With the start of Zoning and Planning Board hearings on Walmart’s proposal to move to West Wareham, I am reminded of a time nearly a decade ago when officials from Walmart contacted then-Town Administrator Michael Hartman and the Board of Selectmen (of which I was a member) asking us for suggestions for large parcels of land. Desperate to move from the location they told us they had outgrown, they needed a new store now!

We gave them three to four ideas and were very surprised to hear some months later that the very property on which they now want to locate was WAY too expensive. Mission aborted. For a company that spoke to us so passionately and aggressively about needing a new location in Wareham for its incredible growing business, needless to say, we were a bit taken aback at the "too expensive" comment.

Cut to today, when a few starry-eyed proponents (read: property owners with visions of dollar signs whirling before their eyes) wrote letters to the editor and attended the recent public hearing to listen to Walmart’s proposal for a 25% bigger store (s that all? Remember, things were DESPERATE a decade ago!) and about the legions of new employees (n only a 25% bigger store? Methinks someone is exaggerating just a tad) that is going to be the Walmart West Wareham Win-Win of 2011.

Deforestation of virgin property, Eastern Box turtles, traffic concerns, and leaving South Plymouth, Otis, Buzzards Bay, Mass Maritime and East Wareham with even fewer viable shopping options aside, the bottom line is MONEY.

The price on the property in question probably hasn’t changed in a decade (it certainly didn’t go down in price), but the COSTS of doing business in West Wareham most certainly have – thanks to the Town of Wareham and Wareham Crossing. Ah yes, infrastructure costs - the vast majority of which have been taken care of already, reduce good ol' Walmart’s upfront costs.

So here’s my suggestion: All land use boards should condition their approval (yeah, yeah, I know, but you aren’t going to stop it) to include language such as "upon signing of a development agreement with the Board of Selectmen."  And don’t listen to Town Counsel when they advise you can’t do that – let Walmart sue.

Since we know the Walmart promise of finding a tenant for their old location is an empty one (just drive to Cordage Park in Plymouth for one example of hundreds of empty blue cement block buildings across the country), the Board of Selectmen, at a minimum, should ask for $1 million directed to the Community Economic Development Authority for marketing to and local tax incentives for any businesses that want to move from out of town to East Wareham. These dollars will help businesses that have the ability to rehab the many vacant properties on Cranberry Highway.

Second, if the remaining members of the prior Board of Selectmen aren’t through “hating on” A.D. Makepeace, you can ask Walmart for a police station. But honestly, you should have already asked ADM for it. Really.

There is no amount of mitigation available to fully accommodate the loss in East Wareham. That store is a lifeline for a large community of people who walk, hitch, ride bikes and otherwise make their way to this hub since it is in their neighborhood. You are taking away their livelihood and their access to inexpensive, needed goods. Many who work or shop at Walmart will have no way of getting across town (not everyone is able or willing to use the Onet-Wareham Link bus) and that is the real loss here.

The success of saving more and living better through shopping at Walmart (if we are to believe their ads) ultimately cost the residents of Onset, East Wareham, Buzzards Bay, South Plymouth, and many other neighborhoods dearly.

Cindy Parola is a Wareham resident and former selectman.