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THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: December 20, 2008

Wal-Mart announced last month it was halting, at least temporarily, its plans to construct one of its Supercenters in Tarpon Springs. Wal-Mart, however, isn't selling the land on U.S. 19 on which it had been planning to build the 200,000-square-foot store. This has many of the people who don't want the store, which would lie adjacent to the Anclote River, convinced Wal-Mart executives are just lying in the weeds, waiting for a City Commission more amenable to their plans.

This week, City Commissioner Susan Slattery proposed that the city adopt an ordinance that would place stringent city controls over developing property on which eagle's nests are located. Other commissioners gave the idea a preliminary endorsement.

Hey, wait a minute. There's an eagle's nest on the Wal-Mart property. As the "Saturday Night Live" Church Lady used to proclaim, "How conve-e-e-e-enient!!"

If Wal-Mart ever tries to resurrect its planned Tarpon Springs store and a court battle erupts, local opponents would welcome another arrow in their legal quiver. Now that the City Commission has declared the Wal-Mart project must undergo a completely new city planning review and is contemplating land use rule changes that would make it difficult for big-box retailers to build in the city, there could be a lot for a judge to consider.

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