Wal-Mart is still planning to come to Windsor.

It just might take a little longer than was planned.

ADVERTISEMENT      This week at the town board meeting, an extension of the vested property rights for the land Wal-Mart is planning to build on was requested.

“This will extend the property rights through August 2011,” Windsor Town Attorney John Frey said.

Though there hasn’t been much overt progress, Windsor senior planner Scott Ballstadt said he believes they’re close to closing the land deal.

“The ball’s been in their court for a while now,” Ballstadt said. “The town approved the early plans last year.”

The store plan, submitted in June, includes a 190,000-square-foot store on the northeast corner of 17th and Main streets. The plans include a 10,600-square-foot garden center and a grocery store.

Wal-Mart originally planned to build a store in Windsor in 2004, but it ran into stiff opposition from a citizens’ group called Windsor Against Wal-Mart, or WAW. The group pointed out how Wal-Marts often hurt local small businesses.

The Windsor Town Board, after months of hearings and discussions, voted to not change the zoning on the property Wal-Mart wanted, effectively preventing Wal-Mart from coming to Windsor.

However, another citizens’ group called the Windsor Association for Economic Responsibility, or WAFER, initiated a petition drive to have voters decide if the property should be rezoned for commercial use, thus re-opening the door for Wal-Mart.

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