Jones Meadows - Wal-mart Coming Soon
Dear Neighbors:
Wal-mart Super Center is coming to our neighborhood.
I attended the Planning Commission meeting last night to learn more about the news received recently via our neighborhood email. (Cindy, thank you for keeping us informed).
My first question to the Planning Commission was “Is this a done deal”? The answer was basically “Yes”. The City Attorney explained that the property is zoned for just about anything (Bangerter Mixed Use) so a Wal-mart big box store can be built on the property.
As most of you know the residents of Sandy fought a good battle to try and stop the new Wal-mart Super Center on approximately 9400 South and 1100 East but in the end lost the fight.
Most of the residents who spoke last night were from the Jones Farm sub-division just north of the property (3590 West 10400 South). Apparently many of them had attended a meeting with Pacland (applicant) and Wal-mart the night before. The residents said many of their questions had been answered at that meeting - but they still had several concerns.
The biggest concerns voiced last night were regarding NOISE (delivery trucks/compactors/
crushers), TRAFFIC (trucks/delivery/customers) and LIGHTS (parking lot lights/light emitted from the ceiling through sky lights). The store will face east and the truck access is from the south to the loading docks on the back side of the building (west side). There are pads for three other buildings on the east edge of the property along River Heights Drive.
Several of the residents from Jones Farm are concerned about River Heights Drive being open to through traffic. Many residents asked the Planning Commission to consider installing a break away fence for emergency access only.
Just like many of us, several of the Jones Farm residents visited the City prior to purchasing their property and many mentioned their disappointment regarding information they were given by the City. They said the City informed them that the plans for the property were medical offices, low key office buildings and/or light commercial – NOT big box stores.
Residents also voiced concern about whether another Wal-mart Super Center is necessary at this location. With a Wal-mart Neighborhood store at 9800 South and Bangerter (2 miles), a Super Center in Jordan Landing (5 miles), another Super Center in South Jordan on SJ Gateway (5 miles) and the new Super Center under construction at 13600 S and Bangerter (5 miles) – DO WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER SUPER CENTER? We are already surrounded by them. Maybe Wal-mart should wait and build another store further west in the Day Break sub-division.
Resident’s also asked if Wal-mart has plans to close the Neighborhood Market on 9800 South. Part of the concern for that store closing has to do with the other small businesses in that shopping center. Residents and some Planning Commission members feel if Wal-mart closes the Market the smaller businesses may not survive. The same concern was voiced for Albertson’s on 10400 South. Albertson’s does not appear to be very busy now – what will happen when Wal-mart and Costco open on the other corners?
Planning Commissioner, Kevin Tominey, seemed concerned with the fact that South Jordan may not need another Wal-mart on this corner. Tominey voiced concern in bringing in a “massive competitor” offering more jobs but who may also take away jobs if the competition is too stiff and the Neighborhood Market and/or Albertsons close.
Does this new Wal-mart Super Center offer the best welfare for our City? If it causes the other stores to close, will it produce areas of blight in South Jordan with huge buildings sitting vacant? All you have to do is drive by the empty Lowe’s on 9000 South at the I-15 (who is responsible for keeping up the landscaping?) to see what an empty big box store does for the neighborhood.
By the way, Brandon Peterson and Paul Stringham of Peterson Development were both present at the meeting last night. I took this opportunity to voice my disappointment in their lack of honesty and asked (in general) what happened to the “senior housing” development – hmm, looks like someone decided to build a PUD instead. I hope those developers can sleep well at night.
If you have concerns please put them in writing to Mayor Money, Ricky Horst and our local rep Brian Butters, address: 1600 W. Towne Center Drive, South Jordan, UT 84095, phone: 254-3742.
Thank you.
Melba Taylor
Another web site about fighting Wal-Mart, and the downside of having one in your community.
www.sprawl-busters.com
They will even help fight!
Karen Tramel
October 26th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Thanks for keeping us up to date on everything. It is nice to know what is happening around us. As I have heard, the city makes over a million dollars a year in sales tax revenue for each Super Wal-Mart. The big box stores are huge for the city and their bottom line. That is why they push the stores through instead of keeping with the original plans. Walmart isn’t going to wait to build in Daybreak, they will also build in Daybreak. They are the 7-Eleven of our generation, one on every corner, and the cities are happy to assist them.
John Beckstead
October 26th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
Hi Melba and all,
Thank you for sharing this information. It is disappointing.
I do have some food-for-thought for my neighbors on this email string. Wal-Mart will continue to expand as long as the market supports that expansion and they are profitable or believe they can increase profitability. So please ask yourself: Does my family shop at Wal-Mart? Will we shop at the Wal-Mart that gets built in my backyard?
