Hadley, long known as a community that welcomes big box retailers, hasn’t been so hospitable to Lowe’s, the home improvement retailer. Starting in 2003, the town voted down—three times—requests to rezone agricultural land (the Long Hollow Bison Farm) in order to accommodate an even bigger box to house the retailer. The company was forced to match its ambitions to the land available, and, according to a recent Daily Hampshire Gazette article, plans to open the doors of its new Hadley store on March 23.
The zoning skirmish may have gone in favor of Hadley residents, but it seems Lowe’s impact, if not its physical footprint, may be bigger than anyone expected. The Gazette article notes that the property development company in charge of the site has already filed suit against the town. The company, Paradigm Design Build LLC, wants its sewage impact fees recalculated in light of changes to the sewage discharge rate for commercial use. It also wants to be reimbursed for attorneys’ fees.
