Plans filed for the supercenter include an entrance on Beacon Woods Drive. Residents say that's the thing they opposed the most.
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published September 26, 2003
BAYONET POINT - Ray Watson wasn't surprised.
The Wal-Mart Supercenter plans filed Wednesday included the one thing Beacon Woods residents oppose the most: a driveway for the discount giant on Beacon Woods Drive.
Residents fear the driveway could encourage shoppers and truckers to cut through Beacon Woods to get to the supercenter on U.S. 19. The extra traffic pouring onto Beacon Woods Drive could make it harder for residents to use that entrance to their community, Watson added.
But despite the residents' objections - raised at meetings with Wal-Mart officials and in numerous letters to the Pasco Times - the site plan includes the driveway, along with a 42-foot bridge over Bear Creek connecting the driveway to the supercenter.
"That would impact our community tremendously," said Watson, president of the Beacon Woods Civic Association. "To us, it's still a major disaster."
After months of discussing their intentions to build a supercenter at the empty Bayonet Point Mall, Wal-Mart officials filed their site plan Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before attending a meeting with about 500 Beacon Woods residents.
The plans show a 203,700-square-foot supercenter, along with a 16-pump gas station and two outparcels fronting U.S. 19. The outparcels, each slightly smaller than an acre, could become home to a restaurant, bank or similar businesses.
The scope of the 30-acre Wal-Mart site, not including outparcels, is massive: 971 regular parking spaces, 36 handicapped parking spaces, 666 trees and thousands of shrubs and other plants.
Aside from the driveway on Beacon Woods Drive, the supercenter would use two existing driveways on U.S. 19. The northern one would allow right-in, right-out turns only. The southern one would allow right and left turns into the supercenter, but only right turns back onto U.S. 19.
About 2,000 Beacon Woods residents have signed a petition against the proposed driveway on Beacon Woods Drive. Ultimately, county officials will decide whether to allow it, and whether to allow the supercenter at all.
The site plan must go before the county's Development Review Committee, said Cindy Zatorski, a county development review technician. It may also come before the County Commission, she said.
When that time comes, Beacon Woods residents will be out in force, said Carl Spoeth, a member of the Pasco Citizens for Growth Management.
"This is our community, our quality of life and our safety we're fighting for here against big business," Spoeth said.
- Bridget Hall Grumet can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com
