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Atascadero Wal-Mart construction may begin soon

March 25, 2016

5439_1069277959784788_90212113121448506_nWal-Mart has submitted plans in preparation for constructing its Atascadero store. Builders may break ground on the project late this summer. [Tribune]

After seven years of contentious debate, the Atascadero City Council approved the Wal-Mart project in 2012. A group of citizens then filed a lawsuit, but judges ruled against the suit in both the San Luis Obispo and appellate court.

The planned Wal-Mart will consist of 123,000 square feet of building space and a 6,500 square-foot garden center. The store will be located at the southeast corner of the intersection of El Camino Real and Del Rio Road.

Previous plans have indicated the Wal-Mart will employ about 250 people. It is expected to generate about $580,000 a year in sales tax revenue.

Wal-Mart recently submitted plans for grading and roadway construction. Permitting for construction is not yet complete, but workers could soon begin making drainage improvements, constructing a parking lot and preparing the building pad on which the store will be constructed.

The company is making separate plans for off-site road improvements, including a roundabout at Del Rio Road and El Camino Real. Wal-Mart and Atascadero are expected to share traffic mitigation costs, but it is unclear if the city has the funds to do so.

City officials hope the store will open sometime in 2017.


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Walmart to be obsolete in 15 years OK. Your funny. I get that no one likes the hassle of Walmart but they all love the convenience at times. If your worried about Walmart bringing in the poor and low lifes to town, surprise they are already here. Take a drive down El Camino. On any given day you will find the guy that hangs out in front of Smart and Finals bus stop with his back pack ALL DAY LONG or what about the women with the three dogs that pan handles everyday with her group of ten people. On the positive side the lady with the Volvo can now park at Walmart. But really, for a city that wants to spend 3.5 million on a pedestrian bridge using tax dollars from the past will need to generate new tax revenues. Walmart brought Paso much needed tax dollars when they built there instead of Atascadero and Paso has since flourished. It’s as simple as if you don’t like what they have to offer don’t shop there. If you don’t like the companies pay and policies don’t work there. Most of the younger locals want this to happen. If the right business comes into town we will go there. i.e. Galaxy Theater, Kai Lanas, Street Side. I’ve not seen a business open with such fan fair as Street Side has. Long live the revolution of something to do in A-Town.


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No, it’s really not that simple, when you have simpletons in charge. First of all it’s, “You’re funny”. Second, only select Walmarts allow overnight parking, and this won’t be one; too bad for the lady with the Volvo.


That increase in taxes was created by creative math. Taking the taxes that were generated by Kmart and local stores isn’t a new tax like they are lying about. Also, if you spend less, you pay less taxes.


So potentially, Walmart may ultimately bring less taxes. Especially when you add to the increase in costs that the Morro Bay Morons will bring by crashing into each other on hwy 41 trying to get their junk. (heh heh) Other than the few from MB, where do you think all these new shoppers are coming from?


I have nothing against the poor people or Walmart. It just wasn’t needed, and the negatives it will bring in terms of making Atrashcadero live up to its name far outweigh the fuzzy tax numbers.


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Mej- There are still unique stores in Paso, in spite of Walmart. The real problem is; unless you’re a tourist or all you want to do is taste wine there is no place for the “average person” to buy common things.

Walmart is not the only store to sell things made in China or other countries.

We purchase environmentally friendly products; i.e. Baking soda and vinegar at Walmart, as well as pet food and products. Wrangler jeans and fruit of the loom clothing. Do you think we should be forced to pay tourist prices for everyday items? You need to get real, for many Walmart is the best option for every day living shopping in Paso.

When City government sold out to the wine industry they chose tourists over residents.

As far as Atascadero the people have nothing there now and no tourist base. Let Walmart come in and bring revenue and local shopping, along with jobs and the town might grow.


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Wrong:


Dollar Tree sells most cleaning products. Hay and Feed sells pet food and products. Miners has a bit of everything. Get your beer at Stagecoach.


As far as clothing and such. Get with the times. Notice an increase of UPS trucks, that’s because people under 50 are buying on the Internet.


All that Walmart is going to do is transfer the sales tax from Miner’s, Hay and Feed and other local stores.


Walmart is going to be obsolete in 15 years. Too bad our elderly City Council members don’t keep up with the times and technology. Visit some futurist websites. Times are changing.


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Councilman Kelly, the only real businessman on the council, has noted several times that retail sales and commercial shopping centers, as we know today are changing due to the internet. The others on council are there mostly for the political aspect of being seen.


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They could have done so much better with that hill that can be seen from Hwy 101. They could have created an event destination for families. What we had were very little-minded people whose perspective and ideas came from their heyday, which is going going ….


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What small town has grown because of Wally World?


A-Town is a bedroom community for people with jobs in SLO or Paso.


The town leaders need to just understand that reality and embrace it.


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“Wal-Mart and Atascadero are expected to share traffic mitigation costs, but it is unclear if the city has the funds to do so.”


Sounds like an important part of the puzzle may be missing.


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Puzzle solved, they do not have they money, it is wasted on salaries, pensions, and paying off “retiring” officials to keep quiet.


