Big Box talk off

SALEM – Today’s scheduled meeting before the Planning Board related to the proposed expansion of the Walmart store and construction of a Lowe’s Home Improvement Center on Highland Avenue has been postponed to June 3.Danielle McKnight, staff planner for the city’s Department of Planning and Community Development, said the delay was allowed upon request of the applicant.The project has stirred controversy in Salem and over the Lynn line where views from the upscale residential neighborhoods will be drastically changed by the construction.The ambitious plan calls for building a new Lowe’s, increasing the present Walmart’s footprint by half, enlarging the Meineke auto service on the site and making way for a municipal water storage tank. It also includes the purchase of a large chunk of Camp Lions to make way for the stores and provide setback.Opponents are gathering petitions and voicing their complaints via the Internet on a Facebook page and through blogs. In addition to the loss of aesthetics, concerns range from overcrowding to increased traffic, environmental despoiling and overall drainage.The Lowe’s store would be visible from afar since plans have it sited on elevated ground. The homes of many Lynn residents would actually be looking up at the store’s exterior walls.