Wal Mart gives up fight on building near battle site in VA.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41272877...ness?gt1=43001

A win for the preservationists and the little guy.

But all those poor bargain-hunters! Oh, the humanity!

Duh Waltons-Mart = Endless reruns on the highways and byways of the world.

G'night Jim Bob, G'night Mary Beth, G'night Kareem.

Wal-Mart has bailed on places in Michigan as well due to public response, or else because cities have modified their zoning. Changing the zoning of a parcel is difficult though. The city of Frankenmuth was able to fight off Wal-Mart when they modified the zoning status of a particular parcel on the edge of town from commercial to planned unit development. The PUD zone regulated the size of buildings and would have likely required Wal-Mart to build a multi-level store with underground parking and smaller setbacks

Frankenmuth's actions were seen by Wal-Mart as "spot zoning," which is in most cases illegal. However, the city-township master plan indicated future use of the site as PUD, so the city was able to pull it off. The moratorium on big box stores and the adoption of the master plan around the time Wal-Mart was rumored for the site were coincidental. I'm happy to say the city won on this one and Wal-Mart walked away.