OLD SAYBROOK

The Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Commission (IWWC) is expected to vote on an application to build a Whole Foods at 1654 Boston Post Road at its Oct. 19 meeting. The public hearing was closed on Sept. 21.

Last year, the Carpionato Group, owners of the plaza where Benny’s used to be located, met with the Zoning Commission after a late August 2022 announcement that the supermarket chain Whole Foods had signed a lease to open an Old Saybrook location.

Due to wetlands near the property, the group had to file an application with the IWWC. Following a lengthy public hearing on Sept. 21, the IWCC voted to close the public hearing over the application. The commission will deliberate at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Over the course of the public hearings over the application, some residents expressed concerns; most notably, several residents from the Chalker Beach area told the commission they were worried about contamination from the property.

Steven Sheehan, an attorney representing Chalker Beach Improvement Association, told the commission in a previous meeting that while the association isn’t against the proposal, the association is concerned about the potential for pollution in the area. Sheehan said there is a tidal gateway located on the property that hasn’t been maintained in years. Furthermore, Sheehan said the area regularly floods and that E. coli has been found in puddles on the road and on people’s property.

Prior to the meeting on Sept. 21, Louis Treschitta filed an application to be an official intervener. Under Connecticut law, an intervener files a petition and can become a party to the proceedings. The intervener has the right to present evidence related to environmental issues under the jurisdiction of the agency conducting the hearing. Treschitta was worried about the effect the construction would have on the wetlands and marshes surrounding the property. He provided pictures and videos outlining concerns he had with the application.

Edward Cassella, an attorney for the applicant, said that the applicant had made changes to the original plans, such as increasing the size of basins to address some concerns, but other alternatives were not considered feasible for the project.

Should Whole Foods eventually be approved, it would likely be a move welcomed by most members of the community. Whole Foods is a popular grocery store chain that has long been sought after by residents of several towns along the shoreline whenever a development opportunity presents itself.

According to an application filed earlier this summer, the Carpionato Group hopes to build a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods location with additional space for potential retail. The project is estimated to cost $16 million and will take 14 to 16 months to build, according to the application.

The site where it is proposed to be built in Old Saybrook is the former location of Benny’s, a department store chain that went out of business in 2017. The Carpionato group has helped redevelop 15 former Benny’s properties since then.

Over the years, as major development began in nearby towns like Clinton or Branford, many residents of those towns expressed hope that Whole Foods would go into those spaces. With the opening of an Old Saybrook location, there would finally be a closer option for people along the eastern portion of the shoreline. The nearest Whole Foods from Old Saybrook requires a drive to Milford, Glastonbury, or West Hartford, so the addition of Whole Foods to Old Saybrook would be good news for residents of several area towns in addition to Old Saybrook.