CENTERVILLE — The debate over a proposed Super Wal-Mart store here continued toward its seventh month Wednesday night with yet another public hearing and discussion.

A possible decision by the Centerville Planning Commission could be made as early as Aug. 11.

About 300 people attended Wednesday's meeting at Reading Elementary School. This was down from the 500-plus record attendance at the April 14 meeting on issue.

Up for debate is an approximate 200,000-square-foot, $28 million store on about 20 acres at Parrish Lane and 400 West.

A public poll, funded earlier this month by a Centerville group of residents, found that 73 percent of Centerville residents are opposed to a Super Wal-Mart store in town. Indeed, it appeared 90 percent of those attending the latest meeting are also against the store. One couple, protesting noisily, was ousted from the meeting in its opening minutes.

Eric Berger, Wal-Mart's community affairs manager for the Northwest Region, said "zoning should not be used to regulate business competition. The marketplace should do that."

He said estimates are that communities with Wal-Mart save about $500 a year per family because of the increased business competition. He also said all towns with a Wal-Mart receive an economic boost and additional funds for charities.

Responding to an economic study commissioned by the city that said the market was oversaturated with grocery stores, Berger said only 30 percent of a Super Wal-Mart's sales are grocery items.

However, George Fisher, head of the Centerville Citizens First group, which opposes the new store, said this recent economic study "has little value." That's because a Wal-Mart store is much more than general merchandise these days — it sells just about everything, Fisher said, meaning it will essentially cannibalize many small businesses.

Grace Webb said her biggest concern is the extra traffic the proposed store would generate and how it will likely put school kids in the area at risk.

Jean Jensen, another speaker, echoed those concerns.

"If this is progress, we don't want it," she said.

But not all speakers were in opposition.

One man said opponents are blinded by too much emotion and are just not credible.

Another resident, Garry Flake, urged residents to "move on." He said approving the store is the honorable thing to do, since the property in question has been zoned commercial for some 25 years.

Also at the meeting, it was announced that Wal-Mart project designers have addressed concerns at the nearest residential area, agreeing to an extra 10-foot buffer space on adjoining land to the east, an eight-foot wall, additional efforts to preserve the majority of existing trees, and lighting that doesn't extend beyond the Wal-Mart.

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