Planning board recommends ZBA approve Market Basket's MB Spirits at Mystic Mall with conditions; site-plan review continued

Market Basket representatives presented a proposal to add an MB Spirits liquor store adjacent to the Market Basket at 170 Everett Avenue and the Chelsea Planning Board voted to recommend the special permit to the Zoning Board of Appeals, while holding the major site-plan review for a subsequent meeting.

The project team described the work as an approximately 19,822-square-foot addition that would reconfigure bus stops and taxi/ride-hail areas, relocate loading access, and make stormwater, landscaping and circulation improvements. "What we are looking at here is, essentially, an addition to the right of the current Market Basket supermarket and MB Spirits just under 20,000 square foot liquor store," said Carmine Thomas, Development Manager for Market Basket. Thomas told the board the store would be the chain's sixth Massachusetts location and said Market Basket expects the MB Spirits operation to add about 33 jobs.

Engineer Eric Jerrod of VHB said the site lies at the Mystic Mall Shopping Plaza and totals roughly 29.4 acres; he told the board the project increases impervious area by about 20,000 square feet and the team has filed a Notice of Intent with MassDEP and received an order of conditions from the Conservation Commission. Jerrod described proposed subsurface stormwater basins and StormTech chambers with sand-filter pretreatment because soil conditions and prior site contamination made infiltration infeasible. He said the design team coordinated with the city's DPW to meet the intent of the city's MS4 permit.

Traffic consultant Rob Nagy (VHB) summarized a traffic-impact review focused on driveway operations and internal circulation. "The 19,800-ish square foot addition would generate about a 110, a 120 peak hour trips," Nagy said. He added that the team designed a new curb cut on Carter Street and relocation of MBTA bus stops to allow stacking for up to three MBTA buses and to reduce bus maneuvers through congested areas.

Board members pressed the team on Carter Street safety, taxi capacity, pedestrian access and the project's visibility from commuter-rail. A board member said, "Carter Street has a lot of traffic... I'm a little nervous about what's gonna happen with people parking along Carter Street," and applicants responded that most buses would access the site from Second Street, and the team will reassess corridor details and return with updated analysis. The applicant said taxi/ride-hail capacity was set at 16 spaces but can be adjusted if demand increases; applicants also agreed to provide facade elevations, signage and enhanced lighting proposals for the gateway-facing side of the site.

Union representative Caesar, identified as a Carpenters Union council rep, asked whether Market Basket would commit to using "responsible contractors" who pay subcontractors and taxes. The applicant said Market Basket prefers to hire responsible contractors and will follow up on specifics with stakeholders.

After public comment and board discussion, the planning board moved to recommend approval of the special permit to the ZBA "with conditions" and to defer major site-plan approval for further technical review at the next meeting. The board's recommendation means the ZBA will receive the planning board's recommendation and the applicant will return to the planning board for final site-plan review once notice and outstanding technical materials are complete.

Next steps: the recommendation packet will go to the Zoning Board of Appeals for its decision; the planning board will revisit the major site-plan review at the next scheduled meeting.