New CVS on Valley at Columbia HS is and odious affront to public space

Valley Street between Parker and South Orange deserves as much public attention in its planning as the Village or Springfield Ave. This commercial drag has long suffered from a case of confused identity. At one end The Third & Valley development shows what it could become when care is given, at the other we now have a most hideous and banal CVS pharmacy. It's planning is wrong - setback from the street in a parking lot. It's use is wrong - big corporate box retail providing junk food to high school kids. It's design is wrong - just look at the eyesore.

Valley Street could become an attractive and prosperous stretch of useful retail. The Village is the model. Dense multi-use planning, with varied small scale retail below, residential or office spaces above. Why should it not be a joy to stroll? Why could it not be? Each individual parcel developed should serve this greater goal, which in turn promotes more positive economic development. This serves the community by making a public corridor of distinction, character, and utility. The CVS is a horrible mistake Maplewood will live with for many years, and a drag on the the Valley St renaissance Third & Valley will hopefully spur.

It's very simple. Buy all the land you are referring to and develop it according to your plan. If that plan doesn't work, then petition Bernie Sanders to do something about it once he is elected President.

Given what exists between the 3rd and Valley monolith and where CVS is, any talk of a renaissance might be approximately 500-700 years too soon. Not to mention, of course, that any negative comparison of that CVS vs the majority of what is/was there on that stretch already implies the rest of Valley has only been seen at night. In the rain.

Red_Barchetta said:
It's very simple. Buy all the land you are referring to and develop it according to your plan. If that plan doesn't work, then petition Bernie Sanders to do something about it once he is elected President.

The best urban planning and public spaces are not executed by a single hand. It takes democracy and capitalism. It's not the simple way, but it's the right way.

TimFryatt said:
At one end The Third & Valley development shows what it could become when care is given, at the other we now have a most hideous and banal CVS pharmacy. It's planning is wrong - setback from the street in a parking lot. It's use is wrong - big corporate box retail providing junk food to high school kids. It's design is wrong - just look at the eyesore.

Because the 7-11 on Valley across the street from Columbia certainty isn't big corporate box retail providing junk food to high school kids.

(Also: "it's" isn't a possessive - it's short for "it is." You meant "its.") #nitpick

ctrzaska said:
Given what exists between the 3rd and Valley monolith and where CVS is, any talk of a renaissance might be approximately 500-700 years too soon. Not to mention, of course, that any negative comparison of that CVS vs the majority of what is/was there on that stretch already implies the rest of Valley has only been seen at night. In the rain.

Well call me an optimist. Third & Valley is a good of a start as one might ask

meganlibrarian said:

TimFryatt said:
At one end The Third & Valley development shows what it could become when care is given, at the other we now have a most hideous and banal CVS pharmacy. It's planning is wrong - setback from the street in a parking lot. It's use is wrong - big corporate box retail providing junk food to high school kids. It's design is wrong - just look at the eyesore.

Because the 7-11 on Valley across the street from Columbia certainty isn't big corporate box retail providing junk food to high school kids.
(Also: "it's" isn't a possessive - it's short for "it is." You meant "its.") #nitpick

The 7-11 is also horrible in my bad grammaredopinion.

My (possibly flawed) understanding is that a property owner can do whatever they want on their property design-wise as long as they adhere to the applicable zoning rules or obtain a variance, so there really isn't anything that the town or you or anyone else can do about it unless you buy the property yourself and develop it in a way that pleases you.

sac said:
My (possibly flawed) understanding is that a property owner can do whatever they want on their property design-wise as long as they adhere to the applicable zoning rules or obtain a variance, so there really isn't anything that the town or you or anyone else can do about it unless you buy the property yourself and develop it in a way that pleases you.

I'm advocating the town improve the zoning ordinance on this stretch, which is the mechanism by which to control development to best serve the public interest. I'm also suggesting residents should care

The residents do care... about what they believe are priorities and what they think looks nice. If everyone thought this tract was important, you would have untold different visions of what should be done, and very little would happen in the short term. What you're really saying is that the residents should agree with you.

Really? I was THRILLED to learn that CVS is coming...... FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What did you want to see in that spot, if not a convenient place to fill Rx and pick up paper towels without having to go all the way to Millburn or Springfield Ave?

HoBoTransplant said:
Really? I was THRILLED to learn that CVS is coming...... FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What did you want to see in that spot, if not a convenient place to fill Rx and pick up paper towels without having to go all the way to Millburn or Springfield Ave?

Seriously! If they end up putting a Minute Clinic in that CVS, it will officially be my favorite CVS ever.

TimFryant,

Please recall that the new, CVS building is replacing the old, derelict one that used to house the A&P. Even when repurposed for several years as a dollar store, the building still retained an appearance that called out for condemnation and demolition.

The CVS will dispense prescriptions as well as over the counter health care items from what looks to be an easy drive in and drive out. The large housing complex being built on 3rd and Valley will house hundreds of people who will be in need of same.............and now have an alternative to the Rite Aid and The South Orange Pharmacy which does not keep late hours.

