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Plymouth board grants Market Basket variance to split parcel; no physical changes planned
Summary
The Zoning Board unanimously granted a variance to allow Market Basket to purchase and carve out its occupied parcel from an existing shopping center; the board found the request would not change the site's physical configuration and directed that planning-board review of the subdivision proceed.
The Plymouth Zoning Board unanimously approved a variance that will let Market Basket buy and record a separate lot for its store within the existing Riverside Landing shopping center.
Will Davis (Ferdantis) described a two-lot subdivision that would separate the Market Basket building from an adjacent liquor store; the application sought relief from a 15-foot parking setback required by the zoning ordinance. Counsel Carmine Thomas said the proposal does not change the physical configuration of the center and is being pursued so Market Basket can move from leasing to owning the parcel it occupies.
Why it matters: The variance facilitates a local commercial transaction that, according to applicants, preserves the current site layout and operations while enabling Market Basket to remain part of the community as a property owner. Board members emphasized there will be no physical changes to the shopping center, and the variance was described as internal to an existing commercial development rather than a new use.
Board members worked through the standard variance criteria with the applicant: granting the variance was not contrary to the public interest, the spirit of the ordinance would be observed because no physical change is proposed, surrounding property values would not be diminished, and unnecessary hardship was demonstrated by the existing lot configuration and flood‑plain constraints. One member characterized the request as "facilitating a business deal" rather than altering the development.
The motion to grant the variance was moved and seconded; the board voted unanimously in favor. The clerk noted the subdivision application will proceed before the planning board and that no substantive site changes are proposed as part of this zoning action.
What's next: The variance allows the legal conveyance needed for Market Basket to purchase its lot; planning-board site-plan review and any required permits will follow the zoning decision.
