County moves to 'box out' Wal-Mart

Representatives for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are accustomed to negative responses when word of a new store hits town: They are criticized for their nonunion shop and accused of suffocating smaller businesses.

Clark County is extending a different sort of greeting.

Soon after the Arkansas-based company announced plans in July to open a Wal-Mart SuperCenter in northwest Clark County, county officials began crafting an ordinance targeted at keeping such stores from moving in.

The proposed ordinance -- which was pulled from last week's zoning agenda -- applies to "big box" stores that are more than 100,000 square feet and devote more than 2,000 square feet to groceries. Stores of that scope must house the food and general merchandise in two separate buildings.

Language in the ordinance is being revised by the district attorney's office, and the commission is expected to discuss it during its Sept. 8 meeting.

Lesa Coder, the county's assistant planning director, said the ordinance was suggested by Commissioner Erin Kenny to prevent traffic jams in parking lots at large stores such as Costco Wholesale and Sam's Club.

"When you have big box centers, traffic definitely becomes a factor," Coder said. "The trend seems to be larger single-stop stores with one point of entry, and there are more and more pedestrian-traffic problems on-site.

"Theoretically, by separating them into two structures, it further distributes the traffic and pedestrian peaks."

However, it is not clear whether the new law would affect traffic-congested Costco Wholesale stores. Existing stores in Henderson and Las Vegas are 118,000 square feet and 145,000 square feet respectively, but dimensions are not broken down by grocery and merchandise.

Some county insiders believe the commission's intent might be less about traffic problems and more about the unpopular nonunion grocery store moving into town. Most commissioners, including Kenny, support unions, which operate in all other major Las Vegas supermarkets.

Two recently opened Target Greatland stores -- which are about 135,000 square feet -- would not be addressed by the new ordinance because they do not have a fully stocked grocery store like Wal-Mart SuperCenters, which range in size from 109,000 square feet to 220,000 square feet.

"Target is not union and the Greatland is fabulous," said Roberta West, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 711. "Retail stores with a limited section of groceries can co-exist in Las Vegas. They're not pulling business away from grocery stores and shopping centers."

West said union supermarket employees average about $14 an hour and receive benefits. Wal-Mart pays its employees $7 an hour and offers benefits to employees who work more than 28 hours per week, West said.

Their prices are cheaper because of the savings from not paying benefits, West said.

"Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the United States," West said. "There is no reason for Wal-Mart to do what it is doing as far as wages and benefits."

West said she feels as strongly about how Wal-Mart treats other businesses as she does about how it treats employees. The one-stop shopping for food and merchandise that the SuperCenters offer stomp out grocery stores and small shops.

West said for every job created at a Wal-Mart store, 1.5 jobs are lost in the community.

"Who's paying for the benefits? The county and taxpayers are," she said.

Wal-Mart officials could not be reached for comment this week.

The majority of shopping centers in town are anchored by two large chain stores separated by smaller retail shops. As customers travel from one major store to the next, they often duck into the smaller shops.

Wal-Mart's SuperCenter would be the only mega-store in the county that interferes with that balance, West said.

"The only store that would be a big box store is Wal-Mart," she said. "If we enter into the community these big box stores, we'll have all kinds of issues -- traffic, crime and people losing business.

"The proposed ordinance should fly through. The commission should not think twice and would protect this community."

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