New Lebanon Supermarket Project Back On Track

by Thaddeus Flint
The residents of New Lebanon could breathe a collective sigh of relief this week after it was announced that the deal with Hannaford Supermarkets to bring a full service supermarket to the Valley Plaza Shopping Center was back on.
Last week it was reported that the deal might fall through. Hannaford had run into a road block they said was being set up by the New York State Department of Transportation. The DOT had outlined proposed demands for the project which included widening of sidewalks, moving of telephone poles, donations of land and the elimination all the existing entrances and exits to the Valley Plaza and creating one single entrance and exit onto Routes 20 and 22. Hannaford felt the demands were too great to surmount and Senior Project Engineer J.M. Lord labeled them a “deal breaker.”
The Town of New Lebanon did not sit idle. The Lebanon Valley Business Association created a ‘Save our Supermarket’ website and promoted a letter writing campaign. New Lebanon Town Supervisor Margaret Robertson and Deputy Supervisor Doug Clark were continually in contact with Hannaford and the DOT to make sure negotiations continued. On March 29, DOT’s Acting Regional Director, Bill Gordon, contacted the Town with an update on the concessions they were able to make. The DOT had relaxed on several points. Hannaford would only have to pay for sidewalks in front of their property; the two entrances could remain although if a traffic signal was needed only one entrance would be permitted. The truck delivery entrance would be along the property line with Bank of America and the old supermarket and identified as one-way, and the southbound right-turn lane could be eliminated, thereby restoring the parking spaces that would have been lost.
While it’s true there are still hurdles yet to come, including finding a satisfactory solution to the Department of Environmental Conservation’s requests for a septic system, some of the larger challenges are now met. On March 31 Hannaford announced that a compromise had been struck. According to their press release, “Hannaford Supermarkets is pleased to announce that thanks in large part to tremendous cooperative spirit among officials from the Department of Transportation, Columbia County and the Town of New Lebanon, we are poised to move forward with the process to develop a new supermarket and pharmacy.
After reviewing all of the site parameters and other town/site initiatives that are in the works, everyone feels we have arrived at a compromise that will best meet the needs of all interested parties – especially all the prospective customers who have supported Hannaford throughout the process.
We are pleased with the outcome of this process and want to extend thanks to the DOT for working with us to find a practical solution.”
Supervisor Robertson agreed, pointing out that the DOT and the DEC “are the backbone of every successful municipal project in New York State and working with them in a positive manner is paramount to our Town’s economic future.” Robertson also took time to praise the work of the Business Association, thanking them “for their support and letter writing campaign which indicated they were behind the Town government and our push for a quick resolution”
This comes as welcome news to the Town which is currently considered a “food desert,” that is a locality which does not have easy access to such basic necessities as fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact the proposed supermarket goes far beyond the basics and will feature an extensive Organic & Natural foods section, a butcher shop, produce and seafood departments, a bakery, a deli and a full service pharmacy. With all that, and some 65 people employed as well, it’s easy to comprehend Robertson’s enthusiasm when she says “the light at the end of Our tunnel remains the oasis called Hannaford.”