It took more than two years and a marathon City Council meeting, but big-box retailer Walmart finally cleared a major hurdle in its plans to turn the Lompoc store into a Supercenter.
More than 100 Lompoc residents packed City Hall on Jan. 20 to engage in a lively debate about how the expansion would affect local businesses. Some supported Walmart, and others sported stickers reading “S.O.S.—Support Our Stores.”
Public comments were divided between pro and con and extended to two sessions. The meeting ran late into the night, and, nearly five hours after it began, the council voted unanimously to certify the project’s Environmental Impact Report, upholding Walmart’s appeal of the Planning Commission’s rejection of the EIR.
“This is a huge step forward for job creation and increased economic stimulation for the Lompoc community,” Walmart spokeswoman Amelia Neufeld said.
According to Neufeld, the expansion would result in 85 new jobs, as well as about 100 temporary construction jobs. The expansion’s Project Development Plan will still have to be approved by city planners, but that appears to be a formality. Once finalized, the Supercenter will be the first of its kind in Santa Barbara County.
The Lompoc Planning Commission denied the project’s 1,300-page EIR on
Oct. 13, 2010, on the grounds it inadequately factored in the expanded Walmart store’s impact on “urban decay.” Walmart had argued the report “thoroughly analyzed”
all impacts and conformed to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.
The 41,333-square-foot expansion of the store on Central Avenue includes a full grocery section and would increase the size of the store by more than one-third. A grassroots group known as Citizens Against Walmart Expansion has opposed the project since the outset, claiming it would endanger small businesses in the area.
CAWE president Robert Cuthbert said he believed the City Council was pressured by the threat of litigation to approve the EIR, and said he expects the city to ensure Walmart follows through with mitigation efforts.
“They’re going to have their expansion, and we need to keep an eye on it and make sure they stay within the parameters of their original plans,” Cuthbert said.
“It’s not the end of the world. It’s not the sky falling,” he added. “It’s going to be here years and years, and if the economy
recovers, [we’re] looking forward to a
more diversified retail market as those
consumer dollars come back and people start working again.”
Walmart originally approached the city with plans to expand its presence in Lompoc in 2006, and submitted plans for the expansion project in December of 2008, according to the company.
“We’ve been working with city staff for many years,” Neufeld said. “We appreciate the patience of our customers and the community.”
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 3, 2011.
