Watertown board advances Stewart’s Shops project on Route 3

The Town of Watertown Town Board passed a resolution Nov. 5 to advance plans for a Stewart’s Shops location on Route 3, across from Target. The project would also include road work in the area.

The agreement calls for Stewart’s Shops to pay for necessary road work. The town and the company had previously disagreed over responsibility for those costs.

The project has been under discussion for several years. Supervisor Joel Bartlett proposed a road across from Target in 2021, and the road was approved but not built, according to the research brief. A majority of the Town Board voted Aug. 28, 2025, to move forward with a road that could eventually connect Route 3 and Route 202.

Town meeting minutes from May 2026 said Stewart’s offered to pay for the roadbed but not traffic signal heads, while offering to cover about $600 in annual signal maintenance. A later report said the company offered to pay for signal improvements and the 250-foot road. The final agreement’s handling of signal costs was unclear in the available records.

The project requires a New York State Department of Transportation highway work permit and sewer approval from the City of Watertown. The Town Planning Board must also approve the site plan. Stewart’s has said it takes about 10 weeks to build and open a store.

The Nov. 5 Town Board agenda also included a public hearing on the tentative fiscal year 2027 budget and adoption of the final budget. Updates are expected through the Town of Watertown notice board. Questions may be directed to Town Clerk Pamela Desormo at (315) 782-8248 or the supervisor’s office at (315) 782-2069.