Wal-Mart Plat Vote in Roseville Delayed Until April 23 Council Meeting

The long-awaited vote on a proposed Wal-Mart megastore in Roseville's Twin Lakes area is now scheduled for the City Council's April 23 meeting.

The City Council was first scheduled to hear the Wal-Mart issue on Feb. 27; then the matter was rescheduled to March 26. Now, the matter is being pushed off to the Council's April 23 meeting.

The giant Arkansas-based discounter wants to build a 160,000 square-foot store on about a 14-acre parcel of land that is bounded by County Road C, Cleveland Avenue, Twin Lakes Parkway and Prior Avenue.  The proposal is also being advanced by owners of the property, Roseville Properties.

"The applicants (property owner Roseville Properties and Wal-Mart) previously asked for additional time to satisfy the conditions of approval recommended by the Planning Commission,'" the city said in a statement issued Wednesday. In January, the Roseville Planning Commission  voted 5-1 to recommend supporting a preliminary plat for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.  to build a new big-box store in the city's Twin Lakes area.

Besides looking at preliminary and final plat approval, the Council is also expected on April 23 to  consider a development agreement between the City and the applicants regarding the subdivision.

View the background information and preliminary plat submitted to the Planning Commission.

Citizens with questions or comments should contact City Planner Thomas Paschke at 651-792-7074 or at thomas.paschke@ci.roseville.mn.us

At the Planning Commission's January meeting, some residents contended there hadn't be enough public notice about the proposal and questioned whether Roseville needs more retail development.

Last week, a group of (Solidarty of West  Area Roseville Neighbors) held an informational meeting on the Wal-Mart proposal, seeking to mobilize residents on the issue and spur citizen involvement. A group of 50 to 60 people attended, packing a downstairs meeting room at City Hall.

The Planning Commission's vote to support the Wal-Mart preliminary plat came after city staff recommended approval, stating the preliminary plat falls within Roseville's comprehensive plan and zoning code, including a District 10 master plan for the Twin Lakes area.

However, organizers of SWARN have taken issue with that recommendation.

"The Twin Lakes Master Plan calls for mixed use of the Twin Lakes area, but both the current zoning code and the Twin Lakes Plan allow retail as part of that mixed use," SWARN organizer Gary Grefenberg said recently. "The question remains, however, what type of other mixed uses such as office and condominium development will be attracted to Twin Lakes when the first major development is a Wal-Mart Big Box. 

"Will Twin Lakes eventually become an extension of Rosedale, but a cheaper version with even more big boxes and cut-throat retail no matter what the Twin Lakes Plan envisioned?," Grefenberg asked.