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Walmart Supercenter At 111 Yale St.


HeyHatch

Walmart at Yale & I-10: For or Against  

160 members have voted

  1. 1. Q1: Regarding the proposed WalMart at Yale and I-10:

    • I live within a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am FOR this Walmart
      41
    • I live within a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am AGAINST this Walmart
      54
    • I live outside a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am FOR this Walmart
      30
    • I live outside a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am AGAINST this Walmart
      26
    • Undecided
      9
  2. 2. Q2: If/when this proposed WalMart is built at Yale & I-10

    • I am FOR this WalMart and will shop at this WalMart
      45
    • I am FOR this WalMart but will not shop at this WalMart
      23
    • I am AGAINST this WalMart but will shop at this WalMart
      7
    • I am AGAINST this WalMart and will not shop at this WalMart
      72
    • Undecided
      13
  3. 3. Q3: WalMart in general

    • I am Pro-Walmart
      16
    • I am Anti-Walmart
      63
    • I don't care either way
      72
    • Undecided
      9

This poll is closed to new votes


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'Stop Heights Wal-Mart' was doomed because the Heights ain't Boulevard Oaks; and I might add that the City was far from spooked by any lawsuit. They knew that they'd get sued by Buckhead and didn't care; and the RUDH lawsuit was and is frivilous. And although there was a little bit of pushback on the Kroger 380, other horrendous 380 Agreements continue to pass under the radar. As for the Yale bridge...thankfully there's an alternate route a couple hundred feet away. No small businesses have failed, nor will they. And nothing has been changed about Wal-Mart's business model.

Time is not necessary to see whether the opposition movement failed. I declare that it failed. I dance on its grave. The most memorable moment, for me at least, was exposing their leadership as a group of hypocrites acting beyond the scope of their non-profit's mission statement...followed by them trying to interpret the discovery as a threat so that it would be censored from public view. The legacy of NIMBYism is that people should have learned to doubt NIMBYs.

'Stop Heights Wal-Mart FAIL'

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Anything to throw sand in the gears of a company whose founder's hiers build a 1.2 billion art gallery in the middle of nowhere while the company slashes health care benefits to the lowest paid employees at the same time they announce the first upturn in same store sales in the US after eight quarters of declines is worth something.

I don't know you, but I bet you use an electronic device that was made in China by people who are underpaid, and work in a harsh (in some cases deadly) environment all so you can have a little more convenience in your life.

I have little respect for someone who claims to be a herald for the working man when they support the same, or in this case, worse conditions, all because it is in a land far away. But by all means, don't let me stop you from making a point.

It's kind of like that lady who was going to go picket at Steve Jobs' funeral because iPhones were unholy, and she posted the tweet from her iPhone...

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Those morons only said, 'no Walmart'. They went all in and lost.

This isn't actually true. There was a large packet of materials with everythign from architectural renderings to landscaping recs made by professionals on how the building could be safer, more livable, greener. These plans were drawn up by professionals in these industries and people from organizations like Houston Tomorrow. Some of these folks even went through the trouble of demonstrating how better eco-friendly landscaping, for example, could save WM/Ainbinder money. RUDH folks asked that some of these be implemented via the 380. I believe that they actually put them in order of importance, as if to say "if you only do 3, we prefer these 1st 3." The City did not request any of these things of the developer. Parker sold the 380 to Council as a way to have more "control" over the development but in the end asked them for pretty much nothing.

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This isn't actually true. There was a large packet of materials with everythign from architectural renderings to landscaping recs made by professionals on how the building could be safer, more livable, greener. These plans were drawn up by professionals in these industries and people from organizations like Houston Tomorrow. Some of these folks even went through the trouble of demonstrating how better eco-friendly landscaping, for example, could save WM/Ainbinder money.

I don't recall those. Can you post a link to them?

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I don't recall those. Can you post a link to them?

Actually, I went to the site and it's not up there. It was assembled after the 1st couple meetings at the rehab place. At that time, they also solicited ideas and opinions from the public and, as absurd or unrealistic as some were, even included those.

