City Hears Good News, ‘Limbo’ News on Blythe Wal-Mart
“There is no black eye for the City.”
That was the assessment of Councilman Joey Deconinck as the Blythe City Council received word from the City Attorney that there is a resolution to the Wal-Mart lawsuit.
The plaintiffs, Menos and Blythe Citizens for Smart Growth, have settled the case and will shortly dismiss the lawsuit against the City. According to the City Attorney, this action technically makes the City of Blythe the prevailing party.
Terms of the settlement, however, may never be known as the City was not a party to the settlement.
“This action proves what we have been saying all along, said Mayor Robert Crain. “We did it right, we did it properly, and we did it according to CEQA laws.”
The City is also now able to recover staff costs and legal fees, an amount estimated to be in the $25,000-$30,000 range.
That’s the good news.
What remains unclear is whether or not Wal-Mart will ever build on the site. Unless and until Wal-Mart approaches the City with the intent to build, nothing will occur.