Moon Supervisor Frank Sinatra ran on a platform to improve traffic in Moon and now chastises citizens that increased traffic is the price to pay for flawed development of West Hills Shopping Center, which includes a Wal-Mart and is contrary to Moon ordinances for land use ( “Uncertainty shrouds rebirth of West Hills Center,” July 17 and PghTrib.com). The question facing taxpayers is not how big you grow — but how you grow big. Moon first believes we need balanced growth, not big-box growth. Apparently, Moon’s supervisors envisioned this three years ago when they enacted the University Boulevard Overlay District into its laws for development. Retail strip development does not raise residential property values — just the opposite. Moon has to be careful to preserve open spaces and a mix of uses, or housing values will suffer. Retail follows growth, it does not lead it! Large retail will push up crime and traffic immensely — both of which are expensive to the township. Big-box retail creates low-wage jobs and most of Wal-Mart’s sales will come at the expense of existing merchants, so it is not a form of economic development. It’s a game of retail musical chairs. The fact remains, the Moon Overlay District was created for mixed-use development at this site, not big-box retailers. John Augustine Moon

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