Chamber Gives Wal-Mart Thumbs Down

In an unusual move, the North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce has moved to oppose a proposal by Wal-Mart to build a store in a vacant shopping center in Northridge. The chamber this week lodged its opposition in a letter written to Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith, whose district includes the proposed development area, saying the store would create too much traffic. “The chamber of commerce finds itself in an unusual situation opposing a legitimate business venture,” said Wayne Adelstein, president and CEO of the chamber. “But unfortunately, not all businesses are suitable for all locations, notwithstanding zoning.” The chamber’s letter to the city councilman states not just that Wal-Mart has not presented an acceptable mitigation plan, but that it would be impossible to adequately mitigate the traffic a Wal-Mart store would create in the area, which is at Tampa Avenue and Nordhoff Street. “With traffic congestion already at an excessive level, the additional traffic will have significant adverse impacts that cannot be satisfactorily mitigated,” the letter to the city councilman reads. The chamber’s action comes as local residents also began a campaign to keep Wal-Mart out of the center, which currently houses a vacant Levitz and a Best store.