut, the other implied that his investment in his small business somehow granted him the right to his shopper's purchases.
As I noted, some residents have formed a group (see saveballston.comAlbany Times-Union reviews the arguments, and makes comparisons to other localities:
Community leaders and residents who have witnessed the effect Wal-Mart has had on other Capital Region towns gave it mixed reviews.And 100% of WM customers shop at WM, so?Glenville Supervisor Clarence Mosher called his town's Wal-Mart, 11 miles from the possible Ballston site, a good neighbor. Assessed at $14 million, the store has an annual town property tax bill of about $62,700. The company gives money to local charities and is willing to pay for road improvements to ease traffic congestion created by its presence, Mosher said. But traffic and calls to the town's 25-member police force increased when Wal-Mart arrived.
"The courts see 100 bad checks a month coming out of Wal-Mart," Mosher said.
[Al] Norman, who helped stop a Wal-Mart from being built in Greenfield in 1993, said that when communities are considering allowing a Wal-Mart into their midst, they should remember the stores don't only attract shoppers.
"This type of business will tax your resources more than an office complex," said Glenville Deputy Police Chief Dominick Macherone.
Police get a range of calls from the store, Macherone said, including calls on vehicle lock-outs, parking lot crashes, theft and assault.
A 2.5-mile road, Dutch Meadows Lane, was built to accommodate Wal-Mart, but Freeman's Bridge Road, where the store was built, is congested, Mosher said.
Justin Konik, the manager of Aubuchon Hardware on Route 50, 2 miles north of Wal-Mart, said he lost customers when the store opened.
He canvassed his customers, and "80 percent of them say they don't like to shop there, but as successful as it is, someone must be going there," Konik said.
Posted by Kevin on January, 28 2005 at 11:27 AM
george hannah wrote:Yes walmart is a great burden to a community. You have in Glenville two roads to enter and exit onto the two lane highway we will have two proposed but no lights at the entry way are likly considering where the entraces are proposed. Also, one should consider the fact the developer is in violation in the village of Ballston on projects he has done. No sidewalks up fairground hill as promised plus others.
-- July 30, 2005 06:56 PM ∞
