On Tuesday, July 5, Clinton’s Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) will hold a public hearing on a number of applications, including one that could allow for the development of a CVS retail pharmacy and drive-through on the corner of Routes 1 and 81. That proposal (and some of the others) have raised concern from a range of residents concerned about traffic, historic preservation, and politics.

The application, from developer Douglas Benoit, calls for the placement of floating zones on properties located at 15, 19, 21, and 23 West Main Street as well as 6 John Street Extension.

What is a floating zone? Zoning maps have areas designated for various uses, including residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and open space, and regulations establish minimum lot size, setbacks, and other requirements for each zone. Floating zones are established when communities want to permit a limited number of specific uses in a town without mapping their location in advance. Because they aren’t actually on the map at the time they’re adopted, these zones are said to “float.”

Earlier this year, Clinton’s PZC passed a motion to create Main Street District 1 (MSD-1), a floating zone that could be placed in certain of the town’s industrial and business districts, including sections in the center of town along West Main Street as well as areas along the Hammonasset River. Modifications possible under MSD-1 include smaller setbacks and higher density than an underlying zone might allow.

Testifying at a series of public hearings in January and February, several critics spoke out against the floating zone concept, arguing that the proposed CVS drive-through would pose traffic challenges on Route 1 and result in the demolition of historic buildings.

Reiterating that at least three of the buildings slated to be demolished as part of the CVS plan are historic properties, the Clinton Historical Society began circulating a petition to prohibit landing the MSD-1 floating zone on the proposed site. As of June 22, the online petition had collected 254 signatures.

‘We Cannot Allow These Historic Buildings to Be Torn Down’

The petition reads, in part:

“This historic barn and two 18th century houses on West Main Street are slated to be demolished soon to make way for a new CVS drive-through pharmacy at the corner of Route 1 and Route 81. The loss of these properties would be an irreparable loss to Clinton’s historic legacy. They are essential elements contributing to the character and charm of our downtown streetscape.

“Two of the buildings date from the 1740s, and all three have architectural features and characteristics that are irreplaceable. We cannot allow these historic buildings to be torn down, one by one. Once our historic structures are gone, we can never regain the character of a small New England village that these buildings convey.

“The Clinton Historical Society believes that historic properties should be torn down to make way for new development only in the most compelling of circumstances—when the benefits to the town far outweigh the loss of the historic structures themselves.

“In this instance, there are other sites that would be more suitable for a new CVS pharmacy. The property where Friendly’s was previously located is one example. That location, just a bit further west on Main Street, would be better able to accommodate the traffic congestion that is likely to occur when a drive-through pharmacy is placed in the middle of town.

“Planning & Zoning is about to vote on the placement of a new floating zone at the corner of Route 1 and Route 81, which would make way for the new CVS.

“Signing this petition will tell the P&Z commissioners that you oppose placing the floating zone in this location.”

Those wishing to add their names to the petition may do so at clintoncthistory.org. The petition will be delivered to the first selectman’s office and the chairman of PZC.

The former Friendly’s location (and adjacent Cashman Hardware) mentioned in the Clinton Historical Society’s petition were reportedly rejected by the developer because of the high asking price for the Friendly’s property, owned by Hershey Foods Corporation. Locations previously considered for the new CVS also included the site of the Clinton Motel, at the corner of Route 1 and Route 145.

Applications and accompanying maps are available for public inspection in the town’s Land Use Office, and the request to amend the zoning regulations is available in the Town Clerk’s Office.

Other criticisms voiced extensively in the Harbor News letters forum and on social media focus on traffic concerns at that intersection and the fact that Selectman John Giannotti owns some of the property on which the CVS would be constructed. Online supporters of the plan point to the need for economic development, particularly downtown, and the rights of property owner.

Anyone wishing to speak in favor of or opposition to landing the MSD-1 floating zone on the proposed CVS location is invited to do so at the July 5 public hearing at Andrews Memorial Town Hall. The hearing begins at 6 p.m.