A proposal to build a Wal-Mart at Coors and Montano in Albuquerque will likely be rejected, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
A new report from City Hall staff says the plan isn't pedestrian friendly and doesn't have enough access to nearby roads.
The case is the first big test of Albuquerque’s “big box” ordinance, approved in 2007 to govern the development of large retail facilities. The ordinance requires “full access” to a major four-lane road, which means traffic can flow either way when exiting or entering the site. There’s a dispute over whether this site meets the requirement. The Walmart, itself, doesn’t appear to have full access to Coors, but the larger subdivision in which it would be built has full access through Learning Road and Coors, where there is a traffic light. City planners say in a report submitted to the EPC they don’t believe the project complies with the access requirement. They note that while the site is next to Coors and Montaño, those are “limited access” streets. “Most of the access points are limited and the only full access point is at the intersection of Learning Road and Coors,” city planners said. “Learning Road is utilized by students entering and leaving Bosque School and by residents who live in the area.” Walmart customers would have to travel a short distance to the south and through at least one roundabout to get to Learning Road.