DERRY — Armed with stacks of information and colorful artist renderings, Wal-Mart officials showed off a bigger and better store plan to Derry planning officials last week.
Wal-Mart hopes to build a 155,000-square-foot, 24-hour superstore at a site off Ashleigh Drive — a key piece in the town's economic development puzzle for that area of Route 28.
The new store would replace the current Wal-Mart on Manchester Road. Several years ago, another Wal-Mart plan for that area fell through.
Last week's design review process gave local officials a chance to look over the plans for the new store, and offer suggestions on ways things could be done differently to make the design a better fit for Derry.
Abutters to the proposed Wal-Mart turned out to voice concerns and offer input on their feelings about having a superstore so close to home.
Scott and Michelle Lavoie questioned why a larger Wal-Mart was needed at all.
"And the access road is going to lead right to my back yard," Scott Lavoie said.
Gary Lynch said he worried about water runoff and how it might affect his nearby property.
"That's a critical factor with this design," Lynch said. "It needs to be considered."
Add in parking concerns, outside storage and delivery trucks coming and going all day and night, and some residents said it was a bit too intrusive.
Overall, town planners seemed to think the Wal-Mart design was a good one, but offered a few suggestions to make it better.
Planning Board Chairman David Granese was on the board when the previous Wal-Mart superstore plan came before the town. He said he was a bit taken aback by the newest design. He said he hoped some changes would be made to make abutters happy and to make the store fit into the Derry landscape. He suggested those changes include a more neutral color and as much green space as possible.
"We're going to be listening and we'll make sure they listen," he told the abutters present.
Granese said he hoped the facade of the store might be changed to be more colonial and traditional in style.
"I like everything else," he said. "It all looks good, but there is something about the front of that building."
The new Wal-Mart could mean a big boost for that area, town officials said, supporting the tax increment financing district and helping meet Derry's economic development goals.
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