A developer is proposing to redevelop Suburban Plaza

ajc file photo
A developer is proposing to redevelop Suburban Plaza, seen in this 1960 photo and located near Decatur, with a Walmart.


By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Decatur and Walmart seemed an unlikely match to some from the start and that tension was on display Wednesday afternoon during a well-attended and occasionally combative public hearing on whether the retail giant would receive a parking variance.
The DeKalb County Zoning Board of Appeals granted that variance despite objections from nearby residents who say the proposed supercenter, with a grocery and pharmacy, will bring unwanted traffic to what is already a congested area. But for some in this progressive enclave, where chain stores are the exception, not the rule, the very idea of a Walmart is enough to rouse opposition.

"[The developer] was apologetic from the start that they were bringing a Walmart here," said Melanie White, who presented a petition signed by 378 Decatur residents opposed to the planned redevelopment of aging Suburban Plaza, located on North Decatur Road between Church Street and Medlock Road. "We built Decatur with small businesses."

But Walmart officials say opponents don't represent the majority of residents who will welcome the estimated 250 to 300 jobs the Arkansas-based retailer will bring to DeKalb.


Full story: http://www.ajc.com