Wal Mart and DC, so far, and yet so close--Walmart coming to "Capital Plaza" in Prince George's County

Photo: Robert Galbraith, Reuters.

From Dan Smith, Cheverly (co-chair, Friends of Lower Beaverdam Creek; Member, Progressive Cheverly)--
(this is from another email list; it's a little late but still important to know about)

Take Action for a Livable Prince George's County

Your help is needed NOW - before 10 a.m. Tues., 10/11 -- to set the tone for Wal-Mart and minimal development standards in Prince George's County. Call and email the County Council at 301-952-3700 and state your support for CB-19, the bill to require large retail establishments inside the Beltway to go through the same site plan review for those building outside of the developed tier. If possible, attend the Council hearing and vote on CB-19 at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Upper Marlboro. And forward this email to your networks.

Background

Many of you may not know that Wal-Mart -- with its highly controversial labor practices and reputation for driving out local small businesses -- is on a fast track to open its first inner-beltway DC-area store. Wal-Mart is set to build a huge new building on the site of the recently closed Capital Plaza at the B-W Parkway and Rt. 450 near Cheverly, Bladensburg and Landover Hills. Now they want to proceed without county oversight.

Since first learning of Wal-Mart's plans last spring, area citizens have asked that basic Community Standards be observed, that Wal-Mart not sell guns or liquor and that they be good corporate citizens. This week Wal-Mart launched an expensive and deceptive campaign to defeat CB-19 when it comes before the Prince George's County Council on Tuesday. On Thursday, 10/6, Wal-Mart paid for misleading full-page ads in the Washington Post Extra and the Gazette. Today the ad appeared in the Weekend section of the Post.

CB-19 does not prevent Wal-Mart or any other company from locating in the county. Yet the full page ads the Arkansas-based company is placing throughout the county state that the bill will "limit access to convenient shopping" and "prevent large retailers from providing the best possible services and products to community shoppers" and "hinder the growth of retail shopping in Prince George's County." This is not true.

Wal Mart is going upscale, or so it thinks, by introducing an urban lifestyle clothing line called "Metro 7." See "Wal-Mart clothes go urban" from USA Today.

The largest retail corporation in the world thinks it can muscle its way into our community without the regular, accepted public oversight for its building design and site plan. Help oppose Wal-Mart's efforts to intimidate the County Council and disrespect area residents.

If Wal-Mart is not willing to provide plans to Park & Planning for approval of its building design and site development, including plans to reduce polluted runoff to one of the worst polluted rivers in the entire Chesapeake Bay Watershed, is this a corporate citizen we want in our community? Why is Wal-Mart so threatened to have to be accountable for living up to minimal Community Standards required if they would build in a more rural area of the county? CB-19 is merely the lifting of a controversial incentive passed several years ago to attract business to inner beltway communities. Finally, our Council has realized that Community Standards for responsible development should be applied equitably throughout the county. We no longer need substandard development and regulatory exceptions inside the beltway.

Before the Wal-Mart blitz it was thought that CB-19 would pass the council unanimously on Tuesday. Now we need a strong showing of support for CB-19 from throughout the county. Calls to the council office on Thursday indicated a blitz of calls supporting Wal-Mart's misleading claims. Please respond! Wal-Mart has a 20+ year lease for the site at Capital Plaza. We can not permit this corporation to set such a bullying tone in this county for what will be a very long-term relationship.

Not just a local problem

We just learned that Wal-Mart has hired THREE new high-powered, high-paid lobbyists for the coming session of the Maryland legislature. They are working all-out to prevent popular legislation from being enacted that would reduce public subsidies for health care benefits for Wal-Mart employees by requiring our largest employers to pay minimal health care amounts. They may think they can lobby their way through Annapolis, but we CANNOT allow Wal-Mart to write the laws in Prince George's County.

Customers leave a Wal-Mart store in Clinton, Maryland. Photo: AFP/File/Tim Sloan.

If Wal-Mart truly is good for shoppers and the community it will work with the public and county officials to build a first-rate, energy efficient certified green building with a greenroof, state of the art storm water management systems, and a parking lot covered with shade trees and easily accessible by bus, bike and foot. What less should we expect and accept? Why are they unwilling to share their plans with the community?