Residents of Glenville will be pleased they are one step closer to having a new supermarket in the former Stop & Shop space at 21 Glenville Street.
The Stop& Shop closed last June and a two part application to Planning & Zoning has been wending its way through the process.
In October the commission approved a rezone of 1.3 acres in the residential part of the property to the LBR2.
P&Z Watch: Rezone of Empty Stop & Shop Property Okayed: Expands Parking for Potential Supermarket by 61 Spots Oct 20, 2023
This week, the commission approved the application to expand the parking by 61 parking spaces for a new total of 179 spaces, including 9 handicapped spaces.
Today there are 118 spaces, including 4 handicapped. This reflects an existing non-conformity, and the proposal will result in more parking than is actually required.
The vote was unanimous, 5-0, clearing the way for the parking lot and landscaping work to be done.
Specifically, the plan is to reconfigure parking on the west side of the property and adding spaces on the north side of the supermarket. The property is 6.17 acres.
The P&Z commission urged the applicant, Sutton Land LLC, to enhance screening and greenery as part of the parking lot work – specifically on the western boundary of the property. The applicant’s attorney Tom Heagney said there were plans for additional shrubbery along that boundary, as well as increased plantings at the front of the property along Glenville Street and in front of the building.
Ms Alban said the town’s new landscape regulations required commercial uses be buffered from other uses.
The applicant said there were plans for additional trees on the northerly side of the property abutting residential properties.
The commissioners said, specifically, the new landscaping regulations urge the addition of trees within the asphalt areas of parking lots.
“It’s not supposed to be along the perimeter,” said P&Z chair Margarita Alban. “It’s not meant to make you lose parking.”
“You are to evaluate adding trees within the overall asphalt parking lot area, with minimal loss of parking spaces, consistent with the new landscaping regulation,” Alban said. “What Mr. Heagney is saying is the old regulations apply to the old parking where (the configuration is) not changing.”
“There were two scraggly trees in each of the two islands in the front of the building and we’re proposing four larger trees in each of those,” Heagney said. “And we’re proposing more landscaping and trees along the easterly property line.”
As for EV chargers, the applicant will be adding six EV charging stations, which represents 10% of the additional parking the commission approved.
As for the town’s planned traffic improvements on Glenville Street, the applicant already granted an easement to locate traffic control equipment on their private property.
Plans at 21 Glenville Street do not include any additional square footage to the building.
Since the application does not feature any change of use, the applicant does not need to return to P&Z with a proposal for a new tenant.