Branford Sets Hearing on BJ’s, Restaurants at East Main Site

Branford Commission Expected to Hear 37-Acre Commercial Proposal

Branford's Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to open a public hearing Thursday, Sept. 17, on a proposed planned development district for 569 and 573 East Main St., where developers are pitching a BJ's Wholesale Club, gas station, restaurants and additional commercial space. The commission's August minutes list Sept. 17 as the anticipated hearing date for the application, identified as PZ-26-39.

The proposal would require a master plan and zoning map amendment before the development could proceed.

The two properties are currently vacant and undeveloped. Town records cited in prior coverage put the 569 East Main Street parcel at about 16 acres and the 573 East Main Street parcel at about 21 acres, for a combined area of roughly 37 acres.

Proposed Branford Project Would Add Club, Gas Station and Restaurants

The plan calls for a wholesale club anchored by BJ's, along with a gas station, one sit-down restaurant, two quick-service restaurants with drive-through lanes and a commercial building with a drive-through, according to town records.

The proposal is structured as a planned development district, a zoning process that allows the commission to review a larger project under a specific master plan.

The July discussion included representatives of Sound Development Group LLC, BJ's Wholesale Club, engineering firms and land-use attorney Marjorie Shansky. Shansky represented Sound Development Group LLC.

Officials did not identify additional prospective tenants for the site during the July discussion.

July Discussion Introduced the East Main Street Plans

The commission held an informal discussion of the proposal at its July 9 meeting. That session did not represent final approval of the project. Any development would need to receive the necessary approvals from Branford land-use boards before construction could begin.

The site has been the subject of earlier development proposals. Prior plans included a Costco project that did not come to fruition, according to previous coverage.

The nearest BJ's Wholesale Club is in North Haven. The Massachusetts-based retailer sells food, household items, clothing, technology and gas, according to its website, and previous coverage reported that it operates clubs and gas locations in multiple states.

Sept. 17 Hearing Would Address the Zoning Proposal

The Sept. 17 hearing, if it opens as anticipated, would be the next opportunity for members of the public to address the commission about the planned development district application. The commission will consider whether the requested planned development district master plan and map amendment should be approved.

Additional applications and reviews would be required before the development could proceed.

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