Centerville says no to Wal-Mart

CENTERVILLE — The anti-Wal-Mart forces took the ground at the city's Planning Commission meeting Wednesday with the six-member commission deadlocked 3-3, rejecting a proposal for a 200,000-square-foot Supercenter.

The tie vote over the conditional-use permit came after nearly 90 minutes of discussion among the members, some of whom referred several times to the desire of residents to keep the city as a small bedroom community to Salt Lake City.

Commission Chairman W. Brian Hulse, opened the meeting then excused himself because of a personal conflict over the proposal and turned the chairmanship over to Scott Vaterlaus, resulting in an even number of commissioners.

The commission first denied the conditional-use permit then denied the conceptual subdivision and conceptual site plans for the 22.5-acre site along Parrish Lane east of 400 East. Both votes were 4-2 against.

City Attorney Lisa Romney urged the Planning Commission after its denial of the conditional-use permit, to proceed with the remaining two applications.

But the proposal is completely dead.

Romney said after the meeting the applicant would have two weeks to appeal the decision of the Planning Commission to the city's Board of Adjustments and the City Council.

Last week, the city's planning staff, led by Community Development Director Cory Snyder, recommended the Planning Commission approve the Wal-Mart project. He told the commissioners Wednesday night he realized they had a difficult decision to make, but they are charged solely with making an administrative decision on the applications and not on emotional feelings of whether a Wal-Mart is desirable.

"We believe the evidence has been presented that lends credence to the approval of the applications," Snyder said.

Commission member Lee Duncan moved to deny the conditional-use permit based on, among other things, traffic impacts, economic studies and the effect the big-box retailer will have on the community. Jim Palmer seconded the motion.

Duncan, Palmer and Ken Averett voted to deny the conditional use permit, with Vaterlaus, Kathy Helgesen and Diana Moesinger voting to approve it.

Palmer said at one point that if Wal-Mart had proposed a 50,000-square-foot store, it would be OK.

"We know this land will be developed, but we can achieve orderly development without the impact this development brings," Palmer said.

After the denial of the conditional-use permit, Averett said the current application was not workable and the applicants know what their options are.

Residents George Fisher and David Putnam Jr. circulated a letter to the audience before the meeting began urging residents to write the Planning Commission, the City Council and newspapers saying they want more studies done before a decision is made.

The letter listed 12 concerns their group, Centerville Citizens First, asks Wal-Mart to satisfactorily address before a store is allowed to be built. The concerns ranged from mitigating traffic congestion to feeding the seagulls that would be displaced.

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