Community Corner
Walmart Plans Remain on Hold While Caledonia Talks Mixed Use
Whether or not Walmart can build a 182,000 square foot supercenter at 4-Mile and Green Bay Roads is still up in the air while trustees talk about what mixed use should look like.
Caledonia trustees next week will talk about whether or not mixed use could include big box development, and the outcome of that conversation will impact Walmart's plans to build a supecenter at 4-Mile and Green Bay Roads.
Planning Commission members voted Wednesday to identify that land as mixed use, which is a combination of commercial and residential and would serve as a buffer between the CalStar manufacturing plant and the surrounding residential neighborhood.
The motion passed on a vote of 4-2 with members Jon Schattner and Elaine Radwinski dissenting; Trustee Kevin Wanggaard, Village President Bob Bradley and members Tom Knitter and Karen Follet voted in favor.
The commission's vote is a variation on two options laid out by Julie Anderson from the County planning department at the May 20 work group meeting:
- Option 1 identifies the CalStar property as industrial and the parcels at the corner and on the north side of 4-Mile Road as medium-density residential, which would preclude a Walmart from being built there.
- Option 2 also designates CalStar as industrial, but changes the parcels at the corner to commercial while also changing a swath of land on the north side of 4-Mile Road to commercial backed by medium-density residential. Under that plan, a Walmart could go up in the area — if it received subsequent approval from the Planning Commission and Village Board.
Jennifer Simpkins and her family moved to Caledonia in 2009 because, she said, they wanted the rural quiet where their kids could see the stars at night.
"We wanted our children to have space and see the stars at night," she said. "Now, potentially we could have a large road in front of my house that endangers the children and there will be bright lights at night that will block the stars."  Â
Walmart has submitted rezoning and land use plan amendment applications for the farm field at 4-Mile and Green Bay Roads - referred to as the VCM (Village Center Metra) - so the company can build a 182,000 square foot supercenter. Resident opposition has been fierce with most people pointing out that the site is not appropriate.
To help reconcile inconsistencies in the zoning and the land use plans, Village Administrator Mark Janiuk and Attorney Elaine Ekes suggested the original neighborhood planning group be brought back together - with Plan Commission members - to plan for the future of that site.Â
Find out what's happening in Caledoniafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Commission member Jon Schattner made a motion Wednesday to approve the recommendation of the work group because he said it was logical to keep commercial development along major roadways like Douglas Avenue and not on residential streets.
"I would like to support what the work group did and ... allow Calstar to exist in an industrial zone and see the lands west as medium-density residential and the north side of 4-mile as medium density residential as well," he said.
Elaine Radwanski seconded the motion, but it failed on a 4-2 vote with only Schattner and Radwanski voting for it.
Tom Knitter proposed the variation on Option 2 that ultimately passed. Anderson and Village Attorney Elaine Ekes are preparing language for trustees to consider that will better define mixed use, which could limit the size of commercial spaces.
"Sometimes there are size restrictions on the size of a single unit, and you can have those at your discretion based on (a number of factors)," Ekes said. "Mixed use could be different on Douglas than on 4-Mile, but a definition is needed for clarity going forward."  Â
After the vote was taken, residents drifted outside to continue the discussion, determined to urge the Village Board to enact a big box ordinance, which would effectively halt Walmart's plans to build the supercenter at that location.
Trustees will talk about the issue Monday but still need to schedule a public hearing before voting on any changes.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
