Community sends strong message of support at public hearing

By Wiley Wood

Norfolk came a step closer to having a convenience store and deli at 6 Station Place when the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the site plan at a public hearing on July 19.

“That was one of the biggest hurdles,” said Ryan Craig, of Goshen, who will own and operate the store. “We needed the P & Z’s approval before starting anything.”

Ryan Craig, the new operator for the proposed store, at a meeting in June.

Craig’s application met spirited opposition at a first public hearing in May and at the two subsequent hearings in July.

The owner of a closely adjoining property, Joseph Stannard, objected to the proposed placement of condensers behind the building for the store’s walk-in cooler and to an exhaust fan on the roof for its commercial kitchen. Speaking through a lawyer, he also objected to adding propane tanks near his wooden barn.

Restaurant owners Michael Dinsmore, of Wood Creek Bar and Grill, and Stephanie Gouey, of Station Place Café, focused their objections on the added demand for parking in the downtown area and the congestion that will result from delivery trucks stopping in the roadway. Both also questioned the need for a commercial kitchen in a convenience store and deli.

But the application also generated a huge outpouring of community support: 57 letters were read into the record, almost all of them supporting the application and encouraging the commission to resolve any outstanding issues in the store’s favor.

Many letters testified to the value of having a local store that carries necessities. Others looked forward to buying an early breakfast and coffee (the store will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily) or a quick sandwich at noon. One letterwriter calculated that if every other adult Norfolkian spent $15 a week there, the store would generate the revenue it needs to be viable.

Letters objecting to the application asked whether the town could support a new eatery and whether the nonprofit status of the building’s owner would give the Berkshire Country Store an unfair competitive advantage.

Bill Brown, who led the Economic Development Commission’s search committee to fill the storefront, assured the P & Z that the building would stay on the town’s tax rolls despite being owned by a nonprofit. He also said that Ryan Craig “will not be getting a free ride,” that he will pay monthly rent and assume a heavy financial burden to set up his store. Craig is expected to borrow $80,000 for renovations.

Once the public hearing was closed, the commission’s deliberations were brief. Michele Sloane, chairman of the P & Z, explained that specific features of the proposed business and its commercial viability lay outside the commission’s purview. The site plan application called for limited modifications to an existing retail building in the Village Business Zone. The building’s use as a convenience store and deli is a permitted use within that zone.

After deciding that there was enough shared parking on Station Place and John J. Curtiss Road to accommodate the new store, the commission stipulated that “the garbage should be managed so as to minimize odors” and the exterior lights should be shielded, downward pointing and governed by timers. But the commission declined to regulate the exhaust fan, propane tanks, condensers or air intake fan, reasoning that the applicant was entitled to this mechanical equipment to run his business and that its installation will be overseen by the building inspector.

Ryan Craig was clearly relieved to get P & Z approval for his store. In an interview the following day, he expressed his eagerness to meet with the building inspector, the fire marshal, the Torrington Area Health District, equipment suppliers and building contractors. “This is the fun part,” he said.

Craig hopes to schedule his grand opening by year’s end and will post news of his progress on the store’s website and Facebook page, searchable under “Berkshire Country Store.”

Photo by Bruce Frisch.