CIBOLO, Texas – Residents eager to have their questions and concerns heard over a proposed Walmart in Cibolo left no room at City Hall Monday evening.
The crowd even filled the lobby and then overflowed outside of the building.
The majority of residents in attendance were there to express their anger over the big box store that could be built at the intersection of Cibolo Valley and Borgfield Road.
That would put the store across the street from Wiederstein Elementary School, one of many reasons hundreds of residents oppose the plan.
As chants of "no Walmart" began echoing from the crowd gathered outside the building, city staff and a police officer shut the doors to City Hall.
Later, it was announced that a second meeting would be held to accommodate the overflow crowd that could not get inside the building. The date of that meeting must be posted 72 hours before it is held, as required by law.
"For them to want to put a Walmart in a place where people want it to be quiet, a little family community, they should have expected an uproar over it," said Cody Gage, one of many residents who questioned why the meeting wasn't held in a bigger venue.
Many opposed to the Walmart believe it would disrupt the small town feel of Cibolo and incite crime and traffic dangers.
"They're talking about putting a five-lane road in front of an elementary school. Do our children have to be killed or abducted? Why do we have to sacrifice the children? That's not why we moved to Cibolo," said resident Tina Watsontarver.
A purchasing agreement has been drafted for the privately-owned land to be used for the Walmart and a closing date set for early July. However, as of Monday night the agreement had not yet been signed.
Three hours after the meeting started, citizens were still asking questions and raising concerns to the city council at 10 p.m. Monday, although only a fraction of the crowd remained.
Walmart issued a statement Monday which read:
"We are having conversations with local leaders, stakeholders and residents to better understand the unique challenges Cibolo faces, and are discussing ways that Walmart might be a part of the solution. We look forward to engaging with the city of Cibolo's leadership, as well as the community to listen, answer questions and share information about this possible store location."
| Cibolo Walmart statement 1 | Cibolo Walmart statement 2 |
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For a list of recent stories Myra Arthur has done, click here.