Packed house expected at Wal-Mart hearing

As Springfield City Council addresses a proposal to rezone property near Grand Street and Campbell Avenue to pave the way for a fifth Walmart Neighborhood Market, city officials are expecting an overflow crowd.

According to a news release, the city clerk's office reports 21 people have signed up to speak on the issue tonight at Historic City Hall, 830 Boonville Ave. Speakers are given five minutes apiece to speak.

Though she declined to provide the full list of speakers, City Clerk Brenda Cirtin said Pyramid Foods President and CEO Erick Taylor - who has publicly opposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s center city plans - is among them.

Late last month, Taylor held a news conference outside of Price Cutter's downtown Bistro Market, saying Wal-Mart's entrance into center city would be detrimental to downtown businesses, including the three-year-old Bistro Market that he said netted $3 million in 2012 revenues - down from annual projections of roughly $3.5 million.

On Jan. 24, the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission approved Wal-Mart's rezoning request of 6 acres at 444 W. Grand St. and residences along Normal Street to a general retail district. It was the second time Wal-Mart brought the issue before P&Z, after the body rejected the request in December. Wal-Mart had been scheduled to bring the issue before council Jan. 14, but it chose to take the request back through P&Z first.

For tonight's meeting - council's first hearing on the issue - the city has designated two overflow rooms outside council chambers, but officials expect the crowd to stretch outside due to the building's fire code capacity, the release said.

The meeting also is being broadcast via television through Mediacom and streamed at Cityview.Springfieldmo.gov.