Judge Upholds Turlock Ban on Big Box Stores

Judge Upholds Turlock Ban on Big Box Stores

A Turlock ordinance that would stop Wal-Mart from building a supercenter in town has been upheld by a Stanislaus County Superior Court judge.

Judge Roger Beauchesne ruled the city's ban on so-called "big box" stores and its goal of preventing traffic jams and protecting neighborhood stores is in the public's interest.

A spokesman for Wal-Mart said the ordinance would limit the choice of customers in Turlock. It also claimed it had been singled out for the ban.

Wal-Mart has a 125,000-square-foot store on Fulkerth Road since 1993 but wants to build a 225,000-square-foot supercenter nearby. The larger store would add a full-service grocery section to the departments found in a regular Wal-Mart.

Opponents worry increased traffic to the store could cause congestion and that Wal-Mart's low prices would undercut smaller grocery stores and drive them out of business, creating blight in other shopping centers around town.

Wal-Mart said a federal judge still has to rule on a similar lawsuit that argues that the ban violates Wal-Mart's right to conduct commerce under the U.S. Constitution.

Story last updated Wednesday, December 22, 2004 - 12:11 PM

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