SEQUIM — It’s official: Wal-Mart and Home Depot are invited to set up shop in this city of 4,400.

The City Council on Monday formally put its stamp of approval on a set of findings and conclusions reached last month, following a long and contentious battle over two “big-box” retail developments slated for the west end of the city.

“I’m pleased; I’m really pleased,” said Jack McCullough, a Seattle attorney representing Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart applied last fall to build a 195,000-square-foot “superstore” at the northwest corner of Washington Street and Priest Road.

At about the same time, AVB Development Partners sought approval on a 395,000-square-foot regional shopping center planned for a site directly across Washington Street, near River Road.

That center — to be called Sequim Village Marketplace — will be anchored by Home Depot home improvement warehouse and probably an Albertsons Food and Drug, in addition to restaurants and other retail businesses.

Both McCullough and Glenn Amster, who represents AVB, attended the meeting.

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The rest of this story appears in Tuesday’s Peninsula Daily News.