Council Candidates Air Views on Wal-Mart Store, Retail Development

The expected arrival next year of Wal-Mart Stores in Roseville has sparked differing views among four candidates running for the Roseville City Council.

At a forum last week sponsored by the Minnesota League of Women Voters, candidate Karen Schaffer said she would have voted against allowing a final plat approval for the Arkansas-based disconter to build a store in Roseville's Twin Lakes neighbhroood.

Schaffer was among citizens who legally tried to block the project, contending that allowing the big-box store in that area was not consistent with the city's comprehensive plan.

"Big-box retail costs more ( in city services) than the money the city takes in (in taxes)," Schaffer contended. "It hollows our land tax base." 

Another candidate, said he would have voted with the Council majority in approving the Wal-Mart proposal. "I think there is a role for increasing retail in the community" he said. "But the question is "How do we do that?"

Candidate Lisa Laliberte said that while Wal-Mart would not have been her first choice for the Twin Lakes neighborhood, she didn't blame the current Council for supporting the project. Rather, she said the city should have taken steps several years ago to rectify to get the city's comprehensive plan and zoning for the area in sync.

As for future retail development, Laliberte said she believes the city has a good balance between residential and commercial development and wouldn't be looking to alter that balance.

Another Council candidate, Jason Etten, acknowledged that what strain the  arrival of the Wal-Mart store will have on the city's police services is an ongoing issue. "The big question is how do we develop the 90 percent of the land of the Twin Lakes (area) that is still undeveloped?" he asked.

Meanwhile, Roseville Patch last week reported on the candidates views about organized trash hauling. Click here to see that report.

The candidates' forum was sponsored by the Roseville-Maplewood-Falcon Heights chapter of the Minnesota League of Women Voters.

To view the forum, you can go online to this link: http://www.ctvnorthsuburbs.org/index.php/elections.html

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