Walmart Developer Withdraws Proposal

The developer that was seeking to rezone about 25 acres of undeveloped village land for a Walmart development has withdrawn its rezoning request.

Gatlin Development, one of the nation's largest developers of Walmart retail stores, was seeking village approval to rezone land on the northwest corner of Lisbon and Pilgrim roads to clear the way for a 115,000-square-foot Walmart development. Debbie Tomczyk, an attorney with Gatlin, said during a Jan. 4 Plan Commission meeting that specific plans hadn't been developed yet.

The rezoning request was scheduled to go before the Village Board in a public hearing Monday, but Tomczyk sent a letter to the Department of Community Development withdrawing their request.

"Gatlin remains interested in developing this site, but will seek municipal permitting when specific plans have been honed," stated Tomczyk in the letter.

Hundreds of residents who were opposed to the development attended a Plan Commission meeting Jan. 4. Although public comment wasn't taken, opponents spoke through attendance as the crowd spilled out of the board room.

At the meeting, Trustee Michael McDonald provided the voice for those in attendance, and received applause of approval from those in attendence for his views.

"I'm letting you know up front that a 110,000-square-foot building will never fly on this spot. I guarantee that I will never vote for anything of this stature," McDonald said during the meeting.

The commission voted unanimously to recommend the Village Board deny the rezoning request Jan. 4.

Although the Plan Commission opposed rezoning that site, Village President Randall Newman said Jan. 4 that he wasn't opposed to looking at other sites in the village for the development.

"I'm not implying at this time to abandon it because we have other places in the village that could still be developed," Newman said.