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Suisun Wal-Mart Supercenter May Kill Travis AFB, a Local Economic Engine
Hearing tonight will respond to evidence that proposed Suisun Wal-Mart Supercenter may lead to eventual closure of Travis AFB
SUISUN/FAIRFIELD - The Solano County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) tonight is expected to discuss a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter project here, and whether the store could lead to the closure of Travis Air Force Base - which contributes $1 billion to the local economy and employs more than 14,000 residents.
That meeting will be 7 p.m. Thursday at the Solano County Administration Center (675 Texas St., first floor) in Fairfield.
Earlier Thursday, community groups rallied against the Wal-Mart, and released letters from the chair of the ALUC, and Travis Base Commander suggesting that the Wal-Mart violates the Travis Airport Land Use Plan, and would "encroach" on the base. That encroachment could lead to the base closure.
The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter is sited at Highway 12 and Walters Road, within "Zone C" of the Travis plan, which states that no more than 300 people per acre be allowed. The Wal-Mart Supercenter would draw 10,000 or more people a day, according to Suisun Alliance and Suisun Citizens League.
"We are confident that the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission tonight will follow Chairman John Foster's assertion that this location is not proper for this type of development. We're also confident the Suisun City Council will follow the Fairfield and Vacaville Councils and provide buffer zones that protect the most valuable economic engine for the local economy," said Paul Greelee of the Suisun Alliance.
"This is not a question of Wal-Mart, but about encroachment on Travis AFB. The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter is the wrong development, in the wrong place at the wrong time," added Greenlee.
Residents also point out that the Wal-Mart would be built along a deadly part of Highway 12, known as "Blood Alley," which has had nearly 800 collisions with 492 injuries and 18 deaths in four years. Nine people have died in Highway 12 car accidents in the past 18 months.
"We have had multiple fatalities in March alone along Highway 12. That shows how bad that stretch of highway is around here. If you bring in 30,000 extra cars on that same highway a week, according to projections, you're going to have more accidents," said Dwight Acey of Suisun Citizens League.
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