RSS 2.0 FeedSeptember 3, 2010, Merrick Life
Stop & Shop goes back to drawing board - again
New plans to spruce up the old store.
Tweaks in the design of the proposed new Stop & Shop in the Merrick Mall could stall construction, said Barry Fox, president of the Merrick Park Home Owners Association. “There is a misperception about our role in keeping the new Stop & Shop from being built. We are not opposing the construction. We have not asked for any more changes,” he said.
Mr. Fox provided Merrick Life with the latest drawing that was given to him by Stop & Shop representatives. It shows that 10 separate revisions have been made to the plans since 2006. The last revision was made on February 15. The plans were last submitted to the Town of Hempstead zoning Board of Appeals on November 22, 2009.
The latest plan show a revised footprint. The building remains at 30,000 square feet and includes the old Escapes building. The loading docks will run behind the supermarket in an alleyway, but there will be no access to or from the alleyway onto Hewlett Avenue. A 27-foot area between the curb and building along Hewlett Avenue will be landscaped.
“We are not opposing these revisions. It will still keep [delivery truck] traffic off Hewlett Avenue,” said Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox was told the new revisions would go before an internal committee for review on October 31. “Mr. Bencivenga [Stop & Shop representative] doesn’t expect construction to start until next fall,” said Mr. Fox. Stop & Shop representatives didn’t return our telephone call for comment.
While the new Stop & Shop will be a welcomed addition to the Merrick Mall, Mr. Fox contends that “the current shopping center is still a disgrace. This [shopping center] is a gateway to Merrick and does not represent what Merrick is all about. The mall is not under Stop & Shop’s control, but that doesn’t change the fact that the mall is still decrepit.”