Wal-Mart says it won't build in Forsyth


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/05/08

Wal-Mart has withdrawn plans for a superstore in Forsyth County that had been the subject of a four-year battle with neighboring homeowners.

The giant retailer said the decision was related to plans announced in June 2007 to more strategically prioritize the development of its supercenters.

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"While this decision is certainly an appropriate one from a business standpoint, it takes nothing away from the fact that Forsyth is an excellent community and a great place to do business," said Glen Wilkins, Wal-Mart senior manager of public affairs for Georgia. The retailer, which last year opened a new store on Atlanta Highway in Forsyth County, said as recently as February that it was proceeding with plans to build a supercenter along Ga. 141, between the Bridle Ridge and Laurel Springs subdivisions in Suwanee.

The fight over this Wal-Mart location started in 2004 and energized nearby homeowners to form the watchdog group Smart Growth Forsyth. In February, a 3-2 majority of the Forsyth County Commission ruled with Smart Growth, overturning a decision last May by the county Zoning Board of Appeals that would have allowed Wal-Mart to build a 175,000-square-foot store and obtain a stream buffer variance.

At that time, Wilkins said the plan was to move forward on a 170,000-foot store, with a 15-foot wall that protects the stream and a bridge that allows customers to cross the stream and enter the store.

Last week, Wal-Mart also announced it would not build a 176,000-square-foot supercenter at the corner of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth.

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