Wal-Mart has withdrawn plans for a superstore in Forsyth County that had been the subject of a four-year battle with neighboring homeowners.
The giant retailer said the decision was related to plans announced in June 2007 to more strategically prioritize the development of its supercenters.
"While this decision is certainly an appropriate one from a business standpoint, it takes nothing away from the fact that Forsyth is an excellent community and a great place to do business," said Glen Wilkins, Wal-Mart senior manager of public affairs for Georgia. The retailer, which last year opened a new store on Atlanta Highway in Forsyth County, said as recently as February that it was proceeding with plans to build a supercenter along Ga. 141, between the Bridle Ridge and Laurel Springs subdivisions in Suwanee.
The fight over this Wal-Mart location started in 2004 and energized nearby homeowners to form the watchdog group Smart Growth Forsyth. In February, a 3-2 majority of the Forsyth County Commission ruled with Smart Growth, overturning a decision last May by the county Zoning Board of Appeals that would have allowed Wal-Mart to build a 175,000-square-foot store and obtain a stream buffer variance.
At that time, Wilkins said the plan was to move forward on a 170,000-foot store, with a 15-foot wall that protects the stream and a bridge that allows customers to cross the stream and enter the store.
Last week, Wal-Mart also announced it would not build a 176,000-square-foot supercenter at the corner of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth.
Labels: Bridle Ridge, Forysth County, Laurel Springs, Smart Growth Forsyth, Wal-mart
# posted by
Brian Vanderhoff @ 7:55 AM
