The contemplation of Hamlet’s comparison between the pain of LIFE and the fear of uncertainty of DEATH can be somewhat modeled in the upcoming election when us Menifee residents will determine if the proposal for a Walmart in Menifee will Live or Die.
On June 7th, 2011, “Measure C” comes to ballot at an anticipated cost of as much as $113,000 to the City of Menifee, according to officials at the Riverside County registrar’s office. This special election was approved at the March 1st City Council meeting, with a 3-2 vote. At this meeting, there were 173 people who had signed speaker slips opposing the project, and 55 speaker slips in favor. With such a supposed large number of individuals against the proposed Walmart I was surprised to learn that no opponents to the Menifee Walmart had filed a rebuttal to Walmart’s pro-project argument. Such a rebuttal would have been included on the ballot for voters’ review.
It appears that the biggest issue of concern is the traffic congestion that the new development will create on Scott Rd. Freeway and road improvements proposed for Scott Rd. will come at a cost of around $40 million dollars, and it will take CalTrans until 2013 to effectuate the overpass improvements. According to Walmart spokesperson Aaron Rios, “Measure C” clearly indicates that Walmart has agreed that will not open its doors until AFTER September 2013, which would be shortly after the road improvements have been completed. “There was an overwhelming support for Walmart at the last City Council meetings and we are looking forward to having the residents of Menifee have the opportunity to further show their support through this election.”
A Menifee Walmart has been been on the drawing boards since 2006. According to Walmart the main benefits of their store would a contribute a few million dollars for roads, generate sales tax revenue for the city and 300 new jobs. The almost 30 acre site would include a 205,000 sq’ superstore, a restaurant, a service station and retail shops.
Something else to consider when deciding YES or NO about Walmart, would be how the existence or non-existence of the Walmart, in its proposed location, will affect other planned developments. The Shops at Scott, that we’ve seen develop over the last several months, are currently in Phase 1 of building, and is expected to be finished in August, according to Brian Pyke, VP of Duhs Commercial, Inc. When asked what tenants have been secured so far, there is nothing official yet, although a number of potential tenants are under review and in negotiation. When asked how the rejection of a Walmart would affect The Shops at Scott Pyke indicates, “Many of our conversations with prospects have been centered around the timing of the new Wal-Mart center. In an area like Menifee, a Wal-Mart becomes a catalyst for growth. Specific to our center, it’s a vital component to our lease-up objectives.” Should the Walmart proposal fail, Pyke continues, “It will be detrimental to our center. The lease-up will take exponentially longer as the area will remain predominantly rural, making it very difficult to appeal to potential tenants.”
There are already five stores and three super stores within 20 miles of the proposed site already. Does Menifee really need a Walmart? Will Walmart BE or NOT BE? On June 7th we will see!
