After a two-week delay, a proposed development moratorium for the area around Highway 65 and Crosstown Boulevard is on tonight's agenda for the Ham Lake City Council.

Wal-Mart last month withdrew a rezoning request to build a 203,000-square-foot store at the intersection in the face of opposition from local community residents, including many labor union members who reside in Ham Lake.

Following Wal-Mart's action, a community group which came together to oppose the Wal-Mart request asked the City Council March 21 to adopt a moratorium on large-scale "big box" development in the area.

Before approving future development for the intersection, Citizens for Responsible Development in Ham Lake, Inc. said, the city needed to undertake a planning study to consider traffic issues, surface water run-off and sewage concerns, and to outline the community's vision for development of the area.

Instead of taking immediate action on the community group's request, the City Council directed the City Attorney to prepare a moratorium for consideration two weeks later on April 4.

At the April 4 meeting, however, Ham Lake Mayor Gary Kirkeide said he had just received a phone call from Wal-Mart representatives asking the city to delay action until property owners in the area could have further discussion with the city about the proposed moratorium.

In response to Wal-Mart's request, the City Council voted to table the moratorium and scheduled a special meeting April 12 to hear from the property owners. Only one City Council Member ? Paul Meunier ? voted against tabling the moratorium.

"I'm still not sure why one phone call from Wal-Mart has so much power over our mayor," said Christine Dahlman, vice chair of Citizens for Responsible Development in Ham Lake, Inc.

At the April 12 meeting for the property owners' input, "we had a good turnout," Dahlman said. "It was packed out into the entryway again."

"The mayor set ground rules," she said, stipulating that only landowners in the proposed moratorium and study area would be allowed to speak.

"Of the 15 who spoke, two opposed the moratorium, four were in favor, and the rest wanted the moratorium on the entire Highway 65 corridor," Dahlman reported.

When A Wal-Mart representative asked to speak, Dahlman said, "Several of us said, he's not a landowner, why is he speaking at all?"

After advice from the City Attorney, Dahlman said, the mayor stuck to his own rules and refused to allow the Wal-Mart representative to speak. "That's the first time we've seen the mayor show backbone," said Dahlman, who is a former Ham Lake City Council member.

The Ham Lake City Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Ham Lake City Hall, 15544 Central Ave. NE., Ham Lake. The meeting normally begins with an open public comment period.

Steve Share edits the Minneapolis Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, AFL-CIO. E-mail him at laborreview@mplscluc.com