Developer David Stewart showed off a revised proposal Thursday for a 15,000-square-foot retail and commercial building on the site of Stowe’s Exxon on South Main Street.

At a Town Hall planning workshop, Mr. Stewart (pictured above) said he has trimmed the building’s height from 4 stories to 3 or 3½ stories. He also has added an arcade over the sidewalk on South Street that echoes the design of some older buildings in town, and envisions a signature tower at the point of South and Main streets that could become a focal point downtown.

Mr. Stewart, of Harris Associates, also is contemplating two 700-square-foot affordable housing units at the back of the site, aimed at single residents. And although he eliminated the residential fourth floor, he said he has not ruled out incorporating one residential unit into the building’s second or third floor.

HEIGHT ADDRESSED

Thursday’s workshop was a follow-up to a March 8 meeting where residents expressed concern about Mr. Stewart’s original proposal for a four-story, 50-foot building, which some thought seemed too big.

“So we went to a three-story building,” Mr. Stewart said Thursday, pointing to a projection of a revised drawing. “As you can see, it does have a little bit of a parapet there in front to give it a little more height. But it will be ground floor retail, second and third floor office, with some potential for residential.”

Even at three stories, the building would be the tallest at the south end of downtown. But only one of the dozen or so residents and officials at Thursday’s meeting expressed any objections to the revised height.

Meanwhile, in scaling back the building’s size, Mr. Stewart avoids the need to seek Planning Board and Town Board approval for a variance from what’s allowed on the site.

In addition, there are no restrictions on what kind of building or use Mr. Stewart can plan. “Just about anything David (Stewart) would propose here would probably work,” town planner Lauren Blackburn said Thursday.

Mr. Stewart, who lives a block away from the site on Hillside Drive, did not show detailed drawings of the new building, saying the final design is still not complete. Whatever he comes up with will need approval from the Design Review Board this summer.

Despite needing only limited town approvals, Mr. Stewart has been sharing his plans with town officials and residents anyway, to solicit feedback and make sure they are acceptable.

STOWE’S SHUTS THIS SUMMER

Several other key details emerged Thursday:

• Stowe’s Exxon will stop selling gasoline in July. The auto repair business will remain through the end of 2007. Mr. Stewart hopes to complete the purchase in Augst. He has not said what he is paying, but people familiar with the situation say it is in the high six figures.
• The developer plans to remove gasoline tanks during the summer, and test the site for contamination. Earlier tests have shown the site is clean.
• Demand for office and retail space has been strong, and all of the building’s space is now reserved or committed. Mr. Stewart expects to sell the 3,400-square-foot ground floor retail space for use as a restaurant.
• The building will meet the town’s requirements for parking, with about 30 spaces.
• Traffic will be allowed into the building’s parking lot from both Main and South streets, but cars will exit only onto South Street, to avoid traffic confusion on Main.

STOWE RETIRING

Mr. Stewart, of Harris Associates, announced in February that he plans to buy the site from owner C. Wayne Stowe in August.

Mr. Stowe told Davidson News & Notes in February he has decided to retire from the auto repair business because it has become more difficult to make money in recent years amid increased competition. (Read our Feb. 6 story based on an interview with Mr. Stowe.)

Mr. Stewart showed a preliminary plan for redeveloping the site at March planning workshop, also at Town Hall. Some neighbors at that meeting complained about the redevelopment of the site and raised questions about the building’s height and possible effects on parking and traffic. (Read our March 8 report on the meeting.)

This article was corrected May 7 to reflect David Stewart’s comments below. Thanks David.

LINKS

Read the town Planning Department report on Mr. Stewart’s proposal following the March 8 workshop on the town website.

Read our Feb. 6 story about owner C. Wayne Stowe’s decision to retire, “Exxon station to be sold for development.”

Read our March 8 story about the previous planning workshop about the Stowe’s Exxon site.