Former Grand Union—

Eton Center Redevelopment Project Slated For Hearing

By Andrew Gorosko

The Borough Zoning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing Wednesday, March 12, on a proposal to redevelop and expand Eton Center at 5 Queen Street. The hearing is slated for 7:15 pm at Town Hall South at 3 Main Street.

Applicants Eton Centers Company, and Brause Realty, Inc, both of New York City, are seeking three approvals from the borough zoners. The applicants are requesting a special exception to the borough zoning regulations, a site development plan approval, and a Village District Zoning approval.

The largely vacant shopping center formerly held a Grand Union supermarket as its prime tenant. The Grand Union closed for business in March 2001. That decaying space has been vacant since the closing.

A Brooks Pharmacy at the site closed for business in April 2006. A Wachovia Bank branch office remains in business within the west end of the red-brick building on the 7.5-acre site.

In early February, Caraluzzi’s Markets of Bethel and Georgetown announced that it would occupy a section of the refurbished shopping center with its third supermarket. Caraluzzi’s is aiming for a store opening in the fall.

The applicants’ Eton Center redevelopment proposal also calls for constructing a new building on the site near Church Hill Road, which would house the Wachovia Bank branch office that is now doing business at the shopping center. That new bank building would have drive-up teller windows.

The main building on the site would be refurbished, with a new façade constructed for it. The façade would incorporate multiple decorative gables and towers.

The redevelopment project would provide 51,284 square feet of gross floor area, including the refurbished main building and the new 3,195-square-foot bank building. Besides the approximately 33,000-square-foot supermarket, the main building would hold approximately 15,000 square feet of general retail space.

The project would be served by public water and by public sewers. The parking lot would contain about 250 spaces.

The developers’ application states that redeveloping the site would not have any negative effects on property values in the area.

The applicants are represented by architect Hugh Sullivan of Bennett Sullivan Associates of Southbury.

Frederick P. Clark Associates, Inc, of Fairfield has prepared a traffic and site access study for the project.

The redevelopment project has gained endorsements from the Inland Wetlands Commission, (IWC), the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), and the Police Commission, serving as the traffic authority.

 The IWC approved plans for the developer to extend a driveway stub to adjacent commercial property to the west. That stub would link the Eton Center site to the adjacent commercial property, improving access between the adjacent businesses.

The P&Z endorsed the redevelopment project in its role as the borough’s planning agency.

The Police Commission reviewed and approved traffic flow and site access aspects of the project.