Proposed Torrance Walmart Store Brings On a Lawsuit

Back in April, Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto said the shuttered storefronts in his city was one of the reasons he was supporting the arrival of a proposed Walmart to Hawthorne and Sepulveda boulevards. Additionally, he said the city couldn't stop the Walmart because "the project merely exchanged one permitted retail use for another," according to the Breeze. But critics of the 75,400-square foot building, proposed for a former Mervyns store, said the big box store would hurt smaller businesses. Now a lawsuit has been filed by opponents of the store--a group called "Building an Economically Sound Torrance" who contend that "officials broke municipal law in concluding a proposed Walmart did not require discretionary permits and therefore was not subject to environmental review, alleges a lawsuit filed Wednesday against the city," reports the Breeze. The suit was filed by Los Angeles land use attorney Gideon Kracov. "Many studies show that Walmart Superstores create serious traffic impacts and cannibalize the sales of local businesses," he said. "Special permitting shortcuts for Walmart or any other businesses in Torrance are unfair. We are concerned that the city has tried to pull a fast one."
· Lawsuit claims Torrance broke law in approving new Walmart [Daily Breeze]
· Torrance May Finally Be Getting a Walmart [Curbed LA]