Sharon Residents Taking Sides on New Sharon Commons Layout

Sharon residents are taking sides on Sharon Commons' revised layout.

Two petitions -- one for, one against -- are circulating online, asking the Sharon Zoning Board of Appeals to take their side on the retail project's revised site plan.

Target officials' request for a building reconfiguration prompted the new design, attorney Robert Shelmerdine told the Sharon Board of Health .

The ZBA will meet with Sharon Commons representatives again tonight at the Sharon Town Offices. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.

As of 8:30 this morning, the petition to support had 409 signatures.

"We welcome both Target and BJ's to our town and the opening of 'Sharon Commons' will generate much needed tax revenue for Sharon," the petition states.

"We understand that the consultant hired by the town's zoning board of appeals has stated that…' The plan that is now before the board complies fully with the zoning bylaw and is actually what was voted at town meeting."

The petition to reconsider, meanwhile, had 71 signatures.

"Specifically, we believe that approval of the new layout of the building currently planned for occupancy by Target Corporation exceeds the scope of authority granted the zoning board of appeals (ZBA) by the voters of the town of Sharon at town meeting, by changing the character of the project from a that of a 'lifestyle' mall to that of a 'power' mall," the petition states.

"Beth Greene of the Sharon Commons Design Review Committee stated publicly at the most recent ZBA meeting that this site plan does not meet the criteria that town meeting approved. This site plan will change the character of the mall from a 'lifestyle' mall to a 'power' mall."

The roughly 59-acre site is bordered by Old Post Road and Interstate 95.

Target and BJ's Wholesale Club will be the first tenants in the development.

Shelmerdine said Monday night the project started with about 450,000 square feet of retail space.

The new figure is nearly 400,000 square feet, he said.