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Letter to the Editor: "Anti-Corporation bias? No. Rather, I think the City Council has a "Pro-Decorah" bias. I am glad they do."

Posted: Sun, Jun 24, 2018 1:43 PM

(This Letter to the Editor by Jim Fritz of Decorah was submitted in response to C. Dennis Ohlert's Letter to the Editor on Wednesday, June 20th (http://www.decorahnews.com/news-stories/2018/06/19651.html) questioning the Decorah City Council's motives regarding the requested color change of the Walmart Super Center):

"As is the case in many communities across the country, the Decorah Walmart store was painted to be more harmonious with its surroundings.  Case in point: Galena, Illinois a community which also prizes its viewscape, also rejected the present Walmart logo colors.  Other communities, such as Pella, have required Walmart to create specific facades to blend in with the cultural heritage of their community.  These covenants were put in place by city officials and Walmart agreed with them. 

Decorah's SuperCenter is literally on the banks of the Upper Iowa and is nestled in among our bluffs.  The earth tone colors that were used to paint the store blend in with the natural surroundings of the valley.  Due to Walmart's location and its enormity, the colors are far more harmonious than the brand logo of electric blue, grey and orange. 

While I'm assuming the mention of the present color resembling sewage was simply hyperbole, if Mr. Ohlert really thinks these earth tones are the color of sewage, he should visit the nearby City Treatment Plant and discover its true color.

As a reminder to Mr. Ohlert and all Decorah citizens:  the current color scheme was a concession that Walmart made after they lost a lawsuit before the Iowa Supreme Court when the SuperCenter was built.  The lawsuit confirmed that the filling of our floodplain with 120,000 cubic yards of dirt was done so illegally.  That fill dirt was the only way the SuperCenter could be placed above flood levels.  Unfortunately, anytime you fill in floodplains you eventually cause problems for residents above and below during historically high crests of the river during flood stage.  Sadly, this has caused residents of Freeport and Decorah hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage.  The concession that Walmart made following this lawsuit was a small price to pay in comparison.

So, is the city council anti-corporation for requiring that Walmart meet the stipulations of the concessions following the filling of our floodplain?  Or, rather, is the city council simply holding Walmart  responsible while simultaneously protecting the beauty of the Upper Iowa River and the Oneota Valley?  Anti-Corporation bias?  No.  Rather, I think the City Council has a "Pro-Decorah" bias. I am glad they do."