Wal-Mart site plan gets green light
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By SAM COOPER
Standard-Examiner staff
176,000-sqare-foot store to be at Wall and 20th
OGDEN -- The Ogden Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the site plan for the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter at 1945 Wall Ave.
The commission heard public comment prior to the vote and queried planners about concerns with waste water, street access, the appearance of the store, landscaping and traffic flow.
The 176,000-square-foot building, which will be built on the northeast corner of 20th Street facing Wall Avenue, will be designed to incorporate architectural elements common in other downtown Ogden buildings, said project planner Robert Arrington, of CLC Associates Inc.
"We're working with the city to get things done," he said. "It's been interesting, some of the things we've been asked for, but we've complied with everything."
Design and planning requirements have been more stringent in Ogden than in other cities, Arrington said, adding that this was the sixth Wal-Mart he'd worked on in Utah.
"Ogden's asking for a little more than what's normal. It would be good to let them (residents) know, this is going to be one of the nicer ones (Wal-Marts)," he said.
The Supercenter will be constructed with Quik-Brik, brick-colored masonry slabs, with a color scheme revolving around reds and light, dark and yellowy browns. Other construction elements will include columns, upper-level windows and ornamental fencing.
City planners acknowledged the urban design conforms with goals outlined by Ogden for the central business district.
"Thank you for leaving the blue off," joked one commission member, to a chorus of laughter.
"It's not going to be like other sites, what we call the 'blue whales,' Arrington responded. "It's going to be specific to Ogden."
Landscaping surrounding the building will include a 3-foot berm crowned with trees and shrubs to minimize the appearance of the store.
More than 190 trees will also be distributed around the structure, throughout the parking lot, and along three pedestrian pathways leading up to the store.
Council members and city planners specified flowering pear, honeylocust and maple trees for the parking lot, with zelkova trees along Wall Avenue.
Access to the store will be provided by one entrance on Wall Avenue near the current Northern Exposure, and two entrances on 20th Street, one near the store front, and one providing access to the loading dock at the back of the store.
The entrances on 20th Street will be coupled with a 70-foot wide swath of landscaping running the length of the store.
Wal-Mart officials are requesting a new traffic signal at the Wall Avenue entrance, Arrington said. The company will fund a University of Utah traffic study to "make sure it flows well," he said.
The store will generate between $700,000 and $1 million per year in sales and property tax revenue for the city, said Mayor Matthew Godfrey in an interview with the Standard-Examiner last week.
"My hat is off to Wal-Mart for being so committed to revitalizing downtown Ogden," he said.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Karianne Fallow estimates the new store will bring between 350 and 500 new jobs to the city.
Construction on the project, if given final approval from the city council, will begin in September.
Add Your Comment
I agree with CC. The increased traffic from the new Wal-Mart will only entice new businesses to Wall Ave. Visually, the new Wal-Mart will be a big improvement to what is there now. Hopefully, this investment will spur new development between Wall and Washington. 20th street is pretty desolate around there. Due to lack of retail in Ogden many residents including myself must travel to Riverdale to do most of our shopping. The new Wal-Mart will help keep tax revenue in Ogden.