To the Editor,
I have always been pro-development. I am a firm believer that if you own the land and your plan is zoning compatible, you should be able to do with your land as you see fit. I also believe you should keep your stuff in your own property.
To that end I would like to state my objection to the apartment complex being proposed at the old Rowe Funeral Home by JW Capital Partners. It’s not the apartments I object to. It’s the lack of parking for the tenants and customers of the retail and restaurants. Their plan seems to be ‘If we give the city enough money they will figure it out’. Any renumeration to alleviate the developer from their obligation to their tenants and the city would be short sighted.
I’m sure there are some who would argue that there are plenty of houses and apartments in the city that don’t have enough, or any, parking. Those buildings were built in a different time. The need for transportation is different now and should be treated as such. If the city had public transportation, the necessity for parking would be different, but we don’t. The spaces the developers seek for their tenants are public spaces used by existing businesses and tenants. If these spaces become the permanent parking for one development, then the businesses downtown will suffer. Additionally, the many events the city puts on downtown during the summer and fall will be negatively impacted if there is not adequate parking for attendees. This is not the only apartment complex being built downtown. Where is everyone going to park?
I encourage the developer to build their apartment complex and I wish them luck. I hope they find another restaurant to fill the first floor and look forward to eating there. However, I hope they reconsider their parking dilemma and figure out a way to keep their toys on their own property. I also encourage our city councilors to vociferously oppose this current iteration and not cave to their bribery.
Thank you,
Steven Judd
Marlborough
