Wal-Mart Store #3803 at 515 Sawmill Road in West Haven, Connecticut has been making some noise in the media recently---but its not the kind of noise the company wants to hear. TV. Channel 8 reports this week that neighbors of the West Haven Wal-Mart want to give the Mayor of their city an earful regarding their noisy commercial neighbor. West Haven Mayor John Picard has an "Office on the Road" program in which he goes out into the community to listen to the public---and this week he's going to hear plenty about Wal-Mart. The city turned a deaf ear to residents when this huge retail store was being proposed. The neighbors were concerned about the traffic, light and noise impacts of a store so close to residential property. This store first opened on March 21, 2007. According to Wal-Mart's press release at the time, the new store "brings new economic benefits to the area." But all it brought neighbors was more traffic and noise. At the time, Mayor Picard was effusive in his praise for the project. "The West Haven community is looking forward to a productive corporate partnership with Wal-Mart," Picard was quoted by Wal-Mart's PR department. But the 141,980 s.f. store thought that giving the community "many appealing elements including earth-tone colors, concrete and wood laminate flooring throughout the store, wider aisles and energy-efficient lighting," would keep the neighbors happy. But neighbors don't care about the wood laminate flooring---they say they can't put up with the racket the store makes. The store's Tire & Lube Express, with its hours from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., seven days a week have forced the neighbors to seek out the Mayor. Mayor Picard is coming to the Wal-Mart on August 21st for his 'Office on the Road' program, but neighbors in West Haven say they have been shouting about the noise problems for more than a year, with little result. One neighbor who works nights, told Channel 8 he can't sleep during the day because of the store's noise. The neighbors say they have met with Wal-Mart, but the volume is still turned up. The Tire & Lube Express was designed to be closest to nearby homes. Residents have pleaded for a sound barrier, or fence, or even air conditioning for the auto center so the garage bay doors could be closed during store hours. But Wal-Mart has done nothing. So the Mayor is coming to sit in the Wal-Mart Personnel Office for 4 hours in the afternoon, and he's not going to like what he hears.

Full Story: http://walmartwatch.com/battlemart/archives/west_haven_ct_neighbors_want_wal_mart_to_turn_down_the_noise/