By Angeljean Chiaramida
SALISBURY — On Monday night, Town Meeting has an opportunity to help bring a 270,000-square-foot shopping center to Salisbury by approving two warrant questions needed for the project to go forward.
Articles 4 asks to change the zoning on 8 of 30 acres of land just off Interstate 95 behind the former Chubby's Dinner, where Waterstone Retail Development of Needham hopes to build a shopping center, from industrial use only to commercial use.
About 22 acres of the site are already in a zone that allows commercial ventures, but the remaining 8 are currently zoned industrial.
While researching the proposed shopping center site, Waterstone found a former town road that's still on town maps, even though it was paved over decades ago to become part of I-95.
Town maps show Old Locust Street originating at Main Street and ending at I-95, off the ramp that becomes Toll Road. Although abandoned when I-95 was built, because the road is still on assessors maps, Town Manager Neil Harrington said Town Meeting must discontinue it as a public way so the shopping center to be built.
According to Waterstone architect Doug Richardson, if Town Meeting approves the articles on Monday, he'll be on a plane to Las Vegas the next day, where a large retail leasing convention is scheduled, in hopes of signing national retailers to the new shopping center. It's hoped it will be completed by the end of 2010.
Town officials are eager for the shopping center — which they're hoping will have a supermarket, food and clothing stores in its retail mix and be named "Salisbury Gateway" — for the financial benefits it will bring, as well as the jobs, prestige and as a catalyst for more economic development. Estimates are that the Waterstone development will pay $275,000 per year in property taxes on land that currently brings in about $40,000.
Selectman Jerry Klima said Monday the town is negotiating with Waterstone on a development agreement defining what the town and developer will bring to the table if the project goes forward. In meetings with town officials, Waterstone has offered to help with a number of town projects if the shopping center is ultimately approved.
Waterstone agreed to redesign and rebuild the Main Street and Rabbit Road intersection, a problem now. Also planned is a contribution of $1 million towards the costs of expanding the sewer to Rabbit Road, and $500,000 toward the new water main upgrade in the area as well. The company will also pay about $500,000 in sewer and water access fees. Waterstone will also build 1,500 feet of new sidewalks on the north side of Main Street and Toll Road intersection east to Jon Street.
Waterstone will give $140,000 to replace a part of the Main and Congress streets water mains, and pay about 25 percent — or about $150,000 — toward the preliminary redesign of the portion of Lafayette Road stretching from Salisbury square to the New Hampshire state line.
Waterstone's Web site describes the company as a "grocery-anchored" retail developer that builds to own — not sell— its shopping centers. Waterstone owns about two dozen shopping centers in the Northeast and eastern United States.
Salisbury's project is one of six new projects for the 3-year-old retail development company, which include others in Portsmouth and Epping, N.H..
