Another Republican Councilman Opposes Staten Island Wal-Mart

We have already reported that Republican Councilman James Oddo has voiced his opposition to a Staten Island Wal-Mart. Now, according to the Staten Island Advance, South Shore Republican Andrew Lanza, whose district encompasses the proposed Richmond Valley site, is also very concerned about Wal-Mart:

Reached by telephone, Lanza reiterated his positions -- previously reported in the Advance -- that the sites proposed for Wal-Mart in Charleston and the NASCAR track in Bloomfield are inappropriate.

"I don't have an absolute anti-Wal-Mart stance," he said. "But until I see some sort of traffic plan, and anything more concrete than I've heard, I would say no. That being said, there is no project before me right now."

As we’ve stated all along, once Staten Island politicians looked at the sites in more detail and heard from the communities surrounding those parcels, they’d temper their support or completely withdraw it. This development is very interesting for now Wal-Mart has no local Council support on the Island, a place they considered to be friendly due to its suburban and Republican nature. Considering the already substantial opposition to the store in the City Council, the lack of local political approbation will make it extremely hard if not impossible for the big box retailer to win the needed zoning approvals.