Publix plan for Raleigh cut in half

Charlotte-based Morgan Property Group proposed a 49,000-square-foot supermarket at the intersection of Falls of Neuse and Dunn roads. McFarlane said she expected to see a plan for a 29,000-square-foot store later this week.

She did not say whether Publix was still on board with the plan or whether Morgan would build the site for another grocer.

Publix, which opened its first Triangle-area store in Cary in October, could not be reached for comment Monday.

Morgan asked the city in 2013 to rezone the 12-acre site, north of Interstate 540, to allow construction of a Publix, several smaller stores and a bank.

Since that time, residents have pushed back, with community meetings and more than 3,300 signing petitions, arguing against the crowding, traffic and environmental impact a strip mall would have in their residential area.

Some opponents said Monday that they are still unhappy about the proposed development, because the land is zoned for office use and they want it to stay that way.

"Cutting the plan in half is still not building to the current zoning," homeowner Vicki Crenshaw said.

The North Raleigh Coalition of Homeowners on Monday also sent out an email to members, pledging to fight any rezoning changes.

Not everyone is against a shopping center. Tony Allen moved to the area from Florida, where Publix is based.

"To me, it's the cleanest, nicest, most complete grocery store that I've ever been in," he said.