Shrewsbury to Unveil Walmart Site Plan at June Town Hall

board of aldermen members plan to release more details concerning the controversial redevelopment of Kenrick Plaza and construction of a Walmart Supercenter at a town hall meeting tentatively scheduled for late June.

The format of the meeting was discussed at a work session of the board Tuesday. It will include a presentation of the construction outline for the redevelopment—its conceptual site plan—along with some financial information.

At previous meetings and again on Tuesday, citizens have asked its members when they would be able to learn more specifics about the redevelopment and its impact on the community. Mayor Felicity Buckley said much of that information will be in the conceptual site plan.

"We have been working on the conceptual site plan for eight months. We haven't brought it out to the public because it changes so much," Buckley said.

Buckley said although the plan is still subject to adjustment, it has come far enough along to present it to the community at a town hall meeting. In addition, she said the city hopes to have answers to some of the financial questions surrounding the redevelopment.

After some discussion, the board decided to split the town hall meeting into two parts. All Shrewsbury residents are invited to attend the first half, which consists of a presentation by the city and a question-and-answer session. The second half will consist of three smaller meetings, one for each ward, during which citizens will be able to address their aldermen directly.

A date for the town hall meeting was not officially set at Tuesday's work session, but tentatively scheduled for late June. Buckley also told board of aldermen members to be prepared to individually explain their opinions concerning the controversial redevelopment.

The work session also included the first and second reading of an ordinance to accept a contract with architecture and design firm PGAV. The firm would help the city establish the parameters of a Tax Increment Financing District (TIF) for the Kenrick redevelopment.

Buckley said that with the inclusion of lower Kenrick Plaza in the project, the contract with PGAV will need to undergo "substantial changes." The board then approved a motion to table the ordinance while they wait for the contract's details to be finalized.

Director of Administration Jonathon Greever said the cost of all preliminary work done so far on the project, such as drafting the conceptual site plan, has been paid for by the developer, GJ Grewe.

Also on the agenda at the meeting at the meeting:

• Elmer Kauffmann was elected as President of the Board for a second year. Alderpersons cited Kauffmann's knowledge of the Kenrick Plaza redevelopment as one of the reasons to extend his tenure.
• The board approved an ordinance to continue contracting the city's waste services to Christian Disposal for a fifth year at the rates establsihed in the original contract. The city's original contract with Christian Disposal was for three years, with two optional years after that. The move sparked a comment from recently elected Alderman Dee Wiecher, who objected to the fact that the board was conducting the first and second readings on the same night instead of spacing them across board meetings.
• The board discussed the bids received for life and disability insurance for city employees. The lowest rates where provided by the city's current carriers—Principal Financial Group for life and Aetna for disability. In each case, the companies kept their rates the same as the previous year.

Updated with information on other points addressed at the meeting.

Correction 5/26: Fixed misspelling of "Kenrick."