Hannaford is proposing a shopping center that includes a supermarket in Buxton, which leaves a long time, family-owned grocery wondering about its future.
Buxton planners were to see the Hannaford proposal for a shopping center on a 13-acre site at the intersection of Portland Road and Route 202 on Feb. 21. Hannaford will make a presentation to the Buxton Planning Board at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, in town hall.
Troy Plummer of Plummer’s Store in Buxton was uncertain Tuesday how a Hannaford in Buxton would affect his family’s store. Plummer said grocery stores in neighboring Standish and Waterboro disappeared when Hannaford put stores in those towns. “We’ll do our best,” Plummer said about staying in business in the face of competition from Hannaford.
Hannaford is proposing a 36,000-square-foot store that would include a pharmacy, a natural and organic food department, a full-service butcher shop, produce, seafood department, bakery and a deli. The store would employ 100 workers.
Plummer estimated that the proposed Hannaford is six or seven miles from his store, which is at the intersection of routes 22 and 112. Troy Plummer’s great-grandfather founded the family store a half century ago. The fifth generation of the family is working in the store now.
Speaking about competition from big supermarkets elsewhere, Plummer said there are scenarios where other independent grocery stores have survived under similar circumstances while others haven’t. He assumes there would still be a need for Plummer’s Store in Buxton.
Plummer plans to meet soon with its wholesalers and to seek their advice. “We’ll make some changes,” Plummer said, but he indicated their store would continue doing what they’ve been doing at their present location for the past 30 years.
Besides the grocery store, Hannaford said their shopping center could include a bank and several small neighborhood shops.
Ron LeBlond, assistant manager at Aubuchon Hardware, which is diagonally across the intersection where Hannaford is proposing the shopping center, believed the proposal would increase business at the hardware store. “It will be a mini-mall,” LeBlond said about the Hannaford proposal. “It’s going to help (business),” he said.
He thought Buxton shoppers would welcome a Hannaford in Buxton saving them from having to drive to Gorham to grocery shop. “If you go to Gorham, you have to put up with traffic,” LeBlond said. “It’s atrocious.”
LeBlond said Aubuchon, which carries staging materials and ladders, could pick up business from construction crews working on the project.
Buxton Code Officer Fred Farnham expected Hannaford representatives to submit information about the proposal Feb. 21 in preparation for Monday’s meeting. The chain met with Buxton selectmen last month.
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