Development OK’d for north Stratford
STRATFORD — Construction is expected to begin this spring on a 2,500-square-foot coffee shop across from the southbound off ramp to Exit 53 of the Merritt Parkway on Main Street.
The Zoning Commission unanimously approved plans for the business late last month following a public hearing with no testimony from residents in favor or opposed.
A lawyer for the property owner repeatedly said the coffee shop would be a nationally known anchor tenant that could attract other retail and restaurants.
But while a rendering of the building submitted to the Zoning Commission looks a lot like a Starbucks, the company said it has no immediate plans to open a coffee shop there.
“Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers and we are continually evaluating our store portfolio,” a company spokesperson said in an email. “At this time, we remain focused on serving customers in Stratford, CT, at our existing stores and have no storeopening plans to announce.”
The development would be called “Parkway Plaza” and would be situated on properties totaling about six acres off Main Street/ Route 110 owned by the Sbriglio family, who also own the adjoining Ryders Landing retail development and the nearby Lord Chamberlain nursing home and rehabilitation center.
Plans previously submitted to the town include a possible 4,000square-foot restaurant, a 14,800square-foot retail and office building and a 103,400-square foot, three-story, 105-room hotel.
But the Sbriglios’ lawyer, Robert Rosati, told the commission only the coffee shop will be developed first — along with a parking lot with more than 120 spots.
“COVID sort of dictated that we have to switch gears and just start with this first phase, this first building, the coffee shop,” Rosati said. “Any other building that were
in the works that are shown on the plans, those are just proposed for future development. We have the opportunity to bring in a national anchor tenant, and it’s at this stage we’re going to do that with the first phase of development with this coffee shop.”
The architect on the project, Robyn Kiernan, said the Sbriglios directed her to look to the Merritt Parkway’s bridges for inspiration, including shallow arches, Art Deco design and layered facades.
An outdoor patio at the front of the building has room to accommodate about 28 people.
The entrance to the property would be roughly where Charlotte Street is now, with a rebuilt traffic signal but with the same phases and timing, according to Kermit Hua, the traffic engineer for the project.
In January, the Planning Commission approved plans for the town to abandon the streets that currently criss-cross the property — Charlotte Street, Leslie Street, and Oronoque Place — on the condition that the town have an easement to a roughly two-acre, irregularly shaped town-owned property along the river.
Hua said a traffic study indicated the coffee shop would generate 176 new trips on area roads during the morning rush, 85 trips during the afternoon peak and 173 midday Saturdays.
When fully built out, Hua estimated those figures climbing to 227 during morning peak, 173 during afternoon peak and 264 at Saturday midday, respectively.
A left-turn lane from Route 110 south onto what is now Charlotte Street would be lengthened from about 90 to 200 feet as part of the development.
Zoning Commissioners raised
some concerns about cars backing up in the drive-thru for the coffee shop, but the developers’ representatives said they’d add a “no queuing” sign to dissuade too many vehicles from idling in line.
“There’s never going to be a situation where the cars horseshoe all the way out into main street,” Rosati said. “Unfortunately, we do see that in other establishments. That’s not the case here.”
In response to a question from commission member James Vigliotti about when the rest of the development will happen, the lawyer said the property is being marketed to other possible tenants.
“I think once we build it, they will come,” Rosati said. “But COVID has made us change gears and has changed our timetable. We plan on starting construction in the spring and we’re hoping when that construction starts, potential users see that something’s being built there and we come out of COVID it’ll be sooner rather than later that we start developing the other phases.”
“I think it’s a great layout,” Zoning Commission member Michael Henrick said. “It’s a great footprint. I think you guys have obviously put a ton of effort and brain power in putting this thing together. I think you’ve done a great job.”
The commission then approved the plan unanimously, on the condition that it widen a driveway to accommodate cars in line at the drive-thru and also include any recommended changes from town engineer, fire marshal, building official, conservation administrator and health department.
“This is going to be a gateway property right off the Merritt Parkway,” Rosati told the Zoning Commission. “It’s going to be a great asset to the town of Stratford.”