I am proud to announce that I’ve been endorsed by the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club after the last candidate forum. It is an honor to be endorsed by an organization such as the Sierra Club. The environment is an integral part of Poquoson and we must be good stewards if we want Poquoson to remain a town that can support our watermen and attract residents who want to live in an environment filled with clean waterways, natural habitats, and abundant wildlife. While I’m in no way an environmental expert, and have much to learn, I will be a diligent student and consult with organizations such as the Sierra Club and Chesapeake Bay Foundation when a decision comes before me on City Council regarding the environment. Growth and the environment is a delicate balance in a town like ours. I think there is room for both and I will do my best to be the kind of City Council woman who can find a good balance, but always consider the importance of keeping Poquoson a place we can call home.
janaandrews.com 
Ms. Andrews – two observations/comments. I will say I’m very impressed with your efforts to communicate with the citizens. First, I’ve read about your “no Walmart” work (see below). Not challenging you at all, but what else do you bring to the table? What is my incentive to vote for you? Second, it really concerns me that so many people keep referring to Walmart. The proposal was not a traditional Walmart – in was a grocery store! I’ve never seen anything that connects the Walmart Neighborhood market to crime rates or other problems and feel that, in at least some cases, continuing to imply that there was a proposal to put a traditional Walmart in Poquoson in misleading at the minimum. If folks are opposed to another grocery store – fine, just say that. But also realize that a grocery store is currently a by-right use in the commercial district! Thank you
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Mr. Travis, thank you for your comment, I appreciate you taking the time to read my comments. I’ve covered what I bring to the table and why I feel you should vote for me in several places on my website, most specifically under the “Why Vote For Me” tab. I feel most people in Poquoson know with all the press coverage it was a neighborhood Walmart proposed, therefore I haven’t felt it necessary to add the word “neighborhood” to my posts. I haven’t mentioned anything in any of my posts about crime rates or other problems regarding Walmart. My research a year ago was focused on looking at other towns our size that Walmart entered and what happened economically (i.e. price gauging putting other businesses out of business, then requesting tax reductions from the city which the city can’t afford to say no to, pulling out of cities after putting other businesses out of business, and leaving the city in a worse place than before they came, etc.) and the fact that it would only “shift” revenue from one store to another, but not bring in additional shoppers to increase revenue. And, right after CRES backed out of the deal, Walmart did a massive closing of neighborhood Walmart stores across the nation, so in hindsight it looks like it was a good thing that deal fell through. That property, which is city owned, is the gateway to our city, and some of the highest and best property in the city. Not only I, but most of the city, felt we needed something better there. City Council, as a result, has put in place, an ordinance the Mayor referred to in the Sierra Club candidate forum as an overlay on that property to restrict what can go there now, as they should have prior to the sale of that land by the city so what went there conformed to the comp plan, which a neighborhood Walmart did not. The comprehensive plan specifically mentioned no big box retailers. City Council also had a brainstorming session about that property earlier in the year, which I attended, and everyone there from City Council and the planning commission agreed a grocery store was not the use needed and are now working together to make sure what goes at the gateway to our city is good for the city. I think that is a great and positive thing that came out of the neighborhood Walmart deal. I do believe I am the best candidate for the position Traci-Dale Crawford is vacating, but that will be left to the citizens to decide, and I respect that decision regardless of which way it goes. I do know, if elected, I will work hard to make decisions I feel are in the best interest of Poquoson and in line with the comprehensive plan. I did attend the Comprehensive Plan meeting at the high school and took notes on all the comments for each focus area so I could see what the concerns of the citizens were. Thank you again for your comments.
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Thank you for your response. I should point out that, to date, you are the only candidate who has responded to my questions! I want to make it clear that I am not disagreeing with you on the need for the Walmart Neighborhood store. My concern is that so many in the City use the term “Walmart” and, from many of the comments posted last year, it was obvious that at least many equated that to the traditional Walmart like just up the road in York County.
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Totally understand your position Mr. Travis. Even if you disagreed with me (which I understand you do not), that would be OK 🙂 It’s about discussing issues, seeing each other’s view points, learning things you may have not have known before, and working together to do what is best for Poquoson and its citizens. I always welcome other’s opinions whether they are in agreement with me or not. Sometimes you learn more about an issue discussing it with those that disagree with you than discussing it with those that do! Thank you again for your response and your care enough to ask the questions!
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