CENTERVILLE — A City Council reversal of a planning decision has moved a Super Wal-Mart store closer to being part of this town's future, with the possible opening by the end of 2005.

The City Council on a 3-1 vote has reversed earlier Planning Commission and City Council decisions.

Voting 3-1 to reverse several of its Planning Commission's decisions, the council has remanded back to the commission Wal-Mart's conceptual site plan and conditional use permit.

In a narrow sense, the whole process is back to where it was originally. But as a practical matter, the commission now will assign new conditions for approval of the 220,000-square-foot building that will actually smooth the path for the big-box store.

It won't settle the controversy about the development at 400 West and Parrish Lane.

"It's back with the Planning Commission to identify details for the development, and it all will be done in public meetings," said Cory Snyder, Centerville development director.

The first meeting is scheduled Dec. 8, at which the Planning Commission will assign conditions, Snyder said.

After receiving the conditions, Wal-Mart and its local development team will decide when to file their preliminary plans with the city, Snyder said. "I suspect they probably want to move fast because it has taken them so long to get to this point."

Snyder estimates it will take about 10 months to complete the structure.

The controversial matter has been a hot topic in Centerville since March, when Wal-Mart first approached the city. This small town has a retail area, called Market Place along and south of Parrish Lane, the east-west artery off I-15, that includes a number of fast-food restaurants, a Home Depot and Super Target as well as other retail stores.

Although the retail area is several blocks and up to a mile away from the majority of houses in the area, it's too close for a number of residents — as many as 73 percent — according to a poll commissioned by opponents this past summer.

Some folks don't like Wal-Mart because it's too big and they perceive it will congest already busy streets; others don't like it because it's a so-called "big box" retail outlet that is likely to hurt small, locally owned and established businesses, the survey found. Others don't like it because they don't want to see such a huge enterprise in a small town.

"We have a substantial number of long-term residents who have lived their lives here," Snyder said. "They remember the old days and look back with good feelings on them. Those who remember Centerville that way are upset. Centerville has been a sleepy town most of its life, and change is difficult."

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