LEWISTON – Goddard Road traffic concerns didn’t slow approval of the second half of Wal-Mart’s distribution complex.

Wal-Mart got approval for a 435,000-square-foot dry goods warehouse from the city Planning Board on Monday. That warehouse will go just northwest of the refrigerated grocery warehouse approved in 2002, south of Goddard Road and west of Plourde Parkway.

Work on at least the first phase is due to begin in May, and Goddard Road neighbor Martha Catevenis said she’s afraid of what construction traffic will due to her neighborhood. Catevenis, of 10 Goddard Road, said she expects to see more traffic from construction workers as well as heavy construction vehicles. That will make an already busy street even busier.

“All of the traffic coming locally will come through town and down Goddard Road,” Catevenis said.

There’s little the city can do, officials said. The road is in an industrial part of the city that’s used by heavy equipment.

“I don’t disagree,” board Chairman Jeff Gosselin. “The point is, how can we alleviate it. I don’t think there’s much we can do.”

The company is now waiting for state to clear environmental permit amendments. Engineer Kenneth Houghton said the state Department of Environmental Protection is set to rule on adding the second phase into the project in April.

Wal-Mart has planned to build the first phase of the project, a 445,651-square-foot mechanized produce and refrigerated grocery warehouse, since Dec. 2001. That phase also includes a 9,279-square-foot truck maintenance shop and 759-square-foot fueling island. The first phase also includes building a 1,600-square-foot fire house.

The second phase would go northwest of the first building. It would be about 40 feet tall.

Work on both phases is scheduled to wrap up sometime in 2007.

The complex should create as many as 750 new jobs when both phases are complete.

Capital budget

City Administrator Jim Bennett also outlined his concerns for the coming year’s budget Monday, presenting his Capital Projects plan to the board.

Bennett offered a glimpse of what to expect tonight when he presents his proposed budget to the City Council. That meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m. in City Hall.

“I will say that if Wal-Mart had started work on their project last year, we wouldn’t be facing any tax increases next year,” Bennett said. He also promised that no tax revenues would go to pay for work at the Colisee, the Bates Mill or the Southern Gateway.

“They are all funded through their own revenues or surpluses,” Bennett said.

His proposed capital projects list was heavy on economic development spending and roads and light on new vehicles. Bennett said he is anticipating the effect of a harsh property tax cap that could be on this June’s ballot.

The tax cap being proposed by Carol Palesky would limit property tax rate statewide to $10 per $1,000 of property value. That would cut the city’s property tax revenues from $38.9 million to $12.5 million. After Androscoggin County’s share is removed and debt service payments are made, the city would be left with about $3.1 million to pay for municipal and school services. Those amount to $28 million currently.

Bennett recommended spending on capital improvement money next year in road improvement projects and economic development, while cutting city building maintenance and federally mandated sewer overflow drain construction.

The Planning Board agreed, voting unanimously to approve the plan.

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