Former Grand Union —

Shopping Center Traffic Plans Under Review

By Andrew Gorosko

Police Commission members have asked a development firm to provide additional information on the traffic aspects of a proposed renovation/expansion of the largely vacant Eton Center shopping plaza, at the site which formerly housed the Grand Union supermarket.

On November 7, Police Commission members again reviewed the traffic aspects of the Eton Center redevelopment project proposed for 5 Queen Street. Police Commission members serve as the local traffic authority and make traffic recommendations to the local land-use agencies that review construction proposals.

Local officials have long eyed the redevelopment of the site as a key component in the town’s central business district.

John Zyrlis of TPA Design Group of New Haven represented the owner/developer. Mr Zyrlis reiterated on November 7 that he does not know which tenants would occupy the renovated red-brick building that formerly housed Grand Union and a Brooks Pharmacy.

The 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. The 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.

The redevelopment proposal from David Brause Realty of New York City calls for the construction of a new 3,195-square-foot freestanding building near Church Hill Road, which would house a branch office of Wachovia Bank. The bank would have customer drive-through facilities.

Overall, the project would contain 51,284 square feet of enclosed space, including a grocery store, general retail space, and bank. The grocery store will occupy about 33,000 square feet of space. Parking would be provided for about 250 vehicles.

Mr Zyrlis told commission members that questions that were raised at an October 2 Police Commission session were helpful in refining the traffic planning for the redevelopment project.

As has been requested by the commission, the developer has agreed to keep a USPS mail collection box on the site as a convenience for the public, Mr Zyrlis said. That mailbox is one of the few such letter drop-off points in town.

The developer has submitted an application on the traffic aspects of the project to the State Traffic Commission, Mr Zyrlis said. The 7.5-acre site has an entry-exit point on Church Hill Road, which is a state road.

The applicant also has an application pending before the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC). That application concerns the developer’s proposal to extend an internal driveway between the site and the adjacent Lexington Gardens site at 32 Church Hill Road. The driveway would be built in what is a wet area. Such driveways are intended to limit traffic flow on public streets. The Lexington Gardens property reportedly would be redeveloped in the future as a shopping center.

The developer wants to start work on the Eton Center project in 2008, Mr Zyrlis said. The site is owned by Eton Centers Company of New York City.

Questions

Police Chief Michael Kehoe raised a series of questions about the traffic aspects of the redevelopment project, based on a traffic report that had been submitted by the developer to the Police Commission.

The police chief said that more information is needed concerning the improvements that would be made to the Queen Street traffic signal positioned at the main entrance to Newtown Shopping Village at 6 Queen Street. That information concerns the issues of turning traffic and pedestrian safety.

Chief Kehoe noted that the traffic signal is located in an area between two schools. Many Newtown Middle School students cross Queen Street at that traffic signal after school hours, he said.

There is much pedestrian movement in that area, said Police Commission Chairman Carol Mattegat.

Mr Zyrlis assured commission members that added information about the traffic signal would be provided for commission review.

The panel would then discuss the traffic aspects of the project at another commission session.

If the Borough Zoning Commission wants the developer to modify its redevelopment proposal concerning traffic flow, the Police Commission must be made aware of such changes, Ms Mattegat said.

Borough zoning officials are expected to review the Eton Center redevelopment application early next year.

Traffic Study

A voluminous Traffic Impact and Access Study for the project has been prepared for David Brause Realty by Frederick P. Clark Associates, Inc, of Fairfield.

Under the redevelopment proposal, Eton Center would maintain access to Church Hill Road at one location and access to Queen Street at two locations. 

The traffic/access study is intended to optimize the access to the shopping center from Church Hill Road and Queen Street, while minimizing adverse traffic effects on the heavily used intersection of those two streets.

In an October 11 letter to Brause, traffic engineer Michael Galante writes that after the shopping center redevelopment project is completed, the nearby intersection of The Boulevard and Church Hill Road would continue to experience traffic congestion, including traffic delays for motorists seeking to exit The Boulevard onto Church Hill Road and delays for motorists seeking to exit commercial driveways there.

“This intersection should be monitored for the possible installation of a traffic signal, if approved by the Connecticut Department of Transportation,” Mr Galante writes.