Hometown Bank plans approved

By Becky Harvey
Patriot correspondent

Webster - The Webster Planning Board held its August meeting on Monday evening.  After months of public hearings, the plan for the new Hometown Bank, to be located at the corner of Gore Road and Thompson Road was finally approved by the board.  The only major remaining issue had been the road access to the bank.  Regulations require a certain turning radius which the banks engineer had not originally included in the plans.  The board did make a slight exception to the standing regulation, but made sure that the final plan will allow for at least twenty foot wheel-based.  Once the project begins, the existing paved area will be torn out and planted with grass.  The town insisted that the area where the pavement is not be left unpaved or unseeded over the winter.  They required that the construction company do the reseeding during a growing period.  There were assurances made that that should not be an issue and that, in fact, the seeding could be completed by mid-September.

Police station project update

Informal discussions regarding the new police station and Jimmy’s market continued.  As addressed at the June meeting , Brian Perry, Chairman of the Webster Police Station Building Committee, talked about the informal agreement between the town and Jimmy Nayfeh, owner of Jimmy’s Convenience Store to “trade” land and split the cost of a retaining wall.  According to Rick Lawrence, of Lawrence Associates, the architectural firm the town has retained for the construction project, the two parties have been working on a “gentlemen’s agreement and a hand shake at this point.”  Until they legally change the plot plan, things cannot move forward.  They basically wanted to know that the planning board approved of the concept of trading land to improve both sites for future construction.  Paul LaFrambroise, Chairman of the board, stated that they were all for it, but that until they went to the zoning board and finalized the trade, nothing more could be done from their side.

Salim Ayas, Nayfeh’s engineer, stated that though their plans had previously been approved, they were planning to submit some changes.  One minor change, which  LaFrambroise stated would be no problem approving, was changing the shape of the establishment, while keeping the same square footage.  One change that would not be minor and would require reopening a public hearing would be the possible addition of a drive-through for the market.  Perry announced that in appreciation for Nayfeh’s consideration, the town would pick up any costs associated with redesigns required due to the change of the plot plan.  Should Nayfeh go with the drive-through plan, the town would only pay for the part of the plan necessitated by the change.  The cost estimated by the board would be roughly $1200.  The board also stated that the town would waive any ANR fees associated with the division of the property.  Since the police department is part of the town, it would be like charging itself.

The last new information disseminated at the meeting was that a plot of land at Frederick Street, which is privately owned, but still made part of the architect’s plans for the new station was under a purchase and sale agreement,finally.  The plot is adjacent to the currently town-owned land upon which the new station will sit.  The plans for the new and improved station had been drawn up under the assumption the town would have acquired that land and therefore, the plans that have been drawn up all include the plot, as if it were already town property. General relief echoed in the meeting in regards to the fact that the land was finally under agreement.  All of the parties, according to Perry, were relieved that they did not have to resort to the taking of the land by eminent domain, which had been considered.  He stated that “we’re pretty much all businessmen here” and that everyone was happier when the “government stays out of things.”

In other business, one ANR (Approval Not Required) to subdivide two lots into three at 44 Ray Street was endorsed by the board.  The plan is to take two existing plots and create a third plot in the center, on which the owner will build a new home.  Two other ANRs were brought before the board, but due to issues with the frontage caused the board members to suggest both parties to consult the zoning board