Wal-Mart pitches new plan to St. Charles

Wal-Mart says it is willing to roll back previous dreams of creating a Supercenter adjacent to the Charlestowne Mall in favor of simply expanding at its current location.

So far, the altered vision isn't meeting any heavy vocal opposition.

Store officials presented a proposal to the St. Charles plan commission Tuesday night that would turn the existing store on Main Street at Smith Road into a 24-hour Supercenter, complete with a grocery. Wal-Mart would accomplish the expansion by annexing about 26,000 square feet of new land into St. Charles on the east/northeast side of the store.

The expansion would involve a bit of a facelift for the current building, the addition of a second entrance and the creation of a new, second detention pond on the site. The existing parking lot would grow by about 98 more spaces to accommodate the larger store.

All in all, the blah look of a larger parking lot and the desire to spruce up the detention ponds were the only flaws cited when plan commissioners and residents who live near the site were given a chance to hack away at the proposal.

The expanded facility is on the edge of town and serves as a de facto gateway to the city. Plan commissioners said they'd like Wal-Mart to consider giving the detention ponds more of a reflecting pool feel, complete with fountains.

Plan commissioners all agreed that expansion on the current site is the answer to Wal-Mart's desires to increase its presence in the city rather than moving to another location.

"I'm very pleased to see this," said Commissioner Sue Amatangelo. "I think you've worked very hard to fit this in where it is."

Audience members who spoke, including some who were adamantly opposed to the former expansion plan, all had only minor questions about traffic and the look of the site. A more formal public hearing will occur before the plan commission takes any vote on the expansion.

Expand: There will be a public hearing before commission votes