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01/25/2017 07:00 AMI’ve been reading all the stories about the pros and cons of a new CVS on West Main Street. It seems to me that more emotion than logic is driving the discussion. First, the issue of encouraging use of the train station. No one is going to decide to use the train because of what’s built nearby or not. (“Oh, let’s go take a train ride today!”) It’s not a leisure activity. It gets you somewhere you need to go and back. I cannot think of anything that you could build there that would increase the need or desire to take the train.
Second, the pedestrian-friendly issue. The current CVS location is not at all pedestrian-friendly. There is no sidewalk access, just a dangerous driveway fronting onto Route 1. Most people drive there and park. The proposed new location would at least be pedestrian accessible for all the people who currently use the train, thus reducing car trips crosstown to get to the existing CVS for daily needs. The new location would actually encourage pedestrian traffic near the station.
As for increased car traffic, yes, of course, but anything you put there consistent with economic development will create more traffic. Do we want to develop downtown, or keep it in a time-bubble?
Finally, those who want the “historic buildings” to remain are not being realistic. They are currently run-down eyesores, and the money required to make them shine would be very risky money spent. Who is going to risk money like that? What businesses would fit there? Wouldn’t they increase traffic, too?
By all means let’s get an attractive design for the building, but let’s also be realistic about the hard facts.
Steve Hellman
Clinton