Overnight parking at Walmart leads to problems

For the past few weeks I have been communicating with Chief Drumheller of the Pottstown Police Department and Brian Smith, the new manager at the Pottstown Center Walmart, concerning overnight parking in the Walmart parking lot. Many vehicles have parked overnight in this lot over the last few months. It seems to have increased since the homeless man with the Chevy Blazer began parking overnight in the lot. By allowing overnight parking Walmart is introducing an element we do not want in our neighborhood. It encourages garbage and drug deals.

Brian Smith says that Walmart is not openly giving permission for any overnight parking in the store parking lot. Chief Drumheller says that neither Walmart nor the leasing company want to take any steps to end the issue. The chief suggested signage. Simply, signs saying “No Overnight Parking” would solve the problem. Last week signs saying “No Truck or Trailer Parking” were installed in the old Weis lot where Aldi’s is putting in a store. This is a step forward.

Another issue is Walmart shopping carts strewn all over our neighborhood in the Pottstgrove Manor development known to the locals as The Manor. My wife has returned over 50 carts to Walmart over the years. Hundreds of carts leave the Walmart premises every year. The electronic wheel-locking shopping carts are the solution to this problem. Safeway Grocery Stores installed these carts at their stores for a cost of approximately $20,000 per store.

I have offered solutions for two of its larger problems. If the solutions are followed Walmart will become a good neighbor and its lost customers will come back. The new shopping cart system would be paid for by increased sales in year one.