Review of Wal-Mart Supercenter plans delayed

A traffic concern raised by the California Department of Transportation will delay any vote on the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter until the end of May, city of Lodi officials said Thursday.

City Planning Commissioners had been expected to review the project's revised environmental impact report as early as April 9.

Jeff Hood, the city's spokesman, said Caltrans' concerns center on how traffic will enter the Lodi Shopping Center, as the development is also known.

Current plans show just one left-hand turn lane into the center from Kettleman Lane/Highway 12 to Westgate Drive.

"Caltrans wanted two left turn lanes because they don't want traffic backing up on the highway," Hood said.

Adding an extra lane was worrisome for Wal-Mart because the increased traffic off the highway could interfere with a proposed loading area along the north side of the Supercenter, Hood said.

The Central Valley spokesman for Wal-Mart was traveling on Thursday and could not be reached for comment.

A spokeswoman for Caltrans could not confirm the agency's traffic concern Thursday afternoon.

The Lodi City Council has the final say on whether to approve the Supercenter project and its revised environmental report.

While the traffic matter is expected to delay any vote, Lodi Community Development Director Randy Hatch said much of the revised EIR — which addresses the development's effect on traffic, the local economy, water quality, wildlife and other topics — should be available to the public within the next few days.

Hood estimated it will be about a week before the report is available. He acknowledged it has taken a long time to get the revised document done.

"We hoped it would have been faster than this," he said. "The city wants it to be the best document possible."

An opposition group sued the city and Wal-Mart following the Lodi council's approval of the Supercenter in 2005.

Once it is finally released, the revised document will detail how Wal-Mart will address the loss of agricultural land due to development.

It will also specify Wal-Mart's "Downtown investment," Hood said. The city has required Wal-Mart to pay a fee — sometimes known as a "big box fee" — to make up for the Supercenter's expected drain on business in Downtown.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.