Conversion of vacant Stop & Shop to Floor & Decor draws questions on deliveries, lighting and drainage

Floor & Decor presented plans to occupy the former Stop & Shop at 230 East Sanford Boulevard and the Mount Vernon Planning Board reviewed the limited site changes and asked for additional details on lighting, camera retention, drainage and delivery traffic.

Jennifer Canari and Dynamic Engineering principal Daniel Cheval (the project’s civil engineer) described a tenant fit‑out that would use the building’s upper retail floor for showroom and sales and retain a lower level as an independent warehouse tenant. Site changes proposed are modest: a customer pickup area at the southern entrance with two 10‑foot bays, relocation of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible parking closer to the primary entrance, a short new sidewalk connection to East Sanford Boulevard, and facade and signage updates. The applicant told the board deliveries would be nightly: four to eight truck deliveries during overnight hours (store closed), and the tenant anticipates a mix of contractor trade and retail customers rather than supermarket volumes.

Board members and staff focused on three operational and infrastructure questions. First, lighting and security: commissioners asked for a site lighting plan that shows fixture types and light‑levels (applicant said the lot has LED fixtures and the plan includes building‑mounted canopy lights); the board also asked for a perimeter security camera plan and requested a 60‑day retention period for exterior footage. Second, stormwater and sewer: public works asked that any increase in impervious coverage be mitigated and that sewer capacities be confirmed before lateral connections are finalized; the applicant said the project increases impervious area by roughly 300 square feet and proposed to reuse an existing storm lateral and add underground retention for the added footprint. Third, deliveries and curb access: applicants acknowledged the primary driveway is a single, signalized entrance and that drivers sometimes use an alternate cross‑access drive to the east; board members encouraged clear delivery routing to avoid queuing at the Sanford intersection.

The board also asked the applicant to refresh the aging parking‑lot pavement and replant the dead strip landscaping at the site frontage; the applicant said the owner is prepared to discuss pavement resurfacing and new plantings. The board set a June 4 follow‑up and requested revised plan sheets that document lighting fixtures, camera locations and retention, detailed stormwater connections and any proposed pavement resurfacing.

Why it matters: Converting large vacancy into a regional specialty retailer brings jobs and tax base but requires careful site housekeeping — lighting, cameras, pavement, drainage and delivery management — to avoid creating new nuisance or congestion in an already busy commercial corridor.

What’s next: Applicant will provide detailed lighting, camera and stormwater plans and return to the board at the June meeting.