New Wal-Mart Upsetting Residents

Some people who live in Sherwood are upset over a Wal-Mart Supercenter going up close to their homes. The new store is going up off Highway 107 at Maryland Avenue.

But not everyone's upset over Wal-Mart's new Supercenter. The Sherwood mayor says that ever since they lost their Wal-Mart off Highway 167/67, he's wanted a new one. His wish is coming true, as ground is being broken for a Supercenter.

To those who live on Kayte Lane in Sherwood, the world is becoming one big Wal-Mart. The Supercenter is going up off what was once their quiet dead end.

Preston Brailsford and his neighbors are stuck with the noise and heavy machinery.

Brailsford says, "It's not near as loud as it was last week when you had that thing going and a power drill drilling into the rocks trying to break it up. Her whole house was shaking."

Now they've received a notice that a seismologist firm will be blasting with dynamite this week.

Brailsford says, "I asked at the City Council meeting, ?How you can come into an established neighborhood with an authorized person and dynamite?? They just looked at me."

Sherwood Mayor Bill Harmon says he's glad Wal-Mart is back and is positive everything will be fine once the store is complete, which could be a year from now.

Harmon says, "I feel sure Wal-Mart will cooperate with us and get a good development over there that everyone will be proud of."

The mayor says the dynamite blasting won't be bad and that his engineers are asking Wal-Mart to build a berm that would separate the store from the neighborhood.

Harmon says, "You can drive to the rec center and see our berm out in back of it. we put one in to separate the rec center from those residents out back that didn't want a rec center there, but now they don't even know it?s there."

The mayor said the city engineer has contacted one of Wal-Mart's engineers to meet with Sherwood residents. They don't know when that will happen but hope it will be soon.

Our calls to Wal-Mart corporate offices were not returned.

Wal-Mart also has a Neighborhood Market grocery store in that area---the mayor says that will stay open.