Vista approves Target center

By: CRAIG TENBROECK - Staff Writer
Project's former critics now supporters | Wednesday, February 13, 2008 12:21 AM PST ∞

VISTA -- The phrase "love fest" was uttered more than once during Tuesday night's Vista City Council meeting, and it proved to be an accurate description.

Receiving the praise was the Minneapolis-based Target Corporation, which wants to build a big-box commercial center in the south Vista business park.

With a 4-0 vote, the City Council approved the project, which is expected to plump the city's sales tax coffers by luring shoppers from Carlsbad and San Marcos, as well as Vista.

"I'm thrilled," Councilwoman Judy Ritter said. "People in town love Target."

Supporting the council's decision were the same environmental and community activists who criticized the commercial center last year.

They changed their tune weeks ago after Target modified the project design to reduce traffic and preserve habitat, representatives from the environmental organization Preserve Calavera and the neighborhood group South Vista Communities told the council.

"We think the project before you tonight is vastly better than it was a few months ago," Diane Nygaard, president of Preserve Calavera.

Nekita Hobson of South Vista Communities added: "We all now love this project."

Target, the nation's second largest discount chain, plans to build its 137,000-square-foot retail store on vacant property at Business Park Drive and Poinsettia Avenue. The commercial center will include space for a smaller retail store and a restaurant, but these secondary structures won't take shape immediately.

Target had originally planned to open the anchor store this October, but plans suffered a setback last fall.

Days after the Planning Commission approved the project on Oct. 16, Preserve Calavera appealed the decision to the City Council.

In the weeks that followed, Target met with the group, listened to its concerns, and tweaked its plans. Dozens of parking spaces were eliminated from the center and the size of the smaller building pads were reduced. The company also agreed to prohibit fast-food restaurants in the center.

The city estimates the modified project will generate 31 percent less traffic on surrounding roads.

"It's not just the plants and the wildlife that will benefit from the project changes," Nygaard said. "But everyone who lives in this area or drives on these roads or breathes this air."

Target now expects to open the south Vista store in March 2009, company officials said.

It would be Target's second location in the city. The first, in the North County Square Shopping Center, opened in 1997.

Target opens its stores three times a year: in March, July and October. Last fall, the chain celebrated 61 grand openings across the county, bringing its total to 1,591. The chain expects to open 26 more stores in March, including two in California, a company spokeswoman said Monday.

Councilman Bob Campbell did not attend Tuesday's meeting.

-- Contact staff writer Craig TenBroeck at (760) 901-4062 or ctenbroeck@nctimes.com.

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