Thomas MacMillan Photo
At a now-vacant Whalley Avenue storefront, people once stopped in for toner and ballpoint pens. They might soon be dropping by for torque wrenchs and ball pein hammers.
Harbor Freight Tools, a nationwide chain of tool stores, is looking to open a new branch at 84 Whalley (pictured), the former home of a Staples office supply store.
On Tuesday night in the Hall of Records, attorney Anthony Avallone, representing the building’s owner, sought a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals to allow the store to open. Since the area is a zoned for “automotive sales,” Harbor Freight needs special permission to set up shop.
The board didn’t vote on the application, but referred it the City Plan Commission, which meets next week. The commission has to weigh in on part of the application that requests a special exception to have fewer parking spaces than otherwise required.
The building in question has been vacant for two years, since Staples shut its doors. A year ago, Avallone tried to help the owners install a Save-A-Lot discount grocery store at the location, but zoners shot the plan down amid neighborhood concerns that it would spell the end of the then-nearby Shaw’s grocery store (which died on its own several months later).
Masterson.
Unlike the Save-A-Lot plan, the Harbor Freight proposal is being well-received by neighbors. Sheila Masterson, head of the Whalley Avenue Special Services District, said the members of her board of directors let loose with a loud “Hooray!” when Avallone and Harbor Freight presented the plan to them.
She said she’s fully in support of the application. “Every times a New Haven dollar leaves town to buy a tool in North Haven it makes me crazy.”
Avallone.
Avallone said he also presented the plan to the Dwight Community Management Team and received a good response there.
Harbor Freight has 370 stores nationwide, including one in Orange, he said. The Whalley Avenue store, which would be open seven days a week, would be about the same size as that one, he said. The Orange store has fewer parking spaces than 84 Whalley Ave. and has no problems, Avallone said.
The store would have 30 employees, 12 of whom would be full-time, according to an advisory report to the board, prepared by the City Plan Department’s Gill Hawkins. The report recommends approval.