Wal-Mart eyes new store
Wal-Mart wants to build a 225,000-square-foot Supercenter — its third in Lincoln — on the southeast corner of 84th and Adams streets. Neighbors had heard for months a Wal-Mart was moving in nearby, but the world's largest retailer did not acknowledge its plans until Friday.
A Wal-Mart spokesman said the store could open in 2006.
Engineering firm Olsson Associates filed zoning and permit application papers with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department that show a 225,000- square-foot retail operation on 23 acres that includes a garden center, seven-bay lube station and remote pharmacy kiosk.
All of that would be right across North 87th Street from Faith Lutheran Church, a congregation of 1,400, and its school, which 282 children attend, said senior pastor Mark Hannemann.
He acknowledged some unease among the congregation.
"There are some concerns that have been registered that I think are legitimate concerns as a neighbor to a church and a residential community, that I think our church council and perhaps even congregational assembly will want to talk about and perhaps respond to," Hannemann said Friday.
Among those concerns: customer and traffic, lights and trash.
"We don't want to demonize Wal-Mart, and fight tooth and nail" Hannemann said. "We acknowledge Wal-Mart has been friendly to nonpublic education through their foundation. We don't want to be at odds about it."
But other neighbors were. Brad Parker, a glass industry salesman who lives southeast of the proposed Supercenter, said he dislikes the idea.
"I'd prefer to have something other than a Wal-Mart," Parker said. "I don't think there's a need for another Wal-Mart in Lincoln."
Parker said he doesn't oppose plans for commercial development in the area, nor does he dispute that the neighborhood needs a grocery store.
"I would pick a Hy-Vee or something like that instead," he said.
Moving the project north of Adams Street, across from Mahoney Park, would make it more reasonable, Parker said.
"I'm not a big fan of Wal-Mart," Parker explained. "I don't think, if you shop straight across the board, that they're any less expensive than any other retailer."
Wal-Mart advertises "always low prices."
Wal-Mart spokesman John Bisio said the company would like to start building in late 2005 and open in the third or fourth quarter of 2006.
"We understand any concerns that might be surfacing, since we have not had an opportunity to present this project, but I would say this is not something new to us in terms of planning," he said. "We would conduct the usual offsite infrastructure improvements to insure safe access, ingress and egress."
A traffic study is part of the filing by the company.
"Lighting is something we can certainly handle and mitigate," Bisio said. "It's not uncommon for us to use boxed fixtures to eliminate any spillage of lighting offsite.
"We're hopeful we can work through any perceived issues or concerns as we present our project," Bisio said.
The site of the proposed store is shown in the local comprehensive plan to be for commercial use, but would have to be rezoned from agricultural to a planned neighborhood business development, according to papers submitted by Olsson Associates.
The application also asks for a waiver of a requirement for trees along North 84th Street due to potential conflict with power lines.
The site is owned by Prairie Homes, a local builder. Assuming the development goes through, a house on the site will be donated to charity and moved, said Steve Champoux, president.
No hearing by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission has been scheduled yet.
Members of the church, many of whom live nearby, will want to talk about the proposal, Hannemann said.
"We'd certainly want concerns we have to be addressed," he said. "If the prospects appear to be potentially injurious to our ministry and our site, I don't know what that might mean. It's all very speculative and tentative. All we've been operating with is rumors."
Reach Dick Piersol at 473-7241 or at dpiersol@journalstar.com. Rodd Cayton contributed to this story.
A Wal-Mart spokesman said the store could open in 2006.
Engineering firm Olsson Associates filed zoning and permit application papers with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department that show a 225,000- square-foot retail operation on 23 acres that includes a garden center, seven-bay lube station and remote pharmacy kiosk.
All of that would be right across North 87th Street from Faith Lutheran Church, a congregation of 1,400, and its school, which 282 children attend, said senior pastor Mark Hannemann.
He acknowledged some unease among the congregation.
"There are some concerns that have been registered that I think are legitimate concerns as a neighbor to a church and a residential community, that I think our church council and perhaps even congregational assembly will want to talk about and perhaps respond to," Hannemann said Friday.
Among those concerns: customer and traffic, lights and trash.
"We don't want to demonize Wal-Mart, and fight tooth and nail" Hannemann said. "We acknowledge Wal-Mart has been friendly to nonpublic education through their foundation. We don't want to be at odds about it."
But other neighbors were. Brad Parker, a glass industry salesman who lives southeast of the proposed Supercenter, said he dislikes the idea.
"I'd prefer to have something other than a Wal-Mart," Parker said. "I don't think there's a need for another Wal-Mart in Lincoln."
Parker said he doesn't oppose plans for commercial development in the area, nor does he dispute that the neighborhood needs a grocery store.
"I would pick a Hy-Vee or something like that instead," he said.
Moving the project north of Adams Street, across from Mahoney Park, would make it more reasonable, Parker said.
"I'm not a big fan of Wal-Mart," Parker explained. "I don't think, if you shop straight across the board, that they're any less expensive than any other retailer."
Wal-Mart advertises "always low prices."
Wal-Mart spokesman John Bisio said the company would like to start building in late 2005 and open in the third or fourth quarter of 2006.
"We understand any concerns that might be surfacing, since we have not had an opportunity to present this project, but I would say this is not something new to us in terms of planning," he said. "We would conduct the usual offsite infrastructure improvements to insure safe access, ingress and egress."
A traffic study is part of the filing by the company.
"Lighting is something we can certainly handle and mitigate," Bisio said. "It's not uncommon for us to use boxed fixtures to eliminate any spillage of lighting offsite.
"We're hopeful we can work through any perceived issues or concerns as we present our project," Bisio said.
The site of the proposed store is shown in the local comprehensive plan to be for commercial use, but would have to be rezoned from agricultural to a planned neighborhood business development, according to papers submitted by Olsson Associates.
The application also asks for a waiver of a requirement for trees along North 84th Street due to potential conflict with power lines.
The site is owned by Prairie Homes, a local builder. Assuming the development goes through, a house on the site will be donated to charity and moved, said Steve Champoux, president.
No hearing by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission has been scheduled yet.
Members of the church, many of whom live nearby, will want to talk about the proposal, Hannemann said.
"We'd certainly want concerns we have to be addressed," he said. "If the prospects appear to be potentially injurious to our ministry and our site, I don't know what that might mean. It's all very speculative and tentative. All we've been operating with is rumors."
Reach Dick Piersol at 473-7241 or at dpiersol@journalstar.com. Rodd Cayton contributed to this story.
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