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Zoning commission approves Aldi at 411 Barnum Ave.; adds landscaping, lighting and wetlands conditions
Summary
The Stratford Zoning Commission approved a special permit for a roughly 19,400-square-foot Aldi at 411 Barnum Avenue, requiring three new landscaped end-cap islands, relocated light poles, dumpster screening and other staff and wetlands conditions before a building permit.
The Stratford Zoning Commission on April 30 approved a special permit for a proposed Aldi grocery at 411 Barnum Avenue, allowing a stand-alone retail building of about 19,432 square feet within the existing Barnum Avenue shopping plaza.
The permit was approved with changes the commission and staff negotiated during the public hearing and administrative session, including a requirement that the property owner install three end-cap landscaped islands adjacent to the new Aldi, relocate two light poles to landscaped islands while maintaining adequate lighting coverage, screen the dumpster area with architectural fencing or additional landscaping, and address all town staff and inland wetlands commission comments before the issuance of a building permit.
Chas (Chaz) Evans, professional engineer with Boller Engineering, presented site and stormwater work for the applicant, Brixmor Property Group, and said the plan converts part of the existing parking to place the Aldi. The applicant and Aldi representatives said the proposed building footprint is about 19,400 square feet (the company and engineers also referenced canopy overhangs that increase the plan view to roughly 20,000 square feet). Evans told commissioners the project would reduce impervious area at the center by about 7,600 square feet overall and decrease total parking on the plaza by about 120 spaces; roughly 60 parking spaces are proposed to serve the Aldi building area.
Bruno Lourenco, director of real estate for Aldi Food Market, described the retailer as a limited-assortment grocery chain that uses overnight semi-truck deliveries from a distribution center and does not prepare food on-site. He said stores use a cart rental (25-cent) system and typically rely on a 10-yard dumpster picked up two to three times per week.
Staff and the commission highlighted design, circulation and environmental constraints at the site. Planning and Zoning Administrator Smitha Otata summarized that the lot sits primarily in the CA (retail commercial) district and that the proposal must meet the special-permit standards in the zoning regulations (citing consistency with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development and Section 7.3 special-permit criteria). Otata noted that wetlands approval had already been issued (March 19) and that the Architectural Review Board recommended revisions on landscaping, dumpster screening and bollard color. Town staff recommended bicycle parking (a minimum of 10 spaces), relocation of pole-mounted lighting to landscaped islands, and various minor site-plan corrections prior to building permit.
Commissioners pressed the applicant and the shopping-center owner, Brixmor, on parking, shared-parking possibilities with existing tenants (for example LA Fitness), and whether additional landscaped areas could be incorporated without triggering additional wetlands review. Mark Newman, vice president of redevelopment for Brixmor, said the owner agreed to add the three landscaped islands requested by staff but noted some limits beyond those islands because of existing lease constraints with tenants.
During administrative session the commission moved to approve the special permit with the conditions discussed and recorded that applicants must address all staff, engineering and health-department comments and must adhere to inland-wetlands conditions prior to issuance of a building permit. The motion was seconded and the commission recorded an affirmative vote. The minutes and staff report list additional technical corrections the applicant must address on the site plan (striping/angle of stalls, corrected building-coverage percentage on sheet C-301, relocation of lights to landscaped islands, and pedestrian-crossing alignment).
The approval does not authorize any future expansion area shown on the plans; staff and commissioners said that any westward expansion would require a separate zoning application and wetlands review.
If the applicant pursues alcohol sales at the store the town staff noted a separate local grocery-beer permit and state license will be required and must be presented to the zoning commission and state regulators as applicable.
Votes and final permit paperwork will be reflected in the commission’s decision letter and in the building-permit review once all pre-permit conditions are met.
