Missoula News

wal-mart woes

Great Falls to Wal-Mart: One Big Box is Enough

By Dana Green, 3-01-06

When is there just too much Wal-Mart?

For Great Falls, apparently the answer is: Two is one too many.

The city planning board recommended denying annexation on a 50-acre parcel on the edge of town, where the giant corporation hoped to build a 203,000-square-foot Supercenter.

Their decision hinged on language in the city’s newly adopted land use codes, which stipulate that stores greater than 60,000 square feet go through a special permit process.

In an original draft of the code, an economic study showing how the store would affect local businesses was required, but that language was removed after public debate, with some residents worried about discouraging business from moving in.

Great Falls is not the only town in Montana having second thoughts about super-sizing their Wal-Marts.

In Hamilton, citizens recently drafted a proposal to ban on stores more than 60,000 square feet in size. In addition, they asked for an economic impact study on all stores over 25,000 square feet.

The proposal was sent Jan. 30 to the Ravalli County Planning Department, where it awaits action by staff and county commissioners.

And Polson residents have organized to fight a new, 156,000-square-foot Supercenter, which Wal-Mart hopes to build to replace its 50,000-square-foot store already operating in the lakeside town.

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