Planning Commission hearing on Wal-Mart Supercenter set for Sept. 24

The Lodi Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Sept. 24 on the long-planned and frequently debated Wal-Mart Supercenter project.

The hearing is a precursor to the City Council's final vote on the project, expected later this fall. Commissioners are expected to vote on several yet-to-be drafted city conditions for approval, including how much Wal-Mart will be required to contribute as part of a "Downtown investment," plus what Wal-Mart will be required to do with its existing store at Sunwest Plaza, city spokesman Jeff Hood said.

Commissioners are also expected to recommend whether the council should approve the project's final revised environmental impact report, which was released by the city Tuesday.

The council will have a final say on that report and hear any potential appeal of the commission's decisions on conditions for approval.

The 226,000-square-foot retail and grocery store is the largest of 13 buildings proposed for the Lodi Shopping Center. It would sit at the southwest corner of Lower Sacramento Road and Kettleman Lane.

On the Web

The final environmental report is available at www.lodi.gov under the category "For Public Review." Click on "Lodi Shopping Center, Final EIR" to read the document.

If you have concerns or reactions to the final environmental report, contact News-Sentinel reporter Chris Nichols at (209) 369-7035 or chrisn@lodinews.com.

A San Joaquin County Superior Court judge in 2005 overturned Lodi's initial approval of the Supercenter project, ruling an earlier environmental report was insufficient.

The report released Tuesday includes information on how Wal-Mart will be required to compensate for a loss of farmland. It also includes responses from the city to comments regarding a draft of the revised environmental report, released last fall. It does not include information on how much Wal-Mart will be required to pay for a "Downtown investment" or what to do with the existing store.

City staff will draft those conditions prior to the commission meeting, Hood said.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

Lodian wrote on Sep 3, 2008 11:53 PM:

" dogs4you wrote "Most if not all people want a Super Wal-Mart..."

dogs4you: I think you need to do a recount. You cannot say that "all" people want a Super Wal-Mart. That's simply not true. "

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hammerhead83 wrote on Aug 31, 2008 6:27 PM:

" T&C do have a job or are you a crusty old retared i mean retired man sitting in your underwear doing nothing but bashing everything on line you are like michael moore what you say will never make a difference it makes me laugh i love it when you write stuff keep it up P.S.unions are what made this country look it up pal and ive never been a union man but iam not as dumb as you not to know that fact "

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edumacation wrote on Aug 27, 2008 9:38 PM:

" Think about what the possibility hat there is a GOB? Can this REALLY be true!~ There you go---a good relevant story! Its plenty scary in Lodi without witches brews and covens. Right were in river city can be your next big story. "

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edumacation wrote on Aug 27, 2008 9:34 PM:

" T & C: Your yelling my name again. Settle down and writes ome spooky stories. That will help your nerves. Now, I am sorry I missed your birthday, because I was told that Walmart had a sale on number two pencils and binder paper. I don't frequent that establishment for several personal reasons IMHO: 1) tacky, 2) tacky and 3)tacky. If you want to shop or loiter there, have a party! I don't think they have the best prices in town. You need to negotiate for those. So today I am not wearing my shoulder pads. Why would you think that I am T&C? I don't know the others, but I have been reading your writings--very prolific writings. The horror stories I see are in real life with the GOB! All kinds of vices without using anything but a telephone call or a signature on a check. I call this crime "little murders". "

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T & C wrote on Aug 27, 2008 6:49 PM:

" ONLY the UNION Grocery Chain stores will be affected with a Super Wal-Mart, because Wal-Mart adds a Grocery section! The Downtown is NOT going to suffer one danged $ loss! What a lame excuse! "

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T & C wrote on Aug 27, 2008 6:47 PM:

" edumaction, patton1, tc T&C TC, now TandC and TC Attacks! Will you EVER quit using multiple log in names and just stick to your PRIMARY name, "GOB Hater?" "

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T & C wrote on Aug 27, 2008 6:45 PM:

" The Union Lovers will be out in FULL force, so they can MAINTAIN HIGH PRICES of groceries at "OUR EXPENSE"! "

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Observer wrote on Aug 27, 2008 5:06 PM:

" Sam, there was recent article in the paper that the City was trying to impose additional fees and requirements since the the original agreement several years ago. One of the fees was for downtown. I do not know who the recipient of those fees was going to be. Maybe the City was going to pop into each store and drop a few hundred bucks on each merchant ;-). "

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sam wrote on Aug 27, 2008 4:49 PM:

" Observer, didn't the Lodi CC say walmart could come if they paid fees to the downtown merchants? How silly. If walmart has to pay any fee, all existing stores in Lodi should benefit, not just downtown.

Now the CC's proposal sounds as silly as it really is. "

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TC Attacks wrote on Aug 27, 2008 4:23 PM:

" TandC, There is just no practical way to "promise survival" of anybody. Worst case your concept could force the developer to subsidize marginal businesses... God only knows what that might cost. Would you propose some sort of "economic safety net" for these businesses? Yhat sounds like "it takes a village". In my opinion your concept will not fly with the developer. "

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Observer wrote on Aug 27, 2008 3:40 PM:

" Hey t&c, that's discriminatory! How about protecting the businesses in the Lakewood Mall, K-Mart Shopping Center, Rite-Aid, Bridgetown, etc? Why are you singling out just those next to Walmart? "

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dogs4you wrote on Aug 27, 2008 3:20 PM:

" I`ll never understand why the wants of a few can over ride the needs of many. Most if not all people want a Super Wal-Mart, however the EIR seems to be the stumbling point, get one done, those opposed to the new Wal-Mart will ask for another one. You union people get use to the idea that someday it will be built. "

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TandC wrote on Aug 27, 2008 1:54 PM:

" I certainly hope Mr. Herum attends these "hearings" and gives the citizens the real facts surrounding this questionable move by Walmart without having that existing building 100% leased. There are provisions in the EIR, both the original and revised that need to be addressed, also. I'm all for a super Walmart, but only if they promise survival to the strip mall they are currently in after they move. Why couldn't the developer offer those successful franchises and businesses to relocate across the street with them also, instead of bringing more competition to further erode the old strip mall when they leave? "

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