Hannaford Supermarkets’ site plan for expanding its Waldoboro store was granted unanimous approval by the Waldoboro Planning Board June 10, subject to its signage being reviewed and approved by the “appropriate regulatory authorities,” according to the board’s draft meeting minutes.
Hannaford announced the plan expansion in March, and met with the planning board in April and May. The planning board’s site plan review for the project was held June 10.
The project would expand the existing 12,350-square-foot store by 6,400 square feet, according to planning board documents.
Hannaford intends to keep the store open during the expansion, and anticipates the work to take nine months and be completed in 2016, according to the draft minutes.
Concerns over the project’s proposed signs not meeting the land use ordinance’s 32-square-foot limit came up at the planning board’s meetings in May and June.
A proposed free standing sign would be 103 square feet or larger, depending on how the size is calculated, according to the draft minutes from June 10.
The size of the proposed building-mounted sign was not included in the minutes, but board Chair Seth Hall said in April the sign is just shy of five times the 32 square-foot limit.
Bill McKenney, a senior engineering project manager for Hannaford, said at the May meeting he was willing to pursue a variance on the sign size limit from the town’s board of appeals.
One change in the project involves a proposed entrance/exit to the store’s parking lot from Route 1.
Originally, Hannaford proposed to create a right-in, right-out entrance in the area of the neighboring smoke shop. The company has an option to buy the property, and intends to tear the building down as part of the supermarket expansion.
The Department of Transportation granted the project a permit for a new driveway from Route 1, but will be a right-in entrance only for most vehicles, according to the draft minutes. The right-out exit would be posted for service and emergency vehicle use only.
