The request by local property owners and Wal-Mart Corporation to build a new super center on Lady's Island near the airport raises significant questions for our community. It is a controversial proposal illustrative of issues that are at the heart of the debate about growth in northern Beaufort County. It will have significant traffic, economic and environmental impacts. Large-box stores typically reduce employment in the areas where they locate by competing with existing businesses. The proposed store would be seven miles, less than 15 minutes, from the existing store on Robert Smalls Parkway. Most of the immediate public reaction has been negative, as it often has been when Wal-Mart seeks to locate in small communities. On the other hand, Wal-Mart brings low-cost, one-stop shopping desired by many people. Thus, the debate begins.

The Coalition for Smart Growth thinks it is imperative that a thorough analysis of the economic, environmental and transportation impacts of this large, proposed development must be a precondition of any further governmental approvals of the project. This analysis must be consistent with the recently completed Northern Beaufort County Regional Plan. All impacts throughout the project's projected customer base area should be carefully examined through the year 2025.

Of particular concern to our coalition are impacts on the region's road system, the affected local economy and the environment at and near the store's proposed location. Our roads are projected to be inadequate even when the currently planned bond issue projects are completed. There is a substantially greater volume of traffic now predicted than was the case when the development agreement was signed. The store is likely to have significant impacts on the area's economy, in particular the likely negative impact on retail businesses on Lady's Island and in Beaufort and Port Royal. Wal-Mart stores typically eliminate more local jobs than they create. There are site-specific environmental impacts such as wetlands loss, parking lot runoff and loss of habitat. In addition, there is no indication of any contact with the Federal Aviation Administration concerning whether such a large store should be across the street from the airport.

An Intergovernmental Agreement implementing the Northern Beaufort Regional Plan is being negotiated by our county and municipal governments. Beaufort, Port Royal and Beaufort County will all be significantly impacted by the proposed store. The draft agreement provides that those seeking approval for large developments "shall provide an analysis document of how the development complies with the Northern Beaufort County Regional Plan and applicable comprehensive plans. The analysis shall include transportation impact, adequate public facilities, impact on natural resources and compliance with baseline (environmental) standards." This proposed store illustrates the need for that type of analysis.

No final decision on the proposed project should be made unless such an analysis is available for public review. Any preliminary decisions should be made only on the condition that the analysis is done promptly. Both the city of Beaufort Design Review Board and the City Council will make decisions on the project soon. The board will meet initially on Thursday to begin reviewing the many site and design aspects of the project. The City Council has to decide whether to extend the development agreement, which expires on Feb. 25. Both appear to have the authority to ask for much more complete information than is available on the public record. (As an example, the traffic analysis submitted with the application to develop the Wal-Mart project is very localized and projects traffic volumes for only two years whereas the Northern Regional Plan traffic analysis projects to 2025. A much better, area-wide traffic analysis is clearly necessary.)

Wal-Mart is a huge corporation with fully adequate resources to do a thorough review of the costs and benefits of any store it seeks to build. The corporation has ample experience in locating facilities in a wide variety of communities including many that do not want its stores. It knows how to do a thorough analysis that will give local residents and officials the information that is critical in making the decisions that will be necessary to avoid or mitigate the significant adverse impacts that are likely on Lady's Island and beyond. Wal-Mart has scaled down some of its stores in response to community concerns and has not built others. The building of a large Wal-Mart near the airport should not be viewed as inevitable.

It has been 14 years since federal, state and regional agencies regulating wetlands, roadways, water and sewer, storm water management, fire protection, etc., took a preliminary look at the general development plans. These agencies will all request further review before the Wal-Mart project goes forward. Some of these agencies' regulatory requirements have changed. Local conditions, such as traffic volumes and business development have changed substantially. All of this is good reason for doing a thorough, comprehensive analysis of the development proposal. The original plans were written in 1993 and only slightly changed when the city annexed the land in 2003, and, of course, this specific type of development was likely not in most people's minds.

Those of us who live in northern Beaufort County know too well what poorly planned development can do. We can just look south. It is absolutely critical to the careful use of our natural resources, to the health of our economy, the safety of our roadways and to our very way of life that no huge development like a Wal-Mart is approved without full information, public debate and adequate time for careful consideration. This decision will be a test of whether we can get growth right, now and into the future. This proposal can be viewed as a test of our community vision and our resolve to achieve it. Let's do the best we can.