Starbucks envisions town presence

Author: Tamara Hilmes

If you thought you'd never be able to push the 'easy button' or order a frappucino in Middlebury, Vt. - think again. Both the Starbucks and Staples corporations have submitted proposals to the Middlebury Planning Commission and Development Review Board for approval for each to build a new store within The Centre shopping plaza just off of Rt. 7, currently home to TJ Maxx and Hannaford.

Although neither the coffee nor the office supply giants' proposals have been approved, the possibility of two major chain stores imposing on the town's market has created quite a stir among local business owners and townsfolk alike.

On Feb. 12, the Middlebury Planning Commission and Development Review Board (DRB) was approached by representatives from Mill Bridge Construction and Myron Hunt Associates with a preliminary presentation for a Starbucks Coffee shop to be located next to McDonalds on the site of the Route 7 Car Wash. The proposed structure was in the realm of 1,700 square feet in size and included a drive-thru.

At the time, the DRB expressed concerns regarding the size of the proposed establishment as well as traffic flow issues that the project could potentially create.

"When it was first proposed in February, it was a very conceptual drawing," said Town Planner Fred Dunnington. "The lack of dimensions on the drawing concerned the board. We didn't think there would be enough space on the proposed site and we thought, 'this thing might not happen.' But they made the changes that the board advised and came back with an actual application in August. As it turns out, there is physically enough space."



Although Starbucks has been in the works since February, Staples, Inc. only recently made its proposal. Staples - the office supply store that already has locations in Rutland, St. Albans and Williston, Vt. - hopes to open a smaller-scale, 15,000 square-foot operation in Middlebury.



"The addition of the Staples application brings up issues of a shopping center," said Dunnington. "This produces real questions of conformance with the town plan."



In section 8.6 Neighborhood and Area Plans under letter E, Court Street/Rt. 7 (Creek Road to Boardman Street) of the Town Plan, it is stated that in order to, "enhance and bring balance to the existing large-scale uses, future development of the area is planned as small-scale, village-type, non-repetitive, mixed uses with emphasis on housing and is designed with reference to the existing types of smaller buildings on historic Court St. to the north. This area is not appropriate for new or expanded large-scale shopping mall development, similar to the existing Hannaford Plaza to the south." The proposed Staples store -while scaled back - is still large enough that it may not comply with the plan.



"Earlier we had a shopping center that was proposed for the space where the new Chittenden Bank is located," said Dunnington. "It was rejected, but the process took quite awhile."



The Starbucks proposal has yet to be discussed since the filing of its official application was submitted in August. It, along with the Staples proposal, is on the table to be discussed Oct. 22 at the Public Hearing to be held at Ilsley Public Library at 7 p.m. The hearing will give townspeople a chance to express any questions or concerns that they may have regarding the two proposals.



"There are a number of concerned citizens," said Gregory Tomb, owner of Main St. Stationary. "We are going to attend and we hope to speak as one voice."



At the hearing, a petition will be presented by a group of these concerned members of the community. This petition, which was placed in various locations around town, including Carol's Hungry Mind CafÈ and Main St. Stationary, has provided a means for those against of the addition of the two corporations to the town to express their disapproval.



"We have gotten three or four pages full of signatures just at our location," said Tomb. "There are a lot of people who do not want to see it happen."



Carol's Hungry Mind has also seen an influx of signatures.



"We have about five pages worth," said Matthias Sirch, a Carol's employee. "A lot of people are really opposing it."



Both Carol's and Main St. Stationary are among the businesses likely to be affected by the arrival of a Starbucks or a Staples. The coffee house and the stationary/office supply store are both locally-owned and operated and would struggle to compete with the large, corporate chains.



"When a big-box store opens, generally speaking, for every Wal-mart that is built, two local businesses close," said Caitlin Myer, Assistant Professor of Economics at Middlebury and concerned citizen. "Although Staples and Starbucks are not as reviled as Wal-mart, I expect they would have a negative effect on local business."



Myers, who recently brought up the issue of the Staples and Starbuck proposals for discussion in her Urban Economics class, has found that people who care about business will tend to side with the corporations, whereas those who care more for the community will remain opposed.



"In my Urban Economics class, 7 out of 10 students were either in favor or neutral. They all think, 'it's just a Staples and a Starbucks, what's the big deal?'" said Myer. "What concerns me is that the addition of the stores would alter patterns. I just worry about the precedent that it would set, although some say that it has already been set with Hannaford and TJ Maxx."



While Starbucks and Staples seem eager to enter the Middlebury market, there are those who are less-than-thrilled with the effect these stores will have on local business.



"I was sort of disgusted actually," said Adam Shafer, a Carol's employee, of his first reaction to the news that Starbucks might be coming to town. "It's going to take away from a lot of family businesses, and they are just trying to make a living."



Adam Glazer, a regular customer of Carol's, and ironically, a former employee of Starbucks, sees a number of problems with the proposed coffee chain coming to Middlebury. "It would cause economic upheaval," said Glazer. "Starbucks already has four locations in Chittenden County. I actually had a hunch that they would try to come here. I think it's amusing that they are trying to commercialize the area. If Starbucks were to open here, though, they would have to compromise big time."



Tomb, too, expressed his concerns for the local economy of which his store is a part.



"I see it as a slippery slope," said Tomb. "Who knows what will happen next? There are already two Staples locations 45 miles away both North and South. Basically, their only reason for coming to Middlebury would be to kill any kind of local market. It makes no sense. Or maybe they are just trying to prevent someone like Office Max from entering the market - one never knows their true intentions. Staples might even find that it isn't as big a market as they thought, but what would lose are all the local businesses. They can't be forced out and then expected to come back later."



The addition of either or both a Starbucks or a Staples, whether for better or worse, would no doubt change the aura of town of Middlebury.



"It was refreshing to finally find one place on this planet that didn't have a Starbucks," said Kate MacFarlane '10, a native of Seattle, which is also home to Starbucks.



Whether citizens of Middlebury will be sipping on Grande Mocha Frappuchinos or buying post-its in bulk is still unclear. The fate of the two proposals on the table will be put in question on Monday, Oct. 22 at the Public Hearing at Ilsley L
ibrary. After the hearing, the issues brought forth by the townspeople will be considered and further action will be taken by the DRB accordingly.



"I'm not shocked, not surprised," said Tomb, "just disappointed. I had a feeling that something else would start up at some point. I always felt that it was just a matter of time."