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This isn't actually true. There was a large packet of materials with everythign from architectural renderings to landscaping recs made by professionals on how the building could be safer, more livable, greener. These plans were drawn up by professionals in these industries and people from organizations like Houston Tomorrow. Some of these folks even went through the trouble of demonstrating how better eco-friendly landscaping, for example, could save WM/Ainbinder money. RUDH folks asked that some of these be implemented via the 380. I believe that they actually put them in order of importance, as if to say "if you only do 3, we prefer these 1st 3." The City did not request any of these things of the developer. Parker sold the 380 to Council as a way to have more "control" over the development but in the end asked them for pretty much nothing.

The suggestions of "what we'd like better" came later in the process. When the complaints began and RUDH formed, the City had a few community meetings regarding the site. Later, Mayor Parker literally walked the neighborhood behind the site talking to residents. She was quoted in news accounts as asking for suggestions to make the Walmart palatable. She made it clear that the City had no legal way to stop Walmart from building there. She lamented that the only response from residents and RUDH was, "No Walmart!"

Later, these mixed use renderings were published. Just as before, they ignored the fact that the City could not keep Walmart out. The renderings were simply drawings of stuff they would rather see. They were in no way a solution to the problem. I should also point out that even your description of the materials makes it clear that the suggestions were of projects to REPLACE Walmart, not improve it. In this way, RUDH pissed away a very real opportunity to influence the design of the site. Instead, we will get whatever Walmart feels like building.

When a group spurns a chance to make something better in favor of an illegal solution (denying Walmart's right to build), they have done a disservice to those they claim to be helping.

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The suggestions of "what we'd like better" came later in the process. When the complaints began and RUDH formed, the City had a few community meetings regarding the site. Later, Mayor Parker literally walked the neighborhood behind the site talking to residents. She was quoted in news accounts as asking for suggestions to make the Walmart palatable. She made it clear that the City had no legal way to stop Walmart from building there. She lamented that the only response from residents and RUDH was, "No Walmart!"

Later, these mixed use renderings were published. Just as before, they ignored the fact that the City could not keep Walmart out. The renderings were simply drawings of stuff they would rather see. They were in no way a solution to the problem. I should also point out that even your description of the materials makes it clear that the suggestions were of projects to REPLACE Walmart, not improve it. In this way, RUDH pissed away a very real opportunity to influence the design of the site. Instead, we will get whatever Walmart feels like building.

When a group spurns a chance to make something better in favor of an illegal solution (denying Walmart's right to build), they have done a disservice to those they claim to be helping.

No. These suggestions came after RUDH (which was then still just STHWM) held their very 1st public meeting.

And a lot of the suggestions by professionals in urban planning were how WM could make the center better. RUDH's mission was to stop the Walmart but that was not the end-all for many of the contributors. They cited issues that are the very reasons most Walmarts are dangerous, like no exterior windows, and proposed that this WM could be more palatable if they went outside their normal building plan and did X,Y,Z.

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No. These suggestions came after RUDH (which was then still just STHWM) held their very 1st public meeting.

And a lot of the suggestions by professionals in urban planning were how WM could make the center better. RUDH's mission was to stop the Walmart but that was not the end-all for many of the contributors. They cited issues that are the very reasons most Walmarts are dangerous, like no exterior windows, and proposed that this WM could be more palatable if they went outside their normal building plan and did X,Y,Z.

Wal-Mart is dangerous for lack of windows? Was that the best of their suggestions, or merely the most memorable after every sane person in the room started cracking up?

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"Professionals" in urban planning? More like "slept through the seminar" on urban planning. The argument for windows in retail store fronts applies to small stores, such as convenience stores, which are often staffed by only one employee. Having unobstructed windows at the street front allows visibility into the store by passing police or witnesses in case of robbery, and has the added benefit of causing some potential robbers to decide against it given the visibility.

This theory has no validity in the case of a large box store with dozens, or even hundreds of employees and customers, not to mention that the store is too large to see all of the interior from store front windows. In fact, if these "professionals" had done any study at all, they would realize that windows in big box retail stores can encourage 'smash and grab' burglaries, in which thieves smash a window, enter and grab numerous items and flee before police can respond to the burglar alarm. Additionally, Walmart employs an advanced video surveillance system and outside security to help deter criminal activity. Criminals who target Walmart in spite of video and human security will not even blink at windows.

Regardless, when Parker asked for suggestions, the united front from the protesters was 'No Walmart!', wasting any effort made by these so-called "professionals" to make the development more palatable. They deserve whatever Walmart builds there.

