PZC Approves Zone Amendment for Aquarium Land Sale

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a zoning text amendment that will  West Marine, a resident boat supply and accessory retail store, to purchase and conduct retail business on an 11-acre lot currently owned by the Mystic Aquarium. 

William Sweeney, a lawyer representing the Aquarium, requested a text amendment to allow retail activity in an area currently zoned for manufacturing. Sweeney told the Planning and Zoning Commission that West Marine has outgrown its current spot in the lower level of McQuade’s Marketplace and they’d like to build a new store in a lot at the corner of Coogan Boulevard and Mariitme Drive that the Aquarium now uses for overflow parking. 

The parking lot is located in a M1 Zoned District, which is reserved for manufacturing uses. Sweeney’s proposed text amendment adds the ability for retail sales by Special Use Permit in the M1 district, “..situated entirely within a building no greater than 15,000 sq. ft. in gross floor area and located no more than one (1) mile from an interstate highway interchange…” For comparison, Stonington Meadows on Route 1 is about 15,000 square feet. 

Plenty of community members, including the chair for the Economic and Development Commission, stood in support of the amendment saying that it makes sense to broaden the manufacturing zone, to include retail and that the allowance would be a logical transition to the residential zone. Currently the M1 zone allows for industrial and office uses of a wide variety, including a lumber mill and agricultural processing. 

But there were people who opposed the amendment also, which will affect about 100 acres of property adjacent to the highway in Stonington. 

Michael McQuade, owner of McQuade’s Marketplace, said there’s already too much retail in the area and cautioned it’s is getting harder and harder every year because business are competing with the internet sales. McQuade said there are plenty of empty retail buildings in the area and said that adding more will drive down the property value of existing retail space. 

Anecdotally, he said that 40 percent of his building is non-retail despite efforts to fill it with retail stores. 

Stonington resident Rick Newton said that there’s no guarantee that West Marine would buy the lot and another, less attractive retailer could purchase it instead. 

Pawcatuck resident Carlene Donnarummo said if other retail stores like Ocean State Job Lot, Van Heusen and Pet Smart are typically associated with West Marine and the amendment would allow them into the area. 

She said “we’re gonna be like everybody else,” and continued that Stonington and Mystic are unique and that’s why it’s one of the state’s top tourist attractions.

Peter Harvey submitted general comments said he’s not here about the West Marine development but suggested that occupants of the area, like Montsanto, could sell their buildings to other retail establishments in the event that the amendment is adopted. 

Here’s how the commission members voted:

Eric Beverly - Nay

Gardner Young - Yay

Curtis Lynch - Yay

Robert Marseglia - Yay

Frances Hoffman – Yay

Bob Mercer - Yay