Developers behind a planned Countdown supermarket on Havelock Rd have yet to apply for resource consent, but some residents are already up in arms over the project.
The Australia-owned supermarket chain said it had secured a site on Havelock Rd, beside Lulu and Max cafe, and was "at the very early planning stages" for a new supermarket in the area.
A Countdown spokeswoman said the supermarket was expected to create about 120 new jobs, but the project didn't yet have resource consent from Hastings District Council.
"It's very early days at this stage so we're not able to provide any further detail or time frames, but we'll keep the community updated as we progress," she said.
Lulu and Max cafe owner Tessa Flowers-Morrell, who leases her business' property, said a Countdown development manager had told her he'd been "given the go-ahead" to buy the land.
"They'll take the land beside me, behind me all the way back to Parkvale School."
Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule said he was unable to comment on the likelihood of the supermarket getting the green light but "it's certainly not a done deal".
The fertile land was currently zoned plains, which wasn't appropriate for a supermarket, and council had deemed it would be changed to residential in future.
Countdown would need to explain how it would deal with traffic issues in its resource consent application.
The land's property manager declined to comment, but said its owner was overseas.
Ms Flowers-Morrell was worried the supermarket would create traffic problems on the road, which is a busy thoroughfare linking Hastings to Havelock North.
She was also concerned local businesses, such as a Four Square and vegetable shops, would be hard hit.
Havelock Rd resident Luke McCann was also worried about possible traffic issues that may arise if the supermarket comes to fruition.
"The road is extremely busy anyway, without putting an extra 1000 vehicles a day for a supermarket. There will be a much higher volume of vehicles. It's a danger for pedestrians and cyclists," he said.
Another Havelock Rd resident of 10 years who didn't want to be named, agreed traffic created by the supermarket would endanger motorists and cyclists on the road.
"I guarantee there will be deaths there. You're going to have to put an ambulance on the side of the road because somebody's going to die on a regular basis."
Countdown's spokeswoman acknowledged Havelock Rd was a busy thoroughfare.
"We're aware that Havelock Road is busy, and as part of our resource consent application we'd need to consider all elements of traffic management and work with the council and our neighbours to address any concerns."