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This theory has no validity in the case of a large box store with dozens, or even hundreds of employees and customers, not to mention that the store is too large to see all of the interior from store front windows. In fact, if these "professionals" had done any study at all, they would realize that windows in big box retail stores can encourage 'smash and grab' burglaries, in which thieves smash a window, enter and grab numerous items and flee before police can respond to the burglar alarm.

From what I've seen in Europe, when big box stores (also grocery stores) in center cities with window displays close for the night, garage door-like contraptions close so thieves cannot break glass.

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From what I've seen in Europe, when big box stores (also grocery stores) in center cities with window displays close for the night, garage door-like contraptions close so thieves cannot break glass.

You know, this is a good point, problem is, you aren't talking about 'big box stores' in the USA traditional fashion. ie. walmart, home depot, costco. you're talking about the equivalent of a macys, or department store, they have something called 'store fronts' and use 'window dressing' in those store fronts, very similar to the USA department store.

the closest equivalent to big box they have in europe is ikea, which, we have here too (and actually is a big box store)! guess what, the stores are all built with the same premise, and that premise in europe (as it is here in the states) there are no windows. surprising.

what other big box stores exist in europe? I end up traveling over there about once a year, and in my travels, I don't recall seeing any walmarts, targets, or other big box stores....

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While s3mh wishes to make it sound as if Walmart steamrolled our poor mayor, nothing could be further from the truth. Fact is, Parker wanted this development and proposed the 380. Just as Parker crushed the majority opposition to her pet historic district project, she crushed the minority opposition to Walmart. The Walmart opponents have stopped nothing, changed nothing. Kind of shame, really. Parker actually asked them what changes they'd like. Those morons only said, 'no Walmart'. They went all in and lost.

Stop Heights Walmart did suggest bioswales, which were incorporated into the Walmart design. They also suggested a smaller footprint, parking garage, not open 24/7. Walmart wouldn't negotiate at all on anything else. Stop heights walmart also wanted either protection from through traffic or upgrades to the 18' wide streets in the adjacent West End neighborhood. City did nothing. And if you really think that Mayor Parker was sincere when she was asking residents for input on how to make the development better, you are a fool. It was just carefully crafted PR to try to co-opt opposition without creating the appearance that she was running interference for her donors and political allies.

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Stop Heights Walmart did suggest bioswales, which were incorporated into the Walmart design. They also suggested a smaller footprint, parking garage, not open 24/7. Walmart wouldn't negotiate at all on anything else. Stop heights walmart also wanted either protection from through traffic or upgrades to the 18' wide streets in the adjacent West End neighborhood. City did nothing. And if you really think that Mayor Parker was sincere when she was asking residents for input on how to make the development better, you are a fool. It was just carefully crafted PR to try to co-opt opposition without creating the appearance that she was running interference for her donors and political allies.

Either way, if our mayor was steamrollered, or just didn't care about the majority of her constituents, while we may not agree on the reasons why, we do agree that the mayor is doing a very bad job.

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I don't know you, but I bet you use an electronic device that was made in China by people who are underpaid, and work in a harsh (in some cases deadly) environment all so you can have a little more convenience in your life.

I have little respect for someone who claims to be a herald for the working man when they support the same, or in this case, worse conditions, all because it is in a land far away. But by all means, don't let me stop you from making a point.

It's kind of like that lady who was going to go picket at Steve Jobs' funeral because iPhones were unholy, and she posted the tweet from her iPhone...

Oh please. If the standard is that you can only oppose something if you live a life completely free of any ideological contradictions, then no one would be able to take a stance on anything ever. Many tea partiers are medicare recipients. Should they have to go without healthcare in order to be able to oppose bailouts for Wall Street? Should people concerned about Houston's air quality be required to walk or bike everywhere in order to complain about a refinery that is not operating with proper emissions controls? Of course not. Life is complicated.

But, there is no company in the world that is more responsible for sending jobs out of the US and into China than Walmart. Thus, if anyone wanted to take a stand for the working man, opposing Walmart is the best first step. Plus, thanks in large part to Walmart, it is virtually impossible to find consumer goods in any store that are not made under terrible conditions in third world countries. So, people do not even have a choice to operate under your ideological purity and function in modern society. The argument is just a red herring because there is no good argument for Walmart.

