Around 20 people attended a public meeting of the new group Clatsop Residents Against Walmart Wednesday.

The group sent out 350 letters to local businesses soliciting donations in November, and has made enough to distribute 2,244 copies of the documentary “Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices” to households in Warrenton and Hammond Feb. 6 and 7.

Many local residents welcome the planned Walmart development in Warrenton. But CRAW members maintain that the store, proposed for a site near the intersection of U.S. Highway 101 and Marlin Avenue, is “not a done deal,” but it is a “dumb deal.”

CRAW’s leaders say they are concerned about negative impacts the retail giant could have on the county. They cite studies and point to cases where developing a Walmart has resulted in net job losses for surrounding communities, has cost taxpayers money in subsidized public services, and has driven locally owned companies out of business.

Several Astoria businesses are supporting the county’s nascent anti-Walmart movement, including the?Blue Scorcher Bakery, The?Ship Inn, Astoria Coffeehouse, Andrew & Steve’s Cafe, and The Columbian cafe and theater.

CRAW?spokesman James Pottschmidt addressed the group Wednesday with his worries about the additional traffic north and south of the development along U.S. Highway 101 – particularly on the new Youngs Bay Bridge.

“Traffic is going to be a nightmare,”?he said, “unless ODOT wants to pay for a new bridge.”

Among a few other approvals, Walmart still needs highway access approval from Oregon Department of Transportation. Fighting that permit is one of CRAW’s top priorities.

ODOT’s access permit will determine the design of the commercial development – a key step in obtaining permission from the city of Warrenton to begin construction. The Warrenton Planning Commission will have to sign off on the site design before construction can begin, and if the design doesn’t conform to the city’s development codes, the company will need to apply for a variance.

Before announcing which retailer would be moving in, Warrenton Fiber Inc. owner Martin Nygaard laid the groundwork for the Walmart, applying for the city approvals to clear platted streets and for the state permit to fill wetlands at his 17-acre property west of the Les Schwab Tire Center. In September, it was announced that Walmart is buying the property and developing the site.

The proposed 150,000-square-foot store would contain general merchandise, a full-size grocery, a garden center and around 650 parking spaces; it would take around nine to 12 months to build once ground is broken. The Warrenton store would employ 300 people, but not all would be full-time associates.

Many local residents like the idea of having a Walmart nearby. They say the jobs, low prices and foot traffic it offers will benefit the local economy. But Pottschmidt, a musician and part-time educator, said according to the results of one study, the Walmart could end up costing the county 450 jobs – resulting in a net job loss. The development will only really benefit “Nygaard and his family,” he said. “The city of Warrenton only thinks it’s going to benefit at the cost of everybody else.”

On Wednesday, Astoria resident Ted Thomas said Walmart woos customers with loss-leader merchandise – items sold at a loss to the retailer – then charges more for other items in the store.

“People remember those loss-leaders,” he said, “and they think that applies to all the prices.”

Deborah McEuen of Astoria said she doesn’t like “the stragglers it attracts,” including chain restaurants like the Olive Garden and Applebees, which would hurt locally owned restaurants.

Astoria resident Oliver Yackley said he’s worried about Astoria businesses and the possibility that more buildings downtown will be left vacant after Walmart moves in.

“It’s bad enough we have the Flavel buildings,” he said. “It would be a sad scene to see our little town die … but you will have a lot of parking.”