SOUTH — The owner of the quonset huts and industrial shops at the corner of the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike and Clark Street is looking to further improve the land to allow for business.
The previous owner of the property successfully applied to have most of the land rezoned from industrial to commercial in 2020. At the time, the landowners proposed a Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop and a Sunoco gas station for the corner.
The portion of land located away from the road is still limited to industrial use. Bailey Investment Group, listed by Peter DiClementi, bought the land in June for $600,000.
DiClementi is now looking to convert the remaining 1.4-acre property to commercial use. A message left with Declementi was not returned, and it’s unclear whether Jersey Mike’s and Sunoco are still part of the site’s redevelopment plan.
Southington Town Planner Maryellen Edwards DiClementi said she had a few ideas for the property but didn’t know anything definitive.
The property is surrounded by businesses, an attorney for the previous owners argued for a zoning change in 2020. Planning and Zoning Commission members were surprised by the zoning and approved the change after discussion. Commission members were often reluctant to convert industrial land to other uses.
Planners plan to hold a public meeting on the zone change next month.
“We approved the zoning change and the gas station didn’t come back because for whatever reason they weren’t ready. It looks like there’s going to be some movement,” commission chairman Bob Hammerley said.
Dave Lavallee, assistant city planner, said the zoning request came from the new owners. It applies to the southwest corner of the property.
“It was already a zoning change, but it was the rest of the parcel,” Lavalle said. The rest is to be a (commercial) zone.
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