By Jarret Liotta

WESTPORT — Concerned about details in the request — as well as potential use by customers instead of emergency vehicles, as intended — the Board of Selectmen postponed approval of a curb cut on Morningside Drive South at the back of the Post Plaza construction site to make way for a temporary driveway.

A variance was requested by the owner of 1076 Post Road East to allow a temporary curb cut and driveway at the back of the property, across from Greens Farms School, to allow access for emergency vehicles.

While it wasn’t in the original proposal, in came to light at Wednesday morning’s meeting that customers would also be using the ingress.

“This is for emergency vehicle access and for patrons,” Fire Marshal Nate Gibbons said, referencing the four stores still in operation along the Post Road, including Angelina’s Trattoria and Chase Bank.

“That was not my understanding,” Selectperson Melissa Kane said.

Since the closings of first Barnes & Noble Bookstore, then Marshall’s, Post Plaza is seeing a major construction project for an anticipated opening of an Amazon Fresh supermarket — that company’s burgeoning brick-and-mortar chain.

Decades ago the space was occupied by the supermarket chain Waldbaum’s.

In order to accommodate customers during construction, the one-way driveway running along the north side of the building parallel to the Post Road has been made two way, so customers can park in the back, while the main lot remains fenced in.

“I’m still hung up on the fact that it’s not incumbent upon the construction companies that where they put their piles and (equipment) doesn’t get in the way of emergency vehicles … That’s odd,” Kane said, citing existing entrances on both the Post Road and Church Street South.

Nearby resident John Suggs made a strong plea for denying the request based on the proximity to the school and the potential of shoppers using it to exit as well.

“I am strongly unequivocally urging you to turn down this request,” he said, noting that 50 years ago the PTA had collected more than 700 signatures opposing a driveway directly onto Morningside.

“Customers are going to use it,” he said. “People are going to use it. We only need one distracted driver racing in to go get their pizza at Angelina’s to hit a kid … It’s just too risky.”

John Bayers, assistant superintendent for human resources and administration, and former principal at GFS, said however that previous concerns centered on a permanent driveway.

“I think we’re willing to work with both the police and fire (departments) to make sure that we can make it work for the students and the staff,” he said.

The board, which also wants to see something in the plan making the end date more clear, voted unanimously to postpone the decision for two weeks.