Super Wal-Mart Hearings are ‘Horribly Flawed’

To the Editor:
The continuation of the hearing for a super Wal-Mart was absolutely classic. The out of town paid professionals testified about our area for which they have no understanding at all. We are the very bottom of the state, a peninsula barely above sea level in many communities. We are a country seashore vacation destination. Unlike many other such areas, we are also situated near some heavily industrialized and populated areas. We are not Cumberland or Atlantic Counties and we are not Myrtle Beach or Key West, we are unique.
The testimonies with constant comparisons to other store locations are unsound, possibly unwitting but all the same unsound. There was a horribly flawed and incomplete traffic/parking study accomplished just after parts of the county were evacuated for Hurricane Irene. The changes recommended are coincidentally just enough to avoid DOT review. This testimony is from folks who attach their credentials to a performance they’ve repeated many times. With the aid of an artful attorney they are guided to what appears to be compelling testimony. With just enough rules of evidence to be intimidating to the general public, we are given a show that should probably be done at the Performing Arts Center. Not sure if our Planning Board should be considering a variance or an academy award for the applicant.
Many years ago our state legislators recognized the uniqueness of our area. They put law into effect to protect it from the onslaught of profiteers they knew would be coming to exploit our natural resources. The Coastal Area Facility Review Act of 1973 (CAFRA) recognized that the Jersey shore should belong to no one but to everyone. The borders within CAFRA jurisdiction are defined with environmental sensitivity and Cape May County is the only county to be completely engulfed within the act. At about the same time this legislation was born so was an army of professionals formed to circumvent, sidestep or otherwise manipulate this law. Lawyers, engineers and planners are among the developer’s troops. The many family farms that once dotted our community have been transformed into sprawling housing developments because of the professional manipulation of the law. With this in mind a new concept for planning has been underway. Many good citizens have come forward to work on these plans through various programs from the state. These dedicated people, aided by professionals from the area, have incorporated the local master plan with these new concepts. Chief among the new ideas is a town center designation with storefronts having office and apartment-type housing layered atop. Walking through the area is meant to be encouraged and well accommodated. Many advantages are seen, including traffic management, sprawl and environmental impact reductions.
The existing Wal-Mart comes nowhere near this plan. As it is, it will be difficult to achieve what is desired in the town center designation. As is proposed for the expansion, it will be impossible. Those who live here know full well we have a mess in Rio Grande. In addition to being known as Rio Jam for the traffic issues, there is an undesirable element taking hold of this community.
I have recently spent some time in the woods behind this ill-conceived commercial development and it is no place you want your children to play. I have no overnight solution but I am certain we do not want to move backwards from the concept now in view. For these reasons as well as the many others I have expressed, I am asking our planning board members to vote no to this attack on our community.