Big Y seeks special permit to convert 200 Indian River Road plaza space to supermarket; hearing left open for traffic review

Big Y Foods, Inc. asked the Orange Plan and Zoning Commission on July 7 to allow the conversion of the former Christmas Tree Plaza tenant space at 200 Indian River Road into a full-service supermarket.

Guy Hesketh, a licensed professional engineer with FA Hesketh & Associates, told the commission the supermarket would occupy roughly 53,400–53,500 square feet within the larger 67,000‑plus square‑foot building and would include a new façade, sidewalk reconfiguration, reconfigured accessible parking to meet ADA slopes, bollards at entrances, and modest landscaping changes to offset lost green space. He said outdoor seasonal displays and limited outdoor storage are part of the operation and noted the town’s outdoor‑display allowance of 200 square feet would govern those areas.

Scott Hesketh, the project traffic engineer, summarized a submitted April 29, 2026 traffic study that combined state counts, manual turning‑movement counts and ITE trip‑generation projections. He said the supermarket use is projected to add about 218 afternoon‑peak trips and about 160 Saturday peak trips to nearby roadways but that capacity analyses show only modest increases in average delay (one to four seconds) at several intersections and no change in level of service. “If there are issues in the future, Big Y will be the first to come back and talk about capacity improvements,” Scott Hesketh said.

On utilities and operations, Hesketh described separate waste streams for the store: restrooms (blackwater), a 2,500‑gallon grease interceptor to handle fats/oils/grease, and an indirect condensate wastewater pump for refrigeration condensate. He said the store would include a small permanent emergency generator for life‑safety functions and a docking connection for a trailer‑mounted generator to power refrigeration during prolonged outages.

Commissioners pressed applicants on whether the materials presented tonight constituted a full site plan or only the special‑use portion of the application. The applicant said the submission includes a site‑plan package showing layout, grading and the architectural elevations required for the commission’s review, but that certain approvals — notably the town traffic commission’s administrative review and the fire marshal’s signoff on fire‑lane markings — are related, separate steps.

The commission asked the applicant to provide clarified architectural material samples and more explicit notation of building materials on the submitted elevations. The applicant agreed to supply the additional details in writing and on updated drawings ahead of the next meeting.

Because the traffic commission had not yet completed its administrative review, the Plan and Zoning Commission voted to keep the public hearing open and revisit the application at its August meeting after the traffic commission issues its advisory/administrative decision. Chair Commissioner Razi Parente said the hearing will be held open and the applicant may submit requested clarifications through staff if commission members have follow‑up questions.

No public speakers objected at the July 7 session. The commission did not take a final vote on the special permit; the public hearing remains open pending the traffic commission’s review and the applicant’s supplemental architectural details.