Home Depot brings team before Gilford zoning board; no decisions yet

A parade of professional-looking representatives marched into town hall last night to speak before the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) on behalf of the corporation that wants to put a new Home Depot store in the area of McIntyre Circle.

And that bothered long-time resident Russ Dumais. “What concerns me about these big projects is that you have all these people here, and they’re all outsiders. When the project is complete, they go away. You and I are going to suffer or enjoy the situation. It’s changing the rural character of this community.”

But another resident saw things differently. “It’s too bad that the old Gilford is gone, I agree,” she said. “But I like their (Home Depot) stores.”

The Home Depot contingent, led by Attorney David Raymend, who is representing both the corporation and the current property owners, James R. Irwin and Sons, Inc., owners of Irwin Marine, were before the board to ask for a special exception to zoning regulations that will allow the construction of the retail store in a industrial zone, and a variance that will allow it to put in a 381-space parking lot, rather than the almost-700 space one zoning regulations require.

Shortly after 10 p.m., Chairman Andy Howe announced that the Board would likely have to reconvene the hearing some time in the next two weeks to make a final decision on the store’s proposals.

But before that, Raymend introduced Home Depot’s line of hired consultants to the ZBA, all of whom told the board why the new facility would be a good addition to the town.

Nelson Capral said the store would be an “appropriate use” in the industrial zone because so much commercial development is already in the area — including Lowe's, Home Depot's biggest competitor — and that is what the town says it wants in its Master Plan.

Tom Armstrong said that the “high-end” retailer would, at worst, have a negligible impact on property values in the neighborhood and would more likely increase them.

Traffic expert Art Scarneo said the store owners would do a major renovation to the light at the intersection of Union Avenue and Blaisdell Avenue and the other streets that meet at McIntyre Circle, including expanding the streets, adding turning lanes and putting in a new synchronized traffic light.

One of the more fascinating aspects of the project was discussed by wetlands biologist Jeff Cantera and civil engineer Jen Viarengo. In answer to a question from Chairman Howe about the impact the large building and parking lot would have on wetlands in the area — especially after last year’s downpours created problems on Lakeshore Road in front of the new Lowe’s store — Cantera said that the of 11.2-acres at the foot of Blaisdell Avenue had remarkably little wetlands areas that would be impacted as compared to other properties Home Depot has built on in New England in recent years.

Even more interesting, he noted that a portion of the parking lot — he didn’t say how much — would be used with a “porous” material that would allow rain and snow to simply seep under the material and into the water table.

Viarengo said the material has been used down south for many years but is just beginning to make its way to northern construction sites, apparently because winter weather had no impact on how it works.

When the conversation turned to the size of the parking lot, board members questioned whether 382 spaces would be sufficient. “What happens around Christmas?” one member asked.

“We just had our Christmas,” Scarneo said. “For the home retail business, Memorial Day is Christmas.”

He said that the group had researched parking at a number of other Home Depot stores last weekend and was confident that its proposed number would be more than sufficient to handle its busiest shopping days.

The retail company’s representatives even agreed to not try to put any additions onto the store or to use the parking lot for any additional business in the future.