<p>So far, the Stop & Shop expansion project seems to be flying under the radar of many people who would be concerned if they knew exactly what Stop & Shop is planning for the expansion of their Vineyard Haven store.</p>
So far, the Stop & Shop expansion project seems to be flying under the radar of many people who would be concerned if they knew exactly what Stop & Shop is planning for the expansion of their Vineyard Haven store.
Stop & Shop wants to plunk a big box type of store into the middle of the Vineyard Haven waterfront. In aspect and appearance it is a type more suitable to a suburban shopping mall than to the center of a small New England resort town. To accommodate the needs of their big box store, Stop & Shop also want to radically reconfigure the town parking lot and traffic patterns (including effectively closing Norton Lane).
Since the new building was unveiled I have sensed that the whole thing is a corporate cookie-cutter type project. It is utterly inappropriate to the Vineyard Haven setting. The design had to come from Supermarket Central, some location far removed from Vineyard Haven!
I understand that Stop & Shop is not budging from their plan, despite adding a few ornamental gewgaws to the façade. Now I think I know why.
Stop & Shop is owned by a Netherlands-based corporation, Ahold, which is one of the largest international food retailers. Ahold has a strategy of developing so-called formats — one per country — for each of its main markets. It owns food chains in four countries. Ahold’s format for its USA-based supermarkets is the Giant Carlisle format. Giant Carlisle is one of the supermarket chains that Ahold owns.
Ahold’s corporate strategy was stated by their COO, Sander van der Laan, in a document titled “Broadening Our Offer, Format Development.” It is to “share four format initiatives across Ahold.” For the US, Ahold has a “supermarket center store concept.” The strategy is to “Leverage: Giant Carlisle Center Store Layout in U.S.,” — that is, to apply their store formula nationwide. (You can download a PDF of the document on this page. More information about Stop & Shop formats can be found by doing an internet search for “Stop & Shop format.”)
Stop & Shop has many positive initiatives and my concerns do not imply a blanket condemnation of the company. As a corporate strategy this uniform format makes sense. Most of the USA supermarkets owned by Ahold are in shopping malls with large parking lots around them.
But does it make sense as a land-use strategy for the Vineyard Haven waterfront, the principal gateway to the Island?
I urge those interested in appropriate land use and design in Vineyard Haven and on the Island to read the Ahold format strategy document, and then go to the MVC website (the calendar section) and look at the streetscapes that give some idea of how the current Stop & Shop proposal would end up looking, minus the trees and the comfort station currently in the town parking lot.
I think we need to broaden the discussion of what kind of Stop & Shop expansion and design would align with the Vineyard’s special character while well serving the shopping needs of Islanders and visitors.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s open public hearing continues on August 29 at the Tisbury Senior Center. The land use planning committee is also planning to discuss the project at its meeting on August 19,at 5 p.m., at the MVC offices in Oak Bluffs (the meeting is open to the public, but not for public comment).
Comments
We do need alternative to
Joe AquinnahWe do need alternative to Cronig's midnight heist!
We already have alternatives
MV Guy MVWe already have alternatives to Cronigs. If you don't like Cronigs then use the others - as they exist (size wise) today....
Read it, well thought out,
Rich Vineyard HavenRead it, well thought out, don't agree with your commentary!
An excellent -- and very
Tom OBAn excellent -- and very helpful article! I would add that they have not offered a restoration of the 18th century house they own near the site. The house is one of the few original to that area. Their plan for the store is grotesquely out of scale. They need the expansion -- but do we?
I understand what you are
Susan West TisburyI understand what you are saying but where was the commission when people started building the Mc Mansions? It's THAT growth that is spurring the growth of Stop and Shop. Yes, the foot print and usage should be addresses by where was the outrage when these monstrosities were built. I live in a small 1830 typical mv farmhouse and respect all the island has to offer, I don't watch reality shows, pick up garbage on the beach when I see it, and I don't think it's too much to ask that there be an alternative to Cronigs high prices.
