Wal-Mart May Still Be Interested In Caledonia

The Racine Journal Times is reporting that Wal-Mart is still smitten with Caledonia.

But after a Village Board meeting Tuesday, Ron Coutts told a Patch editor that he didn't see any chance that development would happen along Highway 31 or along Douglas Avenue.

The reason he doesn't see any chance for development along Highway 31 is because of heavy opposition from residential property owners and Douglas Avenue has too many hurdles to overcome for commercial development, he said.

Hundreds of people have organized against having a Wal-Mart located on the corner of Highway 31 and Four Mile Road. They've come to meetings , put up signs in their yards, designed a website called Caledonia Citizens for Reasonable Economic Planning (CCREP.org) and formed a Facebook page titled "No Walmart in Rural Caledonia."

In January, a number of planning officials and a commercial real estate broker that expanding commercial development along Douglas Avenue would be difficult because of existing wetlands and the need to acquire a number of properties along Douglas Avenue.

Earlier this month the Village Board decided to move forward with revisiting their , which included looking at several areas for development.

Coutts said he would be looking to form a committee that could research potential areas for commercials development and would likely discuss the issue a at a Plan Commission meeting, which will likely be slated for May 25. However, the agenda hasn't officially been posted.

However, he noted the emphasis of the study would not likely be put on Highway 31 or Douglas Avenue, and might focus more on Highway K because it already has some development with the industrial park and existing businesses in Franksville. It also offers access to water and sewer lines.