WASHINGTON — A fight is brewing in Prince George’s County over a proposal to bring a Wal-Mart Supercenter to town.
The chain wants to build a 24-hour store in the Duvall Village Shopping Center. It hopes to expand a vacant grocery store near the intersection of Annapolis Road and Glenn Dale Road.
The Prince George’s County planning board unanimously approved the plan Thursday, but neighbors say it could ruin their quiet neighborhood.
“We just feel that this is not an appropriate location for a 24-hour super Wal-Mart. My house is just 150 feet from it and I can see the back of the building from my living room. A lot of us have been living there for quite some time and we like our peaceful quiet, residential neighborhood,” Jennifer Dwyer told ABC 7.
Dozens of neighbors protested the board’s decision, saying the development could bring traffic, crime and stormwater runoff to the neighborhood.
Wal-Mart supporters argue the Supercenter will revitalize a vacant lot and bring life back to a dying strip mall. Businesses in that shopping plaza have been waiting years for a new anchor store.
“I am biased. We have a business and we have a business to run. And to run a business you need clientele,” said Devin Anthony, a manager at the Bowie 1 Barber Shop.
Wal-Mart says the plan will create new jobs, bringing more than $240 million to the community each year. Wal-Mart does have a store on Crain Highway in Bowie.
