[MassHistPres] RE historic looking convenience store/gas station

[Tucker, Jonathan]

Thank you.  You spared me saying it.

One of my planning professors used to refer to the New England version of that 1950s highway Disney-inspired architectural tradition of something-that-was-never-there as “phony-Colonie.”  None of the really good evocative versions of that kind of highway kitsch were built after 1960.

The real test would be to require Cumberland Farms to design something in, as Dorothy Sayers described as long ago as the 1930s, “a style neither new or old, stretching out reconciling hands to past and present.”  Not post-modern, which is a form of imitation of the old.  Something new, which fits.

I am also concerned about the concept of “neighborhood compatibility”, in two ways:  1) architecturally, shouldn’t most LHDCs want something better than that? and, 2) too often “more compatible with the neighborhood” translates into what the neighbors like (or will tolerate), which has precisely nothing to do with the purpose of an LHD.

Jonathan Tucker
Planning Director
Amherst Planning Department
4 Boltwood Avenue, Town Hall
Amherst, MA  01002
(413) 259-3040
tuckerj at amherstma.gov<mailto:tuckerj at amherstma.gov>



From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of James Hadley
Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2013 6:08 PM
To: David Temple
Cc: MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu; jworden at swwalaw.com
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] RE historic looking convenience store/gas station

Sorry, but I have a basic disagreement with the notion of "colonial-ish."
Here on Cape Cod this is a curse. We are becoming a theme park of pseudo architecture, slaves to a notion of history that is entirely bogus. Real history is complicated, filled with color and quirks; the "Patti Page" vision is an all - white and cedar shingle fantasy world, organized for a incurious public that is unwilling to open toward any sort of complication. What is worse, the window openings of our historic districts are now filled with fake plastic muntin bars sandwiched between double glazing. The "good" window replacements are the ones with fake muntins on both sides of the double glazing.
And still the tourists come.
James Hadley


Sent from my iPad

On Apr 28, 2013, at 2:59 PM, David Temple <davidftemple at yahoo.com<mailto:davidftemple at yahoo.com>> wrote:
About 15 years ago Cumberland Farms wanted to put a store in an LHD at the intersection of Routes 27 and 109 in Medfield.  They proposed tearing down a nondescript gas station and replacing it with their generic store. The Medfield HDC met with Cumberland representatives and persuaded the company to put up a colonial-ish store that was much more compatible with the neighborhood.

In your reply, please include my original message. AOL users please note!

David Temple
David F. Temple, Inc.
300 South Street
Medfield, MA 02052
508-359-2915

________________________________
From: "jworden at swwalaw.com<mailto:jworden at swwalaw.com>" <jworden at swwalaw.com<mailto:jworden at swwalaw.com>>
To: jel42 at comcast.net<mailto:jel42 at comcast.net>; MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu<mailto:MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2013 11:08 AM
Subject: [MassHistPres] RE historic looking convenience store/gas station

Jane,

Part of your message disappared into the ether, but I can speculate on
what you were thinking.

When Cumberlanbd Famrs came to Arliongton many years ago, they tore
down the last remaining blacksmith shop and built a typical glass front box.
Maybe they're more sensitive now.  When Osco wanted to come here, I tried
to persaude them to put a "skin" on their building to replicate an 18th century
tavern that featured in the first day of the American Revolution, but they were
committed to the big box look. The Planning Board eventually turned them
down on other grounds.

John Worden
Arlington HDC



------- Original Message -------
From : Jane Lowell[mailto:jel42 at comcast.net]
Sent : 4/25/2013 8:49:56 PM
To : MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu<mailto:MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>
Cc :
Subject : RE: [MassHistPres] historic looking convenience store/gas station
Cumberland Farms is seeking to build in Mendon’s Historic Center District.  The district is merely honorary so the HC has no clout.  The plans submitted to the PB


******************************
For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us<mailto:Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us> directly.  PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE WHOLE LIST.
MassHistPres mailing list
MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu<mailto:MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>
http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
********************************

******************************
For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us<mailto:Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us> directly.  PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE WHOLE LIST.
MassHistPres mailing list
MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu<mailto:MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu>
http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
********************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/private/masshistpres/attachments/20130429/32bb1eb8/attachment-0001.htm>