This summer, Westporters focused on a state Department of Transportation plan involving special left-turn-only lanes, curbing, sidewalks and more at the Fresh Market shopping center.
That’s far in the future. We should have been focused on a more immediate plan to renovate the facade. And the parking lot.
As customers have noted this week, work involved the installation of spiffy new old-fashioned light poles.
But there was a cost. Gone is some of the landscaping that once made the shopping center if not pleasant, at least tolerable.
(Photos/Michael Calise)
The work is not finished. Perhaps beautiful new trees and shrubs will be planted.
And perhaps one day I will walk to the planet Zork, too.
Let’s wait and see what the finished product is. However the owner of the building is the same owner that knocked down the Osprey bird nest. Perhaps that will give some insight to the finished product.
Losing our trees is so sad and bad for so many reasons . The trees are so much more than The pretty townscape which is very important and gives that lovely look. But they give us shade and lower the temperature in blistering heat. It has also been said that the planting of many many trees could help with climate change . This is a big step in the wrong direction
And the removal of these trees and greenery were on the plans approved by our elected Planning and Zoning board? And what happened to the public forum that Regency was going to hold for the public to ask questions about their plans – and I’m not talking about the osprey education forum held at Terrain. We all better continue to keep watch over the osprey’s platform!
Yet another bit of paradise paved.
Arrrgg! Westport! An osprey nest knocked down?! More interference with/wildlife-waterfowl?! Any arrest? Fines paid? Sentence of community service? Who is holding this chucklehead property owner to task?
I can’t tell from the picture where the new parking lines are drawn but it sort of looks like the last row of spaces is closer to the store. Perhaps they were moved in anticipation of the loss of space due to the DOT plan.
In any event, think of the positive. Without the landscape barrier, it will be much easier to take up more spaces when parking badly which seems to be sport in the Fresh Market parking area.
Why were the trees removed? Who approved it? I’m curious as to the mindset of this group after clear cutting Compo Acre Center in back… Would love an explanation from our Zoning peeps!
Oh and if any you have concerns or questions about the previous story-letter by 14 colleagues of mine on the RTM, please feel free to give me a call to discuss ordinance of which I co sponsored.
Please don’t forget to Vote on Tuesday November 5
All elections are important!
Best
Jimmy Izzo
RTM 3
203-247-2426
I drove past the site this morning, and the osprey pole is still there.
So just the nest removed??
The platform was still there. I couldn’t tell if the nest was, but maybe they’ve already migrated.
Let’s hope they get rid of all of the mismatched store signs and do something like what they did across the street. The P&Z needs to get their act together. Crazy signage in the strip malls that looks cheap should not be allowed.
Why not just STOP SHOPPING in that mall until the owner plants some decent sized trees and assures the Osprey nest is viable….no amount of bitching will change the minds of the avaricious; so hit ’em in the pocket.
Unfortunately, Dan, that will hurt the tenants, through no fault of their own.
Good answer! Was meant for this comment : o
Bobbie, I agree. Fresh Market is a valuable asset to our community. The landlord is the culprit here. After they tried to get rid of the Osprey nest about 6 months ago and the Town dumped on their terrible decision, they claimed they learned a lesson and would be more aware of Town input.
This landlord only marches to one drummer and that is themselfs.
We need to stop plan by DOT . They care nothing about our townscape and the trees . We have been in contact and had meetings.we are trying to formulate plan.we need your support. We need our trees . Want to weigh in? Let’s stop this now. New trees will take decades to replace these trees. They also want to take them down in front of Stop and Shop.
Call me
Karen Kramer RTM 5
203-858-2049
The 2nd photo of newly paved asphalt was long ago the site of a red brick SNET telephone sub-station. It was 621 Post Road East. Later absorbed by the shopping center that surrounded it, it was for some time a retail store. When the building was razed 15 to 20 yrs ago , the Town required that green space be substituted—-no asphalt.
Bob, you are absolutely correct. That pleasant greenspace of about 3,000 was a zoning requirement later modified by a ZBA variance. Funny how things get “swept under the rug” …..not so funny!!!
Michael Calise: I knew you’d remember that phone building. Did not know that ZBA allowed a variance to remove that green space that P&Z tries to encourage.
Boycott Boycott Boycott!!! I couldn’t disagree more! Great way to drive potential business away from Westport. Already have enough vacant store fronts!
I hope they place some directional and stop signs- so many near misses in the parking lot with wrong way drivers and folks not yieldng to traffic entering and exiting. Another parking lot owned by the same owners of the Trader Joe’s parking lot if I’m not mistaken. As to the remarkable ospreys, it appears they have migrated south: http://www.ospreytrax.com/OspreyMainPage.html
Agree that it’s pretty severe the way it looks in photo.