SOUTH DEERFIELD — After years of contentious public hearings and a court complaint organized by residents, Lisciotti Development Corp. will no longer pursue a Dollar General location at the corner of Mill Village Road and Routes 5 and 10.
The legal counsel of the proposed store, which began its permit process in 2018, informed the town of Deerfield Thursday morning that it will no longer seek a store at the location, according to Town Administrator Kayce Warren.
“The town was notified earlier this morning by counsel for the applicant that the project won’t be proceeding,” Warren said. “The logistics and final resolution are subject to discussion between the applicant’s counsel and town counsel, and they’ll be coordinating that.”
Leominster-based Lisciotti Development’s South Deerfield DG Series LLC was contracted by Dollar General to develop the project.
Selectboard member Carolyn Shores Ness said Lisciotti Development pulling out is a good thing because the town seeks businesses that will enhance Deerfield, like Tree House Brewing.
“I’m pretty excited about it because we want good development in town,” Shores Ness said. “Development has to pay for itself and has to add enhancement to Deerfield.”
The project was met with resident backlash every step of the way, including a group of citizens who filed a complaint and took South Deerfield DG Series to court.
Attorney Michael Aleo, who represented the group, said he cannot comment on the status of the project until he is officially informed by the other attorneys in the case.
The Zoning Board of appeals had approved a special permit for a Dollar General store in February, but that was challenged by the citizens’ complaint. In March, a second complaint was filed, by South Deerfield DG Series LLC itself, to challenge conditions set on the special permit by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Much of the backlash focused on the site containing wetlands that fall under the Wetlands Protection Act.
Tolly Stark, chair of Deerfield for Responsible Development, said development plans being pulled is the right move.
“It definitely feels like the appropriate response considering the complications on that site,” Stark said. “There’s a significant amount of wetlands on that site.”
Stark said the community response was “instrumental” in raising awareness about the environmental implications of building on the site.
“I think this is a real show of the spirit of the people of Deerfield,” Stark said. “We don’t think there should be development at any cost.”
She added the community response was not personal against Lisciotti Development or Dollar General, but a way to ensure development is productive for Deerfield.
“It was always more about appropriate development,” Stark said. “All Deerfield for Responsible Development has ever advocated for is that any business coming into the community develops in a responsible way.”
Planning Board Chair Analee Wulfkuhle said it was “smart” for Liscotti Development to withdraw any plans for building on the site because of the wetlands.
“I think that was very reasonable of them,” Wulfkuhle said. “The site itself is not zoned for the size of building they wanted to build.”
Wulfkuhle added that Lisciotti Development is free to step before the Planning Board with plans to develop elsewhere in town.
“We’re certainly pleased to welcome them,” Wulfkuhle said. “We’re not at all wanting to prevent development. … From the Planning Board standpoint, we want to encourage thoughtful development in Deerfield.”
Deerfield resident Amy Gazin-Schwartz resides at 3B Evans Lane, which abuts the proposed site. She said she was “just glad” to hear the development plans were pulled.
“I was greatly relieved and my neighbors were also relieved,” Gazin-Schwartz said. “I was surprised because they seemed to be continuing to proceed.”
Gazin-Schwartz echoed Stark’s comments about the community’s response potentially making a difference.
“It was pretty robust and pretty persistent,” Gazin-Schwartz said of the opposition. “The message from town was so clear that we had problems with the proposal, that this was not an appropriate location for this venture.”
She added she doesn’t see the need for a Dollar General in town, but that is for Lisciotti Development to decide.
“There’s other places in town that would be more appropriate for a store of that size,” she said. “I am just glad they have decided to stop pursuing a fruitless goal.”
Messages left with Chad Brubaker of Lisciotti Development and Mark Donahue, an attorney from Fletcher Tilton PC representing South Deerfield DG Series LLC, were not returned. An email to Deerfield Town Counsel Adam Costa was also not returned.
The situation is still unfolding as both the town and South Deerfield DG Series LLC lawyers iron out the details.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or at 413-930-4081.