BY ALEX CANTATORE
Staff Reporter
Despite numerous hold-ups and sticking points in the original plan, the proposed CVS Pharmacy is still a go for the corner of Monte Vista and Geer Road, according to corporate staff. The former site of Liberty Market is expected to host the new 13,000 sq. foot drug store, despite some potential wrenches thrown in the works of the operation by a City Council decision and a multi-billion dollar merger.
“We have signed a lease for the Geer Road property, and we’re currently evaluating that decision,” said Mike DeAngelis, Public Relations Director with CVS Caremark. “Right now we have plans to open a store there next year, but beyond that we don’t have any comment.”
The biggest potential threat to the proposed development came earlier this month when CVS Caremark Corp. announced their impending acquisition of the Longs Drugs store chain in a deal worth $2.7 billion. Longs Drugs currently operates a store in Turlock less than a half mile from the proposed CVS site.
“We’re obviously very early in the acquisition talks,” said Bill McDermott of Armstrong Development Properties, who serve as developers of the new CVS site. “What we’re going to have to do as CVS is weigh the pros and cons of both sites.”
The benefits of the proposed CVS site include a drive-through and a shiny new building, but the old Geer Gardens Longs Drugs offers some positives of its own. An established client base marks one reason not to move, while, perhaps most importantly to developers, the site offers easier entries and exits than the old Liberty Market location.
The ingress and egress to the proposed CVS site has been the most contentious portion of the development after a misunderstanding between developers and the City Engineer.
Early discussions stated that no median would be required on Monte Vista, which would mean that left turns would be allowed into the center. When the City later informed Armstrong Development that the median would be needed, CVS balked.
Developers cited the numerous safety enhancements that will be made with the new development over the existing Liberty Market site as they made a failed appeal to the Planning Commission last month. CVS proposes to remove all of the rolled curbing that currently allows motorists to pull into the parking lot at any point along the Liberty Market frontage, which it claims will counteract any negatives to allowing a left turn lane.
When the developers extended the appeal to the City Council two weeks ago, the same day the sale of the Longs Drugs chain was announced, some councilmembers were upset by the seeming catch-22 decision of whether or not to allow CVS the left turn lane.
“So what you’re telling me is I have one of two choices,” said Councilman Ted Howze. “Grant you some type of relief and get a new development, in which case you’re going to close an anchor tenant in another location, or deny this and keep an anchor tenant in another location, and perhaps have something else in the new location.”
City Engineer Mike Pitcock advised against granting CVS the turn lane, citing traffic standards and the potential hazards of allowing lefts near such a busy intersection.
All of the councilmembers save for Howze agreed with Pitcock, citing safety and planning standards as reasons for their decision. One councilmember, however, had a bit more personal take on the viability of a left turn lane into the development.
“I have a son who just got his permit two weeks ago,” said Councilman Kurt Spycher with a nervous smile. “I do think we need to put the safety of our citizens first.”
Even without the turn lane and with the Longs Drugs property less than a half-mile away, construction on the CVS site is pegged to commence in October. The pharmacy could open as soon as early next year.
To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.
Originally published in the Turlock Journal 8/27/2008.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.