Permit approved for Wal-Mart, but no lease is signed

by Erica Solvig City Editor and
Stepfanie Romine For The Post

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has approved a storm water discharge permit on East State Street for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - provided the company decides to break ground on the property.

Abe Badeen, civil engineering manager for Wal-Mart, filed a Notice of Intent on Jan. 4 for a storm water discharge permit, according to the Ohio EPA. The EPA then approved the permit on Jan. 18.

Obtaining the permit does not mean that Wal-Mart will give the go-ahead to build, said Ohio EPA spokesman Jim Leach. The permit is standard procedure prior to building to prevent mud and other storm water runoff, he said.

"The very fact that they got one doesn't mean that they have to construct," Leach said. "Hypothetically, if they were going to build, they would need the permit."

Badeen said the permit might have been premature. Wal-Mart has not yet signed a lease for the East State Street location.

"The permit is filed for any land disturbance activity," Badeen said. "We file (one) in almost every project."

East State Street is one of several locations the chain is considering, said Brian Hooper, Wal-Mart's real estate manager for Ohio and parts of Michigan.

"We've looked at the Athens market as someplace where we would like to develop in the future," he said. "But we do not have a deal done in or around the Athens area"

In the notice of intent Wal-Mart indicated that their proposed start date of building is May 1. But the Athens Code Enforcement office has not received all of the development plans so it can look at the zoning issues, including parking and use of the flood plain, said Steve Pierson, city code enforcement director.

The plans that the city already approved regard the land use, including permits to fill the area.

"None of them include plans for the buildings," Pierson said.

Ohio University owns the East State Street land and is leasing it to Continental Properties, a Wisconsin-based development firm. OU Director of Legal Affairs John Burns said there is no legal commitment confirming Wal-Mart is coming.

"We lease the land to the developers, then they talk to Wal-Mart," he said.

But Burns said the developers have talked to other stores besides Wal-Mart regarding the East State Street development.

Renee Bowerman, vice-president of development with Continental Properties, was not available for comment.