2008 Woodie Awards
Does bigger mean better?
Molly Balkenbush
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: News
Five Glen Carbon residents have spoken by filing a lawsuit against the village of Glen Carbon, THF Glen Carbon Development, the Glen Carbon W Parcel Development and the Glen Carbon Board of Zoning appeals in hopes of stopping the proposed expansion of Wal-Mart.
Matt Smith, an intern in charge of the pre-management program at the Glen Carbon Wal-Mart, believes the expansion will offer low prices for groceries and many new job opportunities. While Smith said he believes the new Wal-Mart will only benefit the village, some residents chose to disagree - nearly 1,000 to be exact.
In June, a petition was signed at a village board meeting by nearly 1,000 residents against the Wal-Mart expansion.
"The expansion would cause traffic problems and possibly some water runoff, not to mention the negative effect it would have on all those stores that would have to relocate or even just close," Edwardsville Alderman Jeanette Mallon said.
Subway, Radioshack, Cato, Prestige, Jam Dance Academy, Slackers CDs & Games, Sears Portrait, Elegant Brides and the Cottonwood movie theater are some of the businesses at risk of being torn down for the expansion of Wal-Mart.
Dave Thompson, the director of photography at Prestige, thinks that by expanding Wal-Mart the village will lose a lot of specialty shops that Cottonwood offers.
"The thing that kills me the most is the movie theatre. I loved having the option of $2 movies, it gives a good hometown feel and it gives the college kids opportunity to go out and see a movie without having to spend a lot of money," Thompson said. "If people are looking for a nice discount grocery store, Aldi is right here already."
Susan and Walter Hammill of Old Orchard Lane, Jane and Leon Mace, and Marcel Brown, all of South Meadow Lane filed the lawsuit claiming that the Village illegally voted to approve the site plan and its attached variance requests.
"I spoke at the Village Board meeting where this application was improperly considered and illegally granted, and I told them then and there that they could not legally grant it based on several omissions in the application," said Penni Livingston, attorney for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that was filed, in a recent press release. "They should have played by the rules during this process."
Matt Smith, an intern in charge of the pre-management program at the Glen Carbon Wal-Mart, believes the expansion will offer low prices for groceries and many new job opportunities. While Smith said he believes the new Wal-Mart will only benefit the village, some residents chose to disagree - nearly 1,000 to be exact.
In June, a petition was signed at a village board meeting by nearly 1,000 residents against the Wal-Mart expansion.
"The expansion would cause traffic problems and possibly some water runoff, not to mention the negative effect it would have on all those stores that would have to relocate or even just close," Edwardsville Alderman Jeanette Mallon said.
Subway, Radioshack, Cato, Prestige, Jam Dance Academy, Slackers CDs & Games, Sears Portrait, Elegant Brides and the Cottonwood movie theater are some of the businesses at risk of being torn down for the expansion of Wal-Mart.
Dave Thompson, the director of photography at Prestige, thinks that by expanding Wal-Mart the village will lose a lot of specialty shops that Cottonwood offers.
"The thing that kills me the most is the movie theatre. I loved having the option of $2 movies, it gives a good hometown feel and it gives the college kids opportunity to go out and see a movie without having to spend a lot of money," Thompson said. "If people are looking for a nice discount grocery store, Aldi is right here already."
Susan and Walter Hammill of Old Orchard Lane, Jane and Leon Mace, and Marcel Brown, all of South Meadow Lane filed the lawsuit claiming that the Village illegally voted to approve the site plan and its attached variance requests.
"I spoke at the Village Board meeting where this application was improperly considered and illegally granted, and I told them then and there that they could not legally grant it based on several omissions in the application," said Penni Livingston, attorney for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that was filed, in a recent press release. "They should have played by the rules during this process."
Be the first to comment on this story