Mr. Answer Person discusses the color of Wal-Mart

In the wake of our story about the Decorah Planning & Zoning Commission's vote on Wal-Mart's request to paint its supercenter a different color (http://www.decorahnews.com/news-stories/2016/03/13249.html), we received a couple of reader comments/questions.  Jennifer e-mailed: "Isn't there more to worry about in Decorah than what color Wal-Mart is?" while Travis said: "I think our Planning & Zoning Commission has a lot better things to do then be concerned what color a business wants to paint their building."
 
Mr. Answer Person wants to set the record straight a little bit.  The Planning & Zoning Commission wasn't looking for ways to offend local businesses or ways to create a controversy.  Because the 2001 agreement that allowed Walmart to build the supercenter in the floodplain included a clause required Walmart to paint the building in earth tones—a possibility Walmart had suggested—any change to that agreement has to come up before the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Decorah City Council.  In other words, if you make a legal agreement, you have to go back to the organization you made that agreement with—in this case, the City of Decorah—in order to make any changes to the agreement.