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Either way, if our mayor was steamrollered, or just didn't care about the majority of her constituents, while we may not agree on the reasons why, we do agree that the mayor is doing a very bad job.

Funny thing is that I actually think Mayor Parker has, on the whole, done a good job. She balanced the city budget, got a plan to pay for drainage infrastructure into place (albiet a very flawed plan) instead of passing the buck to the next administration, has started to make inroads into the City's municipal pension problems and has pushed back against high-rise developments in residential areas. She is a smart politician and took the side of money and political power over the neighborhood when it came to Walmart, knowing that incumbent mayors always get reelected as long as they do not piss off the big powers (developers, construction, engineering, retailers, etc.). There are lots of things she could do better, but on the whole she has managed City government well. It would have been interesting to see how Bill White would have dealt with the same situation. He had more latitude because he was self funded. He was able to put the full force of the City behind the Stop Ashby people. It would be interesting to see whether he would have done the same for the far less connected West End/Heights constituents.

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Oh please. If the standard is that you can only oppose something if you live a life completely free of any ideological contradictions, then no one would be able to take a stance on anything ever. Many tea partiers are medicare recipients. Should they have to go without healthcare in order to be able to oppose bailouts for Wall Street? Should people concerned about Houston's air quality be required to walk or bike everywhere in order to complain about a refinery that is not operating with proper emissions controls? Of course not. Life is complicated.

But, there is no company in the world that is more responsible for sending jobs out of the US and into China than Walmart. Thus, if anyone wanted to take a stand for the working man, opposing Walmart is the best first step. Plus, thanks in large part to Walmart, it is virtually impossible to find consumer goods in any store that are not made under terrible conditions in third world countries. So, people do not even have a choice to operate under your ideological purity and function in modern society. The argument is just a red herring because there is no good argument for Walmart.

However you need to justify it to yourself so you sleep better at night!

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Stop Heights Walmart did suggest bioswales, which were incorporated into the Walmart design. They also suggested a smaller footprint, parking garage, not open 24/7. Walmart wouldn't negotiate at all on anything else. Stop heights walmart also wanted either protection from through traffic or upgrades to the 18' wide streets in the adjacent West End neighborhood. City did nothing. And if you really think that Mayor Parker was sincere when she was asking residents for input on how to make the development better, you are a fool. It was just carefully crafted PR to try to co-opt opposition without creating the appearance that she was running interference for her donors and political allies.

This is pretty funny. At 3:09 pm yesterday, s3mh was pleading that the powerful engineers, developers and others wielded their mighty clout, and that the Ashby people scared the poor mayor into caving to Walmart's demands. Today, at 10:20 am, s3mh has done a 180 by stating that Parker merely placated the masses while doing what she intended all along. That happens to be exactly what I have posted all along.

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"The argument is just a red herring because there is no good argument for Walmart."

Uh. They stock lot's of stuff, and sell it at a price low enough that even the most unfortunate of our citizens can afford big screen TV's?

Translation: they throw millions of Americans out of good paying manufacturing jobs that make quality goods, depressing wages so that millions of Americans can only afford to buy cheap low quality goods from Walmart that are actually more expensive in the long run because the cheap stuff wears out and falls apart so fast.

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This is pretty funny. At 3:09 pm yesterday, s3mh was pleading that the powerful engineers, developers and others wielded their mighty clout, and that the Ashby people scared the poor mayor into caving to Walmart's demands. Today, at 10:20 am, s3mh has done a 180 by stating that Parker merely placated the masses while doing what she intended all along. That happens to be exactly what I have posted all along.

No, entirely consistent. But for the powerful interests lined up against the Stop Heights Walmart people, Mayor Parker may have very well taken a strong pro-community stance. Mayor Parker used run an independent bookstore. She lost her business when Barnes and Noble and Borders came to town. But, she is now a politician and a fairly smart one. She knew that if she pissed off the big power players that they would fund an opponent (Ainbinder did not support Parker when she was first elected and fund raised for her after she won). Thus, she did everything she could to appear to care, all the while knowing all along that politically she had to back the developers. As GHW Bush used to say, your first job in elected office is to get relected.

