UPDATE: Planning Board Proposes Second Entrance For TJ Maxx Expansion

The Planning Board on Thursday night closed the public hearing on the proposal to expand the TJ Maxx store in Bridgehampton to include a Marshall’s, with a 30-day written comment period.

At the Planning Board meeting on Thursday night, members of board requested the applicant consider adding an entrance at the rear of the building to better access an under-utilized back parking lot. According to attorney Timothy McCulley of the Southampton-based firm Burke and Sullivan, TJ Maxx is hesitant to add the second entrance.

Although Mr. McCulley said his client had not been open to the idea in the past, he will approach them again with the proposal. He also added that the construction would add a 5-foot-wide walkway from the back parking lot to the front of the building where the entrance is located, plus lighting, to make it safer and easier for patrons.

“TJ Maxx doesn’t want a rear entrance because it is a security thing,” Mr. McCulley said. “We will go back to them and see if we can work it out. That is always an issue, so it will be a part of the discussion as we move forward.”

No one from the public addressed the board on Thursday night regarding the proposal.

TJ Maxx is hoping to expand its current Bridgehampton Commons location to add a Marshall’s, a popular department store-style chain that advertises cheaper prices than similar stores.

The proposal, which was submitted to Southampton Town on September 17 and is currently making its way through the Planning Board, is to expand the Bridgehampton Commons building location by 17,000 square feet. If approved, the current TJ Maxx location would be reconfigured to occupy 23,987 square feet of space, while the Marshall’s floor space would encompass 21,879 square feet. Together, the brands—which are owned by the same parent company, TJX Companies, and often share the same storefront—would share 5,424 square feet of common space used for storage, delivery and shipping purposes.

If approved, the building would be expanded on the side bordering Snake Hollow Road. Although it would eliminate approximately 15 parking spaces, a traffic report conducted by Dunn Engineering in Westhampton estimates there would still be ample parking on peak holiday and summer days to accommodate the new store.

A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Thursday night, November 12, at 7 p.m. during the Planning Board meeting in the Southampton Town meeting room on Hampton Road.