The city will have an impact on a business regardless of what direction it takes in whether to permit a new Super A grocery store to be built on Wilson Drive, says Coun. Mel Stehelin.

'No matter what we do, we're affecting somebody's business,' he said at last night's council meeting.

If it doesn't permit the project to go ahead, that will impact Super A, Stehelin said.

At the same time, permitting the business to open its doors in the Granger subdivision could have an impact on Herbie's Groceries, a convenience store next door to the site Super A has bought at 85 Wilson Dr.

Super A is proposing to build a new 890-square-metre grocery store in Granger. The company operates stores in Porter Creek and Riverdale.

A proposed schedule for approval of a conditional use permit for the latest store was presented to council members at Monday's meeting.

Super A owner Sam Jurovich, who attended the meeting, was questioned by Coun. Dave Stockdale on why the store wants to build next to Herbie's Grocery.

Jurovich argued the full-service Super A grocery store wouldn't be competing with the convenience store and gas bar that's located next-door.

He pointed out the store wouldn't have the gas bar Herbie's does.

In a previous interview, Herbie's co-owner Dee Balsam said the new grocery store could mean the death of her nine-year-old convenience store.

In 2002, the 85 Wilson Dr. property where the new grocery store would be located was rezoned from Residential Multiple to Neighbourhood Commercial (CN) to allow for the construction of a restaurant, Brown's Tap and Grill.

In the previous interview, Balsam noted she didn't have a problem with the restaurant development because it didn't directly impact her business.

When the property was rezoned to allow for the restaurant, Stockdale noted, there had been some concern it could be sold off with a different business being developed on the site.

That restaurant never went ahead. The property was sold to Celia Harbour Holdings Ltd., which submitted the application to develop a grocery store.

Jurovich noted the site was the only property in the neighbourhood available to Super A for development.

Under the CN zoning, a grocery store is permitted as a conditional use granted by council.

Jurovich said his project, at just under $2 million, would provide employment and a service to the growing Granger neighbourhood.

The schedule proposed for council's approval would have public input being invited at next Monday's meeting.

A report on the input would then come forward on March 15 with a vote being held on March 22.