A new 176,000 square foot Wal-Mart Supercenter is scheduled to begin construction at the entrance to Stafford Lakes Village in Fredericksburg, Virginia this summer. It will be located on the corner of Rt 17 and Village Parkway, adjacent to the University of Mary Washington: College of Graduate & Professional Studies.
This is a picture of the site plan:
As the image displays, the new Wal-Mart will be in VERY close proximity to our neighborhood. This will undoubtedly lead to increased congestion and pollution (both air quality and noise).
Additionally, the increased traffic will likely raise the likelihood of accidents in the neighborhood, as Village Parkway and University Boulevard are regularly used by residents for recreational purposes.
The Stafford Lakes community center, which includes the swimming pool and playground, will be located directly across the street from the Wal-Mart parking lot. Neighborhood children are currently able to walk or ride their bikes to the community center at minimal risk. This will no longer be the case with the influx of new traffic that will be present.
Understanding that this is a business-driven decision, and that this land has long been zoned for commercial use, we feel that a more "neighborhood-friendly" solution could have been reached, without resorting to placing a "big box" right at the entrance to our residential area.
There are currently already four Wal-Marts within ten miles of Stafford Lakes Village. Do we really need another?
We the undersigned oppose the building of the new Wal-Mart Supercenter at the entrance to our neighborhood, Stafford Lakes Village. We believe this will increase traffic congestion and pollution, as well as become a health and safety hazard for nearby residents and their children.
We understand that this was a business-driven decision, but believe that a more "neighborhood-friendly" solution could have been reached. We believe that this could adversely affect our home property values, as well as introduce other undesirable effects to our peaceful neighborhood.
