By JOSEPH B. NADEAU

WOONSOCKET — Plans for commercial development at the corner of Cass Avenue and Mendon Road are off the City Council’s agenda, at least for now, after the panel voted unanimously last week to reject a change of zoning at the site.

The council decision came after the appeal period for an earlier Planning Board move to reject development plans at the Chipman’s Corner site was not appealed by the parties proposing a 12,900-square-foot CVS Pharmacy store at the location.
The plan sought a rezoning from low density residential to mixed use commercial/residential for several parcels needed for the store development.
City Council President Leo T. Fontaine asked his peers to take up a proposed zone change ordinance related to a plan that was tabled at an earlier session while the appeal period was in effect.
The Planning Board move rejecting a master plan request for the CVS store proposal had eliminated the option of a specific development being attached to the council’s action according to Fontaine and City Planner Catherine Ady.
“The appeal time has a lapsed and I have no problem with taking a vote to defeat it,” Fontaine said.
Ady said she had no additional information on the proposal at the moment. The developers could come in with a new proposal at a later date but no proposal was currently before the panel, according to the officials.
After the council vote, Ronald P. Genereux of 41 Dana St., said he and other neighbors to the low-density R-2 zoned property involved in the zone change were pleased by the council decision to reject it.
“It’s been a long time in coming and puts this proposal to rest,” he said. Residents also did not know if any new proposal would be filed for the busy intersection but expected to stand firm on their arguments that a large commercial development was not suited to the area, he said.
“We have been fighting this since July and are feeling relieved,” he said. “At least temporarily anyway,” he added.