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Wal-Mart unmoved by Orange land offer
Big landowner at Wilderness Corner offers financial compensation and choice of alternative sites to Wal-Mart, but retailer says no thanks
Date published: 7/10/2009
By CLINT SCHEMMER Eastern Orange County's largest landowner, the King family, has made Wal-Mart an offer its members believe would defuse the national controversy over the retailer's proposed store in the Wilderness battlefield area. The Kings would sell Wal-Mart its choice of land within the 2,100-plus acres they own near State Routes 3 and 20 at the same price as the site it has currently selected. They would also compensate Wal-Mart for "reasonable" expenses run up in planning the retail center, which is adjacent to the King property. Historic preservationists oppose the site Wal-Mart has chosen, saying it is too close to the Civil War battlefield park. "We're willing to offer them a site at the same price they're paying for their present location, less reasonable development costs they have incurred to date," said Orange businessman Kenny Dotson, the family's local representative. "We're willing to give them a viable solution that wouldn't cost them any more than the rezoning time involved." Charles "Chip" King confirmed the offer during an interview this week. "The $64,000 question is, why wouldn't the [Board of Supervisors] take a leadership role to work out a win-win solution that is there for the asking?" he said. The Kings extended the offer to Wal-Mart's Virginia Beach lawyer--orally and in writing--through Dotson and their Culpeper attorney, John J. "Butch" Davies III, in May and June. The attorney has not responded to the family's offer, King said. But Wal-Mart Director of Corporate Affairs Keith Morris said this week that the company "reviewed the King property during the original selection process and dismissed from consideration because it is not zoned for commercial use." Regardless, local, state and national preservation groups, working together as the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition, still hope Wal-Mart--or Orange officials who support the retail center's current proposed site--will change their tune. Since last summer, a rumpus has raged over Wal-Mart's proposal to build a 138,000-square-foot Supercenter a quarter-mile from Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. The store would anchor a retail center planned by JDC Ventures of Vienna on commercially zoned property just north of Route 3.
Date published: 7/10/2009
Another Wal-Mart?
(posted by
peachesmom
, July 11, 2009 8:49 am)
I will agree that Orange needs some development but another Wal-Mart? Like we really need another wal-Mart around this area. How about some corporate business in this area that provide decent wage jobs and does not cause the vagrancy and increased crime like a wal-mart does. Has anyone really sat down and taken a good look at fredericksburg and Culpeper? The increased crime rate is unbelievable. Wal-marts bring illigals to our area and will take a toll on our resorces. Lets think this through.
It isn't like Wal-Mart isn't in the area
(posted by
dmine45
, July 10, 2009 9:59 pm)
Orange residents can go to Fredericksburg or Culpeper if they want to shop at Wal-Mart. Keep it out of the battlefield area.
LOL
(posted by
INeedRights2
, July 10, 2009 9:32 pm)
National controversy?!Buncha communists. This is all bs. where were these people when the sheetz and all that stuff was proposed and built? Duval, great actor, stay up north and stay outta this. What a joke. Property rights...what ever happened to those? Spotsy, Stafford etc are a bunch of little communisms. We need jobs right now, see the stocks lately? Last week unemployment went up and stocks went down. So Wal Mart is gonna create jobs and you guys dont want them? What is wrong with you spotsy people?!!
One last comment
(posted by
wildbill56
, July 10, 2009 8:08 pm)
I agree with you on that. People should always have the opportunity to better themselves. However, some people won't/ can't, and I feel like Walmart takes advantage of those people. I do have one rhetorical question. When this subject comes up, which it does a lot, how come you never hear comments from Walmart employees?
wildbill56
(posted by
Opiniontoshare
, July 10, 2009 6:19 pm)
So I guess you would prefer that "those people" sit at home collecting public assistance and be unemployed when they clog the emergency room. I assume that, because you didn't say anything about potential Wal-Mart employees finding better jobs with another employer, which was the main point of my post.
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