By Krista Wadsworth

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. officials are working to open two more Supercenters in Frisco in 2016 in addition to the two Supercenters and one Neighborhood Market Market already in operation.

The Eldorado Parkway/Dallas North Tollway proposed location, however, has caused some nearby residents to balk at the idea of a big-box store and the traffic congestion they say it will bring to the area.

Frisco City Councilman Will Sowell said the Wal-Mart protest is indicative of a bigger issue in the city—growing pains.

"One of the challenging things with Frisco is that we're growing really fast," Sowell said. "Long-vacant lots that are close to residential development are starting to get developed. People have become accustomed to those vacant lots. The development causes

friction that [Frisco] hasn't had in the past because there was so much open space for building."

Zoning and planned development

The property at the DNT and Eldorado Parkway intersection was zoned for retail and commercial in 2002. In 2012 the planned development was amended to allow for 153,348 square feet of retail and restaurant space, said Mike Walker, a senior planner for the city, including an anchor store, a junior anchor store, 7,000 square feet of strip retail and three restaurants.

Wal-Mart now wants the city to change the planned development once more and allow a single 182,000-square-foot building.

If built, the Wal-Mart would back up to the Alta Cobb Hill apartment community. Northeast of the lot is the Cobb Hill residential area where the strongest opposition from residents is centered.

Anne Hatfield, director of communications for Wal-Mart Public Affairs & Government Relations, said the company is planning for the DNT/Eldorado Parkway Wal-Mart to open sometime in 2016.

Opposition

Cobb Hill resident Colin McDonald said a group of citizens—separate from the Cobb Hill HOA—has formed in opposition to the Wal-Mart development. The HOA was notified of the potential planned development change by the city in April.

"[Wal-Mart wants]to be here to sell stuff to us," McDonald said. "We don't need them; we don't want them here. I don't want to see the environment adversely impacted. We are not going to try to seek a compromise; we are going to try to stop them."

He said the group has a number of traffic, health, welfare, safety and environmental concerns and does not believe a Wal-Mart in that space is following what was envisioned in the city's 2006 Comprehensive Plan.

"Whatever is going there is going to create traffic pressure on our neighborhood," McDonald said. "We want to make sure that whatever goes there will have as little impact as possible. We knew something was going to go there, but we never thought it was going to be a big-box store."

The group has circulated a print petition, McDonald said, which has about 100 signatures on it. Another online petition through www.change.org has received about 1,200 signatures. A Facebook page, No to Wal-Mart Frisco at Eldorado & Dallas North Tollway, is also operating.

Who has rights?

Once zoning is in place on a particular section of property, the property owner has the right to choose what is built, within those zoning restrictions, City Development Director John Lettelleir said.

"The residents nor the city can dictate businesses if that use is allowed by the zoning district," Lettelleir said. "[An] example: If the zoning allows a typical restaurant and residents prefer a higher-class restaurant, the city could not prohibit one over the other. This is true across the state."

He said the zoning is already in place for a grocery store at the Eldorado Parkway and DNT intersection. What Wal-Mart is requesting is a change to allow one large building instead of several smaller.

"It's a business decision," Lettelleir said. "We've got a zoning case coming in. If it complies with the comprehensive plan [it is allowed]. It's already zoned retail and office, and it has been zoned that way since 2002. The only thing in question is whether to allow the larger building on the property. With Wal-Mart it becomes a lightning rod."

Sowell said he understands residents' desires to have choices other than Wal-Mart, but said it is important to remember that the city staff has a process it is required to follow.

"The city can't say 'Put this type of grocery store or that type of grocery store,'" Sowell said. "They can't pick winners or losers."

Hatfield said Wal-Mart's real estate selection process is centered on serving communities in terms of access to goods and jobs.

"Our shoppers tell us they value having several shopping options as well as the convenience of being able to shop close to where they live and work," she said.

Hatfield said a Wal-Mart Supercenter usually employs about 300 full-time associates at an average hourly wage of $12.42.

Walker said the developers have met with the Cobb Hill HOA and they are taking resident feedback in regard to Wal-Mart. Once the design is finalized and meets city standards, there will be a public hearing scheduled at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. Lettelleir said he expects it to be at least late August before the item is on a meeting agenda.

Issues such as potential traffic effects will be reviewed and presented as well, he said.

Other Wal-Mart plans

Wal-Mart is also going through the planning and zoning process to put a Supercenter on the southeast corner of FM 423 and Stonebrook Parkway. There is no residential space behind the lot, but there are residential areas to the west and north.

Lettelleir said the store will not move forward through the planning and zoning process until an engineering study is done to reshape the pond on the nearby Phillips Creek Ranch property, which flows into the pond on the Wal-Mart property.

Lettelleir said there is no timetable for construction at this point, although Hatfield said Wal-Mart is planning for the store to open in spring or summer of 2016.