Last Thursday, another community group -- this one in Cedar Mill, Oregon -- succeeded in keeping Wal-Mart out until the company becomes a moral and responsible business.
Today, Jerry Boone's column in the Oregonian discusses how the members of Save Cedar Mill voiced serious concerns about traffic and other problems Wal-Mart would bring to their community:
Wal-Mart's plans for the Cedar Mill store received the green light through a process that included multiple levels of government bureaucracy. It wasn't until the proposal -- on appeal by Save Cedar Mill -- landed on the collective desks of the Beaverton City Council that anyone found a reason to slam on the brakes.Council members questioned whether the store would fit the concept of a transit-oriented business, if street improvements would be adequate to protect pedestrians and if the store would be a good fit for the neighborhood...
The key questions in considering any development -- and it is the same for a Target, Fred Meyer, Les Schwab or any large retailer -- are will the benefit be worth what it takes to make it compatible, and what impact will those changes have on the area?
Posted by Laura - September 11, 2006 11:00 AM - In The News