California City May Stop Wal-Mart By Taking Its Land

San Francisco Chronicle

Hercules, California, known for a recent New Urbanist development, may stop a proposed Wal-Mart by using eminent domain to take its land. This would be the first time that a city took land from Wal-Mart.

While other cities have rejected Wal-Mart store proposals, the Hercules City Council is to vote Tuesday on whether to begin eminent domain proceedings to forcibly take 17.27 acres from the company, which wants to put a big-box store near an upscale new residential neighborhood next to San Pablo Bay."

"The possibility of the city using of eminent domain comes after the retailer rejected its offer to buy the land earlier this year, and a year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that local government can force property owners to sell out to make way for private development that city officials determine would benefit the public.

Wal-Mart promises to put up a fight that will cost the city dearly."

Full Article in San Francisco Chronicle: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/05/22/MNGO6IVUTP1.DTL

Host comments: Is this a case of N.I.M.B.Y.ism (Not in My Back Yard) on the part locals who don't want certain people shopping in their community? Or is it just good use of public policy and local laws to fight King Wal-Mart?