Not sure if you read this headline:
Council paves way for Walmart
It comes from the following website:
http://baytownsun.com/communities/baytown/article_6d7be59a-e5af-11e1-bf51-0019bb2963f4.html
(It should be noted that this is the Baytown City Council, not the Mont Belvieu City Council. Just to be clear).
I know from previous blog posts and comments that this is something that we've anticipated - with some mixed feelings - for some time. Certainly it will cut down on the drive time to get to shopping - the current closest Walmart stores are either in Liberty or in Baytown. This one is literally right on our doorstep.
The impact of Walmart on the local economy is well documented. It will be interesting to see - over the next few years - if the pattern holds for this Walmart location as well. It will also be interesting to see what this does in other areas of our City as far as other retail growth.
4 comments :
I am confused by your comment about Walmart. Are you more concerned about the impact economically or how it will affect the community by bringing in a more diverse population? I find it interesting you were very quick to point out that this was voted on by the Baytown City Council, not the Mt.Belvieu City council. Why would you be concerned about the impact of a Walmart to the community, but not the impact of public housing? In a previous post,you mentioned that this is a community of Christian people and values- that is why most people here would welcome public housing. That a community would prefer not having more public housing has nothing to do with Christian values. Baytown, which is right down the road, has an abundance of public housing, which can accommodate thousands of people and they are trying to back away from allowing new public housing apartments. If you feel so strongly about public housing, how about putting it to a vote, on your site, among the residents of Mt. Belvieu? This would allow you to see how the residents truly feel about this topic, and would allow you to represent them more correctly, rather than presenting your own views. Thank you.
I'm concerned about a lot of things. Our community is impacted by many different factors, and trying to stay ahead of all of them and to anticipate what (if any) impact will result is a very interesting question, and one that should be of concern and interest to all those who live here. I don't have a crystal ball into which I gaze to make decisions. I go off of training, education, experience, and the experiences of similar communities around the country. All of which can be indicators of what may happen here and help inform our discussion and policy making. Yet, each situation is unique and each community handles changes differently. It is a very dynamic, and organic (meaning, unpredictable) thing, and it is very fun to be in this profession.
This blog represents my own views and experiences. I do not claim to represent here - or anywhere else - that I represent anyone else. I am not elected. I serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and City Council. They pay my paycheck. I was not hired to represent them or the citizens of Mont Belvieu. Rather, I am paid to use my training, education, experience, etc. to help the City Council make informed decisions that will best benefit the City. Ultimately, the decisions lie with them - they are your representatives. It is clear from several policies that have been made since I've been here that the City Council is fairly progressive in their thinking with regards to zoning and multi-family housing. I've been careful (I think) to never promote a particular stand point over another. I just present a different point of view. While it may not be popular (as you seem to indicate) it is still important that the folks who would utilize public housing have a voice and that their needs are met.
A vote - like a survey or something like that - is very interesting. A statistician will tell you that those responding to any particular vote on any particular issue is based on a number of things: is the issue important to the responder? How is the issue presented? What is the agenda of the presenter? What form of media is used to contact/collect the data? How is the result presented? All of these can lead to a skew in the results that can make any number seem to prove just about anything. I'm sure you're familiar with this kind of phenomenon. So, while I won't specifically ask for a vote, continuing conversations like this are valuable, in my opinion, because they allow for opposing viewpoints to be discussed for the benefit of all. While I may not in fact represent the majority view, I know there are some who do share this view. One of my highest obligations as a planner is to seek to promote the views and needs of those who are otherwise disenfranchised by a monied elite. There are folks in Mont Belvieu who don't have/can't afford a computer/internet access. There are folks who cannot come to public hearings because they work in the evenings. There are folks who would like to contribute, and who have very good things to say, but who are kept from the process because they are not able to participate. And there are folks who have been repressed for a very, very long time, and it is my honor to do my best to help in whatever way I can.
The AICP Code of Ethics can be found here: http://www.planning.org/ethics/ethicscode.htm . The point under which I make the above assertions is found under A.1.f. which says:
We shall seek social justice by working to expand choice and opportunity for all persons, recognizing a special responsibility to plan for the needs of the disadvantaged and to promote racial and economic integration. We shall urge the alteration of policies, institutions, and decisions that oppose such needs.
Not only do I feel a need to respond to this Code professionally, I feel it a personal responsibility as well.
The main problem I see with having a Wal-mart in the "area of i-10 & 146" is that the intersection is already over taxed. If you try to get through that intersection around 5 pm, it takes almost 20 minutes to get through it. I do not know if that is because the lights are not timed well, but I hope that a study of traffic flow is included in the deal for the store. Also, I hope that if a deal goes through, it will be after Eagle Drive is completed.
The intersection is over taxed - you are absolutely correct. However, there is cause to think that this is a temporary (just a few years) difficulty that relates to the construction of new industrial infrastructure in our area. What the impact will be of a new Wal Mart in the area remains to be seen. I'm sure (although I'm not privy to it) that there have been studies done to look at the impact of such a store in that location, and appropriate measures will be taken to mitigate traffic impacts. Part of it is the timing of the lights... There has actually been some work done that way.
The timing for both Eagle Drive and Walmart should be fairly similar - late next year.
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