Walnut Creek residents are trying to take their battle against Neiman Marcus all the way to the voting booth.
A petition against the proposed building of a new Neiman Marcus in Broadway Plaza received 7,263 signatures, thousands more than the 4,226 required to to put the issue on the ballot. The petition was delivered to the city clerk's office on Tuesday.
If the signatures are verified, the City Council will either throw out the resolution or submit it to a vote of the people.
Residents and Advocates for More Parking and Reduced Traffic, the group opposing the project, claims the new Neiman Marcus will bring an overflow of traffic to the area. Taubman Centers, a company that owns a nearby shopping center, is providing financial backing for the group.
A second petition is circulating the city, demanding the ten-year development agreement between the city of Walnut Creek and Macerich Co.—the company that owns Broadway Plaza— be challenged. The current agreement permits Macerich to bring a major anchor store to the plaza.
