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Tests the Character

I attended the first one-hour special meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission as it began to deliberate on the proposed 50,000 square foot, U-Haul storage facility on Route 1 at Tanner Marsh Road. I, like many in Guilford, only recently realized that the building would be lit and accessible 24/7. The plan also calls for the parking of large U-Haul rental trucks along the road, a bright wall of orange advertising with some bizarre justification that, because it was a use the company got away with illegally 10 years ago on that land, that it should therefore be able to do it again. The commission will need to continue to deliberate and residents must be there to bear witness.

Occasionally, an application comes along that tests the character of a town. It is out of scale with the surrounding area and looks unlike anything in the area. I thank the Planning & Zoning Commission commissioners for their service and thoughtful questions and I trust they are not volunteering to turn our town into Orange. There are examples of recent tasteful construction along Route 1, but if this project goes forward, we have allowed a precedent like no other. I encourage residents to check the town website to find out when the next such meeting will occur and attend.

Sarah Barber

Guilford