I believe the street views
Neil Off IslandI believe the street views referred to are in this pdf: http://www.mvcommission.org/doc.php/TISBURY%20STOP%20AND%20SHOP%2007-01… . I find the current buildings are architecturally uninspiring, either "converted home to store and unable to get a tenant" or "industrial back lot that needs to be razed and converted to dirt parking." The current appearance is shabby. I think MVC should be requesting a better rendering of the exterior: colors, materials, etc.
The article was well written,
Fred Corcoran EdgartownThe article was well written, but I do not agree. We need alternatives for shopping and the larger Stop & Shop is a welcome addition.
CANT WAIT FOR CONSTRUCTION TO
I. B. SNITCH BENTONVILLE , ARCANT WAIT FOR CONSTRUCTION TO START ON THE SOUTH BEACH WALMART SUPER STORE
I understand you concerns,
Dee Vineyard HavenI understand you concerns, but seriously, something has to be done with the current VH Stop & Shop. It is tiny, over crowded, and kind of gross (inside and out). As a year round resident of VH, I welcome the idea of a larger & newer grocery store for my convenience and as a more pleasant ambassador to our visiting population.
I agree with Dee, the current
Sue Vineyard Haven, MAI agree with Dee, the current Stope and Shop is disgusting, and I do not like having to use gas (that is overpriced) to go "all the way to Edgartown" to buy food at a reasonable price.
Interesting all the
Ric EdgatownInteresting all the complaining. Big corporations only open stores they believe will be profitable. I bet the people complaining shop at Stop and Shop! If people did not go to the store, they would not expand.
The world evolves even on the Vineyard. . Move to Cuttyhunk if you want to go back in time.
Hi, Ric:
Katherine Scott Vineyard HavenHi, Ric:
Of course I shop at S&S. Why wouldn't I?
What does that have to do with posing questions regarding their current expansion plan?
Answer: Nothing.
Katherine
Please, everyone. Don't just
See far and clearly! MVPlease, everyone, by rejecting the writer's point, not facing the facts that you don't dig yet is quite unfair.
Don't just read and react to this article. Go check out the actual images and layouts, and how they encroached the public space without any town approval in the first place. That angered people at Hearings.
If you were at the hearings, and you would realize ;
1. the enormous size(bigger than SS edgartown, the SS Edgartown at least stands back from the road, with their ample parking space of 120),
2. blockage of the Norton Lane-town property (next to the Cinema from Main st) and
3. privatizing the public parking lot,
4. demolishing the public restroom, at their will(arrogant),
5. access of shoppers and traffic, loading, all entangled
6. heavy traffic congestions with predictably 120+ MORE added cars, in already congested steamship Terminal area during the summer weekend, along with with Transit bus, taxi, and unloaded vehicles, unloaded visitors, from the ferry itself. It will be a chaos.
And, SS team's attitude is "so what?" They evade the solutions and talk more about how great their store will be. Nice try.
...This is not a solution, it just adds imminent and more complicated problems, already on top of unresolved current issues. VH town can never survive from the added problems and will be all mess. More problems to resolve and not a lot of alternatives, once the building is approved the way it is.
Talking about the size and the shape, it is so huge that it can be seen from everywhere as a WHALE landed on the local community, would you welcome it? The design is worse than Mansion house. Mansion house is too huge, too bright, and too detailed to smother the viewers in the face.
In the twice larger lot, facing the docking ferry, SS will look like a fat container, with a few flat gable gesture.
BTW, MVC suggest to SS team to redesign its size, setback, and re-check the access, and S&S refused. You weren't there at the hearing. So, you don't know what will really happen.
Go to the mvcommission.org > calendar > Aug 1, 29, > Download plans and elevations & rendering, and the parking lot encrotchment yourselves. I do yay for one thing - Expansion is inevitable, but not at this scale and with no characters. SS could have submitted more carefully well-thought design. Instead, they gift-wrapped a very immature diagram, a corporate architect threw out, without understanding MV lifestyles.
