Route 30 Land Being Cleared For New Home Of Orthodontics Practice

VERNON, CT — Land is being cleared on a section of Route 30 in Vernon to pave way for an established local orthodontics practice to become neighbors with an established dental practice.

A counseling service will also be relocating to Vernon and be housed on the lot.

The parcel is at 927 Hartford Turnpike, the local name for that stretch of Route 30. It is situated between a family and cosmetic dental practice of Dr. Jeffrey Burns to the east and the plaza housing New England Pizza to the west.

Dr. Deborah Griffin will be relocating there from her current office on the corner of Merline Road and Route 83, according to town records.

The new building will also house an integrated wellness center, Griffin Counseling Services, which will be moving from South Windsor.

Dr. Griffin said the family will be closing on the land Friday after purchasing it from Dr. Burns and passing all the local regulatory requirements. She quipped that it will be one-stop shopping for all dental needs.

She said the new building will allow her to implement some personal touches with a more expansive parking lot and a "more serene setting" with a cozier look to the office and a few picturesque views.

There will even be an in-office kennel for Dr. Griffin's dog, Brady, who hangs out each day to add levity and comfort to the often-stressful process of getting and maintaining braces.

The land, Dr. Griffin said, should be cleared Monday to open the door for construction to begin. The target is to have the new offices up and running by the fall of 2025, she said.

The practice has been around the building on Merline since the early 1970s and Dr. Griffin joined it as an associate in 2008. In 2015, the Griffin family bought the practice outright.