2004-04-20
Westfield, IN. Wal-Mart Proposal Is Pulled For Lack of Town Support.

According to the Noblesville Ledger, a developer in Westfield, Indiana has dropped plans to build a Wal-Mat supercenter. Lauth Development sent a letter to the town this week indicating the Wal-Mart project was being pulled. Although the letter did not explain why the Wal-Mart was being abandoned, Westfield town councilors told the newspaper they would not have supported the measure had it moved forward. One abuttor said the town council "did not want to see this forced on us." The proposed Wal-Mart would have leveled a parcel described as "rolling, wooded land" to pave over 450,000 square feet of retail space, including two anchor stores, five shops and six outlots.
Neighbors were up in arms against the plan since its unveiling in February. The store's loading docks were only 80 feet from their homes.The site is also near sensitive wetlands. "The best thing we can do for the area is turn down the project," said town councilor Bob Smith. "It was getting no support at all from the council." The developer apparently made a bad decision by locating his plans up against the Woodside Estates subdivision. The same land was unsuccessfully proposed for a rezoning six years ago, but in 2001 a rezoning was approved by one vote. The developer indicated he tried to get an upscale mall at the site, but had to settle for a Wal-Mart instead. But in the end, it didn't matter what the logo said on the building, the Town Council was just not buying the location near the homes. "This is not something that lent itself to the area," council President Teresa Skelton said. "I would not support any project like this to go forward."

What you can do: Another Wal-Mart bites the dust. Another one gone. Just one of hundreds of stories of stores that never came to be. In this case, the homeowners in the 'Woodside' development are celebrating the Wal-Mart that never came.