Members of the Tiverton Zoning Board of Review voted Wednesday to grant the developer of Seasons Corner Market three special use permits, in a decision that will allow it to move forward with a highly controversial plan to build a convenience store, drive-through coffee shop, and a gas station in the north end of town.

The long-awaited decision represents an important hurdle that the developer, Colbea Enterprises, LLC, needed to clear before proceeding to the next step in the planning process.

The conference room of town hall was packed Wednesday night with local residents, almost all of whom oppose the project and have been closely following it since Colbea initially presented it to town planners in early 2021.

The zoning board considered each of the three special use applications separately, voting in favor by 4-1 in each case. Board member George Alzaibak, who has consistently criticized many aspects of the project, cast the dissenting vote each time.

Colbea originally submitted the special use permit applications to zoning officials more than 16 months ago. During each lengthy zoning hearing, which occurred on nearly a monthly basis since late 2023, zoning board members heard testimony from community members and from technical experts who were hired either by Colbea or by attorneys representing the project’s opponents.

Before casting their votes on Wednesday, zoning officials were reminded repeatedly by Town Solicitor Mike Marcello that their decisions had to be based not on their emotions or personal opinions, but on the expert reports before them. Failure to do so, he said, would be a sure way of getting their decision overturned by the state courts in the event of an appeal.

Next step

Assuming the latest decisions by the zoning board are not appealed by the project’s opponents, Colbea’s plans will be subject next to preliminary plan review process with the Tiverton Planning Board.