The Martha’s Vineyard Commission Thursday approved a request from the grocery chain to postpone a public hearing scheduled for Feb. 20 to March 20. The drawn-out process has become one of many sticking points in the expansion plan.
The long-running public hearing on the Stop & Shop expansion plan has been extended another month.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted Thursday to approve a request from the grocery chain to postpone a public hearing scheduled for Feb. 20 to March 20. It was to be the seventh public hearing since the plan to increase the size of the Vineyard Haven store was referred to the MVC more than a year ago.
Commission executive director Mark London said he received the request for a delay on Feb. 4 from Tisbury attorney and Stop & Shop spokesman Geoghan Coogan.
Mr. Coogan cited the unresolved issue of the town parking lot adjacent to the store as the reason, Mr. London said. Although the parking lot is not technically part of the commission's review of the Stop & Shop project, it is related in that the town wants the grocery chain to help finance improvements to the lot if its expansion is approved.
“They’re saying that if they have to pay for the full redo of the parking lot they won’t have as much money to spend on mitigation,” said commission chairman Fred Hancock.
The parking lot is one of many sticking points with the expansion plan which calls for nearly tripling the size of the Water street store.
Mr. London said his written response to Mr. Coogan made it clear that the length of the review has become an issue. Six public hearings have been held to date; the Feb. 20 hearing was expected to be the last.
The commission took an advisory vote to postpone the hearing to March; the vote will be formalized on Feb. 20.
Hearing the news, longtime commissioner Leonard Jason Jr. suggested another course of action: declare Stop & Shop’s application incomplete and vote to deny the project.
“And they could start all over again,” he said.
But commissioner Brian Smith advocated giving the developer the extra time.
“I am fine with putting it off as long as they present their final offers and their final plans, and there’s nothing up in the air,” he said. “I see no reason why they can’t do that.”
He also said: “The town does not have to have the perfect parking lot devised in order to move forward. It’s a big project . . . I think Stop & Shop can get [something together]. And if they can’t, then they shouldn’t be in front of us at all.”
Comments
Methinks the MVC is being a
Neil Off IslandMethinks the MVC is being a bit smug about their efforts to keep Water Street a dump.
You are spot on here. ToT
Sean Town of TisburyYou are spot on here. ToT should be thrilled that anyone is willing to spend so much money in an effort to enhance water street. While they might be frustrated with the delays, threatening to deny the project because things aren't moving fast enough is really shooting yourself (and your constituents) in the foot. The current VH store is insufficient and the parking lot is dangerous. Whatever solution they come up with would almost have to be better than what we have now.
Once again the elephant (Stop
DLM Vineyard HavenOnce again the elephant (Stop and Shop) in the town is asking to postpone the MVC decision. Yes the existing store is in sad shape but does a store three times the size need to be developed in the coastal flood zone,which will create more traffic problems in an already congested 5 corners and Water St? Should it take over the Public Parking Lot or maneuver to have the the Public restrooms removed? There is more at stake here than the development of these three separate pieces of property into one Mega chain store. Readers should take time to independently investigate, more fully, what is negatively developing here. MVC needs to just say No to this Monster sized chain store
Where was the outrage when
KB Vineyard HavenWhere was the outrage when Steve Bernier expanded his "monster chain store" to the same size as the proposed Stop and Shop? Is it because he expanded in a very suburban way - on the outskirts of town. Do we really want to promote suburban sprawl on the island? Do we want Main St. in VH to become another Edgartown ghost town in Winter?
By all means, make the first
Neil Off IslandBy all means, make the first impression of someone getting off the ferry of that they're stepping into a dump.
does anyone see the street
bob flounders Lincoln, NHdoes anyone see the street name....WATER ST...think durring a coastal storm what happens, high WATER.....make it a boat store, they float..no?
Will they add a dunkin dounts
Lyric BostonWill they add a dunkin dounts in the store to like other have
“They’re saying that if they
Marie Laursen Tisbury“They’re saying that if they have to pay for the full redo of the parking lot they won’t have as much money to spend on mitigation,” said commission chairman Fred Hancock.' Surely you jest. This company has billions. O.K., make the store smaller, and use the leftover money to move and rebuild the restrooms. Then you can pay for the parking lot redesign, too, and any other mitigation measures that are needed as a result of what you build.
The truth is that they cannot build this SUPER market unless Tisbury moves the rest rooms. We'd love to see a new store that fits the scale of the neighborhood. We don't want a great big store smack next to five corners and the SSA terminal. We have three other markets in VH already, plus a few smaller shops (Cumberland Farms, etc.) Please give us a reasonable plan, Stop and Shop, not this, which you say is the minimum offer.
Commission Members: Just say no! These people are asking for as much as possible for as little as possible in return. It is insulting. Tisbury, where is the business community? More people parking and spending more time and money in a large market will not necessarily translate to more dollars spent in your shop. It's our Main Street. It's our parking lot. Just say no!
Mr. Kelly,
Village Life VHMr. Kelly,
Thank you for taking this proposal away.
Yet we know that, with this withdrawal,
"It ain't over until the fat lady sings"
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