Dec. 14 Hearing On Walmart Proposal

The DeKalb County Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on the planned renovation of Suburban Plaza at 1 p.m. Dec. 14 in the Maloof Auditorium at 1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur.

Selig Enterprises of Atlanta, the developer, wants to build a Walmart as part of the renovation of the aging shopping center at North Decatur Road and Church Street, just outside the Decatur City Limits.

The firm is seeking a parking variance and would like to build an underground parking garage.

According to a Development of Regional Impact statement filed by DeKalb County, the project calls for the "Demolition of approximately 144,000 sf of existing commercial space and the addition of 149,000 sf for a new total shopping center square footage of 324,614 sf."

Residens near Suburban Plaza have complained about the possibility of increased traffic and parking problems.

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A committee from the Decatur Heights Neighborhood Association met recently with representatives from the Springdale Heights, Glennwood Estates, Sycamore Ridge, Sycamore Station and Glenlake Commons neighborhoods.

According to a list of concerns compiled from the meeting, residents are worried about traffic congestion, environmental impact, the spillover of parking into adjacent streets and many other issues that were listed in bullet point form.

DeKalb Commissioner Jeff Rader's office said the Selig proposal is the fifth item on the agenda. However, three items will be carried over from the last meeting, making the Selig proposal the eighth item to be heard that day.