PULLMAN - A Wal-Mart Supercenter in Pullman is moving closer to becoming a reality.
Hearing examiner John Montgomery presented his findings and decision late last week approving the application for the business.
In Montgomery's decision he states "based on the Findings and Conclusions of Law..., the appeal filed by the Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development (or PARD)... is hereby denied."
The denial comes as a setback for PARD's opposition to the Wal-Mart in Pullman.
Pullman Public Works Director Mark Workman said the volatile nature of the project isn't surprising, and that the city expects the project to move forward.
"We've identified the impacts and we've also identified the appropriate mitigation and conditioned our approval with that mitigation," said Workman, "So, the position of the City of Pullman is that we are ready to issue permits for the development as soon as we're allowed to do so."
PARD said though disappointed with the denial of their appeal, they do feel they achieved some success. Riiiight.
"The Hearing Examiner spent a great deal of time discussing the serious impact that the Wal-Mart Supercenter will have on the traffic situation in Pullman No, that was PARD’s attorney that did that and his recommendations and mitigation went quite a bit further than the City of Pullman originally had outlined," said Christopher Lupke, PARD Media Liaison. Quite a bit further? If you say so Chris. Getting Wal-Mart to pay a few thousand dollars more for a traffic signal doesn’t seem worth all the hassle to me.
A group called Businesses and Residents for Economic Opportunity (BREO) says there is a great deal of support in the community for the proposed Supercenter. They say fear of the mega-retailer is not widespread among local merchants.
"I can understand where the concern can come from, however if you look at the retail establishments in the area there's very little cause for concern there," said BREO member, Joshua Coke. "We have a number of very small, specialty niche retail, especially downtown, that we do not feel will be threatened. A number of businesses in the area support the Wal-Mart coming to town."
Lupke said PARD is concerned about the business practices of the retail giant and is attempting to channel the efforts of Pullman citizens opposed to the project. What difference does it make? PARD’s a one-issue organization. Once Wal-Mart goes in, they’ll evaporate faster than you can say “deer testicles”.
"It's galvanized a movement in Pullman among citizens here in our community and awakened us to the fact that the laws protecting our city, the people in our community, from any kind of growth whatsoever That’s right, PARD wants to “protect” us from any kind of growth whatsoever are extremely weak," said Lupke. Quite the contrary. It showed that our laws are extremely strong at protecting us from left-wing nuts and their socialist agenda. Thank God a handful of elitist snobs don’t get to make decisions for the other 9,000 full-time residents. And good luck changing those laws. Your City Council candidates were rejected by a 3-1 margin last November.
Coke said anxiety over the Wal-Mart will most likely be offset once the city sees the tax revenues collected from the new business.
"The primary benefit is going to be the increased sales and property tax revenue that we desperately need in Pullman," said Coke. "There's also the stopping the sales tax leakage to Moscow and surrounding areas."
Though the application to build the store has been approved by the Hearing Examiner, an appeal to Superior Court may be filed up until March 20. PARD will hold a meeting Wednesday night to discuss whether or not they will file that appeal.
Wal-Mart has also proposed building a Supercenter in Moscow. Next week the city's Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to make a decision on the 77-acre re-zone application for the land where the Supercenter would be built.
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