Super Wal-Mart/Alachua Sink

[litdiver]

I lived in Mandarin over in Jacksonville when they built the Wal-Mart there on San Jose and 295 know what happened? Well they built a pond next to their parking lot to catch run off (no slit screens) and tied it into a local stream that ran into a creek that ran into the St. Johns. Well they brought in tons of dirt for the parking lot and alot of that sand ended up washing into the pond which made it way down the stream into the creek filling it in. What used to be 10-12 ft deep creek (hence the name Deep Bottom Creek) filled into 1-2 ft if we're lucky. When we contacted the building department they didn't give a @#$% . The owners of the land on this creek sued and won but it took over 5 years and tons of money to do this. Today the creek has been dug out but only too about 4ft so what used to be a boat accessable creek can no longer be used for that the owners have to dock their boats elsewhere. Wal-Mart was forced to but up screens but only after the law suit and the City forced them too.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that my experience with Wal-Mart construction is they don't care about the envirorment it's how fast and cheap they can build...

[Kelly Jessop]

I lived in Mandarin over in Jacksonville when they built the Wal-Mart there on San Jose and 295 know what happened? Well they built a pond next to their parking lot to catch run off (no slit screens) and tied it into a local stream that ran into a creek that ran into the St. Johns. Well they brought in tons of dirt for the parking lot and alot of that sand ended up washing into the pond which made it way down the stream into the creek filling it in. What used to be 10-12 ft deep creek (hence the name Deep Bottom Creek) filled into 1-2 ft if we're lucky. When we contacted the building department they didn't give a @#$% . The owners of the land on this creek sued and won but it took over 5 years and tons of money to do this. Today the creek has been dug out but only too about 4ft so what used to be a boat accessable creek can no longer be used for that the owners have to dock their boats elsewhere. Wal-Mart was forced to but up screens but only after the law suit and the City forced them too.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that my experience with Wal-Mart construction is they don't care about the envirorment it's how fast and cheap they can build...

We had exactly the same problem in our town. The Wal Mart caused change to the drainage characteristics,so it caused a local business to flood each time it rained. Instead of fixing the problem,they just bought the business and closed it down.

[Tex]

I wonder who exactly in the local Alachua government is approving Walmart's new store there. Just for the record, when old small businesses go bust, and I can't dive Alachua cave anymore, I want to know who to send a Thank you card to.

Some interesting information about Walmart. I don't know if any of this is true or valid, but here is the link for to you to decide:
http://www.intellectualpoison.com/Wa...sPureEvil.html


Tex

[Kelly Jessop]

I wonder who exactly in the local Alachua government is approving Walmart's new store there. Just for the record, when old small businesses go bust, and I can't dive Alachua cave anymore, I want to know who to send a Thank you card to.

Some interesting information about Walmart. I don't know if any of this is true or valid, but here is the link for to you to decide:
http://www.intellectualpoison.com/Wa...sPureEvil.html


Tex

I'm not anti-Wal mart,because my check register will attest that a portion of my income ends up there. But,Wal Mart has been in the news a lot lately for use of illegal immigrants,discrimination etc. What will stop an organization such as Wal Mart if they cause an irreversable environmental impact,it appears they'll just pay the fine since it is the "cost of doing business".

[Trailridgefire]

Good point Kelly.That illegal immigrant deal in Texas cost them 11 million and dint even phase them.My friend in Texas said they will be the first corp. to have 1 Trillion bucks in sales by the year 2010.I do have to wonder about other interest groups though,such as Sierra,and so forth...cant they say anything,or are they just for spotted owls?
For those who want to kknow,the City manager in Alachua seems to have the say so on what goes on there.He used to be a cop,so i dont know where he gets his quals to manage a town.Word round the campfire is he is corrupt as they come...not a fact,but rumor.

