Over 400 people attended the public hearing in Orange County last night in which the Board of Supervisors voted to grant a special permit allowing a Walmart Supercenter to be built near Wilderness Battlefield.

Nearly 100 residents voiced their opinion and concerns during the meeting that lasted until after midnight. According to the Freelance Star, the majority of those speakers were in favor of the retail giant, stating that it would be good for the county by brining in jobs, tax revenue and a convenient place to shop. All of these reasons are good news for homeowners who should know that such improvements will help to increase property values.

"Local officials early Tuesday approved a Walmart Supercenter near one of the nation's most important Civil War battlefields, a proposal that had stirred opposition by preservationists and hundreds of historians.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to grant the special permit to the world's biggest retailer after a majority of more than 100 speakers said they favored bringing the Walmart to Locust Grove, within a cannonball's shot from the Wilderness Battlefield.

Historians and Civil War buffs are fearful the Walmart store will draw traffic and more commerce to an area within the historic boundaries of the Wilderness, where generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee first met in battle 145 years ago and where 145,000 Union and Confederate soldiers fought and more than 29,000 were killed or injured. One-fourth of the Wilderness is protected.

But they could not sway supervisors, who said they didn't see the threat."

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