Wilkins Township neighbors upset about planned Walmart

While Wilkins Township neighbors may love the everyday low prices at Walmart, some would rather drive elsewhere than welcome a new store into their neighborhood.

Walmart reportedly plans to turn a vacant Sears building into a 125,000 square foot supercenter.

Neighbors are not happy.

“I don’t want to see a Walmart in Penn Center,” said Thelma Landay.

Landay and Deborah Friedman have started a petition, hoping to derail Walmart’s plans and get the corporation to look elsewhere.

“I’m concerned about traffic. I’m concerned about noise,” said Landay.

“There is already a lot of traffic and gridlock during peak hours and weekends,” said Friedman.

Channel 11 found some statistics for a nearby North Versailles Walmart.

A union group claims that during one four-year period, the North Versailles police received so many calls to the Greensburg Pike location that the department nearly tripled in size. More than 650 calls were received last year, according to the report.

The Wilkins Township administrator said the story has yet to apply for a zoning permit, but it has signed a lease with Penn Center.

Commissioners said they will ultimately decide to do whatever is in the best interest of the community.

WPXI