Wildomar Walmart Still Very Much In The Works

Walmart is continuing to move forward on its proposal to open a supercenter in Wildomar.

During Wednesday night’s Wildomar City Council meeting, an agreement was approved for the preparation of an environmental impact report on the project.

Over the summer Walmart submitted an application to open a supercenter on a 21.96-acre site located on the east side of Interstate 15, south of Bundy Canyon Road and west of Monte Vista Drive.

The agreement approved Wednesday is a step toward seeing that project come to fruition. An environmental impact report is required by the state when there is substantial evidence that a project may have a significant effect on the environment.

Once the determination was made by the city that an EIR was needed, staff extended a request for proposal to draft the lengthy document. Chino Hills-based Applied Planning, Inc. won the contract. The company is to receive a total compensation not-to-exceed $224,903. However, the city will charge an administrative fee of $39,358 and the city attorney will bill $35,000, bringing the total cost to prepare the EIR to $299,261.

That full amount is being paid by Walmart.

Walmart has also proposed to build a supercenter in Lake Elsinore. An application for that 115,00-square-foot store located on 17 acres owned by Walmart was also submitted this summer. The property is bordered by Central Avenue, Cambern, and 3rd Street. 

Walmart began building supercenters in 1988. The stores are typically open 24 hours and include specialty shops.

Walmart has an existing Lake Elsinore store on Grape Street that opened in 1994. It is smaller and Walmart spokeswoman Rachel Wall said it would close once a new supercenter(s) was opened.

But don’t look for a new Walmart to open in the near future – in either city. Like Wildomar, an EIR is required for the Lake Elsinore proposal and that environmental review process can take one or more years to complete.