We hope for the best and sometimes have to compromise.

TimFryatt said:
It's planning is wrong - setback from the street in a parking lot. It's use is wrong - big corporate box retail providing junk food to high school kids. It's design is wrong - just look at the eyesore.

Pressed-for-time working people like myself will heartily appreciate the placement of the parking lot versus the store... easy in, easy out, back on the road and on your way to the office or the after care pickup... no wasted time driving around to the side or the back of the building to look for parking, then have to walk back around to the front door. Do you have a full-time job, or do you just spend your time trying to channel the ghost of Jane Jacobs?

How is it that you have just noticed this? It has been discussed for over a year. I'm fine with it. It is an improvement.

I live nearby and I'm actually pretty psyched about it too. Not that Rite Aid or Walgreens are terribly far but they both take at least 10 minutes to drive from my house. Now I'll be able to walk down and grab something if I need. And yes, given the aesthetics of everything else in the vicinity I'm thrilled to just have some modern, clean development.

And, there are plenty of other spaces just begging to be made over, such as the former Blimpie. So it's not like there's a lack of opportunity for new business.

The old A&P building was a precious relic of our community history and should never have been demolished.

ETA:

The old A&P Building was a cookie cutter design if ever there was one. The exact same pattern was used in A&P buildings numbering in the 100's across the country. It was as precious as a Cracker Barrel Restaurant.

Or a post office.

Sickens me that there wasn't adaptive reuse of the A&P building.

No............all Post Offices across the country are unique. I don't have to mention the large ones in NYC .

In Sussex County NJ there are small general stores/post offices that are great wooden frame buildings that deserve Historical Statues. Bought a Swiss Army Knife at one ages ago.

If you saw an A&P anywhere you saw the exact same building in NoWhere Pennsylvania

They were the Howard Johnson's of the supermarket set.

author said:
No............all Post Offices across the country are unique. I don't have to mention the large ones in NYC .
In Sussex County NJ there are small general stores/post offices that are great wooden frame buildings that deserve Historical Statues. Bought a Swiss Army Knife at one ages ago.
If you saw an A&P anywhere you saw the exact same building in NoWhere Pennsylvania
They were the Howard Johnson's of the supermarket set.

Either adaptive reuse is the green thing to do or it isn't. You can't pick and chose based on your judgement of what is worth saving. I am beginning to think this whole adaptive reuse thing is just another roadblock thrown up by people who don't want progress in the Village.

... or lengthly, noisy, dusty, disruptive demolition and construction next door to their home.

bluepool said:

TimFryatt said:
It's planning is wrong - setback from the street in a parking lot. It's use is wrong - big corporate box retail providing junk food to high school kids. It's design is wrong - just look at the eyesore.

Pressed-for-time working people like myself will heartily appreciate the placement of the parking lot versus the store... easy in, easy out, back on the road and on your way to the office or the after care pickup... no wasted time driving around to the side or the back of the building to look for parking, then have to walk back around to the front door. Do you have a full-time job, or do you just spend your time trying to channel the ghost of Jane Jacobs?

I agree if the communities only concern were convenient utility, we have been well served.

If you feel badly about losing the A&P cookie cutter, take heart. If the proposed cookie cutter building is erected in the Village , you can stare at it for large parts of the day as you circle the block trying to park.

No matter how anyone crunches the numbers , the amount of parking spaces in the Village will decrease.

Then again the town could keep borrowing from the 6 2 spaces at the Women's Club..........

I wonder if that purchase for a million dollars and another million dollars to bring the place to code counts as adoptive reuse.

author said:
We hope for the best and sometimes have to compromise.

Words to remember

I agree with what the op is saying. I, for one, am thrilled that there is a cvs going in, however, the setback of the building is disappointing. It does not maintain the pedestrian-friendly street wall that the a&p had. The walled parking lot in front is a car, not people oriented, design. I think soma is more pedestrian friendly, so, yes, changing design standards to reflect this makes sense.

author said:
The old A&P Building was a cookie cutter design if ever there was one. The exact same pattern was used in A&P buildings numbering in the 100's across the country. It was as precious as a Cracker Barrel Restaurant.

Just like the new CVS.

author said:
If you feel badly about losing the A&P cookie cutter, take heart. If the proposed cookie cutter building is erected in the Village , you can stare at it for large parts of the day as you circle the block trying to park.
No matter how anyone crunches the numbers , the amount of parking spaces in the Village will decrease.
Then again the town could keep borrowing from the 6 2 spaces at the Women's Club..........
I wonder if that purchase for a million dollars and another million dollars to bring the place to code counts as adoptive reuse.

I'm so upset about the loss of the A&P that I've taken to bed. When I recover, I hope I have the strength to commission a survey of people to determine who thinks the WC building has any aesthetic and who thinks the PO building has any aesthetic merit. My sense is that it will be close and the PO maybe winning.