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Committee tables supermarket proposal for 112 Commerce Way, requests more traffic and mitigation detail
Summary
The committee tabled a request to convert the former Bob’s Discount Furniture space at 112 Commerce Way into a supermarket and associated grab‑and‑go area, seeking more detailed traffic engineering and a clearer mitigation package.
Anand Patel and project counsel presented revisions to previously issued special permits for 112 Commerce Way to accommodate a supermarket (under 22,000 sq ft), a 1,695‑square‑foot grab‑and‑go dining area (32 seats), and an internal reconfiguration. The petitioner submitted an updated floor plan (plan of record dated November 2024) and an amended parking analysis. The revised parking calculation showed a required count of 298 spaces and 296 provided; based on 296 spaces the site requires seven accessible (ADA) spaces — the parking lot currently has 11 accessible stalls.
The project team proposed mitigation measures to address off‑site traffic impacts. The city engineer’s memo and the project’s traffic consultant were discussed; options included a new video detection system and a controller upgrade for the nearby traffic signal. The proposed mitigation cost estimates discussed in the meeting varied: petition materials initially described a set of signal upgrades summing toward an approximate $54,000 figure; consultants later described a reduced, prioritized mitigation package described to the committee at roughly $26,000 for defined items. The petitioners and the city engineer left the exact mitigation package and cost allocation to committee discretion.
Committee members — citing observations about circulation at the Chipotle/Commerce Way driveway and how drivers use that right‑turn movement to enter the site — said they needed more detailed traffic and engineering answers, clarified peak‑hour definitions (Saturday midday roughly 12–1 p.m.; weekday evening roughly 5–6 p.m.) and asked specifically which mitigation item provides the largest operational benefit. Traffic modeling submitted for the file showed small average intersection delays attributable to the proposal (weekday evening +2.7 seconds; Saturday midday +1.2 seconds), but several councilors said they had observed operational and safety challenges at the Chipotle driveway not fully captured by the counts.
By voice vote the committee tabled the petition and asked staff to secure clearer traffic‑engineering guidance and a recommended mitigation package (and to convene with the city engineer); the item will return for further committee review.
