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Wal-Mart seeks new permit

By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, June 27, 2008

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TARPON SPRINGS — So, what's Wal-Mart's next move?

By all indications, it's full speed ahead.

Company officials confirmed Thursday they're moving forward with plans to build a Supercenter on the Anclote River.

"This is a site we continue to work on. There's no change in its status," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Quenta Vettel.

Earlier this year, it appeared Wal-Mart had hit another roadblock in its four-year battle to build the store, when the city's Board of Adjustment ruled that changes to the company's site plan constituted major modifications. That meant Wal-Mart would have to go through more public hearings to gain approval.

Now, it looks like that's exactly what the company is prepared to do.

Vettel said Wal-Mart officials were still outlining their strategy. But she confirmed they were in the final stages of gaining approval for a permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, commonly known as Swiftmud, that would allow for dredging and filling 570 square feet of wetlands at the site to install a northbound turn lane from U.S. 19.

Swiftmud confirmed the application is complete and should be finalized in the coming weeks.

"We feel that the project meets our ERP (environmental resource permit) criteria. It has very minimal impacts to the environment. It didn't require any mitigation under our rules," said Swiftmud spokeswoman Robyn Felix. "They're actually doing quite a bit of work with shoreline enhancements that we're pleased with."

The enhancements include planting upland buffer vegetation and mangroves and installing a fishing line recycling box for anglers.

Opponents urged Swiftmud to deny the application, saying the wetland dredging of publicly held land would "degrade the (aquatic) preserve" and doesn't serve as a "public necessity," as required by the Florida administrative code.

"I don't see how this is in the public's best interest," said Dory Larsen, president of Concerned Citizens of Tarpon Springs, which opposes the project.

Larsen said she doesn't believe the proposed shoreline plantings will offset those lost during the dredging and filling process.

"It's disgusting that they would say they're improving the environment when they're going to put a 200,000-square-foot store on a pristine piece of land," she said.

Larsen said she encouraged local residents to contact Swiftmud to express their disapproval.

Though Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recently announced plans to reduce its fiscal 2009 capital spending forecast by hundreds of millions of dollars, that decision has no bearing on the Tarpon Springs project, Vettel said.

Rita Farlow can be reached at farlow@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4162.