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Date: 12/5/2023
WARE — The Planning Board approved the construction of an 8,041-square-foot addition to the Walmart Supercenter in Ware during its Nov. 16 meeting.
Located on the current building’s west side, the addition will be designed to assist with processing online orders and provide extra storage for store products, project civil engineer Dan Allen said.
Walmart also plans to modify its customer parking. Specifically, it will remove 58 spaces of regular parking to accommodate the addition and add 45 spaces exclusively for online order pickup, Allen stated. This is an increase from the previous eight online order pickup parking spaces that were available.
“They’re going to be expanding that [online order pickup parking spaces] due to what they are seeing from their consumers,” Allen said, stating that the proposed changes to Walmart are to enable the store to better serve its customers.
While these changes will reduce available parking, it will assist with the store’s ability to meet regulations. Allen explained that the store is supposed to have a maximum number of 624 parking spaces but currently has 750. After the upcoming changes are complete, there will be 697 spaces available, Allen said.
“As part of the application, we are also requesting a waiver from the parking requirements for providing between 567 and 624 [parking spaces], but we are bringing it closer under the proposed conditions here,” Allen explained.
In addition to the west side of the building, Walmart will also make minor changes to its current front parking lot, such as repainting lines, Allen stated.
“They’re doing some traffic stripping and parking lot improvements. On the site, really they’re just adding in stop signs and stop bars through the parking lot just to improve the traffic circulation,” he said. “There’s no real significant changes to the parking area compared to what exists out there today.”
Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2024 and will not impact current snow removal procedures or the store’s hours, Allen said.
The board unanimously approved the planned changes upon the condition that construction is only ongoing from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except for “New Years, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.” Member Chris DiMarzio further noted that there cannot be “construction on Sunday unless a demonstrated need were to arise.”