Site preparation and permit applications are continuing for the planned Walmart Supercenter east of Port Angeles across U.S. Highway 101 from the existing store.

The company says it has no plans to expand Sequim’s Walmart that opened in 2004.

Walmart officials first confirmed in October 2005 the company planned to build a Supercenter – a Walmart department store plus a supermarket – on the old Kmart store site north of Highway 101 between Kolonels Way and North Masters Road.

The proposed 195,293- square-foot store would 82,000 square feet larger than the Sequim store and more than 66,000 square feet larger than its current Port Angeles store. It would take about 10 months to build.

According to the Clallam County Planning Department, the company received preliminary approval in November to combine several lots at the site but hasn’t finalized the lot layout yet.

Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger said the company is waiting to find a contractor before submitting a demolition application for the existing Kmart building.

Karianne Fallow, Walmart’s regional spokeswoman in Boise, Idaho, confirmed the company is pursuing the Port Angeles site for a Supercenter in 2010 or 2011.

"Our plan is to move across the highway and we’re working with the city (of Port Angeles) to prepare for annexation in the future," she said.

"We have no plans to expand the Sequim store."

Clallam County Public Utility District has received some inquiries from the company about getting power to the old Kmart site, said John Purvis, Clallam PUD electric distribution systems engineer. Company officials also asked about putting in a larger transformer although there are no final site plans yet, he said.

Port Angeles Deputy Community Development Director Nathan West said Walmart still is going to build its Supercenter east

of Port Angeles and he’s heard nothing about one planned for Sequim.

Sequim Planning Director Dennis Lefevre said the company’s 2003 building approval for its Sequim store included an additional 68,000 square feet west of the existing store for a potential Supercenter, but company officials haven’t contacted the city about increasing the Sequim store’s size.

Reach Brian Gawley at bgawley@sequimgazette.com.