South Shore Community forum on Wal-Mart

The Staten Island Advance reports on tomorrow’s (Wednesday's) Wal-Mart themed-forum that we are helping to sponsor for concerned South Shore residents. The meeting, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the CYO Center in Mt. Loretta, will focus on concerns about the proposed store’s impact on Tottenville and surrounding communities. Brian Ketcham, who has conducted a preliminary traffic analysis for the Alliance, will give a presentation on how Wal-Mart will dramatically increase traffic in an area not equipped for it.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mia Masten responds to the forum with the expected boilerplate:

The reality is that additional choice brings economic benefits to Staten Island and its residents. Wal-Mart stores are good for individuals and for communities," countered Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mia Masten. "It's unfortunate that a small minority of special-interest groups wants to maintain the status quo by fighting to limit consumer options.

Ms. Masten do you honestly think that the Tottenville Civic Association, the Richmond Valley Civic Association, representatives of various PTAs, and other concerned residents to be “special-interests groups” maintaining “the status quo by fighting to limit consumer options?” I am sure these people who live in and around Tottenville will be pleased to hear your characterization of their effort to stop overdevelopment, limit traffic congestion and preserve their quality of life.

We urge everyone who lives in around the proposed Wal-Mart and is concerned about the development’s potential impacts to join us at tomorrow's community meeting.