The Atascadero Wickershams look forward to the grand opening of our new Walmart. Walmart won’t cause small business to close. Look at Paso Robles: The downtown is thriving, and business improved after Walmart opened. Many people go to Walmart, then to a restaurant in Paso, shopping, or a movie while there. Residents will shop in Atascadero rather than traveling outside the city to shop. This reduces fuel and air pollution from travel.

Now, Atascadero residents are spending about $117 million on retail goods elsewhere—about one-third of the estimated total potential sales made by city residents. This will keep millions in our local economy that would be spent outside our city. Existing retail stores and restaurants throughout Atascadero, including downtown, will benefit from shoppers coming from outside Atascadero, bringing millions of dollars in new sales to Atascadero.

To strengthen vital city services like public safety and roads, we must encourage business growth in Atascadero that will bring in new revenue. The Walmart and Annex projects won’t result in any significant noise or lighting impacts. Including sustainable design features and compliance with state and local regulations will reduce project GHG emissions by about 32.5 percent. Support Walmart and a thriving Atascadero.