Putnam forges
ahead with WalMart distribution center; Volusia continues its
vigorous opposition
The world’s
largest retailer knows that some of its projects take years to
become reality. This may well be the case for the WalMart
distribution center that is proposed to be built within a whisper of
Volusia County on Clifton Road near Crescent City in Putnam County.
Volusia County
is opposing the project because of the huge number of trucks that
will
pass through the county on their way to their final destination.
Last year,
rezoning of 235 acres on the Volusia-Putnam border was approved by
the
Putnam County Commission.
The
$40-million complex will cover some 800,000 square feet when
completed and will
create an estimated 600 jobs. But while some Putnam County officials
welcome the project for its economic impact and the new jobs, its
impact on neighboring Volusia County has caused concern. In fact,
Volusia County officials have challenged the plan the Putnam County
Commission approved.
“Planners of a
project of this magnitude must consider its impact on the entire
region,”
said Volusia County Council member Dwight Lewis, whose district
includes Northwest
Volusia. “Our objections are not meant to impede a project with
economic potential for
the region. But we want to be sure the project does not cause
irreparable harm to the
environment or overload our roads with trucks.”
Daily truck
traffic is estimated to exceed 1,000 and, as Lewis observes, much of
that
traffic will have to be on Volusia County roads, notably U.S. 17, a
two-lane road.
WalMart’s
traffic study shows that 80 - 90 percent of the trucks will travel
south into Volusia County.
The Volusia
County Council, in opposing the distribution center, contends the
project is
so large it requires a development of regional impact (DRI) study
and that Volusia County should have been consulted as to its effect
on the region.
Volusia County
officials are not alone. There has been grass-roots opposition to
the
project, including some property owners whose homes WalMart may
purchase and demolish to clear the area. Not all homeowners are
interested in selling and some are bracing for battle to keep their
homes, adding another degree of difficulty in bringing the project
to completion.
