GOSHEN — The Goshen Plan Commission gave its final approval for Walmart’s planned unit development site proposal Tuesday afternoon, March 19.

The initial proposal was presented to the commission in December 2012 and was then adopted by the city council in January.

The Walmart at 4024-2 Elkhart Road plans to relocate the store just to the south of the current location through a three-phase project.

The first phase will include stormwater retention, sanitary sewer extension, storm sewer improvements and general pre-construction preparation.

Phase two of the project will entail construction of the new Walmart building, as well as construction of a portion of the new parking.

The third and final phase will include the destruction of the existing building and construction of the remaining parking on the site of the demolished building. The last phase will also include landscaping and other small improvements to the site.

The final plan was also reviewed and approved by the Goshen Fire Department and Goshen’s city planner.

Though Walmart received the commission’s approval, Goshen’s Planning and Zoning Administrator Rhonda Yoder noted there are several guidelines Walmart must meet as conditions of the approval.

“There are a couple details which have not been finalized at this time,” Yoder noted.

Yoder explained that Walmart must work on details for the easement and trail allowing access for buggies and bicycles, as well as the final location of buggy parking. Those details must be submitted and reviewed by Goshen’s Engineering Department.

If all continues to go as planned, Walmart’s Director of Public Affairs Jason Wetzel said in December that they hope construction can begin in the spring of 2014.

The commission also gave its approval to the secondary plot on Century Drive, north of Kercher Road in the Century Industrial Park subdivision.

The commission granted approval with the understanding that the developer knew of a stormwater issue in which streams of water originating outside the city accumulate with runoff from inside the city and release onto Century Drive off the area being developed.

City Utilities Engineer Dustin Sailor sent an email to the commission and to the developer noting that the runoff will be the developer’s responsibility.

A representative of the developing company said they were aware of the issue and were investigating how to best handle the problem.