Canfield residents told Wal-Mart representatives they should take no for an answer.

Canfield residents told Wal-Mart representatives they should take no for an answer.

By JEANNE STARMACK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

CANFIELD — For Wal-Mart representatives, it was a tough room.

Township and city residents packed into McMahon Hall at the MetroParks farm Tuesday to pepper them for two hours with questions.

What was an increase in traffic from a new supercenter on a triangle of land between U.S. Route 224, Raccoon Road and the Ohio Turnpike going to do to already badly congested Route 224?

What could the people living on Raccoon Road expect when the 187,000-square-foot store opened?

Would there be buffers? Would there eventually be an access road that sent store traffic to plague residents on Raccoon?

Imagine, one woman said, what’s going to happen with traffic during the Canfield Fair.

What would happen to smaller businesses once Wal-Mart opened, some wanted to know.

Would Wal-Mart shut out local contractors in building its newest behemoth, favoring those from out of town who would leave and take their paychecks with them rather than spend them in Canfield?

Schools superintendent Dante Zambrini was there to question whether Wal-Mart would challenge property tax assessments and shortchange the school district. Resident Dan Bienko wanted to know if it’s true the company has people working full time on hounding communities into giving it tax relief.

Residents said they believe the new store would stress safety forces, with some pointing out that the township relies on an understaffed sheriff’s department now for police coverage.

Resident and businessman Tim Smith pointed to figures from other area Wal-Marts. Boardman’s, for example, generates an average of 500 police calls a year, he said.

And speaking of those other stores — in Boardman, in Austintown, and Salem — why on earth does the company need to build another one in such close proximity and in a community that clearly doesn’t want it, residents wanted to know.

“Does common sense ever come into play?” asked John Vanbrocklin of Raccoon Road. “We have to live there and deal with that traffic every day,” he said. “Do you ever say, ‘The impact on this community is not worth what we’re trying to accomplish here?’”

It wasn’t even easy for Wal-Mart to be green.

The company presented plans for its site and talked about what the new store would look like — with earth tones and a front wall that would be staggered in and out instead of flat. And it touted its energy-efficient features, from daylight harvesting skylights, dimming ballasts and computer-controlled daylight sensors to a high-efficiency HVAC system to its reclaiming heat from refrigeration equipment for 70 percent of its hot water.

But Wal-Mart has 350 old stores sitting empty, abandoned after the company built the bigger supercenters nearby, said Kelly Burcsak of Briarwood Court in the township. Not so eco-friendly, she pointed out.

Wal-Mart representatives did their best to appease residents, whose blessing they need for a zone change for 14 acres of the 27 the supercenter would sit on.

Michael W. Schweickart, traffic engineer, said two access roads would handle store traffic from Route 224, with a light being installed at the main one across from the Westford development.

He said lanes would be added, and technology would be used to coordinate the lights on 224 so traffic would flow better. Wal-Mart would pay for the improvements, he said.

Ron Mosby, Wal-Mart’s senior manager of public affairs, insisted the company does give back to communities. He pointed to an opportunity Wal-Mart had for a 10-year tax abatement in the Cleveland area. “We opted out of it.”

Yes, residential areas would be buffered, because the local zoning code requires it, said civil engineer David Vorndran.

And as far as businesses closing because of Wal-Mart, Mosby asserted, there are a number of businesses who try to locate near the stores because the increased customer traffic benefits them as well.

Wal-Mart has to present its request for the zone change from residential to business to the Mahoning County Planning Commission first. It did so once already in October, but immediately pulled its request when it appeared the commission was going to vote to recommend denial.

Then, the company must present its plan to the township zoning commission. The zoning commission would make a recommendation for or against the change to the township trustees, who have the final say.

If the trustees would vote to allow the change, residents could place a referendum before voters. If the trustees voted to deny the change, Wal-Mart could appeal to the common pleas court.

What is Wal-Mart going to do, one woman asked, if it doesn’t get the zone change it needs? “We wouldn’t build,” Mosby told her.

There will be another public meeting at 7 tonight at McMahon Hall on state Route 46 south of the city of Canfield.

starmack@vindy.com