Zoning Board grants permit to Cranberry Highway development

Jul 28, 2016

The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a site plan review special permit to a Virginia-based firm for a 46,000-square-foot commercial development in West Wareham on Wednesday night.

There are some conditions, however.

Board members said the permit will be granted if certain traffic, safety and aesthetic concerns are addressed between the developer, J. Donegan Company, and the town’s engineer, Charles Rowley.

The company plans to redevelop a 8.5-acre site located just south of where Cranberry Highway intersects with Tobey Road and Tow Road. Retail shops and restaurants are planned for the site, which will be anchored by the discount supermarket chain Aldi.

In addition to the proposed 18,000-square-foot supermarket, 27,800 square feet of space will be dedicated to retail stores and restaurants. Additional tenants have not yet been confirmed.

Currently, the property houses two, one-story buildings used by the Beaton Cranberries business. Those buildings will be torn down for the new development. The area is designated a commercial strip zone.

Specifically, board members want to see a dedicated right-turn-only lane into the complex in the Route 28 southbound lane, in addition to a yield sign.

Rowley recommended the board add a condition that requires the developers to present the board with plans to ensure that the complex’s tenants meet design standards that complements the area.

“This will get the clock ticking on your plans,” Chair Nazih Elkallassi told developer Jay Donegan.

Donegan is scheduled to meet with the board at its Aug. 10 meeting along with his engineers to review the conditions.