Jesse

Oh come on now Niche, we both know that's a stretch. So any information someone posts here is immediately final and cannot be updated? By that logic, as we learn more about the upcoming store, we should be allowed to go back and call everyone in earlier posts 'ignorant'? Please. Would it help you sleep better (live better, Walmart - look, another pun!) at night if I post an official retraction, saying that the information I posted was only accurate when I posted it, and any updated news and information could cause subsequent posts to be deemed ignorant? You should try and become a mod here... I bet you'd have a full time job finding posts where new info had come to light, and could then reply that people were being ignorant because they couldn't predict the future! Huzzah! Seriously, take a deep breath. I posted an article from a 3rd party about a crime that happened at Walmart. I didn't say "that's why this store shouldn't be built!". I made a joke about parking lot security, and the general state of security camera resolution. New information then came to light. People ripped apart my post word for word (how friendly!). I came back and admitted that my comments were based on the information available at the time. Suddenly I'm claiming ignorance and all of my statements should be taken with a grain of salt because I clearly can back out of any argument simply by saying "I dunno sir, I guess I'm just a simple moron!" anytime I feel it convenient? Get a grip. I enjoy discussing this topic, and hearing the various sides of the argument. But when people pick fights simply to pick fights, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Ok, first of all, I thought we were past nitpicking word-for-word people's posts and being the grammar police. Guess not. Second, when the article was first posted (Fri), there were no details about drugs, the lady sitting in her car alone, etc etc. It just said she was killed sometime between 10:30 and after midnight. That's all the information that was in the article. Again, see point #2 above. Disingenuous? No. Someone who regrets not copying and pasting the article into this thread, to avoid new details being added while I'm enjoying my weekend instead of arguing with Walmart lovers and defending my opinion time and time again ad infinitum? Yes. Third, this IS Walmart related. If the crime happend in an HEB parking lot, and we had a giant several-hundred (ooh, there's that word "several" again - better get my calculator and make sure I've got my numbers right!) anti-HEB thread, I'd post it there. But it didn't and so I posted it here. You should relax a little bit - I posted an article with a bit of humorous commentary. I made no reference to this Walmart in particular, and also made no assumptions about a good or dangerous part of town (I wouldn't dare make such an assumption without personally experiencing it myself). As a total side note, I do think it's always interesting to see the folks that do their shopping after 10:30pm at night, regardless of the store (Kroger, Walmart, etc). It really opens your eyes to the fact that the world does go on after dark. To say that business has slowed to "virtually nothing" would, in my opinion, not be accurate. But that's not worth arguing about. shot down (pun intended) - cute :-) Thank you, I will. And I mean that with all sincerity. Again, I said nothing about murders being specific to Walmarts (I think those words were put in my mouth, so-to-speak). I think all 24 hour big box stores likely draw more than their share of crime. I'd be arguing against any big-box store on that lot.

I'd love to hear other examples of murders in parking lots that go unnoticed for several hours. Truly, I'd be interested. Call me cynical, but I have a hard time believing that WM is going to listen to the neighborhood and what we'd prefer. What would I want? A storefront that's not visible from the road, shopping carts that lock up when they reach the property boundary, and a legitimate drainage plan so all the oil/trash/etc doesn't run into the bayou.

I'm shocked... shocked!... that Walmart's 24 hour security patrol didn't catch this sooner. I'm sure their 0.001 megapixel security cameras caught the perp though. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7194544.html

I wonder if the city is planning on taking any land with eminent domain for the street/sidewalk. That'll be a *hitstorm!

If that were true, wouldn't people be saying that they didn't want this Walmart (ie: NIMBY), but didn't mind shopping at other Walmarts? Personally, I don't shop at any Walmart. I have my reasons which I've stated. I'm just not a fan of the store, and would rather something else go on that spot. However, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. I'm sad about it, but my life will go on. I'll probably adjust my driving habits to avoid the area, since ANY business of that size will increase traffic in the area. Also, to those complaining about the poll: I didn't put it in this thread. Feel free to contact the moderator(s) and have it moved. I also never claimed it was remotely scientific, nor did I cross-post it to the anti-Walmart Facebook page. I wonder if it's been posted to the pro-Walmart Facebook page? :-)

I started the poll in a different thread. And it was glorious. Some people complained about too many threads, so the mods tried to combine them. In doing so, the poll got lost. And there was great sadness upon the Earth. The mod responsible offered to recreate the poll, so I sent him the questions. He recreated it, but as part of this thread. If the mods decide to smite the poll again, and if the people want it, I shall create a new thread with just the poll, and ask that any discussions be kept to either the non-confrontational thread or the highly-confrontational thread. That is all.

Were they the folks there during White Linen Night? Crowds kept us out of that particular shop, but the view we got looked delicious.

I think that might be difficult. A train coming from the East would block Heights, and a train coming from the West would block Shepherd, Patterson, etc unless it were only a few cars long. I imagine the goods could come into town via train, but would have to be moved over to trucks for the final stretch.

Draw your own conclusions, connect the dots however you wish. I don't care anymore. Arguing with you has become fruitless and tiresome. You're right, I resorted to name calling. For that I apologize. I hope we can both be more civil from this point on. This will be the last time I quote your posts, and I invite you to do the same. Now back to the topic at hand. I do wonder how the traintracks at the Southern end of the property will be dealt with. Especially given a possible increase of traffic (due to Koehler) and the lack of an under/overpass on Heights.

