[RP TownTalk] 711

[Jonathan Ebbeler]

As Alan pointed out play close attention to the letter from fall 2014 that recommended denial and what the conditions for approval or disapproval from the MUTC committee come out as.  Those and reading the MNCPPC staff report and the applicant's justification statement are the only areas that comments should be directed towards.

It does not matter if I or anyone else views a certain use as a positive or negative to the community.  If it is allowed by the zoning (which a 7-11 is) they are entirely within their rights of putting one in (even if another is in the area - there are no zoning restrictions on the number of businesses in an jurisdiction).  

For example, the prior application had signage that was not allowed by the zoning, had a lack of pedestrian orientation and amenities, a parking lot that had too many spaces for the zoning.  Comments such as "I don't like 7-11 it will be disruptive to the neighborhood" will likely just be ignored.  Comments such as "the application, as it stands, is a non-compliant architectural offering that lacks a mix-modal (car and pedestrian) orientation that the zoning mandates due to the applicant's over-allocation of parking spaces, lack of pedestrian amenities, and vehicular not pedestrian based signage.  The zoning's pedestrian and mixed-modal intent should not be overridden in favor for a solely vehicular-based orientation.  We find the lack of pedestrian focus especially troubling given that it is part of a community that is primarily residential and needs to integrate to both route 1 and Tuckerman Street in equally compatible and congruent ways.

Wait for the MUTC committee to make its determinations and you will have a greater degree of guidance on where and how comments should be made.  But (and this is to everyone in town), PLEASE do not focus your comments on the fact you do not want a 7-11.  Comments like those cannot be considered or given merit because the law is very clear that a 7-11 is allowed.  The only question is whether their suggestions of the architecture of the building and building site meets the requirements in the zoning or not.

Best,

Jonath