What happened to Marion's CVS project?
One year ago this month, developers of a proposed CVS on the corner of Front Street and Route 6 met widespread opposition to the project.
In the months that followed, Mark Investment, the development company hired by CVS, offered to reduce the size of the project and gift the historic Captain Hadley House to the Sippican Historical Society.
But what’s happening with the project now? According to town officials, not much.
“We haven’t heard from them regarding CVS,” said Conservation Commission and Planning Board member Norm Hills. “I’m not aware of anything going on. It’s been awful quiet.”
Multiple calls to Mark Investment officials seeking comment were not returned. Technical consultants for the project started the process of defining wetland boundaries on the site last year with the commission. That was the first step in a process to get the project approved.
Hills said a public hearing on the request was continued for months as developers failed to appear at meetings.
The hearing was eventually closed.
“If they want to proceed [the developers] will have to come back to us,” Hills said.
Held Oct. 6 in the Music Hall, the initial meeting drew a crowd of approximately 150 people. The vast majority were against a plan to construct a 14,600-square-foot pharmacy and store with drive-thru. To accommodate the store, the developers proposed moving the Captain Hadley House to a lot adjacent to 380 Wareham Road.
Official plans were never formally submitted for the project, but Mark Investment representatives did reduce the project’s size to 10,000 square feet.
Those plans were shown in December and included historic touches, such as dormers, white cedar shingles and cottage-style windows.
Following that, a group of residents organized “The Citizens Committee to Oppose CVS at the Gateway to Marion” in a bid to move the project.
The group collected more than 2,000 petition signatures. Committee member Tinker Saltonstall said she was not aware of CVS’s plans moving ahead.
“There really is no update at this point,” Saltonstall said.