Wal-Mart nears vote on proposed Va. store near Civil War battlefield that has riled historians

Decision nears on Wal-Mart near Va. battlefield

ORANGE, Va. — Wal-Mart should know this week if it can build a Supercenter near a Civil War battlefield in Virginia.

Orange County officials will hold a public hearing Monday evening that will likely be followed by a vote on a special use permit by the Board of Supervisors. The world’s largest retailer needs the permit to build near the Wilderness Battlefield site.

Historians and Civil War buffs have rallied against the location less than a mile from where Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant first met in battle. They contend the store will draw more commerce and traffic

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. counters that the property is already zoned for commercial use. It says the store will not be within sight of the battlefield’s 2,700 protected acres.