Former Grand Union—

Borough Zoners Approve Shopping Center Redevelopment

By Andrew Gorosko

By midyear, the owner/developer of the Queen Street shopping center that formerly held a Grand Union supermarket expects to start work to improve the facility for new tenants, with plans to reopen the complex for business by late this year.

Following a March 12 public hearing, Borough Zoning Commission members unanimously approved the redevelopment of Eton Center at 5 Queen Street, a retail complex that has long been largely vacant and deteriorating.

A Grand Union supermarket there closed for business in March 2001. 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 an approximately 48,000-square-foot red-brick building on the 7.75-acre site.

At a March 6 session, Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members endorsed the redevelopment of the property.

In February, Caraluzzi’s Markets of Bethel and Georgetown announced that it would occupy a section of the refurbished shopping center with its third supermarket. It is not yet known what other tenants would occupy three other spaces within that 48,000-square-foot building. The other tenants would be either three stores, or two stores and a restaurant.

Caraluzzi’s would occupy about 33,000 square feet of space, with the three other tenants occupying the remaining 15,000 square feet.

Also, redevelopment plans call for the construction of a new 3,200-square-foot building on the site near Church Hill Road to house the Wachovia Bank branch that now does business at the shopping center. The new bank may be built and occupied somewhat later than the main building on the site.

On March 12, Borough Zoning Commission members granted three approvals for the redevelopment project — a special exception to the zoning regulations, a site development plan approval, and a Village District zoning approval.

Architect Hugh Sullivan, of Bennett Sullivan Associates, Inc of Southbury, represented applicants Eton Centers Company and Brause Realty, Inc, both of New York City.

Mr Sullivan normally serves as the borough zoners’ architectural consultant, making aesthetic recommendations on commercial development proposals that are covered by the Village District zoning rules. But because Mr Sullivan is the architect for the developer in the Eton Center application, the borough zoners hired another architectural consultant to review the design aspects of the project.

Also, at the outset of the public hearing, borough zoner Douglas Nelson of 14 The Boulevard asked whether anyone at the hearing objected to his participating in the review of the redevelopment application, noting that he lives within 1,000 feet of the development site. When commission members live within 1,000 feet of a development site, they decide whether they should be involved in the review of a project.

Mr Sullivan said the applicant had no objection to Mr Nelson reviewing the project. Mr Nelson later voted in favor of the project with other commission members.

John Zyrlis of TPA Design Group of New Haven, representing the developer, said the project would be a “Class A” development, which would physically fit well into the surrounding area. The shopping center site would be significantly improved in the redevelopment project, he said.

Rick Haylon, representing Trinity Episcopal Church, said the presence of new businesses at the shopping center would result in more traffic on Queen Street, Mr Haylon urged that steps be taken to protect the safety of Newtown Middle School students walking in that area.

Mr Zyrlis responded that the Queen Street traffic signal that is positioned at access points to Newtown Shopping Village and to Eton Center will be upgraded with pedestrian safety features.

“We’ve tried to make this [project] as pedestrian-friendly as we possibly could,” Mr Zyrlis said.

Traffic engineer Michael Galante, representing the applicant, said the redevelopment project will result in traffic returning to a site where it formerly traveled. The shopping center would generate about 600 vehicle trips per hour during its peak hour of operation, he said.

The applicant is now seeking a certification from the State Traffic Commission, he said. That approval is required because Church Hill Road, which also provides access to the site, is a state road.

Tom Johnson, the owner of Lexington Gardens at 32 Church Hill Road, asked what would be required for the installation of a traffic signal at the hazardous intersection of Church Hill Road and The Boulevard.

Mr Galante explained the requirements for such a signal, explaining that such a signal might be installed in the future.

Borough Zoning Commission Chairman Linda Shepard said that commission members have long been concerned by the traffic hazards posed by the Church Hill Road/Boulevard intersection.

Joseph Fetcho, the manager of the Big Y supermarket at Newtown Shopping Village, inquired about when the Eton Center redevelopment project would commence.

In approving the shopping center redevelopment, the borough zoners are requiring that there be suitable property maintenance at the site; that a fire hydrant and key safes be installed on the property for emergency use; and that the applicants receive further borough approvals on the site’s hours of operation and maintenance, as well as its delivery schedule. The commercial signs which would posted at the shopping center would be subject to review by the borough zoners.