City Council Denies Walmart’s Appeal

The meeting chambers at City Hall erupted in cheers late Monday as city councilors voted to uphold the denial of a proposed Walmart near Coors and Montano.

The city’s land-use hearing officer had recommended denial of Walmart’s appeal, and councilors voted 7-0 to accept his recommendation.

Two councilors, Rey Garduno and Roxanna Meyers, recused themselves. Garduno had participated in a protest at the site. Meyers didn’t say specifically why she recused herself, other than that it was done to avoid the appearance of a conflict of appearance.

The next stop for the project may be state District Court. Supporters of the Walmart can appeal the city’s decision.

But Monday’s council action closes the book on the city proceedings.

Essentially, the city decided that the proposed Walmart didn’t have full and primary access to a major street, as required by the “Large Retail Facilities” ordinance. I took a stab at explaining why in October.