The National Trust for Historic Preservation is criticizing Orange County planners for approving a Wal-Mart Supercenter near a Civil War battlefield.

The county's Planning Commission voted 5-4 late Thursday to recommend approval of the store to the Board of Supervisors. The recommendation is not binding, but several supervisors said the planning vote will be an important consideration.

In a statement issued after the meeting, National Trust President Richard Moe called the commission's vote "disappointing and very problematic."

Supervisors are expected to schedule a public hearing before taking up the proposal. They have final say.

The Supercenter is proposed near the Wilderness Battlefield, one of the key battlegrounds in the Civil War. Wal-Mart insists its store will not diminish the battlefield.