I take it as almost an insult as a resident.
Completely agree. This new
Ralph EdgartownCompletely agree. This new behemoth is UGLY! I would try to stop it even if that means SS Edgartown seize to exist.
The ugly head of logic that
George Stein EdgartownThe ugly head of logic that surrounded the sky was falling when Vineyard Haven was voting on alcohol has found a new banner to wave. Most people use the restrooms in the SSA terminal. I guarentee you their new home will be cleaner and God forbid warmer in the winter. If everyone was so worried about that old house explain how it sat there without notice for so long. Glad to see everyone enjoying their summer worrying about such trivia.
Your editorial department
John Richards New Haven, CTYour editorial department needs to find something more important to worry about. How about replacing it with a Dollar General Store, then your clientel there could get even richer then the 1 percentage they already are. And replace the good paying Stop and Shop workers positions with $7.25 an hour, no benefit jobs!! Win! Win!
I agree the entire structure
Neil Off IslandI agree the entire structure having the same trim and color might be overwhelming. Stop & Shop MAY be willing to entertain limited changes to the exterior.
My suggestion: the section on the current footprint (incl Midnight farm) be the gray clapboard with white trim, but make the added section to the south dark natural shingle with a slightly wider white trim.
I appreciate readers’ taking
Katherine Scott Vineyard HavenI appreciate readers’ taking the time to post a comment.
I do not take responsibility for McMansions etc. that have been built. I am sorry to see those, too, and welcomed the new regs in Chilmark.
I was very pleased when I heard about the Stop & Shop expansion---we certainly can use an upgraded and larger store.
It was when I saw the actual plan that I became alarmed: at the scale and the style and impacts on traffic, air quality, noise, and views.
Far from being being "trivia," this project is a development of regional impact.
Just the closure of Norton Lane will cause major disruption.
Furthermore, it is unlikely that S&S can easily back their trailers into their planned bays.
I don't understand why some readers see this as a zero-sum game: either this plan, or no store upgrade and no alternative to Cronig's.
It is absurd for S&S to present a radical plan less than a year before they intend to start building, without seeking any input from local planners and groups. The complete lack of prior consultation is, actually, kind of a slap in the face.
It suggests that S&S simply expect to get their way in all but a few ornamental details. Letting this happen is sort of like letting S&S become the land-use planning agency for the town and the gateway.
My impression of truck
Neil Off IslandMy impression of truck drivers over the years is they've a fair talent at backing rigs into tight places. One thing I like about the plan is it appears doors can be closed to hide the trailer, much nicer to look at. I also think this is the best location for a supermarket, trucks don't have to drive all over the Island; off the ferry and they unload across the street. That's why Vineyard Haven is a business district: it's a port.
Hi, Neil:
Katherine Scott Vineyard HavenHi, Neil:
Your impression is right, in a general sort of way. But not in a specific sort of way. If you had attended any of the public meetings on this, you would have heard Trip Barnes, who is an expert on getting large trucks into small spaces, repeatedly express very grave doubts about the feasibility of the specific maneuver here, which Trip says is the most difficult: a sharp turn into an offside space. He also challenged S&S on the actual length of their trailers. At the next meeting they amended the length, but not their backing-in plan. So far S&S have cited only a computer program to support their claim. They have not prepared a computer simulation. BTW, they have also failed to provide other documents that the MVC has requested.
@
Neil Off IslandResponse to Katherine Scott, Vineyard Haven :
I have seen rigs back onto the Katama. Way back in my managing days at McDonald's, I had the opportunity every week to watch a rig make a sharp turn into an offside space... with cars in the parking lot to limit maneuvering. Mr Barnes' modesty is commendable. I'll trust Stop & Shop to know how to get a truck in there with minimal fuss.
Katherine, is that the same
Not_The_Same_MVKatherine, is that the same Trippy Barnes who hated the idea of a roundabout, made a video showing it wouldn't work,and who has now recently said, hey I take it all back it works?
