New Walmart Gets the Green Light from City Council

After nearly an hour and a half of arguments for and against a zone change that would permit a Walmart to be constructed at the cross of Bryant and Jackson St., city council unanimously voted in favor of the ordinance, with a few minor additions.

A large crowd gathered in council chambers Tuesday for the first public hearing and comment on the issue, many of which were residents in the area opposed to the new Supercenter. The largest sticking point for opponents was once again traffic congestion issues, particularly on S. Jackson St., which will serve as one of the store’s four access points.

“As a group, we still have deep concerns…not the least of which is traffic,” Century Park Homeowner’s Association President Stan Meador said.

Meador mentioned a recent report that listed Bryant as one of the most congested highways in Texas, and said that numbers from other areas indicate that Jackson St., a five-lane road, could see up to 300 additional cars a day on the streets.

While homeowners would like to see a Jackson St. access point completely eliminated, Fire Marshal Ross Coleman said that for fire safety, the point of egress and ingress would be required.

“That Jackson St. access gets us directly next to the building,” Coleman said.

In a sort of compromise, councilman Rodney Fleming made a motion to pass the sone change ordinance with a stipulation that Walmart not allow 18-wheeler traffic on Jackson St., and also that a breakaway bar be put up over 13.5 feet, which would allow Ladder 1 to pass, but would prevent semis from entering the property.

Another concerned resident, Eddie Dismukes, took the podium before council on Tuesday to express his worries that Walmart’s practice of storing fertilizers and other chemicals outdoors may adversely affect the environment.

“Walmart has proposed a site that is right on top of our drinking water,” Dismukes said.

Dismukes cited a study from 2004 that indicated that 25,000 gallons of polluted storm water runs off a Walmart parking lot per inch of rain, adding that San Angelo recently saw a seven-inch rain and the site is situated near Lone Wolf Dam and the Concho River.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Grindstaff requested an amendment to 10 conditions the city had initially placed on the on ordinance that would add a requirement that Walmart store their fertilizers and pool cleaning products indoors.

The proposed amendment fell flat when an Abilene attorney, Mike Murray, who is representing Walmart, said he wasn’t aware of whether that would even be feasible from an operational standpoint.

Charlotte Farmer had previously spoken with Walmart representatives, who have an environmental protection plan in place, she said. The plan includes a storm water basin and Farmer suggested it may also be feasible to have the Lower Colorado River Authority, who currently monitors streams and pollutants near another San Angelo Walmart, place a meter in the adjacent waterways and monitor this area as well.

Further provisions that the parking lot be limited to 12-hour parking and strictly prohibit overnight parking, as well as including language that permits Walmart to put up signs on the property declaring the rules were also added, as well as a request for an 8-foot fence along the Jackson St. perimeter for screening.

Due to the high number of residents opposed to the zone change, council required a super majority of at least six to move forward, and the ordinance was unanimously passed with the 12 restrictions.

A spokesperson for Walmart, who did not use a hyphen when referencing the supermarket chain, issued the following statement in regards to council's decision this morning:

“We thank the San Angelo City Council and the Century Park Homeowners Association for working with us to find a solution to bring affordable fresh food and shopping convenience to this growing community,” Anne Hatfield, Walmart spokesperson said. “We look forward to the next step in the process and to serving our customers in San Angelo.”