HOUSTON – Dozens of neighbors are making plans to try and keep a Walmart out of the Heights.
The neighbors are reacting to reports that Walmart is interested in property near the intersection of Yale and Center.
Just one look at the 24-acre plot in the West End suggests a project is in the works.
Heavy equipment has been putting the finishing touches on the demolition of the Trinity Steel mill, which used to stand on the property in question.
So as soon as word of a possible Walmart spread, some neighbors in the Heights and Washington Corridor areas sprung into action, trying to keep the retail giant from moving in.
They started a Facebook page called Stop the Heights Wal-Mart! -- which already has over 4,000 likes -- and they held a meeting Monday night for concerned residents.
"Write letters to the councilmen. Write letters to the mayor. Write letters to whoever we can write letters to," said one organizer at the meeting, which was attended by about 60 people.
Lindsey O’Neil, one of the group’s organizers, said the community doesn’t have the infrastructure to support such a large company.
"I have nothing against Wal-Mart in general. It is the fact that in this particular case, it is not a good fit for this neighborhood," O’Neil said.
People in the Heights insist their opposition is not about Wal-Mart itself, but its impact on the community.
"They have a volume of traffic that is way in excess of what the Heights is built for. We will be impacted. Our quality of life will be impacted," said Anne Baumgartner, who lives nearby the construction site.
They know it will be a long fight, so they’re focusing on the strength of their community.
"We are trying to figure it out as we go along. We are just a group of neighbors and concerned citizens that found each other," said O’Neil.
