CANDAL LAST YEAR. SHELLEY: NEW TONIGHT, CONTROVERSY IN PORTSMOUTH OVER A NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. IT INCLUDES A HOTEL, CONDOS, AND A WHOLE FOODS SUPERMARKET. BUT SOME SAY IT WILL SPOIL THE CITY’S HISTORIC CHARM. GERRY ZELIN MOVED TO PORTSMOUTH IN 1983. AND LOVES THE CITY’S SMALL TOWN CHARM.>>I CARE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, I CARE ABOUT WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL. SHELLEY IT’S THE REASON ZELIN : JOINED A GROUP OF RESIDENTS TO OPPOSE A DEVELOPMENT, KNOWN AS THE HARBORCORP PROJECT, IN THE CITY’S NORTH END. IT INCLUDES A NEW WHOLE FOODS SUPERMARKET.>>THE BIG ISSUE IS THE MASS OF THE BUILDING. THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST BUILDING CONSTRUCTED THUS FAR IN OUR URBAN RENEWAL AREA. SHELLEY THIS IS AN ARTIST’S : RENDERING OF WHAT ZELIN SAYS THE PROJECT WOULD LOOK LIKE, IT WOULD INCLUDE THE 40,000 SQUARE FOOT WHOLE FOODS, A 98-ROOM HOTEL, LUXURY CONDOS AND A CONFERENCE CENTER. THE HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION HAS APPROVED THE PLAN. BUT ZELIN ALONG WITH 200 OF HIS NEIGHBORS, ARE APPEALING THAT DECISION, IN ROCKINGHAM SUPERIOR COT. A WHOLE FOODS SPOKESPERSON SAID THE COMPANY IS ANXIOUS TO OPEN IN PORTSMOUTH. SHE SPENT — SHE SENT A STATEMENT THAT READS IN PART, FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING REQUESTS TO OPEN IN PORTSMOUTH AND WE HAVE RECEIVED WONDERFUL AND WELCOMING FEEDBACK SINCE ANNOUNCING THE STORE. WE HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ITS HISTORY AND ARE EAGER TO PROVE OURSELVES AS COMMITTED AND INVOLVED+ NEIGHBORS. ZELIN SAYS THE SUPERMARKET IS WELCOME, SO LONG AS IT’S ZONED PROPERLY.>>THIS WILL BE A REGIONAL WHOLE FOODS STORE, AND HAVING SOMETHING THAT ATTRACTS TRAFFIC FROM THROUGHOUT THE REGION IS UNNECESSARY FOR PORTSMOUTH. SHELLEY: PORTSMOUTH’S PLANNING DIRECTOR TOLD ME THIS EVENING, THE CITY IS AWAITING THE OUTCOME OF THIS APPEAL, BEFORE DECIDING