News

Planning Board endorses Walmart's color change

The city Planning Board endorsed Walmart's application to switch from earthtone to blue accents.

By Bill Moss, Published: November 29, 2018

Eighteen years ago, when Walmart announced its move from the Eastridge Crossing shopping center to the new Highland Square, the Hendersonville City Council held two different public meetings to discuss the look of the discount giant’s new store.

The council “agreed that canopies, indentations and earth tone colors would enhance the appearance of the building,” city planners said in a report to the city Planning Board. City Council members at that time had become interested in keeping the city’s gateways attractive and free of loud colors and garish signs. They decreed Walmart’s earth tones. Twice more since then, Walmart applied for and won city approval for new paint colors. But in each case the request required only the city manager’s OK because the new color remained an earth tone.
Walmart’s official color has been blue since 2008 and now the retailer asked the city for permission to paint the façade blue. This time, because “the applicant has proposed a non-earth tone exterior building color scheme,” the request has to be approved by the City Council. The Planning Board last week voted unanimously to recommend the council OK the blue color scheme. The advisory board then went a step further, recommending a change in shopping center’s special-use permit “so they don’t have to come back for future color changes,” said Susan Frady, the city’s director of Development Assistance. The color change request goes to the City Council on Dec. 6.