Public Hearing Policy Frustrates Residents
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Why hold a public hearing if no public input will be considered? That’s a question many east Montgomery residents are asking tonight, after Alabama News Network broke the news that a Wal-Mart neighborhood market is moving in .
So we went looking for answers.
A lot of people are feeling frustrated that they really have no say in whether or not the Wal-Mart grocery store and fuel staton comes here. Construction on it could start in the next few months, despite the public outcry.
East Montgomery residents left Thursday’s planning commission meeting dissatisfied. Many of them questioning why a public hearing was held if their input would not stop a neighborhood Wal-Mart from coming to their neighborhood..
“If that’s the procedure, it needs to be changed. That’s all I can say,” said one resident.
Ann Clemson sits on the planning commission, a group of volunteers appointed by city council.
“The planning commission board is not allowed or permitted to vote yay or nay on a development plan,” she says.
She said she felt a bit helpless at Thursday’s meeting.
“I really felt a lot of empathy for that group last night because they were very vocal. They were very serious. It was a mixed crowd of people that expressed the same concerns and they totally oppose the development plan.”
But what about claims that citizens weren’t notified of the development plans in a timely matter? Director of planning Robert Smith says the information was published well in advance of the public hearing.
“We actually do a newspaper advertisement,” he says. “We post signs on the property. We also send letter to adjoining property owners and also the agendas are also on the city website.”
We asked Smith if the plans for the neighborhood Wal-Mart are final.
“No way to stop it from happening unless it does not meet all the requirements, that’s the only way that it could be stopped.”
We’re told the Wal-Mart is meeting all requirements…though they may not be welcomed by their neighbors.
“This area is so crowded already so I don’t think it’ll be a good idea for another Wal-Mart to be in this area,” says resident Linda Mooney.
I spoke with most of the members on the planning commission by phone today and many of them feel the same way the residents do. They want to stress that they have no say in whether this project moves forward.
