Two Caledonia Residents Launch Bid for Village Board

A number of Caledonia residents gathered today to voice opposition to a proposed Wal-Mart and back two last minute write-in candidates.

The 115,000 square foot store would be located on the corner of Highway 31 and Four Mile Road, which is currently zoned residential. Hundreds of people expressed outrage at a meeting held last week when Wal-Mart officials announced the plans.

Still, no plans have officially been filed with the Racine County Planning Department. However, the Village Board is expected to decide at their next meeting whether they will entertain rezoning the property or encourage Wal-Mart officials to look at building on another property in the Village.

Holding up signs and balloons, the group also passed out literature to drivers stopped at the intersection.

"We like our country and we want to keep it country," said Arland Thompson, who lives on Three Mile Road. He and his friend, Deb Stone, use a lot of the trails for hiking, skiing and horseback riding, which run behind the property Wal-Mart wants to purchase.

The anti-Wal-Mart group wants the Village Board to stick to the Land Use Plan, which is why they started the write-in campaign. The group showed support for two write-in candidates for two Village Trustee positions; David Gottardo, who will run against Kevin Wanggaard, and Margo Tepley, who will run against Kathy Burton.

The election is Tuesday, April 5.

Gottardo, who lives on State Highway 31, is a lawyer who has never held political office before. Tepley, who lives on Four Mile Road, is a retired training specialist from the financial services industry and, she too, has never held political office.

Both said they wanted the job because they want to be part of the development discussion.

"About five years ago the Village enacted a land use plan...we want to make sure the land use plan is not compromised in anyway," Gottardo said.

Tepley said she's concerned with the environmental impact of the development.

"This is the place we retired," she said. "The Conservancy is right across the street from us and we're very concerned about any pollutants getting into our water system and getting into our conservancy."