GILROY
– One of the most controversial retail developments in Gilroy
history is poised for city approval, based on environmental studies
geared to find flaws with the project that will move Wal-Mart to a
site more than double its size a half mile away.
GILROY – One of the most controversial retail developments in Gilroy history is poised for city approval, based on environmental studies geared to find flaws with the project that will move Wal-Mart to a site more than double its size a half mile away.
A nearly 220,000-square-foot big box retail store inside the new Pacheco Pass shopping center at Highway 152 and U.S. 101 will cause a significant impact to Gilroy’s air quality, according to an environmental review by Monterey-based EMC Planning Group. But as long as mitigation measures get employed appropriately, impacts across nine other environmental areas of concern – such as noise pollution and water quality – will be “less than significant,” the study shows.
Given the project’s positive environmental review and the make-up of the current City Council, Gilroy likely will become the first city in Northern California to have a Wal-Mart Supercenter – a version of the retail giant’s regular store that also carries groceries. The new City Council includes a majority of big-box retail advocates.
“If it’s going to happen for sure, maybe we can sit down with Wal-Mart and talk to them about having a positive impact on this community other than delivering low-cost goods,” recently elected City Councilman Paul Correa said.
Correa said he’d like to discuss with Wal-Mart issues such as hiring workers from Gilroy first, using local companies to do construction work at the new site, paying “livable wages” to its employees and donating more to local charities.
“There’s lots of ways to make this more of a win-win situation for them and our community,” Correa said.
Wal-Mart wants to open the Supercenter by late next year.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Hill said her company would agree to meet with Correa and others, but defended the nation’s largest retail store’s existing level of commitment to the community.
“I certainly would argue that we’ve been making a positive impact on the community for the last decade,” Hill said. “More than half of the employees live and work in Gilroy; the other half lives close by in places like Morgan Hill and Hollister. We donate $60,000 to $70,000 each year to charities (a number Hill says will increase with a Supercenter in town) …
“I don’t think we have to prove anything to a Councilmember whose campaign seemed to be about being against us, but we’d be happy to sit down and educate Councilman Correa about our community involvement and see if we can appease his concerns,” Hill said.
Input on the Wal-Mart development will not end with Correa, however.
The city began Monday its 45-day public review period for the Wal-Mart project’s environmental impact report (EIR) – a document mandated by state environmental law that requires developers to report and mitigate for impacts to things like biological resources, traffic and public safety, among many other things.
The Wal-Mart EIR will be available for public review and comment through Jan. 22
Interested parties can view a copy of the Wal-Mart Supercenter environmental impact report at the Gilroy Public Library, borrow a copy from the city Planning Division (open Monday though Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
