By Ralph C. Jensen

Murphy is changing; that’s not news. Traffic is getting worse and that small town feeling is going away every day. Traffic and change are operative words as the Murphy City Council has approved an ordinance amending the planned development of property on the northwest quadrant of FM 544 and North Murphy Road.

Hold on. A Wal Mart Super Center is coming to town, and despite the pleas from a host of residents to send the big box retailer packing back to Bentonville, Ark., the council approved the site plan application. Wal Mart will build a more than 188,000 square foot store that they say will reflect the image of Murphy.

Although no one, either on the council or the retailer’s advance team, could define the type of image Murphy has, progress on the building is moving forward. Councilman Dennis Richmond specifically asked that the building have at least 15 percent stone in the front and east and west facades. The use of stone will mirror other buildings that have sprung up in the city near the proposed site, including Christian Brothers Automotive. He also wanted to ensure that at least 60 percent of the building is brick or brick-like material, and that magnolia trees be planted in the back, or north side, of the building.

“We have addressed everything from city staff and what they think is appropriate for your community,” said Rob V. Klemple, senior associate at Scott & Goble Architects, based in Tulsa, Okla. “We also looked at surrounding businesses to make sure we are doing the same type of building architecture. Our goal to be successful is to focus on presentation and branding for a nice presentation.”

Wal Mart architects implemented all suggestions given them by the city’s planning and zoning commission, and added other new features proposed by the city council, to include more green space and additional landscape architecture and straightening out a perimeter road near FM 544.

All the adjustments still didn’t impress the vast majority of residents attending the meeting in council chambers and the overflow group in the community room, where a live audio and video feed kept those in attendance up to date. The additional room was needed because of the number of residents attending, despite the violent weather conditions outside, and the prevailing opposition inside.

Public Comments
When residents had an opportunity to speak, they were asked to keep comments to five minutes, and to be civil, the council knowing this was a hot item on the agenda.

“I’m asking you [the city council] to end this tonight,” said Jerry Davidson, who is the founder of an anti-Wal Mart online campaign. “Let’s send the suits back to Bentonville because Murphy doesn’t want this.”

Davidson pointed out that the city receives about $1.8 million annually in sales tax receipts, and if Wal Mart comes to town, they will bring in an estimated $1.4 million more tax dollars. He said, this is about greed and money, nothing more. He asked the council to consider the money that would be generated by sales tax, and then pointedly asked if this money was already spent?

“Murphy is a high-income city,” Davidson said. “If you bring this in, I promise you that none of your council seats are safe. I will run for city council and defy the greed that seems to exist.”

I’m on Your Side
Not everyone speaking before council and the public was against the retail expansion. In fact, as many residents spoke of losing that country feeling by building a Wal Mart, Gus Delaloye spoke strongly for the building.

“That country feeling was gone years ago,” Delaloye said. “I think we should take advantage of the sales tax revenue that this will bring.

“I’ve also heard that some are concerned that building a Wal Mart will bring the “Wal Mart” crowd to our city. Well, I shop at Wal Mart and I guess I’m part of that crowd, and I’m an OK person. In fact, my wife shops at Wal Mart, and she’s a pretty special lady, so I guess that crowd is just fine,” he said.

Several residents and speakers admitted that Murphy is no longer the same small-town place they moved here for, and Wal Mart has very little to do with the growth and expansion of the city.

A Sophisticated City
As the city has grown, so has the scope of building materials and methods of building. Wal Mart representatives said they would employ the latest themes, to include a prominent theme of brick, vertical breaks in the façade and a horizontal banding of the building. They also have employed two front entries that have a similar look as that of Murphy City Hall, with glass entry portals, accents of color and awnings that create shadow lines on the building. Architects have added parapet heights at the request of the city’s planning and zoning commission, and which will now have a stone look to them.

“There is a lot of intensity on the side elevations, which brings a lot of flavor or style to the building,” Klemple said. “This building has really nice composition. We’re pretty proud of it.”

Council members took the opportunity to ensure what Wal Mart wanted to build matched their vision of the city. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Colleen Halbert asked how many other stores in the organization would look like this one, but was told that there weren’t any others on the books that looked like this.

