|
MBCA Files Suit Against Yucca Valley Wal-Mart SuperCenter Project Under the California Environmental Quality Act
The Yucca Valley Town Council approved the Wal-Mart SuperCenter Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on June 25, 2008. The Morongo Basin Conservation Association questioned the advisability of this project as well as the adequacy of the EIR under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
In order to challenge the Town of Yucca Valley, MBCA formed the Coalition for Environmental Integrity in Yucca Valley (CEIYV), partnering with the Morongo Basin Property Association (MBPA) and the Citizens for Responsible Equitable Environmental Development (CREED). On July 30, 2008, CEIYV filed a CEQA suit against the Town of Yucca Valley for the Town Council’s approval of the Yucca Valley Wal-Mart SuperCenter EIR. Mr. John McClendon, Esq. is representing CEIYV.
The Wal-Mart EIR deserves legal scrutiny because the Marketing Input Study, Wastewater Assessment, Traffic Study and local Water Supply Availability Assessment are all flawed and incomplete.
Urban Decay is the main problem with the Wal-Mart SuperCenter Project. The projected growth of the western Morongo Basin was completely out of line with the current reality of fuel costs (commuting), housing problems (mortgage, foreclosures and lack of building inducements), State Water Project future water availability (unknown), retail square footage glut and the resulting decline in commercial property values.
This stalled growth threatens the economic viability of the four local grocery stores that would be affected by Wal-Mart SuperCenter's $30 million hit on local grocery demand. Dr. Philip King’s marketing survey and comments, while not part of the EIR, demonstrate that one, or possibly two, grocery stores would close. These failed anchor stores would decimate the auxiliary small retail stores in their shopping centers, resulting in urban blight and decay.
Please see Mr. McClendon’s Retail Specific Plan on this Website, as well as other supporting documents (listed and linked below) that challenge the assumptions of the EIR.
We believe these activities answer our charge and responsibilities as the Morongo Basin Conservation Association.
If you would like to help support these actions, please contact MBCA – we welcome your participation!
For more background and continuing updates on the Yucca Valley Wal-Mart SuperCenter project and MBCA’s actions see the MBCA Blog.
UPDATE:
- Writ of Mandate filed by petitioners (August 2008). View pdf here.
- Letter of Objection to Yucca Valley Town Council on the basis of General Plan noncompliance, by John McClendon, Esq. (August 14,2008). View pdf here.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
The following challenges to the assumptions of the EIR were submitted from the Center for Biological Diversity and from John McClendon, Esq., of the environmental firm Leibold McClendon & Mann, P.C. The challenges are comprehensive and authoritative and dismantle some of the underlying assumptions of the Wal-Mart Superstore EIR.
MORE LINKS:
|
