Route 7 development charted

By NATHAN LAMB | Milton Independent Staff Writer
mireporter@mac.com

A pair of development plans filed late in November could have a major impact in 2008 and beyond.

One is for a major expansion of the Hannaford Plaza, the other would bring the Colchester-based trucking company R.R. Charlebois to town.

The Hannaford plan calls for a new, 46,909 square foot supermarket just south of the current location. Additional retail space that would effectively link the Hannaford and McDonalds plazas is also part of the plan, as is a new restaurant and bank.

There have been inquires about the additional space, but no agreements as of yet, said Plaza owner Ernie Pomerleau in November.

Permitting for the project is expected to begin shortly, and Pomerleau expects a groundbreaking in summer of 2008.

Plans that would bring new business to Milton are also afoot a couple of miles south on Route 7.

The Colchester-based R.R. Charlebois company is planning a relocation to just north of the Milton/Colchester line, on what was once known as the Sanderson property.

The company owns 75 acres of land on the east side of Route 7 and is planning to subdivide that parcel, establishing an 80,000 square-foot headquarters for its trucking operations on one lot and a 40,000 square-foot facility for its charter bus operation on the other.

Permitting for the project began in December, when Charlebois representatives secured sketch plan approval for the subdivision. Final plan review is expected to follow shortly; company owner Ron Charlebois said in November that he’s aiming for an April 1 groundbreaking.

Another potentially major project being considered for off Route 7 is a recreation complex in the Checkerberry Village area.

The plan, which is currently under review by the Development Review Board, is to establish a 40,000-plus square foot recreation facility and ice rink behind the Showtime building at 384 Route 7 South. The facility, which has been dubbed the Ice Barn by proponent Steven Kilburn, is only the first step in a multi-phased master plan that shows outdoor recreation areas and a swimming pool being added at a later date.

As of now, only the first phase is being reviewed. Permitting for the Ice Barn could conclude by early January.

Kilburn has been linked to a handful of efforts to establish an ice rink in the area since 2004, but clearly indicated the pieces are in place to move forward with this project in a statement he issued in late November.

“We’re prepared to begin construction once all the permits are in place,” he wrote.