Video: Residents Weigh In On Neighborhood Market

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A proposed Neighborhood Walmart store in Starkville will be back on the board of aldermen’s agenda when they meet again.

If they approve the project, there would be a $1.3 million dollar tax increment to finance it.

A few residents spoke at Tuesday night’s board meeting, telling why they want and need a grocery store on their side of town.

Highway 12 West is filled with traffic, shops, and grocery stores, but for people who live on the other side of town, grocery shopping can be a hassle.

“I have to wait for somebody to get off of work to take me. I have to wait and you know about that time, it’s time to go to sleep you know, so yeah, it’s a long way, but I welcome Walmart. I welcome the market to come, but just let them pay their own way,” says resident, Dorothy Isaac.

A twenty-minute trip to the grocery store may not seem long, but resident June Carpenter says it is for most elderly.

“It is for when you have grown up in a small town, and you live in a small town, and often times, that’s why elderly like to live in small towns because things are convenient to them and they don’t have to get into traffic.”

For 50 years, Carpenter has lived in Starkville, and has spent most of her time living on the northeastern side, where there hasn’t been a near by grocery for decades.

“Really, I don’t like the idea of paying the TIF, but the problem is the city leaders have paid the TIF to have businesses on the west side of town, so now it’s time for them to equal it out, and pay the TIF to have stores on our side of town.”

Alderwoman Lisa Wynn says the town needs Walmart, more than Walmart needs Starkville. That’s why the city needs to prepare to provide some tax incentives.

“The soil is not of good quality, it would have to be removed. We’re talking about construction of a street. The sewer would have to be developed in that area. Smaller businesses wouldn’t be able to afford that, and even if a developer were to come in and want to do it, I can assure you he will be asking us for TIF also.”

The county supervisors are for bringing in the neighborhood market, but only three aldermen voted for it last time it was brought up.

“This would assist our residents that live north of town. It would speak to the traffic that has definitely became congested recently, more so than ever on Highway 12. Certainly, I do not represent any of the residents out in the county, but I’m fighting for them also because many of them are no longer shopping in our city.”

The project will be brought up again for discussion on November 15th.