Former Grand Union—

Police Commission Reviews

Traffic Aspects Of Eton Center Redevelopment

By Andrew Gorosko

Police Commission members this week reviewed traffic aspects of the proposed redevelopment of the Eton Center shopping plaza at 5 Queen Street, making recommendations to the owner/developer’s agent on how to best channel traffic at the site, which formerly held a Grand Union supermarket.

The 7.5-acre site, which has entry/exit driveways at both Queen Street and Church Hill Road, is owned by Eton Centers Company of New York City.

John Zyrlis of TPA Design Group of New Haven represented the owner/developer at an October 2 Police Commission session. The Police Commission serves as the local traffic authority, making recommendations on traffic flow and travel safety to town and borough land use agencies.

Mr Zyrlis said the property owner has not disclosed to him which firms would occupy the planned grocery store space and general retail space at a renovated shopping center.

The site would hold 51,279 square feet of commercial space. An existing red-brick building would be refitted for use as a grocery store and as other retail space. The building would hold 33,109 of space for a grocery store, and 14,975 square feet for other retail use. A new 3,195-square-foot building would be built to house a bank.

The developer has not identified the grocery store or retail uses that would be located there. It is believed that Wachovia Bank would occupy the new bank building.

The property would hold a 253-space parking lot.

A Grand Union supermarket, which was the prime tenant at Eton Center, closed for business in March 2001. That decaying space has been vacant since the closure. 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 site.

Mr Zyrlis said that TPA has been working for about seven months in planning for the shopping center’s redevelopment. The project would involve a “complete renovation” of the site, he said.

The main building at the site would be refaced in an architectural style complementary to existing borough buildings, he said.

Mr Zyrlis said that a driveway would be constructed to link the site to the property that now holds Lexington Gardens at 32 Church Hill Road. Such an internal driveway is intended to limit traffic flow on Church Hill Road.

An application to construct that driveway is now pending before the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC).

The Lexington Gardens property reportedly would be redeveloped in the future as a shopping center.

Interconnecting walkways would be built linking the Eton Center site with adjacent properties, Mr Zyrlis said.

Only the proposed new bank building would have drive-through facilities, Mr Zyrlis said.

Police Commission members posed a series of specific questions to Mr Zyrlis about traffic-flow aspects of the Eton Center redevelopment, including how the project would affect traffic flow on Queen Street and Church Hill Road.

A traffic report on the shopping center redevelopment project has not yet been completed, Mr Zyrlis said.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe asked that the Police Commission be provided with copies of that document for its review. That report is expected to be completed later this month.

Because the site has vehicle access to Church Hill Road, which is state road, the owner/developer will require State Traffic Commission approval of the project, Mr Zyrlis said.

Police Commission member Gerald Finnegan said the redevelopment proposal would amount to a “great improvement” of the Eton Center shopping plaza.

The project would entail a full upgrade of the property, including the main building’s refacing, new roofing, and new lighting for the parking lot, Mr Zyrlis said. He termed it a “full renovation.”

Police Commission members postponed action on the traffic aspects of the Eton Center redevelopment proposal until they are able to review the traffic report for the project, as well as a set of revised site plans.

Commission members are expected to further discuss the project at an upcoming session.

The IWC is expected to conduct a public hearing on the wetlands aspects of the redevelopment project on November 14.

Zoning officials are expected to review the application early next year, Mr Zyrlis said.