To facilitate your email to our commissioners against Wal-Mart:

1. Highlight and copy the sample letter below.

2. Click this email all your commissioners link

3. Past the sample letter in the body of your email and change it as you deem appropriate.

4. Send your email

Sample Letter:

Dear Commissioners As a resident of the Sandtown community we ask that you vote “no” to the proposed Wal-Mart Super Center at Cascade road (Case Numbers 2004Z-0070 and 2004VC-0091). While we do not have the marketing muscle and financial dollars to do direct mail campaigns to consumers like Wal-Mart (who has sent out 2 in the last 45 days), what we bring is a deep caring for the Sandtown community and the desire for integrated development to Southwest Atlanta and the Sandtown community. Below please find several key impact areas: Market Share grab vs. an integrated growth strategy - it is well documented that Wal-Mart comes to areas in an attempt to grab market share vs. bringing an integration of additional services. Many of potential services provided by Wal-Mart are currently available in the Cascade corridor. Below please find a few examples: · Groceries - currently available via Publix and Kroger · Pharmacy - currently available via Walgreen’s, Eckerd’s, Publix and Kroger · Home and Garden - currently available via Home Depot · Electronics - currently available via Radio Shack · Petroleum Services - currently available via BP (newly renovated) · Video Sales - currently available via Blockbuster · CD Sales - currently available via Turn it Up · Footwear - currently available via Footlocker, Footworks Buying power/predatory pricing - Wal-Mart’s buying power often times manifests itself in what borders on predatory pricing. Their retail pricing on many items is often at price points below other retailer’s wholesale prices. Competition is good, but unfair trade is bad and creates conditions favorable for a monopoly. Abandonment of Successful Stores - Wal-Mart has a well-documented history of moving and relocating stores (please visit any internet search engine for additional details). If the Wal-Mart was unsuccessful, there are limited options, which could absorb the size of the footprint from a Wal-Mart Super Center. There is also the danger of abandonment of existing retailers who have invested in brings services to the area pre the proposed Wal-Mart. If Kroger or Publix could no longer successfully compete in the Cascade corridor due to the Super Center, it will be incredibly difficult to get an alternate retailer to come into the market to fill the footprint from a Publix or Kroger vacancy. Poor upkeep of property and poor service - Wal-Mart’s service and maintenance levels in the African American communities in the Atlanta market are less than optimal. Allowing Wal-Mart to come to Cascade is like rewarding bad behavior. While Wal-Mart talks about the level of service they provide, many of their checkout lanes are self-service lanes vs. full service lanes. Thus serving to reduce jobs vs. providing incremental ones. Traffic - Wal-Mart Super Center is a destination location, which brings additional traffic to an already congested traffic corridor. There are not sufficient arteries to handle the potential increase in traffic that would come with a Wal-Mart Super Center. Routing commercial traffic in and out of Resource Center Dr. or the surrounding residential streets creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians. Development for communities is good, however development in the absence of an integrated plan is not good for the long-term health of a community. With this in mind we ask you to vote “no” to the proposed Wal-Mart Super Center. Driving the additional miles to Thornton Road to patronize Wal-Mart or to Camp Creek Crossing for incremental services not serviced by the Cascade corridor retailers is an acceptable alternative to Wal-Mart at Cascade. We thank you in advance for your support and “no” vote.

 

Get the word out:

A critical segment of our population that is not “tech” savvy is not getting the community’s side of this issue. As an example one resident's grandparents within the last year have moved to the Sandtown/Cascade area. They have been bombarded with information from Wal-Mart. They are active in the senior community, which is also being targeted to support the proposed move. The person's point was they spoke with their grandparents who have not received information about why they should not support this move and thought it was great that Wal-Mart was coming. After explaining the other side of the story, arguments that they had not heard or had been glossed over, they now understand why Wal-Mart is not in the best interest of the community. Get the word out to those who do not have internet or email access! Make sure your neighbors know what is looming over the horizon.

