FORT WRIGHT — Stephanie Redman of Fort Wright said a scaled-down Wal-Mart store would make traffic congestion worse, but Mike Works of neighboring Fort Mitchell said it would fatten coffers in both Kenton County cities.

        Ms. Redman and Mr. Works were among 75 people who attended Wednesday's Fort Wright City Council meeting where a Florida developer presented a plan for a 183,000-square-foot Wal-Mart store on a 60-acre site at Highland Pike, Orphanage Road and Madison Pike (Ky. 17).

        Council took no action on the plan developed by Regency Centers of Jacksonville, Fla., because it was the first time city leaders had seen it. The company, which has an office in Blue Ash, owns and operates 268 shopping centers in 23 states.

        The smaller Wal-Mart would be built on the same site previously proposed for a 204,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter, which residents have protested for several years. It would have the same features as the larger store, such as groceries, a garden store, dry goods and tires.

        Regency Centers' Wal-Mart proposal also calls for:

        • Six outlots for smaller businesses such as banks and restaurants. The earlier plan called for 10.

        • A road to be called Valley Boulevard to connect Highland Pike and Orphanage Road.

        • Increased landscaping. Raised green space along Valley Boulevard would make Wal-Mart invisible from the road.

        • A six-lane Highland Pike, five lanes on Orphanage Road and an additional southbound lane along the west side of Ky. 17. The earlier proposal called for four lanes on Highland Pike and Orphanage.

        • Deceleration and right-turn lanes from southbound Ky. 17 onto Highland Pike and Orphanage Road.

        • A right-turn in and out lane at the entrance off Highland Pike. The earlier plan called for full traffic movement off Highland.

        Ms. Redman, who helped place 150 yard signs opposing the first proposal, said the latest plan does nothing to address what she said is the increasing number of trucks and others vehicles that use Highland Pike as a shortcut to Interstate 75 via Kyles Lane.

        Mr. Works said there may be problems at first, but having a new Wal-Mart in Fort Wright (there are others in Alexandria, Florence and Dry Ridge) would ultimately lessen traffic woes across Northern Kentucky.

        “As the newness wears off, things will settle down into a certain group” of shoppers, Mr. Works said.

       Cindy Schroeder contributed to this story.
       

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