Harris Teeter delays submitting plans for Ghent store

NORFOLK

Harris Teeter officials said Thursday that they will delay for another 30 days submitting plans to the city for their Ghent grocery store expansion.

After meeting this week with the Planning Commission, the city's design review board and Ray Gindroz - an architect under contract to the city - the grocery store developers said they need to go back to the drawing board.

"We've got a lot of thinking to do," said Edward A. Marscheider III, an engineer with the Chesapeake firm of Kimley-Horn and Associates.

The issue will now go before the Planning Commission in October and the City Council in November.

There appears to be no question that the store will receive city approval. Councilman Barclay C. Winn and other council members are enthusiastic about the expansion, which will increase the size of the store to 51,000 square feet from 36,000 square feet.

"This is a great project," said Planning Commission Vice Chair Syble Stone.

The only questions are, "How will the store look?" and "How late will it be allowed to remain open?"

Harris Teeter officials have asked for permission to be open 24 hours a day, a request the council would have to approve.

"People should be happy to have a Harris Teeter open 24 hours," Stone said.

Harris Teeter officials envision a two-story building just to the north of the current store designed specifically for the historic neighborhood. Exterior elements, including brick, would be designed to look similar to nearby Maury High School.

"We don't want a direct copy, but want the store to have the feel of Maury High School," said Dennis E. Grillo, an architect with the Portsmouth firm of Bondurant and Associates.

City officials suggested more windows and a less obtrusive design of the walls, which can be accommodated, developers said. A stickier problem was a suggestion that developers install a buffer between Colonial Avenue and the store.

When the current store is demolished, the new store will be clearly visible from Colonial Avenue. City officials suggested a wall or trellis with plants to partially shield the store.

Harris Teeter officials want their store to be visible for patrons, Marscheider said.

"That's something we'll have to work on," he said.

Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com