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Holiday Wal-Mart Foes Make Peace Overture

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: November 14, 2007

HOLIDAY, Fla. - HOLIDAY, Fla. - Residents opposed to a Wal-Mart store at S.R. 54 and Grand Boulevard hope to make peace with the nation's largest retail chain.

Cynthia Besio and other opponents think a Supercenter with 205,000 square feet is just too big for the southwest corner with about 26 acres. The current Wal-Mart plan also creates some very awkward traffic flow patterns, they think.

"They're just acting like a big beast," thumping its chest and flexing its muscles, Besio said about Wal-Mart executives who want to go ahead with the super-sized store.

The residents in Colonial Hills and other nearby areas have suggested a much smaller store of about 110,000 square feet. Wal-Mart has been switching more to neighborhood stores in future construction projects.

Another alternative might be to turn the store sideways so the front faces Grand Boulevard instead of S.R. 54, Besio said. She argues that could ease traffic congestion.

Besio presented the alternatives to Glenn Smith, the Fort Lauderdale-based attorney for Wal-Mart Stores East LP. He said he would pass along the residents' ideas.

The Pasco County Development Review Committee sided with Wal-Mart's arguments Smith presented to the DRC at its Nov. 8 meeting.

DRC granted the variances for a traffic signal on Grand Boulevard at the southernmost driveway into the Wal-Mart parking lot. Residents fear the signal and road alignment would encourage drivers to take shortcuts through subdivision streets.

DRC also OK'd a variance for a driveway along the northwest edge of the Wal-Mart parcel on S.R. 54, plus a left-turn lane in the median of S.R. 54 leading into the northwest entrance.

The preliminary site plan got thumbs up from DRC as well.

"I told her I would pass along their sentiments," Smith said about Besio's suggestions for a smaller store. He sent an e-mail to his bosses Friday morning, he said.

"I don't know what Wal-Mart's reaction of it will be," Smith added. "I don't make those decisions." Smith requested a response from his superiors "so residents know where they stand."

"We worked things out with the Beacon Woods folks," Smith recalled. The Wal-Mart Supercenter is now under construction on U.S. 19 north of S.R. 52 at the foot of the Beacon Woods subdivision.

"I think Wal-Mart is proud of that," Smith said about working out compromises with Beacon Woods residents.

Indeed, Besio and others were a bit surprised to see Bill Bunting appear for the Nov. 8 DRC hearing on the Holiday-area store. Bunting, once an adamant foe of the Beacon Woods Wal-Mart, spoke about the retailer's "good-neighbor policy."

Other people wearing "Wal-Mart Yes!" name badges also appeared at last Thursday's DRC hearing, although Besio believes most of them were from the Wesley Chapel area.

The only other option for the opponents would be to appeal the DRC rulings to county commissioners. The commissioners had ruled in favor of residents' objections in June and sent the Wal-Mart proposal back to DRC for a second look.

The DRC rulings could make another appeal dicier this time around. Plus the opponents face expenses of roughly $1,000 associated with an appeal.

Colonial Hills residents and others are supposed to gather today, Wednesday, or Thursday to talk about a possible appeal and other options.

"We're looking forward to an open dialog," Besio commented about seeking compromises with Wal-Mart.

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