WARRENTON – Despite pressure by Wal-Mart’s lawyer to close the deal, the Warrenton Planning Commission decided last night to keep the record open for further comment from the public.

Plans for an unnamed big box retailer have been on file with the City of Warrenton Planning Department since June. The Planning Commission and an audience of about 75 people heard testimony on the plan for the first time at its Oct. 25 meeting.

I represent the applicant this evening as a part of this presentation. The retailer of the proposed store will be Wal-Mart. Id like to make that disclosure at the very beginning of the hearing tonight,” said Greg Hathaway, with Hathaway Koback Connors LLP, the attorney who represented Wal-Mart at the meeting.

The Wal-Mart design team presented site plans and renderings to the group.

The plans show an earth colored 153,500-square-foot store that would offer a full grocery department, general merchandise, a pharmacy, a garden center and a fast-food restaurant, such as Subway or McDonalds.

It is currently oriented to face east, with its truck dock and trash compactor on the west side, facing U.S. Highway 101. To prevent people driving along the highway from being able to see activity at the rear of the store, the plan includes an eight- to 10-foot screen wall along the back of the store. Building such a wall would require the Planning Commission to grant a height variance.

Wal-Mart is also requesting a variance to reduce the number of required bicycle parking stalls from 68 to 28.

To receive a variance, Wal-Mart will have to prove that complying with the code would be a hardship on the company.

The Planning Commission appeared unimpressed by what they saw. Commissioner Daryl Birney commented that the screen wall made the building look like a prison from the highway.

Commission chair Paul Mitchell said, While its not as bad as some stores Ive seen, its not as good as some stores Ive seen.

He went on to say that the store ought to reflect the character of the city. Warrenton is not a place you drive through, its a place you drive to.

Several business owners in the county expressed their opposition to the plan, partly because its for Wal-Mart, and partly because Wal-Mart has been working on the plans for at least five years and is only now claiming them.

Im a little disappointed that it took this long to declare that its a Wal-Mart, said Krista Bingham, owner of Serendipity Caffe in Warrenton. Its fair and its right to let your local businesses know whats coming.

The Planning Commission unanimously voted to leave the record open for written comment for 14 days.

The public has until 5 p.m. on Nov. 1 to submit written comments to the planning department regarding the plans on file and testimony given at the Oct. 25 meeting. Then, the public may give written rebuttals to comments submitted by 5 p.m. on Nov. 8. Comments may be submitted in person at the planning department (225 S. Main Avenue, Warrenton) or by email (cityplanner@ci.warrenton.or.us).

The applicant will then have seven days to alter its proposed plans and give its final written argument. The Planning Commission is expected to meet the evening of Nov. 15 to review the plans again, but a meeting had not been set at the time of this publication.

For more information about the process, contact the Warrenton Building/Planning Department at 503-861-0920.