Wal-Mart applies again to Cedar Hills

CEDAR HILLS — Three years after Wal-Mart's first application to set up shop in Cedar Hills was denied, the mega-retailer has returned with a new plan that's making some city officials excited.

The store on Tuesday filed an application for a new prototype of a Wal-Mart community store — and Cedar Hills officials wasted no time in making the possibility public.

"Our goal is to make sure residents know about this," said Councilman Jim Perry. "(Last time Wal-Mart applied) I know a lot of people in the community felt like they didn't get enough information early enough. That's why we're really trying to do this with a sense of transparency and communication and make sure we bring everyone along all of the way and resolve any concerns they might have."

The City Council and Planning Commission denied Wal-Mart's application in 2003 because it didn't meet enough of the city's already-existing architectural and design requirements.

At that time, Wal-Mart proposed a typical big box store of about 160,000 square feet, city manager Konrad Hildebrandt said.

This time, the store has approached the city with a concept that meets the city's requirements, with a store plan that is smaller, about 115,000 square feet, according to Wal-Mart spokesperson Karianne Fallow.

The store would be the first of its kind, a cross between Wal-Mart's neighborhood grocery stores and bigger supercenters that sell general merchandise as well as food items. The store is meant to have a specific community feel, instead of a regional pull, while still being full-service.

Fallow estimates the store, if approved, would have openings for 300-350 employees.

The store would go on a 14-acre block of land near Cedar Hills Drive and 4800 West that was purchased in March by Phillips Edison and Co., a development firm. The site will be required to have at least 30 percent landscaping, Hildebrandt said.

The land has room for three additional lots, two of which will be developed into a commercial retail center by Phillips Edison and Co. The third lot, which would be closest to residents in the area, will be used for businesses.

"We were certainly looking at the growth trends and the commercial developments within (that) area, and we felt that Cedar Hills, and not only Cedar Hills but Highland and Alpine, were underserved as far as retail," said Roy Williams, Phillips Edison and Co.'s vice president of development.

Williams said the company had been looking at the area for several years.

Neighboring Highland officials recently decided to create a commercial- retail zone on Alpine Highway, and Alpine officials are considering adding a similar zone, but Hildebrandt said he doesn't think the three closely situated cities will have a commercial conflict.