Planning commission denies new Walmart

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - It looks like a big set back for the latest proposed big box Walmart in Northwest Albuquerque.

For over 11 hours, the Albuquerque Environmental Planning Commission held a public hearing on the building of the store. In the end commissioners made a motion to deny the plans based on their findings. 

The final vote was 5 to 2.

The meeting began Thursday afternoon around 1 p.m. and ended around 1 a.m. on Friday morning.

Developers planned to build the store on the Southeast corner of Coors and Montano. The city's Environmental Planning Commission stepped in recently and said that the plans for the store might not comply with a recent city ordinance. The ordinance for big box stores says it must have full access to a major four lane road. In this case that would have meant Coors Boulevard.

Several hundreds of people packed the Albuquerque Convention Center to voice their opposition to the store being built. Many also citing reasons that it could add to traffic congestion in the area and that it was too sensitive of a spot so close to the Bosque to build such a store.

"It was real surprising at the end of all their speeches they said that they're going to vote against it," said meeting attendee Nathaniel Kamm. "So I'm really happy with it, but obviously it's not over."

An appeal on this decision can still be made to the Albuquerque City Council where the final decision ultimately rests.

Walmart developers said that the store could have brought at least 250 new jobs to the area.