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Cascade WalMart Lurks Again        Top Perhaps you like I received a slick marketing brochure from “WalMart Cascade” in the mail today.  At first glance, it might make you feel good with all those images of beautiful smiling brown-skinned African Americans in the glossy brochure talking about “neighbors serving neighbors”.  Nevertheless, look a little closer and ask yourself what is it really telling you?  It tells you that there will be a re-filing soon for a zoning change to allow a Cascade Wal-Mart It tells you now that the battle is really on with WalMart since WalMart Corporate, not the developer is clearly funding this marketing campaign It tells you that this third time around that they are more organized and determined It is telling you that despite the setbacks Wal-Mart has faced across the nation, they are determined to settle in the Cascade corridor in spite of our community’s overwhelming voice of opposition.  What isn’t it telling you?  The mailer is really a thinly veiled petition for Wal-Mart passing as an informational card and survey (those that fill it out are building a case for Wal-Mart) It is not saying that because there are just black folks in all of the pictures that the store will be staffed with black people up through the management ranks. It does not tell you that the transportation issues we have raised have gone away.  Have you been in traffic on Cascade Road recently; imagine 9,000 plus more cars!  Think about gridlock on Cascade and Fairburn.  Think about the traffic this regional Wal-Mart will bring while the ARC does not plan to upgrade the I-285 interchange for decades. It does not talk about the additional 18-wheelers to bring supplies to Wal-Mart. It does not talk about the in-house variety stores that will compete with the local businesses. It does not address the environmental impact of the project on our streams and the flood plan the property sits in. There is no mention of funding school PTA’s, adopting and cleaning up the corridor or any community commitment other than more jobs. It doesn’t talk about the impact of the impact of a vacant empty space Kroger or Publix might leave in response to Wal-Mart’s tactic of selling groceries at a loss to get you in the door. There is no plan for an in-house Police Precinct despite the implications of a huge 7 by 24 hour operation. It is not telling you anything different at all. It is just putting a pretty new and improved label on an old can of tuna. They just hope that the community is worn-down and has lost the strength and resolve to mount opposition again in the County Commission and Zoning Meetings.  I am sure there are still some who say what is wrong with a WalMart.  Wouldn’t it be convenient to go to the one around the corner – but at what price?   Put that petition card where it belongs – in the trash.  Prepare yourself to commit to the latest battle to preserve the value of your home, your community and convenient access to the interstate.  We look forward to the continued support in this battle from Commissioners Darnell, Edwards and Pitts.  Gird up your loins, for the latest battle will be long and fierce!
WalMart Zoning Petitions 2004Z-0070 and 2004VC-0091 Letter From Commissioner Emma Darnell (on Cascade Super WalMart) Text version of letter   AJC Article: Empty WalMart leaves an angry feeling Contact page for the Fulton County Commissioners. Why we do not want a Cascade Road WalMart Where they want to put a WalMart WalMart Myths versus Reality The Effect of Community Apathy
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How to contact your commissioners: Fulton County's Board of Commissioners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why we do not want a Cascade Road Super WalMart:                top

Transportation Impact

This WalMart project will result in an excessive and burdensome traffic impact on the roads in the Cascade Road corridor and on the residents. The developer projects approximately 9,000 additional car trips on Cascade Road to and from WalMart daily.

Access to Super Wal-Mart is via the two-lane Research Center Atlanta Drive that empties traffic onto Cascade and a second road that empties traffic onto Fairburn. Research Center Atlanta also services the library, Home Depot, the seniors living center, the preschool center, and the existing warehouses businesses. It cannot also handle a Super WalMart. Most of the traffic exiting on Fairburn is expected to take Cascade Road to I-285 and cause congestion in the Cascade Corridor anyway. The other exit onto the 2-lane Fairburn road is likely to cause problems getting to our local community hospital.

Traffic volume is already an issue on Cascade road and we do not yet appreciate the impact of the completed median, the new Walgreens complex, the car wash by the library, and the relocated Amoco station.

Environmental Impact

High voltage power lines will traverse the parking lot. The health effects of these lines are uncertain at best. You would not buy a house under high voltage lines, will you park under them to shop?

The retention pond will ultimately dump from the detention pond into North Utoy Creek. The rain runoff mixture of oil and fuel residue from the parking lot will further pollute our creeks.

Need

We already have a community WalMart on Thornton Road.  For those who live in Sandtown the proposed location would be only 1.6 miles closer. With the current traffic load on Cascade road, it would probably take longer to get there!

Economic Impact

The impact of WalMart on Publix and Kroger could cause them to pull out. What would happen to either shopping center without the lead grocers?

What will the impact be on small community owned businesses? How many empty storefronts are likely as a result? What will be the impact on the pharmacies at Publix, Kroger, Eckerd's, and Walgreen's?

 

Text of Commissioner Darnell's Memo:                top

“The subject re-zoning should be denied for the following reasons:

I. Traffic: Widening of Cascade Road: Upgrade Of Cascade Road 1/285 Interchange Needed

According to Public Works, traffic volumes along the Cascade Road Corridor are steadily increasing, approaching maximum capacity and indicate a future need for major infrastructure improvements such as widening Cascade Road and or increasing the through capacity of the Cascade Road-I-285 interchange.

Future improvements to the Cascade Road/I-285 Northbound interchange, estimated at $20 million, are not included in the ARC (DOT) 25 Year Transportation Study.

With Wal-Mart, the Grice Study has projected the Cascade Road/ 1-285 Northbound Ramp LOS (acceptable level) at D.

Another study, commissioned by the residents, indicates the projections may be too low. Grice uses a model projecting a 3% annual increase in traffic flow. However, Landmark Resources states "recent historical data reveals an actual 5% annual growth rate."

 

According to the Grice Study, the Cascade Corridor varies in the LOS between D, E, and F.

II. Environment Impact: The subject re-zoning will have an adverse environmental impact upon surrounding areas:

According to the Department of E & CD, the subject re-zoning will have the following adverse environmental impacts:  

·         Potential flood plain impacts

·         Wetlands impact

·         Riparian buffer and possible buffer encroachment

·         Impact of increased storm water flows into a stream channel already seriously impacted due to urbanization

·         Water quality impacts from development storm water runoff after project completion

The proposed development is located between two main tributaries of the Chattahoochee River, North Utoy Creek and South Utoy Creek. Both of these streams are listed by EPA as impaired water bodies under Section 303 (D) of the U. S. Clean Water Act.

However, the Department of E & CD has not developed Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Flood Studies, Wetlands Mitigation Plans, Grading Plans and Erosion and Sediment Control Plans pertaining to the subject development.

III. According to Fulton County Zoning Regulations, traffic impact and environmental impact could be considered by the court as legitimate land use issues. CZB Manual. "Re-zoning Procedures".

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