Petitioners Fight Lebanon Wal-Mart Plan

LEBANON, Ind. -- An opponent of a plan to build a Super Wal-Mart in Lebanon is collecting signatures against the proposal.

Mark Smith said he has collected about 100 signatures against the plan, which would replace a smaller Wal-Mart currently operating in the city. The larger store would be 20 acres behind the existing store.

"In terms of the vitality of Lebanon and the survival of its local businesspeople, this is the wrong time (for Super Wal-Mart)," Smith told 6News' Derrik Thomas Tuesday.

The City Council approved rezoning for the land in February. The issue will come up for a second vote on March 26.

Mayor Jim Acton has been working on the proposal with Wal-Mart for more than three years. He has said it will bring 150 new jobs to the city.

John Cowan, who owns a pharmacy in Lebanon, is one of the plan's opponents. He said he worries that a bigger Wal-Mart could force other local businesses to close.

"The record is clear: When (Wal-Mart) came to town, we had a hardware store and we had three pharmacies. Most of those are gone," Cowan said.

The mayor's staff says the current Wal-Mart has attracted new businesses around it, and that the new store would be helpful for consumers.

"They can find the prices they want and the merchandise they want here in Lebanon, and they don't have to go elsewhere to find the same goods and materials that they want," said Kristi Spencer, an assistant building inspector for the city.