NORFOLK -- The holiday spirit has ended a standoff between Wawa Inc. and a small businessman, said The Virginian-Pilot.
An official from told Mick Shaw, who operates the Norfolk Farm Market, that he can sell Christmas trees through the end of the month on property where Wawa plans to build a store, said the report. Wawa has leased the land from two landowners. It plans to demolish the former Knickerbockers restaurant, which sits next to the farm market, later this month. Shaw claimed he had a verbal lease to remain there through the end of the month. [image-nocss] The two sides had negotiated to no avail for months.
Shaw began selling Christmas trees the day after Thanksgiving, the report said. A Wawa construction crew then turned up to fence off most of the property. Shaw called the police and both sides threatened to go to court. Shaw then received an eviction notice from the landowners.
After learning of the standoff, John Poplawski, Wawa's director of operations for Virginia, called Shaw to say Wawa was backing off its demand that he leave. Not only that, but Wawa won't collect the $2,400 rent Shaw had agreed to pay the landowners. Had I been aware of it sooner, it would never have gotten to this point, he told the newspaper. This is certainly not what Wawa is all about.
The issue of whether Shaw had a viable verbal lease had just gotten blown out of proportion, Poplawski said. It's an issue where land was being transferred and Mick got caught up in the middle. When I heard about it yesterday, I thought, We need to do the right thing'.
Poplawski said the fence will be removed as much as possible without violating federal safety laws. The fence was erected to protect the public as construction commences.
Shaw, who is in his 25th year operating the farm market, said he offered to be Wawa's first customer when the new convenience store opens in 2006.
There are no hard feelings, Shaw said. We feel like, in the end, they came through like a shining star. This is an early Christmas gift.
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