You may want to dig deeper and ask yourself: What are the implications of shopping at Wal-Mart? Do you save $10 each visit? What do you pay on the back end for that $10 savings? Or, who pays for that $10 savings? Consider issues that may not reach our neighborhood, but that do affect the world in which we live such as how they achieve their low prices. How do you think they achieve their low prices?
If you’re aware of the trade-offs involved in benefitting from Wal-Mart, you are a thoughtful consumer.
Thanks for reading,
Danielle Wiltgen
October 26th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
Hi! So my question is…when did that area become zoned Bangerter Highway Mixed use? I’ve been checking the planning comm and city council agendas every week and haven’t seen a request for that. Back in 1995? when we went to the meetings, Peterson had that area zoned cc, Community Commercial. Their big sales pitch for that was “4 corners of commercial”, with the four corners being the south side of 10400 S., East and West of River Heights Road and the same on the north of 10400 S. Bangerter Highway mixed use was the zoning they originally requested for the entire area and it was rejected. Am I correct? Dale Jones
October 26th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Maybe everyone should watch the video “The High Price for the Low Cost” . I think that is what it is called. After watching that, I never wanted anything to do with Wal-Mart again. I don’t know much about politics, and should be more involved with the community, but I think people can fight this, and win. Thanks, Karen Tramel
October 30th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Good morning. Any good attorneys in this group? Do we have a realistic chance? Sounds like SJ City has and does do what ever they want to despite the input from the community. This is frustrating when the people are not heard. Maybe we need a good ole 60’s thing like a sit in, a picket, whatever to make SJ City realize that we do care and do not want certain things to come to our neighborhoods. Has anyone seen a professional footprint of the final project? Again, as I have stated in the past, I like the results of some of the river bottom development. Now it seems like because of the developer, things could get out of control out here on the west side in Jones meadow. Let’s stay close on this one. Finally, I do think that the PUD area is going to bring an interesting and upscale look to that intersection and draw higher income, older, established buyers to the area. Correct me if I am wrong. I am positive of one thing, I do not know everything.
Regards,
Bob Howard
October 30th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Here is the link Karen was referring to regarding the High Cost of Low Price:
http://www.walmartmovie.com/
Doug Lange
October 30th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
I imagine there is a brief window of time to deal with this.
I would suggest:
A meeting of people from both Jones Meadows and Jones Farms and areas affected by 106th traffic. (SOON!!)
Establish a steering committee
If necessary establish a fund raising committee to pay expenses for lawyers
An Internet research committee to research successful zoning / Wal-mat “fights”
Contacting the Sandy group that valiantly fought Wal-mart. Hindsight could be beneficial.
Could this be approached by challenging the city council, the planning committee and the officers of the city as to their failure to represent the city residents?
There was a great deal of effort and probably money spent to create a city plan. It has pretty much been throw to the wind. The city charter requires that the plan be a guide for the future. Dale Jones is correct about the zoning of the area being C-C…I have a map dated Jan 2005 and the area was zoned C-C and A-5. Granted the city has the right and even obligation to change the zoning for the benefit of the city. One thought; the city can and should be locating this new development around the new interstate and light railway. By centralizing development around those areas they will draw traffic West, reducing the stress on I-15.
Roughly 50% of the landmass in the city of South Jordan is West of Banageter Highway. It is also the least developed. Rezoning and reducing lot sizes continues to compound (exponentially) the traffic on our overstressed roads. People who have lived in South Jordan for decades are being displaced by having their homes condemned when roads need to be widened. Long time residents, who have not been displaced, have experienced the derogation of their homes. They once lived on a lightly traveled country road, where they could ride horses and let their children walk carefree to the neighbors. Now they have noise, difficulty exiting their driveways, and their safety is long gone and getting worse. So they leave, leaving behind unwanted homes and neighborhoods. Have you ever wondered what a bicyclist really does at the intersection of Redwood Road & 106th…..the markings are there indicating their lane…it starts up from the middle of the street and ends at Redwood….seems like a suicide lane to me.
DEMANDING large lot sizes to our West is a way to reduce the destruction of the inner parts of the city. This is also good for the new building to the West, as the folks purchasing to the West will not experience traffic jams of the type we are currently experiencing. Developing with “exclusivity “ in mind did not hurt Park City, Malibu, or Martha’s Vinyard.
Ricky Horst should be required to drive up and down the street (106th also appropriately known as South Jordan PARKWAY) at least twice each day, one morning, one evening (in both directions) Perhaps that would limit his time in helping developers destroy our city.
The development of the new I-15 freeway entrance and the street, I believe to be 112th, is too little too late. And the widening of 106th is also too little too late. Proof of that is the length of time it takes to get onto the freeway now. Note that the roads close to the freeway are already widened and improved. The next freeway entrance is 90th…it too is over traveled. Personally, I’ve waited for 10 or more traffic light changes to enter the freeway. And should I mention how many times I’ve been cut off? How about you?
Hope this is helpful.
Markay Perrero