I think the S&S plan is a
Ken Esq Edgartown, MAI think the S&S plan is a vast improvement over what is there now. Who owns the building with the Chinese Restaurant? Worse is the building just up the street before the rental place. That home/building looks to be in horrible repair and basically abandoned.
The enlarged Stop & Shop is not a Wal-Mart...it will make shopping easier and less expensive for many families.
I am continuously amazed at
LocalOpineI am continuously amazed at how folks think about things.
On the one hand, we complain about the five corners, the SSA, the traffic in general, the numbers of people, bikes, mopeds,and cars. Yet, we continue to try to accommodate the masses.
A two story parking garage? Here on our Island? Knock down buildings, lay more asphalt, make more parking spaces, go up another story?
What happens when we just plain run out of the ability to continue to accommodate?
I guess by then all that we all love and live for will be gone, and it will all have been for naught.
For our own sakes, start saying, "NO".
At some point we just have to say, this is what we have to offer, take it or leave it....
Oh sure, there will be a few wallets that won't be quite as fat,, but then, is that all that life should be about?
My wallet has remained thin for a good many years, but," Oh", it has not ever stopped me from loving and appreciating all of my time and life on this dear old place.
And,you know, the funny thing is that I loved and appreciated it more, when it was less.
Respectfully, the problem isn
Neil Off IslandRespectfully, the problem isn't the businesses to support the tourist population or the cars brought over by those tourists. I'm not going to blame people for feeling the Island would be a nice place to spend their vacation, it most certainly is. I miss the simpler times of family vacations in the 60's (those we could afford), our destinations weren't crowded. Some readers will say even the 60's were too crowded. I came into this world roughly the same time as the interstate system, I've read US-1 and US-6 were backed up through every town with cars going to the Cape. I don't think tourists will avoid the Vineyard because traffic this season was a little worse than last. I don't know how practical it would be for the most popular destinations to modernize their roads, to streamline the flow of traffic. Tourists will come, the question is how long are the locals must see the intruders and their cars before they return to their rental for the night. And that's the problem: rentals. The public, and by that I mean the owners with space to rent, expect the ability to rent. The tourists will come if there is someplace to stay.
More shocking than lengths to
George Stein EdgartownMore shocking than lengths to which people are defending their positions is I can not recall any length of comments going this far on this site EVER. A brave new world, at least the comments are staying on issue. Something the alleged censors of another similar site of the Island might attempt.
Move it to the airport and
Paulli D EdgartownMove it to the airport and build a Super S&S. why are we ruining our water fronts. Take the old building down, and create open space on the water front!
1) The square footage for a
Neil Off Island1) The square footage for a new Super Stop & Shop was 45,000 in 1982 (Springfield, Mass). In 2012 it was 65,000 for the Hyannis store. The footprint of the planned Vineyard Haven store is 17,442 sq ft. That's less than half the size of the older big box store.
2) The comfort station has been addressed by others. Stop & Shop is providing and I suspect it will be more pleasant and available more hours and on more days.
3) A building that size is not out of character with the Vineyard Haven waterfront, consider the port-related facilities on Beach Road. What people getting off the ferry see is the long utilitarian side of the current structure: not pretty. The new exterior will not look like the backside of a commercial building. I DO recommend the theme of the exterior be changed to reduce the visual impact: the north section be the gray clapboard, the new south be dark natural shingle. In addition, the dark shingle should reduce the eyesore effect of the remaining house between Stop & Shop and the car rental place.
4) I have a choice between a three mile round trip to the Vineyard Haven store and a 14 mile round trip to the Edgartown store. I go to the Edgartown store because it is more likely to have everything I need. I doubt I'm the only one to make this choice. Yes, a bigger store in Vineyard Haven will add some traffic to Five Corners. It will also reduce traffic past the foot of Circuit Avenue and OB terminal and the Triangle in Edgartown.
5) The Island eyesore is the cars and traffic. Make it easier for drivers to get where they're going and home again. Fix Five Corners and the Edgartown/State Road intersection.
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