By Laura Swift

City officials recently discussed whether the Wal-Mart Supercenter, planned to go on the corner of FM 544 and North Murphy Road, would provide long-term benefits to Murphy.

During an April 12 joint City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission work session, Mayor Bret Baldwin asked members if having a Wal-Mart is the right thing for the city.

“I want this to be a destination Wal-Mart,” said Councilman Dave Brandon. “I want people from neighboring communities like Wylie to come to the Wal-Mart here.”

Council members were concerned about the amount of traffic the store could create, especially when construction begins on the North Murphy Road expansion.

Dan Millner, an engineer for Kimley-Horn and Associates, the project’s design-consulting firm, said that a traffic light might have to be installed in front of the store’s main entrance in the future. Council members voiced that there are already many stoplights in the area, and that adding another in front of Wal-Mart might be problematic.

Murphy resident Don Kirchner said that traffic problems could be mitigated by installing synchronized traffic lights, which are geared to reduce the frequency of stops.

Council members were also concerned that Wal-Mart might drive business away from Albertsons, Sprouts, and other surrounding stores. Councilman Mike Daniel said that he did not want to see Wal-Mart become run-down and devalue the area in the future.

“We need assurances that we’re going to be OK,” Daniel said. “We have one major intersection. We don’t want to be left with an empty building in 20 years. We need to do it right.”

Millner responded that only two Wal-Mart Supercenters in the country have closed due to relocation. He also said that Wal-Mart has a proactive real estate team that works quickly to fill vacant spaces in surrounding shopping centers.

Mayor Baldwin also voiced his reservations about the look of the store’s exterior, which is to be made of a concrete masonry unit (CMU) and brick blend. “I’m not a big fan of CMU,” Baldwin said. He said he liked the stone façade of the new Frisco Wal-Mart slated to open in May.

Millner told the council that the Murphy Wal-Mart will look aesthetically pleasing, and that they are planning to use new technology and appealing landscaping to make it look modern.

“We’re going to have to put in some kind of pond on the lot to prevent flooding,” Millner said. “Our goal is to put plant materials and Cyprus trees in the pond and give it a park-like feel.” Millner also said the parking lot would have large islands, which are beneficial for tree growth.

New LED light installations are planned to go in the parking lot instead of high-pressure sodium lighting. Millner said LEDs provide clean, crisp light and are a natural energy saver. He added that smart controls will be used for water irrigation, which use sensors and weather information to manage watering times and frequency. If there has been a lot of rain,” Millner said, the smart controls will know not to water as much. They are geared to conserve outdoor water use.

“As long as it [Wal-Mart] adds to the community and meets our standards from an architectural standpoint, I’m fine with it,” Baldwin said.

When the joint session adjourned, Millner said he would take the council’s comments and requests back to Wal-Mart for review.

“Our goal today is to get feedback,” Millner said.