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Last I heard the city didn’t have the money to widen the off-ramp and over pass leading from the 101 to the Wal-Mart parking lot. It was really stupid of them to agree to do that in the first place. I don’t care one way or another if Wal-Mart goes in or not, but I don’t think the City of Atascadero should go into debt over the road work that needs to be done.


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This will TAKE AWAY from Atascadero? That couldn’t be further from the truth.


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Finally, I just want to see if the Paso version of the “people of Walmart” changes now that Atascadero will hold some captive


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the older you get the better Wal*Mart looks


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I disagree, not many elderly want to walk 123,000sf. for the few items they purchase.


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WalMart has electric carts for people who need them.


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The elderly don’t want to be in those carts. They want to maintain their sense of independence. Those carts are for the 400 pound heffers or truly disabled.


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Once the elderly are truly disabled, they’ll use the carts. Until then, I guess there’s no problem.


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The final nail in the coffin for Atascadero’s small businesses. The end of any unique economic culture that may have existed. You think folks there would have learned by now. If the store does poorly it will be shut down so fast you’d feel the vacuum. ” Walmart said it will close 269 stores in 2016, as the mega-retailer tries to revitalize its slumping finances”


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Not many think like you. There is no saving money or convenience in unique.


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For every buck you spend at a local store, that buck is multipled on average 12 times as it circulates in the local economy. For every buck you spend at Walmart, a pittance goes to pay poverty wages to people who then qualify for food stamps and medicaid, the rest goes to Wall Street and the Waltons. We, the people, are woefully ignorant of what our shopping can support — a vibrant local economy, or rich people from elsewhere. The cost of “cheap” is very high to our communities. Are we in this together, or must we be short-sighted and selfish?


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I didn’t say anything about social issues, my comment was an out saving$ and cconvienence. If Bernie is elected we are all gonna need as much $ that we can save, that is except got the dudes who get the free stuff, that must be you?


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So we should shop at the “local” K-Mart, Vons and Albertsons rather than WalMart? What good would that do?


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Context matters, TJF.


WalMart has 11,527 stores world wide, so closing 269 of them (about 2%) is not catastrophic in the least. In fact, WalMart also plans to open as many as 405 new stores world wide. They are actually growing and not shrinking.


And, you know what? Only 10 of the closing stores are located in California and six of those were in LA County. Don’t cry for LA consumers, however. There’s no retail vacuum. They still have over 200 WalMarts to chose among.


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Context point taken UL. However if the store in your town IS closed it is catastrophic. What does a town like Atascadero do with an empty Wallmart monstrosity?


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Don’t worry, TJF, the WalMart in A’town won’t close until you and any children you may have are all dead and gone.


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What is it that Walmart sells that people buy at small businesses in Atascadero? Nothing. Unless Kmart, Rite-Aid and Von’s meet your definition of “small businesses”. Everything people will buy at Walmart is currently being bought in Paso and SLO. Walmart will reduce traffic on the 101, save people time, and most importantly, REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASSES!


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Obispan, you must not shop locally if you think that.


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I must not shop locally because I advocate shopping locally?


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There is no such thing as Man Made Global Warming…put down the KoolAid.


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YOU put down the KoolAid, and get the joke.


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Oh goody. I can’t wait to buy more junk made in China that I don’t need. Americans have been brainwashed by the advertisers.


Use a couple of capfulls of vinegar in your dishwasher instead of the toxic soap.

Use a teaspoon of borax and vinegar to do your laundry.

Clean your counters and windows with a spray bottle of vinegar.

Use dishtowels instead of papertowels.

Break the habit of rubbing your face and eyes and give up the antibacterial stuff.

Open your windows and simmer a little vanilla instead of air fresheners.

Get stuff from the give-away websites and upcycle them


500,000 a year in taxes Get rid of the City Planners and we don’t need it.


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Can you tell me how to make LED light bulbs and big screen TV’s at home? Let alone toilet paper (I know, use dishrags), clothes (dishrags again, but before or after being used in lieu of toilet paper?) and razors (Geico-man?)?


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Those ads that come in the mail are great. Von’s has the best TP (quality/price) when it’s on sale. Costco is great for electronics. I bought a Cannon sl70 and had it delivered….free of charge (and the price beat Walmart when you added the extras in). Shop the Internet. Use the ads and when stores have sales, buy in bulk. Savvy shoppers can do much better than Walmart.


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You can beat WalMart’s prices when the things that you want to buy are on sale somewhere else. That’s great to know, mej!


I’ll let you in on another secret, mej. Sometimes it isn’t cheaper to buy larger quantities. WalMart shows the unit pricing for its products so you can compare prices.


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That Haters against Wal-Mart have lost….

The People have spoken…and it will be Great to have a Wal-Mart in A-Town.


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You going to sail your boat up there to shop? Just wondering.


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You must be in some sort of construction. Few extra bucks in your wallet and it’s all good.


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Nope…false assumptions to make you feel better about opposing progress.

Wal*Mart brings low cost products to people that need them…if it didn’t then no one would shop at the stores. If you don’t like Wal*Mart, vote with your dollars and don’t shop there, that will just leave more room in the crowded parking lot for others looking for savings.


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