Planners Approve Subdivision For Casino Property

The public input segment of the hearing raised concerns among residents about parking challenges, possible impacts on nearby wetlands, and potential impacts on the community from a casino.

Planners said the subdivision is the first step in a process that could involve subsequent town approvals, depending on how it evolves.

Granite State Gaming and Hospitality (GSG) was approved for a minor subdivision at 780-804 Meadow St., also known as the Kilburn Ledge plaza.

In addition to Staples, a separate adjacent building houses the state liquor store, military recruiting station, smoke and beer shop, and Asian Gourmet restaurant.

The two-lot subdivision will essentially divide the 3.17-parcel that supports the Staples building from the parent parcel of about 43 acres, said Andy Nadeau, the agent for GSG and a civil engineer with Verdantas, formerly called Horizons Engineering.

Verdantas previously completed a survey for GSG.

The subdivision meets road frontage and other zoning requirements and entails no variances, setbacks, additional buildings, or any site changes, he said.

The property is in two districts — the front portion on both sides of Meadow Street is zoned commercial-1, and the back land is zoned rural.

“The town does own a conservation easement on that back land,” said Nadeau. “The town has owned it for some time.”

One planner asked about traffic flow in the area.

“That’s a good question,” said Nadeau. “That’s something we have discussed. When the applicant comes forward with additional plans for the property, there may be some type of parking agreement in place. Right now, they’re going to own both parcels. If the ownership gets divided up at some point between the two different parcels, there likely will be some type of parking arrangement … Right now, it’s one big parking lot.”

To a planner’s question about whether there’s enough parking, Nadeau said it will depend on the eventual use of the Staples parcel and added that the current parking is approved for the facilities there and for those sharing the same lot.

Those tenants currently have one shared entrance/exit, with an exit only on the other side of Staples.

Another planner asked what’s motivating the subdivision and why Staples is being divided out.

“The ownership team is trying to long-term strategize what to do with the lot, and right now subdividing it for the purpose of our use is going to be why we’re asking for it today,” said Eric Barbaro, chief operating officer for GSG.

“We do understand that parking is a big challenge, and that’s why we’re putting in some big work looking at civil and identifying what opportunities we’ll have,” he said. “We’re in the design phase right now. As we start to come up with solutions, we’ll have more of an understanding as to where we’re trying to go with the plan.”

Under town zoning, the casino, as planned, does not constitute a change in use to the commercially zoned property.

During the public input part of the hearing, no abutters spoke in favor of the subdivision after planning board chairman Tony J. Ilacqua asked if there were any abutters in favor wishing to speak.

Abutter Roger Merrill said his only concern relates to parking.

The request is for a subdivision, and the applicant is not doing anything different with the property, said Ilacqua.

“If they decide to do something further, then they have to go through the process as well,” said Ilacqua. “We don’t know where the journey’s going to end. If they’re willing to do something, they have to go through zoning, make sure all state regulations, DES, DOT, all their boxes are crossed.”

“Down the road, they could expand more, they could make the building bigger, they can do all this down the road if they go through the process?” asked Merrill.

“This is the first step of the journey,” said Ilacqua. “That’s what we’re looking at today.”

No non-abutters in favor spoke when asked if they wanted to comment on the subdivision.

Non-abutter Herbert Will offered a comment and said he suspects that GSG at some point might sell the larger parcel with the wetlands.

“It seems that GSG is trying to divest themselves of any responsibility for the care of that wetlands and riparian buffer,” said Will. “There are already issues there with accumulations of trash from behind the restaurant and snow-piles that get pushed into that wetlands area. That will no longer be their property.”

Will said he’s concerned that GSG is trying to rid itself of the rest of the plaza property.

“It is in contrast to the Pollyanna Glad Town, and what we’re building down there is not a good thing for the community, but that may be beyond the scope of this meeting,” he said.

The wetlands habitat is sensitive, and nearby property owners have flooding concerns, he said.

“What we are doing here is cutting that off or removing that from the tender care of GSG,” said Will. “They just want to be able to sell that property off — my speculation — and divest themselves of that concern.”

Traffic is also a major concern, and there has already been a fatality at the Staples plaza, he said.

Snow is piled high, making it difficult to see onto the narrow road on which motorists generally drive at high speeds, he said.

The parking, too, is “terrible,” said Will.

“Although I do understand there are plans to address additional parking,” he said.

Merrill, who serves on the Littleton Conservation Commission, which oversees the conservation easement for the wetlands behind Staples, said he has similar concerns about snow accumulation and what he said has been snowplowed straight into the wetlands.

Outreach to the previous property owner regarding the snow never went anywhere, said Merrill.

“I hear a lot of concerns around the operations,” said Barbaro. “I’m more than happy to meet with any of your concerns. Parking, snow removal, all of those are operational concerns that we’re constantly working through in the design phase. I’d love to hear your opinions … I’m happy to answer any of your questions after this meeting that relate to the operations.”

Will said he also wants to go on record about the Ammonoosuc Meadows Cemetery across the street, which was founded in 1790, has three Revolutionary War veterans interred, and will be the site of a Memorial Day gathering on May 25.

During the May 11 Littleton Select Board meeting, Will said the cemetery is in a “shameful state of disrepair.”

An impact study will be presented to both the select and planning boards “regarding the impacts of Granite State Gaming on the local character and on that sensitive area,” he said.

Down the street by The Home Depot is a historical marker on the site of Littleton’s first settlement, Littleton Selectman Taylor Caswell said at the May 11 Select Board meeting.

To GSG representatives at Tuesday’s planner hearing, Caswell, who also serves as an ex-officio planning board member, cited the 2026 town vote in which Littleton residents, through a new state law that gives communities a local option, authorized a ban on future casinos in the town beyond GSG’s casino, which had already been in the pipeline and was therefore exempt from a ban.

“I would acknowledge the fact that this is the first step in a long process,” said Caswell. “The town just voted in March of this year against casinos in Littleton going forward. So you guys, I think, are going to have, as you’re probably well aware, an opportunity to try to make some friends in Littleton and to demonstrate some of the things that you’re starting to hear tonight and some of the things we hope you’re going to be willing to address because you’re grandfathered in under this process.”

Understanding that many residents voted against casinos, GSG and stakeholders need “to go into this to try to make the best out of this situation” and “try to address a lot of the concerns that I certainly have heard and I know you’re going to be hearing more and more about as we move along in this process,” said Caswell.

“But I appreciate your willingness to be here tonight,” he said.

Staples is expected to vacate the 23,000-square-foot building by June 26 to make way for GSG’s construction/building renovations that are expected to begin in July.