Wal-Mart Gets Final Site Plan Approval, Epic Theater Permit Ready
Palm Coast City Council gives approval for second (and final) reading of the new Wal-Mart site plan.
Palm Coast, Florida – August 5, 2008 – Given the history of problems Wal-Mart has faced getting approval to build new stores across the country, tonight’s Palm Coast City Council meeting was anti-climactic. With only one public comment, a few council remarks, and no questions to the large contingent representing Wal-Mart, the site plan was approved unanimously. The new store will be built on Old Kings Road north of SR 100. See related story for site maps and store rendering.
Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon made a surprise announcement that the long expected building permit for the Epic Theater will be ready for pickup at 8:30 Wednesday. GoToby has received two or three emails per week questioning the status of this project. Other emails mentioned rumors that Epic had pulled out and another theater was being recruited. Put those rumors to bed. Epic plans to have the new theater ready before school is out next year.
Wake Up Call
Toby, perhaps other retailers and up scale restaurants will wake up and realize the demand demonstrated by recent openings in Palm Coast. Go-Epic we are tired of driving to Ormond Beach to watch a movie.
emu
I don’t understand why people complain about not having a movie theatre. We knew when we moved here that there was no good theatre and we chose to stay here because it was quiet and laid back (at least it was 10 years ago). If people need a big theatre and up scale restaurants, they should have bought in the ormond and Daytona area.
Email sent to Mayor
I am very disapointed that your have approved Wal mart to open another store in our town. You have just cost more jobs to anyone that works at Winn Dixie, Ace Hardware, Walgreens, Food Lion and all the small local stores in Flagler Beach. In most cases some of these stores will close and we will have even more empty storefronts with lease signs. Our county has one of the highest unemployement rates in the state and your just allowed the worst employer in the country to come to our town and provide low paying jobs to the hard working people of our town..
You have also allowed the pay scale of our city to drop and put more of a burden on the tax payers to help fund healthcare to Wal mart’s employees because Wal mart tells there employees to go on state assistance.
I am also very disappointed that not one of you contacted me regarding my remarks or told me that I should come to the next meeting.
Here are some examples of what we have to look forward to thanks to your approval
Wal-Mart Cuts Department to Avoid Union
https://blog.wakeupwalmart.com/ufcw/2008/03/walmart_cuts_de.html
Will Wal-Mart Shut and Run Again?(I am sure this will happen in Palm coast very soon.)
https://blog.wakeupwalmart.com/ufcw/2008/08/will_walmart_sh.html#comments
Wal-Mart’s Anti-Union Threats Lead to Backlash, Call for Federal Probe
https://www.wakeupwalmart.com/news/article.html?article=1692
The Wal-Mart Dictatorship: Vote McCain or Else?
https://www.wakeupwalmart.com/news/article.html?article=1686
Wal-Mart warning managers of labor bill
https://www.wakeupwalmart.com/news/article.html?article=1673
And my favorite one:
Is there a new Wal-Mart going in near you?
https://www.wakeupwalmart.com/news/article.html?article=1669
Arkansas Business reports that Wal-Mart leaders have known since 2000 that stores were illegally denying employees breaks and meals but ignored their own internal audits. The company faces a slew of lawsuits over the issue, which must be troubling given Wal-Mart’s recent losing streak in court:
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. now faces more than 70 lawsuits across the country accusing the Bentonville retailer of failing to award rest or meal breaks to its employees or forcing employees to work off the clock without pay. Since December 2005, Wal-Mart has lost all three of the wage and class-action lawsuits it has faced in courtrooms, with damages now totaling nearly $400 million. And the third case, which hasn’t concluded, has the potential to reach $2 billion in damages.
Yet again my local government has let me down like the federal government.
Thanks again for adding another burden to our town.