Wal-Mart developers scale down plans for Atascadero store

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• Viewpoint: Wal-Mart holding project plans hostage

  Viewpoint: Wal-Mart holding project plans hostage

  The proposal to bring a Walmart store to Atascadero has been in the works for more than six years and now that it is time to move ahead in earnest, Wal-Mart is trying to backpedal on commitments it made with respect to the traffic mitigation for the project.

  You might find the preceding statement a curious one, coming as it does from the very people who introduced Wal-Mart to Atascadero: namely me, Steven Rottman, and my partners at the Rottman Group. As longtime developers we are often caught in crossfire and peppered with accusations. That comes with the territory.

  But what doesn’t come with the territory are Wal-Mart’s actions regarding the proposed development at the corner of Del Rio and El Camino Real. I am writing this Viewpoint to explain a long and torturous process that has left us in an untenable situation.

• Lawsuit won’t stop Atascadero Walmart, officials say

  Lawsuit won’t stop Atascadero Walmart, officials say

  The developer proposing to build a shopping center next to Atascadero’s controversial Walmart project has defaulted with its lender, but officials say the dispute isn’t expected to hold up city hearings on either project.

  Montecito Bank and Trust is suing Santa Barbara-based Rottman Group for defaulting on $6.2 million in loans for several assets, according to an Oct. 18 filing at Santa Barbara County Superior Court.

  But officials from Rottman and the city of Atascadero say the lawsuit won’t affect the developer’s intentions to build The Annex, which proposes more than 120,000 square feet of commercial space plus the option for residences next to the proposed Walmart store on Del Rio Road.

• Viewpoint: Wal-Mart responds to concerns

  Viewpoint: Wal-Mart responds to concerns

  We wish to address misconceptions and false statements that have been recently levied against our new store project in Atascadero and set the record straight.

  Since first introducing our store to the Atascadero community, support for this new store has grown throughout the community. More than 5,700 area residents have expressed their support.

  Supporters are telling us that in a time of considerable unemployment and in an economy that is forcing local governments to cut back on vital city services, we are proposing a project that can be a part of Atascadero’s economic solution. This opportunity will provide approximately 300 new jobs, increase sales and property taxes and bring additional products and services that Atascadero residents are asking for in their own town.

• Wal-Mart sure can stir up the pot

  Wal-Mart sure can stir up the pot

  What do Wal-Mart Inc., global warming and gay marriage have in common? They’re all controversial topics especially when Wal-Mart wants to build a store in your town.

  I thought of that Wednesday while reading a Viewpoint in The Tribune’s opinion section. It was written by Wal-Mart’s senior public affairs manager for Central California. She said misconceptions and false statements have been leveled against Wal-Mart’s new store project in Atascadero.

  I’m not surprised that some Atascaderans reject a new big-box store, especially a Walmart store. Some people see it as crass, pushy, exploitive and low class. I guess that makes me low class. I live within walking distance of the Paso Robles Walmart and shop there frequently.

• Traffic dispute impedes proposed Atascadero Walmart, Annex projects

  Traffic dispute impedes proposed Atascadero Walmart, Annex projects

  After months of talks behind closed doors, Atascadero city staff now says it’s unlikely that Wal-Mart and The Annex shopping centers will agree on how to pay for traffic improvements that consultants say are needed if both proposed projects are built at the city’s north end.

  It’s the latest development in a hot-button issue that the city has been wrestling with since 2007. In recent weeks, further controversy has unfolded as representatives from both projects have hinted at their dispute in public opinion pieces.

  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is proposing a commercial and residential project off Del Rio Road, while the Santa Barbara-based Rottman Group wants to build The Annex shopping center next to it.