A controversial proposal to construct a Tractor Supply store at 116 South Main Street (State Route 25) has been rescheduled for an Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) public hearing on Wednesday, May 11. The hearing on a request for a wetlands/watercourses protection permit is slated for 7:30 pm at Newtown Municipal Center, 3 Primrose Street.

The Tractor Supply hearing initially had been scheduled for April 27, but has been rescheduled to May 11 due to the legal advertising requirements for such a session.

NERP Holdings and Acquisitions, LLC, is seeking IWC construction approval for the 8.2-acre site, which has extensive wetlands. The project would also need a site approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z).

Tractor Supply Company proposes the construction of a store and an adjacent outdoor sales area. The firm wants to build a 19,097-square-foot store, plus an adjacent 15,053-square-foot fenced outdoor sales area.

NERP is proceeding with the IWC application although the change of zone required for the project, which the P&Z granted to the applicant in November, has been challenged in court.

The firm known as 111 South Main Street, LLC, of Stratford, which owns commercial real estate near the 116 South Main Street site, is seeking to reverse the P&Z's controversial decision to change the zoning designation of 116 South Main Street from R-1 (Residential) to South Main Village Design District/Special Design District-4 (SMVDD/SDD-4).

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff names as defendants the P&Z, NERP, and 116 South Main Street owners Nicole Buxton and John Mead of Bowersville, Ga. The civil suit is pending in court.

In March, Tractor Supply received a town property tax break for locating the proposed store in town, gaining endorsements for the tax reduction from the Board of Selectmen and the Legislative Council.

The development proposal has drawn criticism from some nearby property owners who charge that the proposed commercial use is not in keeping with the residential zoning in effect on the west side of South Main Street in that vicinity.

Tractor Supply, which is a major retail chain, typically sells merchandise including home improvement goods, livestock/pet-related products, hardware, tools, lawn and garden maintenance items, clothing, footwear, and automotive items, among other merchandise. The firm describes itself as an agricultural retailer.