An application filed last year that would have allowed for the construction of a new shopping plaza on Spencer Plain Road has been withdrawn by the applicant.

In May of last year, Spr Oasis proposed building a shopping center with a 20,000-square-foot grocery store and two drive-thru fast-food restaurants on a plot of undeveloped land at 52 Spencer Plan Road. The state’s business registry lists Andrew R. Chester as the principal of SPR Oasis.

A modified application for a grocery store and one drive-thru restaurant was set to be discussed by the Zoning Commission at its April 3 meeting, but was withdrawn by the applicant on March 1. When the application was last discussed at a zoning meeting in February, the commission stated the application was incomplete and missing required information.

Despite the lack of information, the applicant had originally requested to extend the public hearing to April. In addition to approval from the Zoning and Wetlands Commissions, the applicant also needed architectural review board approval. The application was withdrawn ahead of the March 13 architectural review board meeting.

Town Zoning Enforcement Officer Chris Costa said the town has not heard from the applicant since the application was withdrawn.

A Bumpy Road

When announced last year, the news excited the public. However, getting the project approved has been a bumpy ride. The project was first proposed to the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (IWWC) and, after going through months of dialog with that commission, the application was withdrawn in September 2022.

A second revised application was submitted to the IWWC in September 2022, as well as to the Zoning Commission in November 2022. Costa explained that in November, the Zoning Commission “adopted a moratorium on drive-through windows for pharmacies, restaurants, and financial institutions that went into effect on Nov. 11, 2022.”