Hurley’s plans to build a $4.9 million supermarket on the site of its original store at the now demolished Eden Centre Plaza on Walkers Road in George Town.
The company, which currently has a store in Grand Harbour, on Wednesday presented its plans to the Central Planning Authority to build the new 35,560-square-foot store on a 2.7-acre vacant lot.
Hurley’s supermarket opened at Eden Centre Plaza in 1986, after its earlier iteration, Hurley’s Meat Market, moved from its airport site. The entire plaza was severely damaged in Hurricane Ivan, and was subsequently torn down.
Hurley’s is now applying to build a far bigger store, part of which will be on the site of the original Eden Centre store. Another undeveloped area adjacent to that parcel of land will be cleared as part of the development.
Neighbours in the area, including at the nearby South Palms complex, have objected to the plan, saying they would be impacted by the noise from the store’s generators, refrigerators, air conditioning units and delivery trucks. They also raised concerns about rodents and odour from garbage facilities at the site.
The objectors, who attended the planning meeting via Zoom, asked Hurley’s to consider moving the noisy industrial elements to the other side of the site, closer to Home Gas.
They are also asking for a 6-foot solid wall to be erected, to act as a flood barrier and to prevent rodents from the garbage areas from accessing their premises.
Architect Rodney Frederick, of Frederick McRae Ltd., representing Hurley’s at the meeting, said the suggestions of the objectors would be taken into consideration, and that Hurley’s wanted to be a “good neighbour”.
He said fully enclosed garbage facilities would be used at the site, rather than open-top dumpsters, thus addressing the issue with rodents and odours from rubbish at the store.
Frederick said foliage, which would include native trees like royal palms, birch and buttonwood, would be put in place to create natural barriers between the store’s premises and neighbouring homes.
He suggested that instead of a 6-foot solid wall, impenetrable fencing could be erected, and that light pollution from the site could be dealt with by using LED lights and angling them in such a way as to be unobtrusive.
The proposed store parking lot would include 127 parking spaces.
The National Roads Authority, in its submission relating to the planning application, said that, having calculated the vehicle usage associated with the store, the impact on traffic on Walkers Road would be “minimal”.
The Department of Environment, in its comments, said the land at the site historically had been cleared and is of “low ecological value”. It recommended that where possible, sustainable design features should be included, especially renewable energy installations, such as solar panels.
Asked by the objectors how long construction of the store would take, Frederick said, if all goes according to plan, work is likely to begin in April and will continue for 18-24 months.
A decision on the application is expected within the next two weeks.
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