“Everyone I work on is different,” said Daniel Millner, a professional engineer with Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., based in Frisco. “This store is a hybrid of the Wal Mart identity and has the Murphy image.”

Councilman Scott Bradley asked if this store would have pallets of product in the aisles, making it difficult for shoppers to navigate. Millner said that is generally up to the discretion of each store manager, but the store is designed with wider aisles.

“I don’t see that this store is unique to Murphy at all,” Halbert said. “The eyebrow feature on the entrances is not unique to Murphy.”

Millner said there is not another store in the retail chain that has this feature and that it is being used because it is similar to the style used on city hall. Klemple said there are common arch themes that are in line with city hall, and that he used them because he is sensitive to the wants of each community he works with.

North Texas Tornado
As residents sparred with council members, Murphy Fire Chief Mark Lee asked the council to suspend the meeting so everyone could take cover because of the inclement weather and possible tornado in the area. A brief recess was held, and attendees hovered near the side of walls and in safer hallways in the building. The recess lasted about 20 minutes.

Once the mayor signaled an open meeting, Wal Mart officials were grilled on the distinct features that a Plano Wal Mart store, located at the North Dallas Tollway and Parker Road had included into its theme. Store representatives said they didn’t know what specialty products the Murphy store would have until it was built and residents made known what they wanted, however, several ideas were given, such as organic foods and a higher value wine selection.

“We will be merchandising to the community once the store is built,” said Kellie Duhr, director of public affairs for Wal Mart. “We merchandise differently in South Texas than we would here in Murphy. One thing you will not see or hear is radio music or a public address system. There will be lower shelving so customers can see to the back of the store.”

Not convinced, residents said they would rather keep the Super Center out of Murphy and continue to support the Wal Mart Neighborhood Market, which recently was refurnished and updated. Store officials assured residents that the same employees would be at the new store and it would have the same local flavor. Wal Mart does have it own realty team and will be selling the soon to be vacant Neighborhood Market.

“We’ve outgrown the Neighborhood Market,” Duhr said. “We want to bring something bigger and better to the residents of Murphy.”

With Wal Mart officials ending their comments, Mayor Bret Baldwin said the city has heard from a lot of residents who have expressed concerns about crime, traffic, pulling people from outside of Murphy to the city, forcing the closure of mom and pop shops and the reduced wages that employees at Wal Mart will be paid.

With a population of about 17,000 people, Murphy has a median income of $109,000. Aside from store management, the average Wal Mart worker can expect to earn about $10 per hour.

Without the store, the mayor said he saw Murphy struggling with tax revenue down the road. Other stores aren’t looking to relocate to the city, but when it was made known that Wal Mart was coming, the city’s phones have been busy with interested parties wanting to relocate.

“What we have on the table right now is Wal Mart,” Baldwin said. “Our Neighborhood Market has been a good neighbor. They have been responsive to the city’s needs. Rather than recognize the downside of this project, we should focus on the advantages. With every Wal Mart, there are seven to 10 other businesses that locate in a community with them. This will generate tax revenue growth. We are a community dependent on property tax right now.”

Councilman David Brandon said there are a lot of cars driving on FM 544 right now and he wanted to make it a positive experience by capturing some of those drivers as they stop at the Murphy Wal Mart on the way home each day.

As tax revenues would likely grow, several of the residents admonished council members to sock away most, if not all, of the additional tax revenue for a rainy day, and not spend that money because it is there. Council members were challenged to be fiscally responsible and not keep putting money into parks and recreation, but save the money for when things are economically strong, such as the last two years.

In other council business, Baldwin was given the oath of office as mayor, winning the recent election. John Dougherty also was sworn in and elected as mayor pro tem. Newly elected Bernard Grant, place 5, was sworn in as a new member of the council, but immediately had to dismiss himself from conversations about Wal Mart because of attorney/client privilege from work he has performed for Wal Mart as a younger attorney. Halbert was re-elected as deputy mayor pro tem, and the council honored outgoing councilman Mike Daniel for his work at city hall.