Supermarket applications: only one on the table

NORTH EAST — There continues to be a lot of talk around town about the proposed supermarket for the town of North East and the village of Millerton. Most of that talk centers around the letter “H,” as in Hannaford. The only one who seems unwilling to utter the word is the developer, John Joseph of Southern Realty Development LLC, (SRD), who claims he’s being evasive due to the “lease execution.”That’s understandable. However, others on his payroll, like architect Ray Nelson, freely refer to the store as Hannaford with no comment or correction from Joseph. Even Millerton Mayor John Scutieri has publicly referred to the new supermarket as Hannaford, at the same time throwing his support behind what he calls “a nice new supermarket the people in this community deserve.”Regardless of the tenant’s identity, the point here is SRD has had an active application before the North East Planning Board since Nov. 22, 2010. It’s on the Planning Board’s agenda at every meeting, and it is in the midst of its site plan and lot line adjustment review; it just completed part two of the Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) and part three of the EAF is scheduled to begin on March 28. The EAF is part of the mandated State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process. The fact that SRD is moving full-steam ahead is evidence the project is on track. There is not, nor has there ever been, any question of that fact.Which brings us to Freshtown. Freshtown is a 65-store cooperative. A number of those stores are owned by the Katz family, specifically by brothers Noah and Dan Katz, who have local stores in Amenia and Dover Plains. The Katzes want to open a store in Millerton.Their plan is to take over the existing Grand Union, in the Millerton Square plaza, and remodel. Grand Union has the same wholesaler, C&S Wholesale Grocers, as Freshtown. That detail makes the Katz brothers’ plan feasible. C&S has even signed a letter of authorization stating it would be willing to turn its lease over to Freshtown — a coup for the Katzes.Here’s the hitch — the Grand Union’s landlord also must submit a letter of authorization to the Planning Board signing off on the deal. Thus far the landlord, local attorney, businessman and developer Robert Trotta, has not done so. That means, and this is critical, there is not a completed Freshtown application filed with the Planning Board.“We need both,” explained Planning Board secretary Lisa Cope. “Until then there’s no application.”It’s that simple. Freshtown has not submitted an application, despite what anyone in Millerton or neighboring Amenia may think. “I would like to clarify something,” said Planning Board Chairman Dale Culver following his board’s most recent meeting, on Wednesday, Feb. 22. “There is only one application currently, and I think it’s very disrespectful for people not to understand that. I’ve been badgered — which application would I choose — like it’s my personal decision. We have to look at any and all applications before us to see what fits the zoning. We are obligated to review all applications. We don’t have a personal right to choose who can or cannot apply before the board.“I believe that people fairly believe there are two applications because there have been discussions from both Freshtown and the other supermarket,” he added. “But Freshtown is missing a signature so it can’t be acted upon; that’s not by personal choice but by town code. I don’t understand why it’s getting personal.”Fellow Planning Board member David Shapiro echoed Culver’s frustrations.“There is only one application before us,” he said, adding that it’s been difficult dealing with the public’s misconception. “It’s important to clear up the issue.”