FRISCO - A movement is growing in Frisco to stop plans to build a Wal-Mart supercenter on Preston Road.

Homeowners of the neighboring Hickory Street Village town home development are worried about added noise and traffic.

“We're not in opposition to development of this property, and we're not in opposition to Wal-Mart whatsoever, but we are in opposition to the size of the Wal-Mart they're trying to put in this property,” says the homeowners’ association president, Mike Riccio.

Wal-Mart asked the city last month to change the zoning to allow a 185,000 square-foot store, more than twice the size of what current zoning laws allow.

The store would replace an empty field at the corner of Preston and Hickory Street.

The city’s planning and zoning commission is scheduled to consider the request at its July 14th meeting.

Developers have been meeting with homeowners to hear concerns and discuss design changes to ease fears, such as building walls and planting trees to block views and dampen noise.

Some homeowners welcome the addition, saying it will bring jobs and make shopping more convenient.

Wal-Mart insists it wants to be a good neighbor, but neighbors feel the store should be built somewhere else.

“I'm just concerned it’s going to be a traffic nightmare,” homeowner Cecilia Abbey says. “I'm just concerned they're putting it so close.”

Another concern is the impact on businesses at Frisco’s historic downtown.

Tuesday afternoon Riccio walked down Main Street and handed out fliers to shop owners, warning of the store and promoting an upcoming community meeting.

“Our agenda is just to get the word out to as many people as we can,” Riccio says. “People for the most part are not informed about this, this new Wal-Mart.”

He says there are already 17 closed storefronts in the area near the proposed store and worries more will fail.

“We're afraid this new Wal-Mart will completely zap this new downtown Frisco location,” Riccio says.

Store owner Peter Borrello shares the concern.

Although he doesn’t feel his skateboard shop will be in direct competition, he worries about his neighbors.

“You want your city and your part of town to be special,” Borrello said. “And when you have a Wal-Mart there, it takes away from the character.”

Neighbors are planning a meeting to discuss the store on Wednesday, June 24, at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Frisco.

E-mail jbetz@wfaa.com.