Stop & Shop Challenges Approval Of Walmart Expansion In Groton
Appeal Filed June 16 In New London Superior Court
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Stop & Shop Supermarket has filed an appeal in New London Superior Court seeking to overturn the decision of the Groton Planning Commission to grant Walmart permission to expand its store on Gold Star Highway.
The grocery store chain filed the appeal June 16 against the Groton Town Planning Commission and Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust, LP, according to court documents. The appeal says the commission overstepped its bounds when it approved the site plan allowing Walmart to expand the store by almost 40,000 square feet.
“In approving the application, the defendant commission exceeded its statutory and regulatory authority and acted illegally, arbitrarily and in abuse of the discretion vested in it…,” the complaint says.
The commission approved the site plan application in May to expand the store on Gold Star Highway, which would increase retail space by about one-third. When finished, the store would be 159,674 square feet, including a grocery section.
Stop & Shop runs a supermarket in nearby Groton Square Shopping Center on Route 12, and is the closest business in the shopping center to Walmart.
The town has until August 25 to compile a record of the proceedings leading up to the approval, said Michael Murphy, director of Groton Town Planning and Development.
He said it is unusual for a commercial business to challenge the planning decision affecting another commercial operation.
A representative for Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust, LP could not be reached Tuesday.
An appeal doesn’t automatically stop a store from expanding, but typically a business, out of caution, will not start the work a permit allows until it knows the appeal is withdrawn or dismissed.
Stop & Shop’s complaint says Walmart does not have permission to use a common driveway between Walmart and the shopping center, which is often used a cut-through by shoppers traveling back and forth. The complaint says the expansion would increase traffic along the driveway, even though it is owned by a business entity called CW Groton Square LLC, which did not give Walmart permission to use the driveway.
Stop & Shop also contends that it has access rights over common areas of the shopping center, including the driveway.
In addition, the appeal says the site plan would allow Walmart to build more on the property than zoning laws allow.
Kathy
11:38 am on Friday, July 1, 2011
Competition is good for the consumer. Stop and Shop needs to deal with that. Look what Stop and Shop did in Pawcatuck. They want to be the only game in town to ensure their profits. The courts need to stop allowing this.
Miriam Johnson
11:40 am on Monday, July 25, 2011
Dear Kathy,
wallmart is not competition, shopping at Wallmart for buying cheaper underwear is not helping us. I'm talking about Groton resident, Families with children will be loosing their jobs, crime rates will boost, grandpa , grandma stores will be wipped out slowly, we will the hunger and desperation just years later,and it up to all of us humans to deceide, what more important : Is it good to have a strong comunity? Is it good to have no crime and strong neighborhoods, who will watch each others children? Is it good to work hand in hand building local business and bringing prices down by inviting more local neigbor to open their own business ? Is good to shop at this local neighborhood and leave your money at your own town? Do You think we could try all of us as neigbors, friends, families to stop big billion Dollar business from robbing all Groton residents .Local Business is important, please look at the fact sheet and maybe we can start building strong neighborhoods with sticking together and telling Billion Dollars business ( who takes advantage of all humans all over the world)
Love and Blessings
Miriam Johnson
George
9:27 am on Sunday, July 24, 2011
I agree Kathy. But I also know that Stop & Shop has loyal customers that will continue shopping there even if this Walmart expands.
Miriam Johnson
12:02 pm on Monday, July 25, 2011
Dear friends,
here are some facts, I know it takes time to read this but I believe all of us could stop wallmart, even if they build a dino store, how do you think local hardwares store survived giant monster Homedepot, families , neigbors got together and build a coop true value, you see if we all "UNITED WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS" "we all are in POWER of making a difference in our quality of life, we all have to stick away our ego and look at the BIG PICTURE, where it doesn't matter how money, or what status u have, WE TOGETHER WILL DESIGN OUR NEIGBORHOOD, WE DECEIDE HOW WE WANT TO LIVE .? Is it good to live in harmony and care about each other? You think its time, to rethink and create TOGETHER?
I pledge here I will not shop at the
Wallmart in Groton.
Love and Blessings to All!