BRIGHTON, N.Y. -- Hundreds of people packed into Brighton Town Hall Wednesday night with mainly one topic on their minds; a proposed 93,000 square foot Whole Foods Market and other retail stores including a Starbucks and a bank.

It would go on the land where Clover Lanes, Mario’s Italian Restaurant and Mamasan’s Noodle Caboodle Restaurant once operated. At the center of the debate was traffic concerns and the type of development. 

“This is a bad, bad stretch of road,” one resident said. “To add that many thousands of square feet, that many extra cars, it will not work.”

“Do we need another huge development in a land in an area that is very developed already?” another resident asked. “Do we need an overwhelming influx of traffic in an area already struggling to handle the existing traffic?”

While the Daniele family, who are the developers, admit there may be a bit more traffic, they believe the area will become safer due to some of their upgrades, including a traffic light.

“It provides cross access for pedestrians, bicycles, and it’s certainly a great asset for the businesses on the other side of the street and keeps cars off Monroe Avenue and in cross-shared access on the other side of the road,” co-developer Anthony Daniele said.

Residents in nearby neighborhoods expressed concern for creating access roads to Allen’s Creek Road and Clover Street. While the Daniele’s said they will not create those access roads, some suggested the town impose a negative easement which would prevent the Daniele family from opening up the roads later on. Anthony Daniele said even without a negative easement, it would be a long process to open them back up in the future.

“It would require approvals from the town, it would require approvals from DOT,” Daniele said. “So at the end of the day, it’s not practical to start guaranteeing things forever especially when a lot of things change in 10, 20, 50 years and what they’re asking for is a guarantee forever and that’s simply not practical.”

The town has received letters from several residents supporting the project.

One resident calls Whole Foods a “game-changer” and feels it will draw more people to want to live in Brighton. Others say they feel it won’t impact traffic, it will beautify the area and believe it would bring in more tax revenue. 

Even so, as the residents give their input, and the Daniele’s say they are listening, the ultimate decision is up to the town board.