Wal-Mart should respect ruling

The Gresham Outlook, Nov 18, 2006
Original story can be read here

The debate over a Wal-Mart supercenter in southeast Gresham has narrowed to the point where the two sides are now quibbling over which exit cars will take when they depart from the proposed store.

Traffic patterns proved to be a crucial element for a Gresham hearings officer who rejected Wal-Mart’s most recent plan on Thursday. But we wish the conversation could be expanded to a higher level — one that is inclusive of the area’s entire transportation system and the appropriateness of building mega-stores on sites that are not designed for that purpose.

The main problem with the Wal-Mart proposal from the beginning has been its location in a neighborhood-commercial area. The roads at that site — near the intersection of Southeast 182nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard — are designed to handle traffic levels generated by smaller stores. Those streets also will be expected to handle traffic in the future from the newly urbanized Pleasant Valley community to the south. A Wal-Mart supercenter at the location will push traffic beyond acceptable limits and detract from what’s supposed to be the regional center — Gresham Station and downtown Gresham.

There are many locations that would be more appropriate for Wal-Mart. We therefore agree with the hearings officer’s decision, even though it was based on a narrow evaluation of traffic flows. Our hope is that Wal-Mart, after being rejected three times, will look for a site with the appropriate road system already in place.

Gresham-area residents shouldn’t be expected to pay the price — either through lost hours in traffic jams or through tax-supported road projects — for global retailers who don’t want to respect our community’s long-range plans.