Stop & Shop Seeks Final Approval for Expansion

Stop & Shop supermarket will be seeking final approval for the expansion of the store and its parking lot on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in front of the Westfield Planning Board.

The Westfield Zoning Board of Adjustments ruled in July 2010 that the supermarket would have to seek a D variance. Stop & Shop had revised and resubmitted the expansion application in January of 2012 and continues to seek variance relief from several sections of the town’s Land Use Ordinance. 

Thursday's meeting will be the 11th public hearing on the expansion and the planning board is set to vote on the issue.

In both May and June, public meetings were held to discuss the expansion, which would include making a larger parking lot that would add 40 additional parking spaces, as well as expanding the existing 24,860-square-foot sales floor to roughly 41,000 square feet.

During the third public meeting in May, Stephen Szulecki, an environmental and occupational noise consultant and vice president of The Noise Consultancy, LLC, in Flemington, NJ, prepared a noise report that was entered into evidence during the meeting. Szulecki testified as Stop & Shop’s sound expert. 

Through his report, the firm determined that the expansion would be in compliance with noise violations. He also suggested adding a sound fence to the current retaining wall to the south of the property..

“We’ve gone through a lot of effort and thought to produce a set of criteria and design so that we’re meeting the noise standards and ensuring to residents that we’re doing that,” he said in May.

The sound issue has been questioned by Westfield resident, James Hughes, who opposed the expansion. Hughes’ attorney, Ron Gasiorwski, cross-examined Szulecki at the May meeting and the cross-examination continued into the June meeting. 

Stop & Shop’s attorney has also submitted a supplement document stating that the supermarket would not receive deliveries after 5:30 p.m. 

In November, the Westfield Leader printed a letter to the editor that Mr. Hughes' objection is being funded by Village Supermarkets.

The supermarket is seeking the planning board’s final approval on Thursday to demolish the two buildings they have purchased at 203 and 195 Elm Street to make way for the parking lot, as well as construct a retaining wall on the south and east sides of the property. Among other things, Stop & Shop is looking for approval to allow fewer parking spaces than required and to allow a parking setback of a non-residential use adjacent to a residential use less than required. For a further look, view Thursdays’ agenda.

If the expansion were approved, the Westfield Stop & Shop would be closed for approximately five months to complete the construction.

Check back with Westfield Patch for more following the planning board meeting.