Salinas
Expert to Tell Salinas Small Businesses How to Fight Wal-Mart and
Big Bo
November 5, 2009
Small business entrepreneur promoter makes special appearance in
Salinas Thursday SALINAS - How can smaller
independent businesses and entrepreneurs fight
against national, big box retailers"
That will be the subject of a presentation in Salinas California,
Thursday, when Jeff Milchen, founder of the nation's
first Independent Business Alliance and expert in
small business preservation, speaks.
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Monterey County defers big box issue to committee
By Leslie Griffy • lgriffy@thecalifornian.com •
July 8, 2009
Supervisors could have asked that staff bring back an ordinance
banning single-occupancy stores more than 90,000
square feet, but instead they decided to create a
committee of interested parties to develop a
proposal and report back to the board and the county
Planning Commission.
Supervisor Louis Calcagno, whose dairy works with a Wal-Mart milk
provider, abstained from the debate and voting. The
remaining supervisors' vote was unanimous, and
supervisors did voice support for limiting large
stores in unincorporated areas.
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Salinas City Council repeals big-box ban
4 to 3 vote ties Wal-Mart's future to use permit,
negotiations with city
By MIKE HORNICK • mhornick@thecalifornian.com •
June 3, 2009
The Salinas City Council repealed its ban on big-box
stores with more than 5 percent of retail space in
groceries late Tuesday, but by a 4-3 vote tied
future discussions with Wal-Mart to a conditional
use permit at the former Home Depot in Harden Ranch.
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Signature validated in Salinas big-box ban issue
Staff reports, The Californian
April 29, 2009
The path is clear for Wal-Mart Supercenters to make their case to
Salinas voters after the Monterey County Registrar
of Voters confirmed on Friday that enough valid
signatures had been collected on a petition to force
a referendum on the city's ban of big-box stores.
The pro-Wal-Mart group Salinas Consumers for Choice collected 7,195
signatures, in excess of the required 4,600, or 10
percent of Salinas registered voters.
The City Council is expected to consider the matter at its June 2
meeting. Unless the city repeals the big-box ban,
the vote would happen in a special election or at
the next regularly scheduled election in November
2010.
When the signatures were filed on April 6, Councilwoman Jyl Lutes -
a ban supporter - said this November is more likely
than next.
"The earliest would be June, but I'm going to guess
this November," Lutes said. "There could also be a
tax measure for public safety, and that is very like
to be on the ballot for November."
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City Council Blocks Super Wal-Mart In Salinas Council Voted For
Big-Box Ban Last Week
March 11, 2009
SALINAS, Calif.
-- The proposed super Wal-Mart set to take over the
empty Home Depot building at the Harden Ranch Plaza
has been blocked.
The Salinas City Council voted for its second and final time
Tuesday to pass the ordinance that bans big-box
stores from also having a grocery store.
Under the ban, any big-box stores with more than 90,000 square feet
in retail space cannot dedicate more than 5 percent
of its floor space to selling non-taxable items --
mostly food.
A large crowd showed up at City Hall to discuss putting a new
Wal-Mart superstore in at the former Home Depot
building.
A big-box ordinance passed last week that bans stores that combine
a large retail operation with groceries is currently
preventing Wal-Mart from putting in a superstore.
The council voted 5 to 2 -- with Mayor Dennis Donohue and
councilwoman Janet Barnes opposed -- for the
ordinance at last week's meeting.
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Salinas Spars Over Wal-Mart Proposal Big-Box
Ordinance Proposed
March 4, 2009
SALINAS, Calif.
-- The Salinas City Council voted Tuesday evening to
approve a big-box ordinance that will ban stores
that combine a large retail operation with
groceries.
The council voted 5 to 2 -- with Mayor Dennis Donohue and
councilwoman Janet Barnes opposed -- for the
ordinance after the community spent hours in public
debate over having a Super Wal-Mart come to town.
Backers of the ordinance said the stipulation protects other
grocery stores in Salinas, but opponents said a
supercenter would give consumers more choices...
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