By By Kerry Whipple Bean – publisher
The next step for Wal-Mart developers who want to build a Supercenter on U.S. 31 North is approval for subdivision of the land, Brewton Community Development Director Steve Yuhasz said Tuesday.
The frontage of the property will likely be divided for outparcels, the small spaces in front of the store designed for rental to other businesses, he said.
Those outparcels were part of a dispute between adjacent landowners and Wal-Mart developers during recent hearings over whether to rezone the property from rural residential to general business.
Landowners had hoped Wal-Mart would abandon the outparcels to move the building farther from their homes, but Wal-Mart officials argued the income from the smaller pieces of property was necessary for the financial feasibility of the project.
Yuhasz said the planning commission will likely review the subdivision plan at its meeting May 7, but no final approval by the city council is necessary.
Wal-Mart developers - who so far have a preliminary design plan for the building - will submit final plans to the Community Development office, Yuhasz said. Those plans will be monitored by his office but will not need final approval by the planning commission or the city council.
Yuhasz said the Wal-Mart timeline, calling for groundbreaking and the start of construction this summer, is still on track. The store will be open by next summer but possibly earlier, he said.