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• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- The Sioux Falls City Council has rezoned about 40 acres of land from agricultural use to commercial use to make way for a Walmart supercenter that some area residents have opposed.
• The 7-1 council vote Tuesday night came after lengthy discussions involving city leaders, representatives of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and residents. It is another step in the process -- Walmart must come back to the council for two permits before construction can began.
• Councilwoman Michelle Erpenbach said it was clear that people in Sioux Falls want to shop at stores such as Walmart, and the city is growing in the area of the proposed store.
• "This was the right thing, the right place, the right time," she said.
• Councilor Greg Jamison cast the lone dissenting vote.
• "We can do better than this. They are making a piece of land work for them; we need to make it work for us," he said.
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to several changes to make the planned store a better fit for the neighborhood, including switching to smaller signs and banning overnight parking.
• "We appreciate the City Council's support for this project and the changes we've made in response to feedback we received from our future neighbors," Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Delia Garcia said in a statement. "Residents continue to share their excitement with us about the new store and we look forward to bringing an additional shopping option to the south side of town."
• Members of the Save Our Neighborhood group say the changes are not enough and they will continue to fight.
• The citizen group has tried several ways to block the store, including unsuccessfully taking the city to court to stop annexation of the proposed store site, hiring a consultant to review Walmart's traffic analysis, and gathering enough petition signatures to put proposed changes to the city's zoning ordinances to a public vote next year.
• "We have to live with this forever," group spokeswoman Dana Palmer said of the proposed store.
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