WESTFIELD – The Conservation Commission approved the ALDI Market project for 231 E. Main Street on Feb. 9, after more than three months of scrutiny of the proposed building in the 100-year flood zone between the Little River and the Westfield River.
The 19,750 square-foot supermarket in Westgate Plaza will be located between TJ Maxx and Taco Bell. The plans by R. Levesque Assoc. for applicant Reuben Twersky of Brixmore SPE include construction of an end cap, reconfiguration of the parking lot in front of the store, and a loading dock.
According to information on its website, ALDI is one of America’s fastest growing retailers, with nearly 2,000 stores across 36 states, and is on track to become the third-largest grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022. Ninety percent of its products are ALDI-exclusive brands. ALDI also owns a store in West Springfield.
Before coming before Conservation, the project had received permits from the Westfield Planning Board and approval from the Westfield Flood Commission of its compensatory storage plan.
During public participation at the first conservation meeting on Oct. 27, several businesses located on Mainline Drive expressed concern about the potential impact of the new building on an area already prone to flooding.
Commissioners took the abutters’ concerns seriously, and looked closely at the plan for the building and the compensatory storage area located in an agricultural field across the Little River. After being unable to determine to their satisfaction whether the impact of the building would worsen flooding, an outside expert, Stantec Consulting Services in Northampton was asked to review the plan at a cost of $2,000 to the applicant.
In January, Michael Chelminski of Stantec said that while the introduction of any structure in flowing water produces an effect, the impact would be negligible and localized. He said the project met the performance standards for the flood plain, and the compensatory storage exceeded the performance standard. He did provide some suggestions for the comp storage area, such as erosion and sediment controls on the bank, and a track pad to prevent vehicles carrying dirt off the site during construction.
On Tuesday, after Levesque presented the changes on the plan recommended by Stantec and the commission for the comp storage area, the public hearing was closed and a Bond of $15,000 was put on the project, which will begin construction in the spring with a September completion date.
Also approved at the Feb. 9 meeting was a single family home at 109 North Road in the 100-foot buffer zone to isolated wetlands by applicant Yevgeniy Yunikov.
The commission also approved a plan by the Western Mass Hospital to remove an obsolete boiler plant, removal of abandoned steam tunnels, and installation of a new sewer system within the 200-foot riverfront area.
