A Publix grocery store could replace the Fresh Market store at Wellington Green Square in front of the Mall at Wellington Green, according to documents filed with the Village of Wellington’s Planning & Zoning Department.
The petitioner, Shawnick Wellington LCC, has requested approval for a site plan amendment to replace the existing Fresh Market at 10600 W. Forest Hill Blvd. with an expanded grocery store. The timeframe for the change has not been specified.
Wellington Director of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Robert Basehart said the application would be reviewed at the administrative level since the remodeling would not require major exterior modifications.
According to the justification statement filed by Miller Permitting & Land Development, the proposed improvement is aligned with current zoning codes. The net additional square footage proposed for the current 20,400-square-foot building is 7,291 square feet.
The front wall of the proposed grocery store is about 4.5 feet forward of the existing grocery store’s front wall. However, the proposed front wall is about six feet back from the face of the existing grocery store building vestibule. The net increase in building area in the front sidewalk is about 100 square feet.
The updated building elevations are designed to enhance and blend with the remaining shopping center’s design and level of finishes. The parking area within the proposed grocery store parking field will be overlayed and restriped with double striping to have a minimum 10-foot width. The balance of the parking field will be sealed and re-striped with double striping at parking spaces.
The site is surrounded by multifamily residential to the north, a hotel to the south, a restaurant to the west and a bank to the east, according to the applicant’s justification statement.
The proposal is considered consistent with the village’s comprehensive plan and public facility standards, and the amendments have no impact on environmental standards previously approved and is consistent with applicable neighborhood plans.
The justification statement asserts that the proposed architectural drawings are consistent with neighborhood aesthetics and regulations set forth under the original development and complies with county health and fire standards, maintaining on-site circulation and clearances for fire-rescue around the building.
Agreed.
The possibility of losing our Fresh Market of Wellington store is very upsetting. We do not need another Publix this close to the one a few blocks up on South Shore in Wellington. We do, however, need the Fresh Market especially to fight against Amazon’s complete take over of the Wellington Whole Foods store on 441 close by on the other side of the mall. Having the two stores, Whole Foods and Fresh Market added a competitiveness in the price not escalating and also better availability of products. Publix is just not the same thing and I do hope the current commissioners will not allow another Publix to overtake Fresh Market which has many items at better prices than Whole Foods and offers a different shopping experience from the typical Publix.