After Va setback, preservationists take new tack
Published: August 25, 2009
ORANGE — Preservationists will apply corporate pressure to get Walmart to abandon plans for a Supercenter near a famed Civil War battlefield, despite local approval of the store.
A coalition organized by the Civil War Preservation Trust said Tuesday it will attempt to appeal to the ``corporation’s best interests’‘ to find a site farther away from the Wilderness Battlefield in Locust Grove.
The trust’s president, James Lighthizer, said the ``battle is not over’‘ even though Orange County gave the green light to the project early Tuesday.
The coalition waged a national campaign against Walmart, but it didn’t seem to trickle down to the 32,000 residents of rural Orange County.
They want the jobs, the tax revenue and bargains.
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Reader Reactions
I just hope the citizens of Orange are aware of what a family of illegals can do to a rental. I wonder what the property values of LOW will be in a few years?
Just reading all this controversy being shared about Sleepy Hollow and the illegal immigrants in Culpeper and how it may effect the Walmart at Wilderness. Just a passing thought, if what is happening at Sleepy Hollow happens at Wilderness, will this effect the crime rate and all the other ripple effect problems that comes with grand development? And if it does, will it have a residual effect on the tourist industry at Chancellorsville and Wilderness? Will people stay away in lieu of this? So the bottom line is, is this all worth it? Like I said, just a passing thought.
Sleepy Hollow was a horrendous place, yes, but it didn’t spill over onto the length of U.S. 29 and beyond. But we can’t blame all that on Walmart, can we? Just be careful what you wish for. You may not like it after you get it but then you are stuck.
I certainly will. I highly doubt WalMart is the reasoning for the illegal immigrants in Culpeper by the way. Sleepy Hollow was a horrendous place long before your Walmart came.
Since you are aware of Sleepy Hollow, and Culpeper’s need for more and more schools, I assume you are aware of what awaits Orange County. You have no illigal immigrations problems in Orange? Get back with me in a year or so and let me know if that is still the case.
Sandalwood, you are outrageous. What I would first like to know is, why are you so worried about Orange County being that you do not live there? You want to throw illegal immigrants into the mix and berade Orange County? You should really take a look at your own county before bashing Orange. I believe you said you have such a nice Walmart in Culpeper County and that we will have illegal immigrants working and living near our new Walmart, please remind us all of the Sleepy Hollow area 5 minutes from your “nice Walmart.“ We have no illegal immigration problems in Orange. More schools? Didn’t Culpeper County just spend a huge amount of your taxpayers money on a brand new high school? We still have 1 in Orange, just so you know. Worry about your own town, not ours.
As a Supervisor in Orange County I want to make one thing clear. We all have great respect for the “Wilderness” the “Wilderness Battlefield Park” and all who fought there. We also know the Wal-Mart site is not a part of the Battlefield and no on said it was until earlier this year when the Virginia Department of Historic Resources redrew the maps.
I wonder how many of these jobs will go to illegals? They usually rent close to where they work so that means rentals at LOW area will be prime choices. And we all know anybody working at Wal-mart will not make enough to pay for a decent house, rent or mortgage. So what will they do? Probably 20 to 30 in a house. And how much of that $800,000.00 that the BOS is so eager to get their hands will go for more schools, more police. Gonna be lovely, Orange. Enjoy!!
I’d like to take a moment and expound upon the statement made by Mark Johnson in conclusion to the vote taken to secure the new Walmarts on the Wilderness Battlefield .
Supervisor Mark Johnson, who supported the special permit, berated some members of the preservation community who he said had ``twisted the truth’‘ on the historic significance of the site. He argued that history is more than the contours of a battlefield and granite monuments. ``It’s the deeds and the lives that our ancestors lived, the sacrifices they made,‘’ he said.
I’d like to take it a step further. We should have absolutely no memorial or historic sites in this country what-so-ever that pays any homage to the dead. Those people who fought and died, so what, they’re dead. Sites like the Wilderness Battlefield, Gettysburg, and even Arlington National Cemetery or the Normandy Beach Cemetery should all be turned over to large developers so they can build their colossal money making projects. Who cares that grand pappy is buried there, he’s not making us any money right now. Let’s get rid of all this “preserved land to our heritage” and forge a new frontier. Our frontiers, our own heritage.
Money, money and more money, that’s the name of the game, that is the new frontier, and a soldier who fought and died and is buried on some piece of soil that can be better utilized to make money, that’s where I’ll have to agree with Mark Johnson’s position. Remove of this dead soldier who dead butt is doing nothing for proper land usage to some far and distant place where we no longer have to see them, and let’s take back this so called “sacred land” that’s now our heritage, build on it, and make lots of money. We can memorialize the dead anywhere, including inside this wonderful new Walmarts when we purchase our economy clothing and groceries.
We will enjoy “our Walmart.“ You don’t have to drive 30-45 minutes away to do your grocery shopping or pickup a package of diapers or formula, nor do you apparently live in Orange, so the way I see it your opinion doesn’t matter.
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