Two developers collided yesterday before the city's Zoning Board of Appeals. The newcomer lost its proposal to build a Family Dollar store at Main and East Amherst.
That location is in the special transit zoning district surrounding the Metro Rail Amherst Street Station which is an overlay on regular zoning.
L-P Ciminelli is building Highland Park on the 27-acre former Central Park Plaza behind the corner site. John Ciminelli spoke to oppose the plan.
"We reviewed all of the zoning districts surrounding us, including this one, and we're well aware of what should be there, what we want to be there and this is just too intrusive, it's too evasive," Ciminelli said.
"You don't want to walk out of the subway and see a large store, back from the street. That's not what this district was designed for."
The plan was also opposed by some but not all community groups and an array of politicians.
Hutchinson Development lawyer Corey Auerbach says there were no solid reasons for opposing the plan, just a vocal minority.
