Planning Board approves Market Basket expansion

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May 14, 2008

By Julio Tejeda

LONDONDERRY — The Planning Board has given conditional approval to a site plan submitted by DeMoulas/Market Basket for a 17,732-square-foot expansion to their store, located off Route 102.

The store, presently 50,740 square feet, will expand into the 9,800-square-foot vacant lot formerly occupied by Walgreen's, according to James Lamp, a project spokesman, and Senior Project Manager Earle Blatchford from Hayner/Swanson Inc. of Nashua. The expansion will also add onto the back of the building, squaring off the structure.

After a brief hearing at its May 7 meeting, the board voted to approve the project.

"We will be expanding the store and its departments. We are also eyeing on adding prepared food departments," said Lamp.

Other Market Basket stores have been expanding, adding speciality food sections such as bakeries and sushi bars.

Company officials say they expect the expansion will create new jobs at the Londonderry store.

The DeMoulas/Market Basket company has been expanding in recent years and Blatchford said expansion is needed since it has been a while since the Londonderry store was last renovated.

"It has been at least 15 years ago since there were any renovations done in the plaza," he said.

Blatchford also said most of the store expansion will take place in the back of the store where a new receiving dock will be constructed.

Two new entrances will also be added when renovations are completed.

"We are bringing the store entrance up to date; we are going to be adding a 64-foot-tall clock tower at one of the entrance," he said.

Blatchford said the new clock will be visible from Interstate 93.

The conditional approval gives the Planning Board a 65-day period to make a final decision on the project. Lamp said he was not sure how much the renovations will cost the company, but expects it to be a couple of million dollars.

Blatchford said the strip mall where Market Basket is located has 1,081 parking lots available for customers. He said that is enough parking space for the customers, therefore, there are no plans to expand the parking lot.

Lamp said the store would remain open during the expansion, pending approval.

In other business:

— Michael Moore received conditional approval on his application for a seven-lot subdivision.

— Wayland H. Elwood received conditional approval on his application for a two-lot subdivision on the 2.7 acre lot on Dan Hill Road.