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08/31/2015 12:00 AMCumberland Farms plans to demolish its store on Main Street in Centerbrook, reconfigure the site, and build a new store double the size of the current building, if the appropriate approvals are obtained from town officials.
At a recent Essex Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meeting, a variance application was submitted on behalf of Cumberland farms, located at 82 Main Street in Centerbrook, requesting variances to a number of Essex zoning regulations to allow proposed site development, as well as demolition and relocation of the existing retail space. The property was purchased by Cumberland Farms in 1986 and transformed into a convenience store and gas station.
The proposal is to expand the store from its present size of 1,800 square feet to 3,742 square feet and to add a third fuel pump. The larger building is a non-conforming expansion of retail space in conjunction with fuel sale, and the addition of another pump is an extension of a non-conforming use within a Water Resource District.
Cumberland Farms is proposing that the new building replicate one that has been built in Chatham, Massachusetts, in a Colonial style with dormers to fit into the aesthetic character of the area.
Cumberland Farms Project Manager John Marth, who presented this application along with Attorney Joe Williams of Shipman and Goodwin, explained that the new application differs from the previous one brought before the ZBA in May, by reducing the nonconformities.
This new plan eliminates a previously proposed third curb cut on Westbrook Road and six feet from the canopy. The dumpster will now be enclosed with a dedicated loading zone, and there will be substantial landscaping to buffer adjoining properties.
The reason given for this expansion project is that currently the store is cramped and the dumpster is exposed. In addition, Cumberland Farms representatives pointed out that the septic needs replacing, and said there is a tight configuration for pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The new plan will not only remedy these existing problems, they said, but it is hoped that it will enhance the aesthetics of the site, as well as the streetscape and sidewalk area. It will also reduce the number of driveways from four to two, and include new sidewalks, new LED downlit light fixtures, and a new fire-supressant canopy over the fueling area. The project will also replace underground gas storage tanks with new double walled fiberglass tanks with a safety alarm if there is a leak.
The Cumberland Farms property is surrounded by commercially zoned property in every direction. Williams said that the new proposal is consistent with the Plan of Conservation and Development for the town and consistent with the comprehensive zoning plan for the Town of Essex.
The Shell and Sunoco gas stations, also located on Main Street in Centerbrook, both recently underwent renovation projects and were granted approval to update their sites by the town.
There was no decision made about the Cumberland Farm expansion proposal at this time. The application has been continued to the Tuesday, Sept. 15 ZBA meeting.