STEW LEONARD’S RECEIVES APPROVAL BY ORANGE INLAND-WETLANDS AND WATERCOURSES COMMISSION

Store Makes Plans to Apply to Town Planning and Zoning Commission in Effort to Seek Approval for Building Store in Orange

NORWALK , Conn., November 24, 2004 -- Stew Leonard’s received approval by the town of Orange’s Inland-Wetlands and Watercourses commission today regarding the store’s proposed plan to build a store in Orange, Connecticut. The commission agreed that the proposed plan met the town’s rigorous environmental and wetlands conservation standards. The next step for Stew Leonard’s is to present the application to Orange’s Town Planning and Zoning commission. The grocery store anticipates it will file this application some time in the next few weeks.

“We are grateful to the Commission for their time and dedication in scrutinizing Stew Leonard’s application,” said Doug Hempstead, Vice President Property Development, Stew Leonard’s. “They gave us the opportunity to make the proposed Stew Leonard’s store an even stronger application, by ensuring that it will have minimal to negligible impact on the wetlands and environment. The conditions for approval are an expected part of the approval process, and while some are challenging, we feel all of them can be addressed. We look forward to working with the commission and staff on the approved plan.”

Stew Leonard’s began the reapplication process this past summer, beginning with filing with the Inlands Wetlands commission. The family owned food store was denied approval by the town of Orange nine years ago, on a site of land it owns in Orange, Connecticut on Marsh Hill Road, directly off the I-95 exit 41, which requires a rezoning approval from light industrial to retail. Filing with the Inlands Wetlands Commission is a necessary first step prior to filing with the Town Planning and Zoning Commission.

“Stew Leonard’s respects the effort put forth by OASIS, Save Our Neighborhood and other concerned residents of Orange with regards to the issues they raised during the numerous public hearings held by the Inland Wetlands Commission,” said Vince Summa, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Stew Leonard’s. “All the public participants were sincere in their efforts and had the best interests of Orange at heart. Stew Leonard’s did everything in our power – from hiring the best engineering and architectural experts to environmental consultants – to ensure our application addressed the issues they and the Commission raised and to preserve the wetlands and surrounding environment.”

As Stew Leonard’s moves on to the Town Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval process, it is encouraged by the civil behavior and focus on the overall welfare and benefit to the Town of Orange that groups on both sides of the proposed plan exhibited in the Inlands Wetlands hearings, and hopes that the tone of the previous hearings remains consistent.

“As our application moves forward to the Planning and Zoning Commission, we anticipate there will be constructive discussion on new topics related to our application, including the major issues of traffic and economic impact to the Town of Orange,” said Vince Summa. “We look forward to addressing the concerns of all residents, presenting the results of independent and joint studies, and we hope the ultimate outcome is what is best for the Town of Orange.”