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The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

A big box store soon to come to Auburn

On September 28, 2010, the Placer County Board of Supervisors with a 5-0 vote approved the “Bohemia” center that can accommodate a Costco, WalMart or other similar large box retailer. Following a trend with other recent large scale developments in Auburn the project does not come without some controversy.

 The downtown redevelopment of the new town square had citizens ranting that the city was wasting money and business owners were up in arms complaining about the disruptions during construction. 

Now that construction of Phase I downtown redevelopment is complete the restaurants have waiting lists, the nearby businesses have new customers and downtown is thriving with activity.  The Home Depot center had years of opposition and controversy and now that it is open the parking lot seems to be full and there have not been the feared traffic jams on highway 49. 

The recently approved “big box” retail center is following the same path with controversy and threatened lawsuits to overturn the board approval.  Like all controversies there are two sides that are both passionate in their views.  The group Alliance for Protection of Auburn Community (APACE) is a group in opposition to the big box development.  Lee Lively, a member of APACE, said that “at first it was personal as they wanted to build a big box store across from my home.  Then I learned how Walmart is detrimental to local business and can damage the surrounding community.”

Jim Conkey, the developer of the property, said that he has met with the neighbors and made changes to the project to address their concerns. 

Mr. Conkey said, “We closed off Canal Street, we proposed a sound wall and large amounts of landscaping, This will make it so neighbors do not hear excessive noise from the center and it will be screened with the large amounts of landscaping.  Mr. Conkey went on to say that many of the adjacent property owners purchased their homes and industrial properties with an operating lumber mill as their neighbor, the new center will be a quieter operation then the old mill.”  

According to Conkey, the center will employ 200 temporary construction jobs and 350 permanent jobs when the store is in full operation.  The construction work will be open for local contractors to bid. Conkey said, “Centers of this design bring an economic synergy to a community and will bring more shoppers to Auburn and the surrounding communities spending their money in all of the unique small local shops and companies.

Jason Long the environmental studies teacher at Placer, said that in his opinion “big box stores are what is wrong with the world,  Mr. Long went on to say, “I would rather see a mixed use development like the Fountains in Roseville”

Big box retailers provide large and varied selection for shoppers at reported low prices.  Vinny Alicia a eleventh grade student at Placer High School said, “It is probably a better way to shop, unfortunately it may be devastating to some of the smaller local business.

A common feeling is that most residents would like to see upscale retail developments that combine entertainment, specialty stores, and discounted shopping featuring architecture that will leave impressions for centuries.  These types of upscale retail entertainment centers are generally found in larger communities that can draw large numbers of shoppers and rents that can cover the expensive costs to build and operate these centers.

It appears that most residents would prefer a center with an outside gathering space and interesting design but they generally support a property owner’s right to develop a property that meets the local rules and guidelines and they understand that economics are an important drive in the design of new developments.  In the end given a choice of driving 20 miles to a big box retailer or driving five miles to the same retailer almost everyone will take the shorter drive.

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