CONCORD, Mass. – Martin’s Food of South Burlington, Inc. is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the United States in conjunction with construction of a Hannafords supermarket in Hinesburg, Vermont.

Martin’s Food of South Burlington, Inc., proposes to place fill material in a total of 72,880 square feet (1.67 acres) of wetlands adjacent to Patrick Brook in conjunction with the construction of a 36,000-square-foot Hannafords Supermarket and Pharmacy, parking and appurtenant facilities. Secondary impacts may occur to an additional 17,450 square feet (0.40 acre) of wetlands.

The work is proposed in wetlands adjacent to Patrick Brook off of Mechanicsville Road and Commerce Street in Hinesburg. The purpose of the proposed project is to construct a new supermarket within the town of Hinesburg. To compensate for unavoidable impacts to waters of the U.S. of the proposed project, the applicant proposes to make a payment to the Ducks Unlimited – Vermont In-Lieu Fee Program.

The applicant selected Hinesburg for the proposed store because it identified a gap in the marketplace: there are no major supermarkets between South Burlington-Burlington-Williston in the north and Bristol-Vergennes-Middlebury to the south. These communities set the north and south boundaries of the area under consideration. The east and west boundaries were limited by two key physical barriers: the Green Mountains to the east, and Lake Champlain to the west.  

The application for the federal permit was filed by Martin’s Food of South Burlington, Inc., with the Corps of Engineers in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U. S. waters, including wetlands.

The public notice, with more detailed information, can be viewed on the Corps website at

http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.

Public comments on this proposed project by Martin’s Food of South Burlington, Inc. (File # NAE-2010-0717) should be forwarded no later than Dec. 27, 2013 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Vermont Project Office (ATTN: Marty Abair), 11 Lincoln Street, Room 210, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Marty Abair at 802-872-2893 or by email to martha.a.abair@usace.army.mil.