That is so beyond ridiculous I'm not even going to respond beyond telling you how ridiculous it is. Congratulations, you are officially impossible to have a rational conversation with. Enjoy your new Walmart. Oh, wait - you don't even live in the area! My mistake. Would anybody else like to discuss WalMart without having their posts hypocritically ripped apart word for word?

Doh! I'll PM you the options /Sent

I believe I've made my point clear in several places over the past 615 posts. Please reread them and let me know if I still confuse you.

Yeah, I have to admit it's sometimes difficult to tell when you're being sarcastic, being argumentative, being an ass, or all of the above. /SARCASM. Well Walmart/Airbinder are on the hook (assuming their tax deals go through) for the stretch up through I-10, but not north of it. So Heights residents get the shaft on a road that really needs a new surface.

Nope, faulty logic. Just because WalMart might bring down property values and raise crime does not mean that the lack of WalMart brings value up and reduces crime. If I'm outside and it's raining, I'm wet. That doesn't mean that if I'm outside and wet, that it's raining. There was supposed to be a separate city project to repave/resurface Yale between Washington and 610, I think. I think there's a thread about it over in the transportation section. It may have gotten shelved though, not sure.

Nobody? Wow.

I don't agree with that. I'm not saying there's a firm line between small developments and large developments, but I think a coffee house is going to have a nominal impact, versus a several hundred thousand square foot retail center which requires new streets to be built. Really? Wow, I must have missed all those arguments on the Ashby Highrise conversations. /rant I welcome change too. But that doesn't mean I have to agree with everything that changes, or blindly accept everything that changes. I never said I want the world to remain static and unchanging - please stop mischaracterizing what I've said. I would love for the decrepit lot at this location to be transformed, nay, changed, into something nicer. I'd rather it not be a WalMart. I'd rather it not be any kind of supercenter. I'm against massive impermeable parking lots. I'm against oil and grime from however many thousands of extra cars per day running straight into the Bayou. I'm against adding traffic lights to an area that already experiences long delays during rush hour. I was simply referring to the time you called some Heights residents "God's chosen people". Explain to me how I've blindly jumped on the cool hate-Walmart bandwagon, and you haven't given any real consideration to the impact your position makes. Since you're apparently in my head, please explain this to me. Really. How do I not understand the impact? Please clearly reference quotes, neighborhood committees I may or may not be a part of, people in the neighborhood I've ignored, and the like. Seriously?

I believe she was referring to the 3 mile radius on the survey. Of which the Heights is within, among other neighborhoods.

I think that in normal, day to day business, you're right - putting everything to a vote would basically grind life to a halt. That's why (in theory) we elect representatives who think along the same lines as we do to vote for us. However, I think this project is different. Not specifically because it is WalMart, but because it has obviously caused quite a stir in the neighborhood. Sure, WalMart is the 'lightning rod for retail run amok' (have you seen "Wall-E"?), but this entire development is going to create a "larger than normal impact". Installation of multiple traffic lights, creation/extension of streets, increase in the number and size of delivery trucks to the area, a focal point for more cars to travel to/from on a daily basis. I guess that's the distinction that seems to be lost here... is the argument against WalMart? Or against Airbinder's development? I suspect its the latter being masked by the former. People wonder why Airbinder has kept quiet on this whole thing? Who wouldn't? They're reaping the (monetary) benefits while Walmart is taking the heat. People forget that Airbinder is taking down the apartment complex, Airbinder is extending the streets, installing lights, etc. Walmart is just 1 tenant of the lot, correct? I'm not hiding the fact that I do not like Walmart, and I will not shop there. But the devil's advocate argument here is what if it were a giant highrise (ie: Asby Highrise)? Or a(nother) Home Depot? Or Macy's? I wonder what the arguments would be then - would it focus on the store itself or the impact to the streets/neighborhood? It's a hard question to answer - are people anti-Walmart or anti-development? Both? Neither? 1 of each? I don't think Heights residents are "god's chosen people", by the way, and I would sincerely appreicate you not continuously making argumentative remarks like that. We're a neighborhood, much like any other. We're tight knit - it's not often in Houston (that's I've found so far) that so many residents take time to say hi, wave, or walk along the streets and paths. It's a community. We care about or neighborhood, our people, and our way of life. Don't you? Wherever it is that you live - don't you care about what goes on around you? Don't you watch out for your friends and neighbors? Didn't you choose your area to live in because you liked it? Don't you want to preserve your way of life, and make every effort to make it better? If you don't, I truly pity you. To insinuate that Heights residents are "better" than everyone else because we care is disgusting.

Since everyone here clearly knows what everyone else thinks and wants, let's put it to a vote (which in my opinion is what the city should do): http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/23710-walmart-at-i-10-and-yale-for-or-against/

The 3 mile distance is somewhat arbitrary, but I figured it sounded reasonable.

Awesome! 1 more reason to not have to drive down Shepherd/Kirby

To be completely and totally honest, as much as I despise Walmart (and I won't be shopping there regardless), this plan is much better than what I was expecting. At least it's set back quite a bit from Yale.

Sooo.... which side of this fence are you on, Niche?