Representatives of Simoni’s Flowers, Inc., located at 277 Providence Highway (Route 1), appeared before the Board of Appeals to outline an ambitious plan to demolish most of the existing structures on their 26-acre commercial site and construct a modern nursery, greenhouse, salesroom, and parking facility.
Rebuilding Plans and Zoning Hurdles
Although Simoni’s has operated on the parcel for 50 years, the property is currently zoned for light manufacturing, making a commercial nursery a non-permitted use under current zoning rules and requiring a special permit from the appeals board. No residents spoke in opposition to the project during the public hearing.
Architect Lee Woodward of New England Architectural Services detailed the architectural and structural scope of the project:
- Structure Retention: All existing buildings will be eliminated except for a small portion of the retail showroom considered too new to demolish, which owner’s son Steven A. Simoni noted will temporarily house business records until fully depreciated.
- New Construction: A new steel-frame building with vertical wood siding providing 20,000 square feet of floor space will be erected 60 feet behind the retained structure. It will feature sliding glass doors leading from an outdoor display area to the interior showroom, a mezzanine level, and parking spaces for 171 vehicles.
- Greenhouses and Display: A long greenhouse will attach directly to the main building, backed by a small utility house screened from Route 1. All outdoor display areas will be fully enclosed by a fence, designed with a Colonial motif to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the Route 1 corridor.
Attorney John Connor, representing the firm, noted that Simoni’s secured a Hatch Act permit from the conservation commission to fill wetlands on the site, contingent upon submitting detailed drainage plans. While the board expressed concern over stormwater management, members rejected a proposal to approve drainage plans after issuing the permit, stipulating instead that detailed engineering plans must be reviewed and approved by the town engineer before the special permit is officially considered. The board took the case under advisement.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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