Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Economic development commission reviews recent site-plan approvals and retail turnover in East Haven
Summary
The commission heard a director's report listing several site-plan approvals and discussed strategies to retenant former drugstore footprints after national chain closures, noting an active public hearing scheduled for a zoning text amendment on tobacco/CBD retail.
The East Haven Economic Development Commission on July 9 received a director's report covering multiple recent site-plan approvals and local retail turnover, and discussed options for re-using vacant drugstore space in town.
The commission heard that Newton Street received approval for a new sign for Academy Designs and that 990 Foxon Road has approvals in place for new uses including a Five Guys restaurant and a GoHealth Urgent Care location, according to the director. Applications for other site plans were listed as approved with conditions (480 Short Beach Road for Monaco's New Haven Truck & Auto Body; 250 Bradley Street for warehouse space for Happy Day Rentals), while a 744 Main Street application for Prince Convenience Store was denied because the applicant did not appear before the board.
The report also listed approvals at 519 Laurel Street for vehicle repair and dealer operations (named in the report as Nationwide Sales and Javier Auto) and an approval at 851 Foxon Road to expand a restaurant's food-preparation area and add storage, office space and a bathroom in an existing basement area. Staff announced a public hearing set for September 2 on a proposed text amendment to the zoning regulations that would regulate principal retail sales of tobacco, vapor products, CBD products and related accessory items.
Commission discussion turned to the local market effects of national pharmacy closures. The director cited nationwide figures and said former Rite Aid locations are being transitioned to new ownership or tenants, and he named multiple chain restaurant/retail leases moving forward at some sites. He also noted the Walgreens location presents a particular challenge because, he said, the property owner still has a lease in place with Walgreens for another five to six years, creating little incentive for the owner to invest in subdividing the space now.
Members discussed possible strategies to make large retail footprints viable, including subdividing big drugstore spaces into smaller 2,500-to-3,000-square-foot units or securing tenants willing to take 10'15-year leases — work that would require owners to pay for interior build-outs such as additional walls, restrooms and fire-suppression systems.
What happens next: the commission will continue monitoring planning-and-zoning referrals, and staff noted the September 2 public hearing on the text amendment that would change how certain retail sales are regulated in town.
