TEGA CAY -- Wal-Mart would attract more crime and traffic and it could create environmental damage, a report by city officials has found.

Residents and non-residents packed the council chambers Monday to hear a report from the Tega Cay Planning Commission about the impact of a Wal-Mart supercenter opening in Stonecrest, off Hwy. 160 West.

The meeting followed weeks of discussion behind closed doors by the Tega Cay City Council to tighten up conditions it would place on Wal-Mart in return for a favorable vote to build there - despite continued public opposition from many residents living in and around Tega Cay.

Planning Commission member Don Colangelo's report focused on the giant retailer's presence in the city and the effects on crime, traffic and the environment.

Crime

Colangelo's report concluded that Tega Cay police could expect at least 400 more calls a year to the proposed Wal-Mart.

He compared the number of calls for service received over one year by the Rock Hill Police Department to the Wal-Mart on Dave Lyle Boulevard, 405, and to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police from the Wal-Mart on Tryon Street, 645.

Those service calls lasted an average of 53.65 minutes, a total of 362 more hours of work for Rock Hill police and 576 hours of work for Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, Colangelo said.

He also looked at the number of calls for that same period from the Target at Manchester Village in Rock Hill, 151, and from Palmetto Place Apartments in Fort Mill, 109. He said Palmetto Place Apartments - with more than 180 units - was close enough in size to stand in for the 207 apartments that would be dropped from Stonecrest should Wal-Mart win approval from the council.

However, Mayor Bob Runde said the "quality of life crimes between Wal-Mart and the apartments would still be about the same."

ing traffic studies, to interpret the traffic study provided by Kimley-Horn and Associates for Wal-Mart, which was given to the city months ago. Fowler is also involved with opposition group Us Against the WAL.

Fowler came up with numbers suggesting that Wal-Mart would generate almost 7,500 more trips into and out of Stonecrest compared to the 2,300 in Kimley-Horn's report.

Fowler also presented a computer-generated traffic simulation that showed rush-hour traffic backing up in all directions at the Gold Hill Road/Hwy. 160 intersection. He used both the numbers he came up with and Kimley-Horn's numbers, and both scenarios produced similar results.

But representatives for Kimley-Horn disputed Fowler's numbers, saying their report was favorably vetted by the SC. Department of Transportation and York County. They also said their study took into account future road improvements, including the planned widening of Hwy. 160 West to four lanes from Gold Hill to Zoar Road.

Environmental Impact

Colangelo's report also focused on the environmental impact of Wal-Mart. Commission Member Carolyn Minnich, who presented this section of the report, said a Wal-Mart in Stonecrest increases the impervious surface area in the development by 11 acres or 38 percent, which means more storm water run-off going into the Lake Wylie.

The report suggests including ways to enforce environmental requirements on Wal-Mart with fines that compound daily until any problems are resolved.

She said the retention ponds that Wal-Mart suggested for the property are the industry standard, but the city should include language in any agreement to require Wal-Mart to maintain the ponds and monitor run-off.

Minnich also brought up two federal lawsuits against Wal-Mart for violations of the Clean Water Act within the past four years. Each was settled for more than $3 million. She also brought up a series of problems with North Carolina Wal-Marts violating local environmental laws.

Catawba River Keeper Donna Lisenby also spoke about the problems with the North Carolina Wal-Marts and offered to help the city with any environmental impact or protection language in its amendment to the Stonecrest development agreement to ensure the city could hold businesses accountable for damage to the environment.

Runde said this is one area he'd like to look at more closely.

"This sounds like its a done deal," said Joe Braneth, who lives in Palmetto Plantation.

Braneth said he thought the city should look for more options and that the city was doing a disservice to its neighbors if it doesn't.

But afterwards, city officials said they were pleased.

"I thought it was a good meeting," Colangelo said.

"It was a meeting people felt they needed to have and now we've had it," Runde said.

He said the council has already demanded that Wal-Mart make concessions to alleviate traffic and crime - including adding street lights, restricting truck delivery times, and adding a police substation inside the supercenter- as well as enforcement options for the city if Wal-Mart falls short on its end of the deal.

The council met again Tuesday behind closed doors to continue discussing the restrictions it would place on Wal-Mart.