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Somers Crossing Could Include DeCicco Grocery Store

SOMERS, N.Y. -- DeCicco & Sons, a regional supermarket chain with several locations near by, is a potential tenant for the grocery store space included in the Somers Crossing development proposal.

John DeCicco Jr. addresses the Somers Town Board.

John DeCicco Jr. addresses the Somers Town Board.

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie
A photo of the developer's site plan for Somers Crossing. The townhouses are represented in the bottom cluster while the grocery store is represented in the upper right of the plan.

A photo of the developer's site plan for Somers Crossing. The townhouses are represented in the bottom cluster while the grocery store is represented in the upper right of the plan.

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie
Gus Boniello Jr. addresses the Somers Town Board.

Gus Boniello Jr. addresses the Somers Town Board.

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie
Somers Town Board members at their meeting on March 5, 2015. The board held a pair of public hearings on the Somers Crossing proposal, which calls for 80 townhouses and a grocery store.

Somers Town Board members at their meeting on March 5, 2015. The board held a pair of public hearings on the Somers Crossing proposal, which calls for 80 townhouses and a grocery store.

Photo Credit: Tom Auchterlonie

John DeCicco Jr., a member of the family that runs the eponymous business, spoke about the possibility at Thursday's Somers Town Board meeting.

DeCicco & Sons has several locations, including in Armonk and in the Putnam County town of Southeast. 

Somers Crossing, proposed by developer Boniello Land & Realty, would be built on an L-shaped parcel of 26.68 acres, which has northern frontage along Route 202 and southeastern frontage along Route 100. It is is contiguous with downtown Somers.

The developer proposes a grocery store building of about 19,000 square feet on the northern side of the property and 80 townhouses on the southern side.

The grocery store would have 107 parking spaces and be adjacent to the Towne Centre at Somers, which is an existing shopping plaza. Its roadway would also line up with a road that leads into the Heritage Hills condominium complex, forming a new four-way intersection. The area already has a traffic light.

The proposal also calls for adding the site to water and sewer services provided by Heritage Hills.

The proposal was discussed at the board's meeting in conjunction with a pair of public hearings. One is for the project's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), a lengthy document submitted as part of the review process. The other hearing is for the developer's request to rezone the site to allow for the project.

The DEIS is on the town's website.

Currently, the site falls under a pair of residential zones, which are called R-40 and R-80. The developer is proposing to change the zoning to a new type called the Multifamily Residence – Downtown Hamlet District (MFR-DH).

No lease has been signed yet for the grocery space, according to Gus Boniello Jr., who is among the family members involved with the development company. A lease will not be signed at this point in the process.

The prospect of a DeCicco location in Somers drew interest from several attendees.

Lin Crispinelli, a Somers resident and real estate agent, noted the frequency with which people who come to town ask where to shop. On the topic, she also cited having to drive elsewhere as an inconvenience.

“I mean, it’s a big thing.”

Crispinelli, who voiced support for the grocery store, said she wishes that she could tell people that there is a "phenomenal DeCicco's" right here.

Gary Parker, a fellow Somers resident and real estate agent, echoed Crispinelli's sentiments, calling a DeCicco or an equivalent as a "wonderful enhancement” to the town.

Supervisor Rick Morrissey also expressed support for DeCicco, describing it a welcome business in the town.

Morrissey, however, voiced concern about townhouse unit count, calling it “pretty dense for that site.” The supervisor inquired about the possibility a lower unit count. Boniello did not reject Morrissey's interest but did not have a response on the spot.

Resident Linda Simpson, while supporting the grocery store, was concerned that the housing count is too high. She also had concerns about wetland disturbance and setting precedent with rezoning.

The board voted to adjourn the hearings to April 9.

 

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