FOXBORO - Town officials hoping to see tax-producing projects with minimal impact on traffic and town services gave an informal nod of support to the Kraft Group's concept of developing a campus-style office park on the west side of Route 1.

No plans, drawings, project scope or development timeline were presented by Kraft Group Vice President Dan Murphy and development executives Dan Krantz and Ted Fire in a private meeting they hosted at the stadium last week, Town Manager Andrew Gala said.

"They talked about an office park and one or two retail stores," but not a retail project on a scale of Patriot Place, Gala said.

"Generally, we thought the office park was a good idea - more so than retail," Gala said. "It wouldn't be a seven-day-a-week draw and we felt it would be compatible with existing development up there."

Murphy is the vice president of business development and external affairs with the Kraft Group, which owns 700 to 800 acres on both sides of Route 1. About 125 acres of that land lies across Route 1 from the Patriot Place shops, restaurants and entertainment centers.

Gala was joined at the meeting by selectmen Chairman Mark Sullivan, planning board Chairman Kevin Weinfeld, board member Bill Grieder and Building Commissioner Bill Casbarra.

In addition to floating the idea of an office park with a box retail store, the Kraft representatives asked what the town would like to see developed on the Kraft owned property on the west side of Route 1, Casbarra said.

"I applaud the Kraft group for initiating this type of discussion this far in advance, to let the town have an input in what the town would like to see up there, and a discussion on how to best approach the town," he said.

Casbarra said town officials favor tax-producing construction that will not put a heavy demand on roadways and town services.

Among other advantages, Casbarra said, an office park would likely attract professional employees who, with rising gas prices, would look to reside close to their place of work. With Foxboro's stock of planned or unsold homes, he said an office park could help jump-start residential sales.

Grieder said town officials encouraged the Kraft team to present conceptual plans for future development, and get early responses from the town before spending a lot of money on advanced plans.

Weinfeld said the Kraft Group may look to hold similar briefings with picked members of other town boards, such as water commissioner.