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In case you missed

it …brought to you by, The Abingdon Community Council

Whither Wal-Mart? Retailer Reactivates Traffic Study

on Possible Bel Air Store, Local Residents Plan to Fight

ore than a year after Wal-Mart first approached Harford County planning officials about a possible new store in

Bel Air, the super retailer is reactivating a traffic study for the project, and some area residents say that if plans

for the new store proceed, they will put up a fight.

al-Mart originally approached the county last spring with an interest in building a new store on a privately-

owned, undeveloped parcel at Plumtree Road and Rte. 924 in Bel Air, according to Pete Gutwald, Harford

County director of planning and zoning. The 30-acre parcel is zoned for business and Gutwald said that it is more than

large enough to accommodate a Wal-Mart Supercenter. At the time, Gutwald said Wal-Mart was conducting a traffic

impact study, a step required by the county in the development process. But the traffic study was never returned to the

county and until recently, county officials had no further indication of Wal-Mart’s plans.

traffic impact study is used to determine the current level of service provided by the roadways serving a

proposed development and to identify any mitigation that may be required of the developer by government

officials.

raffic counts contained in such a study are good for one year, Gutwald said, and the counts from the Wal-Mart

study expired at the end of March. But after a recent scoping meeting between the company and county officials,

Gutwald said Wal-Mart was planning to conduct another traffic study. Evidence of the renewed traffic counts has been

reported by residents who say they spotted traffic counting devices in the area last week.

he Bel Air South Community Foundation, a group formed over a year ago to fight the Bel Air Wal-Mart, has

maintained a database of people opposed to the development and is determined to oppose the Bel Air store if Wal-

Mart decides to proceed, according to Chairperson Ruth Rhymaun. Rhymaun said that the group has gathered

hundreds of names on a petition, citing concerns about increased traffic and crime, and is raising money for an

independent traffic review and possible legal fees.

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May 8, 2012

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f Wal-Mart decides to proceed with the Bel Air store, further steps are required, including a community input

meeting. According to the Harford County website, “The purpose of the community meeting is for the developer to

provide information to the community regarding the proposed development and to allow citizens to ask questions and

make comments and suggestions. At the meeting, the developer shall present draft plans for the site layout.” Notice of

a community input meeting must be provided at least two weeks in advance.

al-Mart currently has stores in Aberdeen, Fallston and Abingdon and was rumored to be closing the Abingdon

store in favor of the move to Bel Air. An obscure provision in the deed for the Abingdon location limits the sale

of groceries on the property until 2018, which may be preventing the company from expanding the store into a Wal-

Mart Supercenter, which sells groceries. Both the Aberdeen and Fallston stores are Supercenters.

epeated requests for comment made by The Dagger to Wal-Mart headquarters have not been returned.

im Richardson, Harford County director of economic development, said that while he didn’t have any hard data,

verbal reports indicated that sales at the Fallston Supercenter are exceeding expectations. Regarding a potential Bel

Air store, Richardson said the company hadn’t disclosed their plans beyond the traffic study but the proposed site,

which is zoned for business and located near major roads and residential developments, had generated interest from

other developers. “There is a great deal of interest in the site,” Richardson wrote in an e-mail, “but it appears folks are

waiting for the air to clear before they try to move forward.”

(Reprinted, with permission from The Dagger, www.daggerpress.com, some changes were made)

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Next Meeting: June 25, 2012

We Need You! YOUR VIEW DOES COUNT!

We meet on the 4th Monday of each month from 6:30pm -7:30pm at the Abingdon Public Library, 2510

Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD 21009?

Members:

Cynthia Hergenhahn, Chairperson

C. David Copenhaver • Carlin Cook •

Earl Grey • Gregory A. Beaty •

Michael Galumbeck •

Recording Secretary: Donna Copenhaver

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