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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2012 THE NEW TANNER 5 Opposition to proposed Acton East supermarket plan at public meeting Concerns include noise, traffic, property values and loss of residential land a permitted use on the two-acre site. Zoning bylaw changes would also be required to reduce the minimum number of parking spaces to 120 from 192, and to reduce side and rear yard setbacks from the residential boundary line. Toman said an updated market impact study, which was peer reviewed, determined the proposed supermarket would not "...imply damage to planned commercial functions in Acton or elsewhere in the Town..." Capital Development Strategies Director David Falletta said the plan is for the store to be built at Five Acton residents and a planner working for Acton Shopping Plaza (the Sobeys plaza) voiced concerns over a proposed No Frills-type Craft Development Corporation's application is for a 28,500-square-foot store on vacant land, currently zoned residential, on the south aside of Queen Street between Tanners Drive and the existing plaza. In an overview, Charlie Toman, the Town's Development Review planner, said Craft wants a site specific Official Plan amendment for a corridor commercial designation, adding a supermarket as the rear of the site, with parking at the front, and entrances/exits from Tanners Drive and Queen Street. He said the market analysis showed the supermarket is "appropriate and desirable", "warranted" and Falletta also said traffic impact studies found that all nearby intersections would operate at "acceptable" levels if the new food store was built. Planner Glenn Wellings, appearing for Acton Shopping Plaza Inc, owners of the Sobeys plaza, listed planning and marketing concerns with the proposal. He said with limited residential development land in Acton, this site should not be converted to commercial use to "shoehorn" in a supermarket development. We l l i n g s s a i d m a rket studies show Acton does not need all of the additional commercial footage requested. "The supermarket is 19 times larger than what is recommended by (planning consultant) Mr. Morgan by 2015,Wellings said while Acton's population is relatively constant at 9,600 people from 2012 to 2016, with modest two per cent increase by 2018. Tanners Drive resident Real Tetreault said he'd like his "nice residential area" to stay the way it is. "At the moment for me, a grocery store could be needed in Acton, but not in the place where it is proposed," he said. Like some of his other neighbours, Tetreault is worried additional traffic would raise safety issues with motorists and school children. Ta n n e r s D r i v e r e s i dent Kevin Hahn, whose property backs onto the proposed store site, echoed Tetreault's concerns with increased traffic. He said his child was almost hit by a truck in the area and that 18-wheelers delivering food to the store would be "hazardous," and "scare him, a little bit." Hahn also is worried the proposal would create smells, disrupt sleep, and cause a 70 per cent drop in his property value. Three additional neighbours echoed the concerns raised by Tetreault and Hahn, and suggested that the property should remain residential. In response, Falletta said they are waiting for technical comments to the market study, traffic analysis and a noise study would be part of a required site plan application. John Linhardt, the Town's Director of Planning, Development and Sustainability, said the concerns raised by the neighbours were "heard" and the Town will meet with the surrounding residential community to try to resolve the issues. The deadline for pubic comment on the proposed supermarket is November 26.