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Translation: they throw millions of Americans out of good paying manufacturing jobs that make quality goods, depressing wages so that millions of Americans can only afford to buy cheap low quality goods from Walmart that are actually more expensive in the long run because the cheap stuff wears out and falls apart so fast.

If your claim is that Walmart sells cheap low quality goods, then it is impossible that manufacturing jobs that make quality goods are lost. They are too different things. Only cheap manufacturing jobs would be lost. But, I completely understand your disgust at poor people only buying cheap goods. The poors are stupid like that. Why can't they be enlightened like you an I?

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No, entirely consistent. But for the powerful interests lined up against the Stop Heights Walmart people, Mayor Parker may have very well taken a strong pro-community stance. Mayor Parker used run an independent bookstore. She lost her business when Barnes and Noble and Borders came to town. But, she is now a politician and a fairly smart one. She knew that if she pissed off the big power players that they would fund an opponent (Ainbinder did not support Parker when she was first elected and fund raised for her after she won). Thus, she did everything she could to appear to care, all the while knowing all along that politically she had to back the developers. As GHW Bush used to say, your first job in elected office is to get relected.

Umm, she also spent 20 years as a software analyst in the oil industry, primarily Mosbacher Energy. Funny how you left that out. Oh, I know! Because that would identify her as a member of the big money players you are trying to portray her as against. Look, she is who she is. She didn't amass her formidable war chest from used bookstore owners. Annise Parker is well connected to big money Houston. Sorry if that ruins your idyllic view of her, but she is who she is, and damn good at it. That's fine when she is on my side, but it sucks when she is not.

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The Chronicle had an article on the vast swath of food deserts in Houston. The map of grocery stores by zip code helps show why it is so critical to divert funds to building big grocery stores in 77007.

http://www.chron.com...p#photo-2275447

This is besides your point, but their definition of 'food desert' is misleading. Zip code 77006 has access to plenty of supermarkets, including the remodeled Montrose Kroger and nearby H-E-B. Only the zips that have no supermarkets and are far removed from those in neighboring zip codes should really fall into that definition.

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The Chronicle had an article on the vast swath of food deserts in Houston. The map of grocery stores by zip code helps show why it is so critical to divert funds to building big grocery stores in 77007.

I get where you're coming from, and that's why I'd oppose the Kroger 380, which was a give-away to the grocer. But the Ainbinder 380 only funds infrastructure improvements around the development, including street repaving and widening, and the extension of the Heights bike trail. It wouldn't matter who the tenants were; these were improvements best undertaken during construction of a new [anything] on that site, and it was just icing on the cake that the developer pays up front and is indemnified for completing them to City specs before eventually being reimbursed. Its one of the few competent 380 Agreements, IMO.

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I agree, I am not sure if 006 falls out by HEB being too new and fiesta and kroger being on the border with 098. 019 is a stretch too with Randalls and Central Market being so close.

This is besides your point, but their definition of 'food desert' is misleading. Zip code 77006 has access to plenty of supermarkets, including the remodeled Montrose Kroger and nearby H-E-B. Only the zips that have no supermarkets and are far removed from those in neighboring zip codes should really fall into that definition.

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I get where you're coming from, and that's why I'd oppose the Kroger 380, which was a give-away to the grocer. But the Ainbinder 380 only funds infrastructure improvements around the development, including street repaving and widening, and the extension of the Heights bike trail. It wouldn't matter who the tenants were; these were improvements best undertaken during construction of a new [anything] on that site, and it was just icing on the cake that the developer pays up front and is indemnified for completing them to City specs before eventually being reimbursed. Its one of the few competent 380 Agreements, IMO.

Except part of the rationale for this 380 was the underserved nature of grocery in the area. How is the yale developmet going to extend the Heights bike trail? I haven't seen anything about that, and can't imagine how they would do it. The bike trail pre-walmart extended from Washington to 20th so I am curious where it will go now.

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Translation: they throw millions of Americans out of good paying manufacturing jobs that make quality goods, depressing wages so that millions of Americans can only afford to buy cheap low quality goods from Walmart that are actually more expensive in the long run because the cheap stuff wears out and falls apart so fast.

Right, because America never built cheap goods like the Ford Pinto. It's a classic car now, don't ya know. And we sewed textiles waaaay better than them. Woo! YEAH! AMERICA! YEAH! Textiles plants were friggin' awesome! Wooooooooooooooooo!

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