Walmart Moves Ahead With Second Store

Walmart has started preliminary site work for , which could open as early as spring 2013, company officials announced Tuesday.

Construction already taking place at the southeast corner of Bruceville Road and Whitelock Parkway involves earth grading for access and circulation, said Elk Grove Public Information Officer Christine Brainerd.

Building permits are still under review and have not been issued, she added.

“The city is processing that permit so we do expect to receive that soon and be underway with construction shortly afterward,” Walmart spokesperson Delia Garcia said.

Walmart originally wanted to build a new 99,585-square-foot “supercenter” in Elk Grove and sell a full line of groceries and other taxable goods, using entitlements granted in 2008 for a Target.

A group of nearby residents, however, sued the city and Walmart over concerns about noise and traffic, and a Sacramento County Superior Court judge , saying Walmart’s plans to sell groceries differed significantly from the proposed Target store.

Walmart is appealing that decision, while meanwhile pushing ahead with a store that, while larger, will sell a smaller range of grocery items and will not be dubbed a supercenter.

“The lawsuit remains on appeal, but our focus is to serve our customers,” Garcia said. “That’s why we are moving forward with a project that is consistent with what was originally approved for that location.

“Our customers have been looking forward to a second store now for a couple of years.”

In addition to a pharmacy and outdoor center, the proposed 148,200-square-foot store would sell products such as household goods, electronics, and limited grocery items including dry goods, dairy products and frozen foods.

Walmart says its existing Elk Grove Blvd store will remain open.

Peter Gaffney, one of the residents who sued Walmart, said he is skeptical the company will stick to its plan for a more limited store.

“They may be saying that in a press release, but it’s very disingenuous,” Gaffney said. “They’ve spent a whole lot of money going to appellate court to convince a judge they should be allowed to build something different.”

In July, the City Council to build the proposed Vineyard at Madeira Shopping Center. The conditional use permit extension included new conditions, including:

• Limiting hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays
• Prohibiting overnight parking and putting up signs so police can enforce the ban
• Submitting delivery truck, security and maintenance plans

Gaffney said those conditions will still apply to the store currently underway.

“The conditions imposed by the city addressed the three main concerns we had,” Gaffney said. “Those will be accommodated, whatever is approved...unless an appellate court trumps everything.”