Lowe’s secures Act 250 permit

Construction could begin this summer

By Jason Starr

The Essex Reporter

Lowe’s, the nation’s second largest home improvement retailer, cleared environmental review under Vermont’s Act 250 last week for a proposed store on Susie Wilson Road in Essex.

The Act 250 District 4 office in Essex Junction issued a permit April 30. The North Carolina-based company has already received site plan approval from the Town of Essex for what would be its second Vermont location. It opened a South Burlington store earlier this year.

The company plans to demolish the vacant strip mall near the corner of Route 15 and Susie Wilson Road – known as Essex Town Plaza – and build a 125,000-square-foot store and garden center.

The Act 250 decision comes with a 30-day appeal period and a deadline of Oct. 30, 2010, to complete construction.

Under the Act 250 decision, Lowe’s will be required to construct additional turning lanes on Susie Wilson Road at the Bagel Market, Ewing Place and Go Go Gas. The turn lanes will require road widening and will allow turning traffic to move out of the way of through traffic.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation testified during Act 250 deliberations that the Susie Wilson Road intersection with Route 15 would need an upgrade as a result of the Lowe’s store. VTRANS pushed for a new right-turning lane onto Route 15 to accommodate large trucks expected to make deliveries to the store.

Town of Essex officials argued for an alternating center lane that would be a right-turn lane in the morning and left-turn lane in the evening.

The Act 250 Commission decided that the Lowe’s store would not impact the intersection enough to require a major upgrade. Instead, it restricted trucks from making right turns onto Route 15 from Susie Wilson Road during morning rush hour.

Generally, the store’s peak traffic times will not coincide with weekday rush hours.

“The current situation at the intersection, although not functioning efficiently, does not rise to the level of hazardous,” the Act 250 decision says. “The commission concludes that this project … does not materially jeopardize or interfere with the function, efficiency or safety of the roadways.”

Town officials still envision upgrading the Susie Wilson Road and Route 15 intersection but have no concrete plans to do so, said Public Works Director Dennis Lutz.

As part of the Act 250 permit, Lowe’s is required to contribute $8,700 toward the intersection’s eventual improvements. It is also required to contribute $17,000 to the town’s planned upgrade of the intersection of David Drive and Susie Wilson Road and $40,000 to the town or the Chittenden County Transportation Authority for Route 15 bus service improvements.

Lowe’s was not available to comment on a construction timetable. Lutz said he expects construction to begin this summer.