Small Town News - Cumberland Farms: The Application

Here is a description of the relevant section of town. The main intersection of our town is Main Street (north/south) and Route X (east/west) and there is a stop light there. Each road has a lane in each direction. Looking north up Main Street towards this crossroads, there is on the left, an empty lot that is planted and well tended and used for town events, an abandoned furniture store, Alley C which is one way to the northwest (and a shortcut to Route X), Town Hall, Route X and across Route X is a hardware store. Again, looking north from our original point, on the right is a food shopping center in a strip mall design, a pizza place, an abandoned store front, a small Cumberland Farms convenience store, a one island (2 pump) Gulf Service Station, a business oriented rented building complex, Route X and across Route X is a corner diner. Behind the gas station is an elementary school that fronts on Route X and their property lines are contiguous.

Cumberland Farms submitted an application to Planning & Zoning to take their little shop, buy the one island gas station next door, and use abandoned building that used to be a hardware store that they already own, merge all of these properties and build a 4 island (8 pump) gas station in the middle of our town and enlarge their store.

The new Cumberland Farms would be right across the street from our town hall (a historical building built in the 1880’s and a place of assembly) and border on our elementary school’s property line. The existing gas station is grandfathered to be near these two non-conforming areas since it has been there since the 1940’s. Below is the entire written portion of the Cumberland Farms application:

Proposed use is a convenience store which shall include the sale of gasoline. Property known as AA Main Street shall be conveyed to Cumberland Farms, Inc. upon approval of application. AA through AC Main Street will be combined into one parcel. All existing buildings and other improvements will be demolished. One new building along with pumps, tanks, signs, and canopy in accordance with site plans will be erected and/or installed.

The application was accompanied by 15 or so site plans and drawings showing the pumps and buildings. The P&Z worked with Cumberland Farms on these plans for a couple of months before bringing them before the town for a public hearing.

Also, there were some comments received from the Department of Transportation in a short letter as follows:

1. The site grading & drainage plan must show the underground piping connections, inverts and drainage details.
2. The proposed “STOP” bar location on Main Street must be 4 feet from the crosswalk. See the attached plan.
3. An agreement will be required for the plantings within the right-of-way. This must be consummated prior to the issuance of an encroachment permit and will be drafted by this office.
4. Pavement replacement details for the granite curbing along Main Street must be submitted.

The next installment will cover what happened at the public hearing. Any guesses?