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Kingston supermarket plan on hold

Kingston supermarket plan on hold

By Emily Quirk
equirk@seacoastonline.com

KINGSTON - Engineers working on plans for a Hannaford supermarket at the corner of Route 125 and Main Street withdrew an application from the Historic District Commission.

Members of the Kingston HDC were scheduled to review plans for the 36,000-square-foot grocery store on Tuesday but will now wait until spring.

Al Alberts, part owner of the property, said the application was withdrawn because engineers need to fine-tune details regarding landscaping, lighting, signage and traffic.

"They put a temporary hold on their presentation," Alberts said. "They want to make sure they cover every aspect and every question."

The project must be reviewed by the HDC because the property at the corner of Main Street and Route 125 falls within the town’s historic district and therefore must abide by specific guidelines.

Alberts said no timeline is in place for the Hannaford project but foresees the application being resubmitted to the historic group by April.

If the application is in order, the HDC will host a public hearing, soliciting residents’ comments. If approved, the project would then be reviewed by the Planning Board through the site-plan review process. The Planning Board has the authority to approve the project without a town-wide vote at the polls.

Hannaford Brothers Co. of Scarborough, Maine, and Konover Development Corp. of Connecticut, announced plans to open the chain’s 29th store in New Hampshire to the Kingston Planning Board in November. The 11-acre property on which the company wants to build is currently owned by Al and Amy Alberts of 191 Main St.

Hannaford representatives predict the grocery store could contribute $50,000 to $75,000 a year to the Kingston tax base, provide jobs and contribute to local charities. The proposed store would be the same size as the Northwood Hannaford store and departments would include produce, a deli, seafood, a pharmacy, a movie store and all general products.

Preliminary plans show the building close to Route 125 and about 700 feet from Main Street. The access will be from a driveway on Main Street only.

Resident Lisa Collibee of 34 Wadleigh Point Road is concerned the Hannaford project may cause a domino effect, with other retail establishments popping up across Route 125 or even on the Plains.

"I am not against development in town," said Collibee, former Sanborn School Board member. "I am against putting it in a historical district."

Upon hearing of the pulling of the application, Collibee said she’s envisioning a bait-and-switch. She’s concerned the application was withdrawn because individuals associated with the Hannaford project want to wait until after the March vote, when new people will sit on the Kingston Planning Board and warrant articles pertaining to development in town may pass.

But Alberts said there is no ulterior motive behind the application’s withdrawal.

"They wanted to make definitely sure," he said. "They want to make sure they are satisfying everyone’s concerns. They want to do it right."

Alberts also rebutted rumors that he and his wife would move to Florida as soon as the Hannaford project is complete. Alberts said he owns a second home in Key West and loves to spend time there during the winter months but has no intention of leaving Kingston where his family has lived for 48 years.

The Alberts’ home is subdivided from the property for the proposed Hannaford store. The family has tried to develop the land in the past.

A Rite Aid was proposed in the same spot in the late-’90s, but never made it past the HDC, which would not approve it. Controversy surrounded the ruling as the HDC meetings concerning the proposal were the first in several years, and the HDC membership was largely reorganized to address the issue.

Back in 1979 when a professional office building was proposed by Main Street resident Charles A. Martin in the area of what is known today as King’s Way, Alberts was opposed to it. The plan later failed.

According to HDC minutes from July 23, 1979, Alberts said the congestion and size of the building were not consistent with the historic district.

"He feels that it would devalue the property in the area, that it would set a poor precedent and would make a mockery of the HDC," the minutes state.

When asked how the 26-year-old proposal differs from the Hannaford project, Alberts said the grocery store is being proposed at the corner of Route 125 not "smack-dab in the middle" of the historic district.

"There was a feeling by residents at the time that the offices could be turned into residences, apartments at a future date," he said. "They also wanted to put it on the same property as a house. There was some talk of illegal procedures by the developers at that time. The property is an ideal location for a Hannaford. There is nothing historical on that site."