Vancouver city council has voted 6-5 to allow Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire to reapply to open big box stores on Southeast Marine Drive, which could lead to the first Wal-Mart within city limits.

However, council has restricted the area where the stores can be built to a stretch of the busy four-lane road between Main and Manitoba streets.

It's the same location where the two retail giants originally applied to build stores, but were rejected by the previous city council in 2005.
 
At the time, Wal-Mart opponents had cited concerns about traffic congestion, air pollution and the impact on small businesses.

Vote split along party lines

The council vote on Monday night split along party lines, with the six NPA councillors voting in favour, and the lone COPE councillor and the four Vision Vancouver councillors opposing.

The two sides have different views about the traffic that the new stores would create.

NPA Coun. Peter Ladner said he believes the location will encourage people to use transit, not their cars, to go shopping.

"Because it's close to a new SkyTrain station at Cambie and Marine, because there's going to be a trolley line from Main to Cambie, there will indeed be transit service to these stores, and they will not be simply serviced and accessed by car."

Stores must still apply for approval

COPE Coun. David Cadman disagreed, saying he couldn't see people carrying new lawn chairs or traveling with TV sets on SkyTrain or trolleys.

"I think that's a statement of stupidity on their behalf. When you put in highway-oriented retail immediately adjacent to a rapid transit spot, what you're facilitating is not people taking public transit to go to these big box stores. What you're facilitating is traffic."

Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire must now apply to go through the city hall approval process for a second time.

The Wal-Mart, if approved, would be the first within the City of Vancouver. The retailer already has several other stores in the suburbs.

Canadian Tire has other, smaller stores in Vancouver.