Rohnert Park postpones Wal-Mart expansion decision

The Rohnert Park City Council on Monday postponed a decision on a controversial Wal-Mart expansion project until its Jan. 13 meeting.

The project, four years in the works, would add 35,000 square feet to the retailer’s Redwood Drive store, making it a so-called supercenter with a full array of groceries on offer.

Opponents of the expansion asked that the council put off a hearing on the proposal until after the holidays. They asked that the city provide at least 30 days notice before hearing the item.

The Wal-Mart expansion project has become one of the most divisive issues in the city’s 50-year history. The Planning Commission in August approved Wal-Mart’s plans after a four-year battle over the project’s environmental impacts. Opponents in 2011 won a partial court victory, requiring more environmental review for the project.

The expansion is supported by local customers attracted to the chain’s low prices and advocates of unfettered business, including many Rohnert Park leaders and business owners.

But local labor advocates and environmentalists, echoing the debate over Wal-Mart nationally, criticize the chain’s low wages, pricing practices that activists say undercut local merchants and a business model that opponents contend puts a heavy strain on the world’s environment.

Mayor Joe Callinan said the council will not postpone the item again.

“I don’t want to see this come back to the council,” he said. “On Jan. 13, there will be a decision.”

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Brown at 521-5206 or matt.brown@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MattBrownPD.