Downtown Stamford is a pretty bucolic place for Fairfield County. Sure, during the business day it's one of the largest corporate centers in America. However, in the evenings and weekends it's nice and quiet.

There's also a good bit to do. We have more than a few great restaurants, more bars than you can count, theatre, films, a branch of a world class art museum, the largest mall in Connecticut and a well-regarded University. It doesn't hurt that we're an express train way from Manhattan, either.

People complain, though, that we don't have enough shopping. Sure, there are plenty of small boutique stores, but you still have to drive to Norwalk to get to the big box retailers.

Well, all of that is about to change in a ludicrous way. I was happy when they announced that Target was building it's first Connecticut store about four blocks from my building. I was somewhat concerned when Burlington Coat Factory decided to move into a huge building across from the giganticnew Marriott that is under construction.

This morning, though, when stopping to get coffee I saw news that was truly alarming. Four blocks from my building they're now proposing a 450,000 square foot development. It'll be ten stories and will include a 150,000 square foot Wal-Mart. There also will be more apartments and 1,800 parking spaces. I can't even imagine the snarl that downtown will become on a regular basis. A Wal-Mart in Stamford would draw from not only Fairfield, but many parts of Westchester. That ain't progress.