Developer behind failed Walmart Neighborhood Market plan in Edmond may sue city after council rejection

A decade-long effort to build a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Edmond may soon be headed back to court. The developer behind the controversial project near Covell Road and Coltrane Road is considering legal action against the City of Edmond, following a City Council vote earlier this week that officially rejected the plan.

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The project was first introduced 10 years ago and has faced consistent public opposition from nearby residents. Although it was backed by an appeals court ruling in 2017, the city council on Monday voted to deny the latest version of the site plan.

Edmond Mayor Mark Nash referenced concerns about an unplatted greenbelt area on the property.

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“You see this unplatted greenbelt area on the north side that I have no understanding of what the legal obligation of that is,” Nash said. “That was not granted as part of the greenbelt to the HOA back in 1990.”

An attorney for the developer said the city made an error in denying the plan, arguing that the site plan fully complied with all legal and zoning requirements. The developer's attorney accused the city of attempting to “wordsmith around” the plan to block it and indicated that a lawsuit is likely imminent.