[true]

There's an irony in the proposed construction of the Alachua Walmart at its current site. The company originally planned to locate the supercenter eight miles down 441 at the northern edge of Gainsville-- on property that is the headwaters of Hogtown Creek. (The creek winds through Gainesville and eventually drains into Payne's Prairie-- and then drains through the "other" Alachua Sink into the aquifer.) Gainesville is "green" enough to have a population that mobilized in opposition to the construction. The battle took place in city commission meetings over two years. I wouldn't expect the county commission to risk its "pro business" profile by taking a stand against walmart to protect something as ephemeral as the aquifer, just as I'm willing to bet that the city of alachua traded away opposition to the supercenter in exchange for Walmart's building of the new distribution center down the road.

[normblitch]

There's an irony in the proposed construction of the Alachua Walmart at its current site. The company originally planned to locate the supercenter eight miles down 441 at the northern edge of Gainsville-- on property that is the headwaters of Hogtown Creek. (The creek winds through Gainesville and eventually drains into Payne's Prairie-- and then drains through the "other" Alachua Sink into the aquifer.) Gainesville is "green" enough to have a population that mobilized in opposition to the construction. The battle took place in city commission meetings over two years. I wouldn't expect the county commission to risk its "pro business" profile by taking a stand against walmart to protect something as ephemeral as the aquifer, just as I'm willing to bet that the city of alachua traded away opposition to the supercenter in exchange for Walmart's building of the new distribution center down the road.

Being a habituate of Alice's Parkside in High Springs for Sunday Grits & Eggs at least twice a month, I always try to sit near the "local's bench" just to the left of the front door & eavesdrop...while some few locals are in favor of the distribution center, most oppose it...their take is that the truck traffic will increase like the Water trucks on Poe Springs road...

Norm
(New Life Goal, to be invited to SIT at the Locals Table and asked, "the Usual, Hon?)

Some interesting information about Walmart. I don't know if any of this is true or valid, but here is the link for to you to decide:
http://www.intellectualpoison.com/Wa...sPureEvil.html

There's a problem with relying on the information presented on this site. It is said that there are three kinds of people that tell untruths: liars, damned liars, and statisticians. A statistician with an agenda can use figures to say whatever he wants them to say. To illustrate this, I'll rebut his first three statistics:

"Wal-Mart sales clerks made an average of $8.23 an hour—or $13,861 a year—in 2001. That's nearly $800 below the federal poverty line for a family of three. (Source: Business Week)"

Sales clerk is an unskilled position that doesn't even require a high school diploma, yet they're making several dollars an hour above minimum wage. How many of these are high school or college students working part-time?

"In Georgia, Wal-Mart employees are six times more likely to rely on state-provided health care for their children than are employees of any other large company. (Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution)"

Again, many Wal-Mart employees have few skills and little education. In many rural areas, if not for Wal-Mart, they couldn't even find jobs.

"Reliance on public assistance programs in California by Wal-Mart workers costs the state's taxpayers an estimated $86 million annually. (Source: UC Berkeley Study)"

If not for Wal-Mart providing jobs for these people on public assistance (and lowering their reliance on the system), it would cost the state much more.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want Wal-Mart to build this store in Alachua, but I can't stand to see people misled by some goober with a website and an agenda.

Russell

[JE]

How many illegal immigrant employees will it take working for Walmart on fraudulant employee applications, before our DOJ {Dept. of Justice} takes issue with the this huge conglomerate & brings them to justice-? Martha can tell you, CB& Iron Co. can tell you, General Electric {Alachua} can tell you, & Microsoft can tell you-!


Something to ponder-!

ps: Also, consider how Walmart goes out of their way to mess up the lives of employees & consumers who file accident claims against them-! With a blank check to stop all claims at any cost to bury said accidents & claims-!

[Dwain]

I have no problem with a Wal-Mart being built, just not there.

The runoff from storm drains & the retention ponds will end up in the Santa Fe River. Oil, Chemical and more.

Write to your congressperson, Alachua City Council, Alachua County Commission & and Wal-Mart corporate office.

Remind them of the Video done by Wes Skiles:

Water's Journey, The Hidden Rivers of Florida