Wal Mart in American Canyon Stalled

Wal Mart in American Canyon Stalled

This excerpt discusses the issue of "breaking ground" and the psychological effects of starting a construction project.

On Monday, the group's attorney Brett Jolley cited the case of a Wal-Mart Supercenter project in Bakersfield that was halted by the courts after construction started. The result was a half-finished building and others that were actually occupied but are now left in legal limbo.

He added that when construction is already under way, it creates an atmosphere in which it seems easier to simply let a project continue than to try throwing it in reverse.

"Essentially allowing a building like this to go forward with pending litigation issues is very dangerous," Jolley said. "It creates this irreversible momentum from a physical and psychological standpoint."

He also noted that it can create "a chilling effect" on other potential commercial ventures in the area once a Wal-Mart Supercenter has broken ground.