Turner planners to discuss Hannaford proposal

TURNER — Town leaders plan to continue their review Wednesday of Turner's biggest commercial development in decades, Hannford's proposed 36,000-square-foot supermarket on Route 4.

Such issues as traffic, wetlands, parking, lighting will be addressed by the Planning Board at a meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the town office on Route 117.

"We're there to respond to the range of items required by the town's ordinance," a spokesman for Hannaford said Monday.

The project would be among the biggest ever tackled in the small town. The last one of comparable size happened at the DeCoster egg farm in the 1980s.

The construction site would cover almost eight acres of property, which borders on the Snell Hill Road. Plans call for well drilling, the creation of 161 parking spaces and the installation of a traffic light and turning lane on Route 4.

The store would be comparable in size to Hannaford markets in Winthrop,China and Gray. Lewiston, Auburn and Oxford have larger stores.

The project has drawn criticism from some townspeople, including members of the Turner Village
Preservation Committee, who worry that the character of the town could be tarnished by the project. Petitions have circulated calling for a ban on buildings larger than 15,000 square feet.

The store would also occupy property owned by the Androscoggin Land Trust. A swap of property between Hannaford and the land trust would be used to offset the development.

A public hearing held in early October drew more than 70 people, Turner Town Manager Eva Leavitt said.

The project was announced in May.

dhartill@sunjournal.com

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Comments

Big Love's picture

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magnolia0819's picture

Hanaford stores are clean

Hanaford stores are clean and offer a lot more products than existing stores.Hanaford always goes out of it's way to work well with the community and make sure that the grounds are well kept.It's not who anyone know's.I hear this all the time and it's hog wash.People almost alway's have a hard time with change.This is a great oppotunity for Turner.It will bring much needed jobs and tax money the town could always use.As far as crime goes there is no issue there at all.Give them a chance before anyone starts making assumptions.

tron's picture

How come land own by the

How come land own by the Land Trust is being used at all? Isn't land owned by the trust suppose to be preserved forever once they get their hands on it? Perhaps the SJ should investigate, oh that's right the SJ's county commissioner is the head of the trust, forget about it.

MeinMaine's picture
verified

oh, and btw Johnny P, I go

oh, and btw Johnny P, I go to the Food City almost every day, and have NEVER seen any mice "running around". I also have worked in several grocery stores in my life and FC is one of the CLEANEST ones I've seen. The staff there are pleasant and willing to help you find what you need, and they ASK if you need help. I've never gotten that service at a Hannaford, good luck finding any clerk to help you there.

ValenOfGrey's picture

I hope the proposed site for

I hope the proposed site for the new Hannaford store is right on top of the Jordan's compound. Take it by eminent domain and finally clean up that street. I hope the Hannaford management reconsiders stalking their shelves with poultry products however. The Jordan's have a tendency for stealing chickens!!

MeinMaine's picture
verified

We don't need a big box

We don't need a big box grocery store in our town. For starters, the area that they are proposing are wetlands that are already in short supply. For seconds, we have a wonderful grocery store that just did a MAJOR revamp to their location, making it bigger and adding more products. The prices are more than comparable to the city stores, and I find the meat and produce to be very fresh. Its not like you have to drive for hours to get to LA, if people choose to shop there its only 20 minutes, if even. Yes, it would be convenient to have a pharmacy, but there are several storefronts in the mall available for that. Hannaford needs to find someplace else to flex its corporate muscle. I will be at that meeting Wednesday night. I have found that the town is easy to work with, we have never had an issue getting permits for things that we have done to our house or the business that I work at in the area.

JohnnyP's picture

One, the Food City is a

One, the Food City is a POS... There are mice running around the floor and the over-priced food sucks.

Two, more people want it, than don't want it. The town has spoken. Nuff said.

Ares's picture

Mad you sure do have it

Mad you sure do have it right. The good ol' "name" network still operates the town in Turner. The only thing missing is Boss Hogg. I am not sure a Hannaford is necessary though. I think there is something to be said for not littering the community with a Hannaford and right behind that a Rite-Aid and a half dozen other stores that aren't needed. Turner has a grocery store and if that one doesn't do it there's a Shaw's, BJ's and Wal-Mart just a 15 minute drive south from most points in Turner. Turner isn't missing anything by not having a Hannaford in town. Part of the quality of life in Turner is that there are no big boxes littering the landscape, no traffic clogging the roadways, certain types of crime are lessened or not-existent. A Hannaford would surely bring tax revenues into the community and a few part-time jobs but it will also bring certain types of crime, litter, traffic congestion and host of other little uglies that make the various shopping centers in Lewiston and Auburn so unattractive.

Jay Bee's picture

The Turner Village

The Turner Village Preservation Committee = astroturf. Their incorporation date is later than the application date for this project.

apple10111's picture

Sure would be good for the

Sure would be good for the people of that area

mad dad's picture

Turner is still run on a

Turner is still run on a good-old-boy system and it depends on who you are if you want to build something. Don't be surprised if this project is turned down because the "right" people aren't going to make any money on it. The character of the town is if you want to get anything done you have to know somebody in the right place. Everything else is crap.

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