Revised plans for the newest addition to the shopping scene in Gray were presented to the town planning board Thursday night.

Acceptance of the sketch plans showing designs for a 36,000 square foot supermarket, as well as two smaller retail buildings, would allow Hannaford Brothers to proceed with final designs for the proposed supermarket across from the intersection of Shaker and Libby Hill roads.

Thursday’s meeting will also move the process along for residents near the proposed stores. The plan requires homeowners currently living on the land in question to sell to Hannaford Brothers.

One of these residents, Gerard Doucette, said he and his wife will move when Hannaford is ready to build. Some residents living nearby, have voiced concerns over the last couple of years about the noise and traffic that may accompany a grocery store, but Doucette disagreed.

“I’m very much in favor, because it is the right thing for Gray,” said Doucette.

Part of the plan Hannaford Brothers has proposed included a stoplight at the four-way intersection of the store’s entrance, and Shaker and Libby Hill roads. However, the stoplight depends on the approval of the Maine Department of Transportation, since Shaker Road (Route 26), is a state highway.

“The traffic problem (on Shaker Road) is already existing. Hannaford is not going to generate traffic. It’s going to accommodate the people who are using that road already,” said Doucette.

Because those actually living on the land in question have been offered well over market value for their homes, some have surmised that those people only stand to gain from the construction of a new supermarket. But Steve DeLuca, who has lived on the 20-acre parcel since 1991, said the decision to sell did not come lightly.

“It’s never easy to move out of your home, and when we heard about the possibility, it wasn’t like we were jumping up and down thinking it would be the greatest thing since sliced bread. But we weren’t thinking it was the most horrible thing in the world, either,” said DeLuca.

Though property owners have signed contracts saying they will sell if the plan is approved, nothing will be certain until Hannaford Brothers receives approval from the planning board, as well as the MDOT. They will also need to apply for a building permit. Until then, DeLuca said he and his wife feel like they are in “limbo.”

So do Bruce and Erin Luttrell, who live on nearby Spruce Street. Erin Luttrell said their backyard property abuts the site for the proposed supermarket. The Luttrells, and other Spruce Street residents, were vocal during the public hearing phase when Hannaford first proposed plans two years ago. They are unhappy that the land, which was in a residential zone, was rezoned to accommodate a supermarket.

“This was just made commercial for this particular project. And we plan on moving,” said Luttrell.

Despite their dismay, Luttrell and her husband were not surprised when the town council approved the plan to go to a referendum vote, which brought about 2,200 Gray residents to the polls.

“At every meeting, there was the feeling that this was something that was going to happen,” said Luttrell.

For Don Hutchings, a member of the Gray Planning Board, the town referendum was is a crucial factor in the outcome of the project. As a result, Hutchings predicted the Planning Board will approve Hannaford Bros’ proposal Thursday night.

“We would be foolish to say no. If 1,200 people voted yes, and 1,100 people voted no, they voted for it, and we go with it,” said Hutchings.

However, Hutchings said he will be reviewing the proposed plan with a critical eye.

“I think what we’re going to be looking for is a building that looks good. The other thing is ‘what’s the traffic situation going to be?'” said Hutchings.

Hannaford Bros addressed the cosmetic concerns in the application and design guidelines submitted to the planning board on Dec. 27. The supermarket and pharmacy would be set back from the road, with two additional buildings, which may be used for a bank or some kind of fast food service, will be closer to the road.

The plan says the Hannaford will be set back more than 190 feet from the northern boundary, and that an existing wooded buffer will separate the property from residential land. Also, Hannaford Bros plans to maintain existing vegetation at the front of the site, as well as to add more buffer plantings. These plantings are intended to minimize the “visual effects of parking”, as stated in the design guidelines.

Also, in keeping with Gray’s zoning ordinances, Hannaford Brothers plans to use simple and attractive signage on a single, free-standing sign near the store’s main entrance. In addition, the proposal says entrance and exit signs will be “minimal.”

In anticipation of Thursday’s meeting, Caren Epstein, Director of External Communications for Hannaford Brothers, spoke of the necessity for a Hannaford Supermarket in the town of Gray.

“With Gray residents shopping our stores in Windham and Falmouth, the time is right for Gray to have its own Hannaford store. We’re very excited at the prospect of building a store in Gray. It’s a great community and we’re looking forward to, becoming a part of it,” said Epstein.

George Thebarge, a planning consultant for the town of Gray, said that, if sketch plans are accepted by the Planning Board Thursday night, the next phase of design would likely take one to two months, after which the Planning Board would review site plans. If those are approved, Hannaford Brothers can apply for a building permit from the code enforcement officer.