A public hearing that was scheduled for August 6 in connection with Tractor Supply Company’s proposal to build a store at 116 South Main Street was not held because the applicant had not met all legal requirements for holding such a hearing, officials said.

Residents attending an August 6 Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) meeting were told that because applicant New England Retail Properties (NERP) had not officially notified by mail the people who have real estate holdings near the 116 South Main Street site, the hearing would not be held that night.  

The P&Z hearing has been tentatively rescheduled for September 3.

Although the P&Z application file contained a list of people who were required to receive formal mailed notices of the August 6 hearing, the applicant did not make those mailings, nullifying the planned session.

That public hearing would have addressed a proposed change of zone for a 8.19-acre site at 116 South Main Street, toward the goal of building a 19,097-square-foot Tractor Supply store, plus a 15,000-square-foot outdoor sales area.

The store proposed for the site would sell merchandise including livestock/pet products, hardware, tools, lawn and garden gear, clothing, and footwear, among others.

The property is on the west side of South Main Street, south of South Main Street’s intersection with Simm Lane. NERP would buy the land from current owners John Mead and Nicole Buxton. An existing circa 1810 house and other structures on the site would be demolished to make way for the retail development.

If all required town approvals are received, NERP would then construct a concrete-block store for Tractor Supply, which would be NERP’s tenant. The site would have a 77-space parking lot.

The upcoming hearing concerns a requested change of zone for the site from R-1 (Residential) to SMVDD (South Main Village Design District).

SMVDD zoning provides for flexible zoning regulations, allowing the applicant and the P&Z to create mutually agreeable zoning rules, which apply only to the site proposed for development under the terms of the SMVDD’s Special Design District (SDD) provisions.

The P&Z created SMVDD zoning in 2007 in seeking to preserve the New England character of the 4.2-mile-long South Main Street corridor.

Projects that have been created under SMVDD zoning include Walgreens Pharmacy at 49 South Main Street, Highland Plaza at 123 South Main Street, and LMT Communications at 84 South Main Street.  

The applicant for the 116 South Main Street site has submitted to the P&Z a set of proposed zoning regulations that might be used for the site’s development under SMVDD zoning.

If the applicant receives a change of zone from R-1 to SMVDD from the P&Z, the applicant would then need to obtain a wetlands/watercourses protection permit from the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) because the site has wetlands.

Also, the applicant also would need a special permit from the P&Z. Such applications are subject to review by the town’s Design Advisory Board (DAB).