Sprawl-Buster’s reported on October 29, 2006 that this battle over Wal-Mart actually dates back to 1976, when the owners of the Whitman Ford dealership bought 51 acres of residential land, and wanted roughly 8.5 acres rezoned to C-3 General Commercial, so they could move their car dealership to Bedford. But in the early 1980s, the family came back to request a C-2 rezoning, allowing a shopping center or office building use. This was also approved.