Costco in Guilford? Article published Aug 19, 2010 in the Guilford Courier Letters may appear on our website and on our Facebook page.To submit a letter, please completed the below form. Article published Sep 9, 2010 in the Guilford Courier Yet in the next breath, they state that they dont sell very good products and provide no personal service, so shoppers at Costco will leave, hands empty, and then drive to downtown Guilford to shop around the Green. It will be claimed that Costco will bring in new tax revenue, but have past commercial developments actually produced the revenue their promoters claimed? We have a law that expresses the wishes of the majority of residents of Guilford to limit the square footage for any one store to 25,000 square feet. Although the circumstances were different, the outcome was irrevocable. Make no mistake, Costcos gain would be Guilfords loss. You can still mail your letters to: Editor. We are entertaining the possibility of putting local businesses at serious risk, greatly worsening the traffic on our roads, increasing the burden on our town services, and inviting in a horde of folks who arent here for Guilfords beauty and charm or to stroll on the Green and frequent our shops, but to line up to get off a highway exit, buy huge quantities of food and detergent, and get right back on the interstate. If Costco is built, it will allow the door to open for more megastores in Guilford. A simple upscale shopping center? I know for myself and for most Guilford residents we rely on the Courier to keep us informed on very serious issues in this town. Letter to the Editor by Grace Bauer | Poetry Magazine The area of the Rockpile specifically limits the size of single stores to 25,000 square feet plus one up to 40,000 square feet by special permit. Guilford, Article published Sep 23, 2010 in the Guilford Courier Two years ago I moved to Guilford from a suburban area of New York City to escape the escalating effects of too many big box stores. Allowing a big box retail store on the rock pile would set a precedent that were likely to regret-and we might well face a court challenge because such a change would be inconsistent with the Town Plan of Conservation and Development. Article published Oct 14, 2010 in the Guilford Courier Please, this is not apples to oranges, this is more like using a tank to crush an ant. Letter: The real effect of big box stores. GCRD is committed to ensuring transparency in the decisionmaking process and objective assessment of major development proposals. Granted Walmart is the worlds largest employer and an example of big box retail stores, but did you know that Guilfords Walmart is the smallest in the country and that at 84,000 square feet it is not even in the big box league? If all the Costco assessment went to reducing our property taxes (an unlikely event), we would see a reduction of only $3 for every $1,000 we pay in property taxes. July 9, 2023 at 10:35 a.m . It is probably no coincidence that in all the towns in Connecticut with big-box discount clubs, tax rates are far higher than Guilfords. I am worried that Guilford residents are being bamboozled by Costco. Philip Maltese The traffic problem will be exacerbated using exits 58 and 59. To help keep readers updated on the latest local news, we offer the In Business feature. Costco and its developers claim that a store in Guilford would generate $500,000 in tax revenue. And there is another statement that should be important: Makes a net positive contribution to town budget. Any revenues should far outweigh expenditures for police, fire, emergency, and road services provided by the town and take into account the possible fall in private home purchases, tourist visits, small business contributions to the town coffers and the impact on air and roads of thousands of cars and trucks that could defile our town. Even in these difficult economic times, we should be thinking of each other. Traffic on the Post Road, Durham Road, Long Hill Road, and all around Exit 57 would increase substantially. Please email your submissions to Courier Editor Doug Fitzgerald at [email . Westbrook's Memorial Day Parade is back on May 29. Zip06.com - News From Your Connecticut Shoreline Hometown Newspaper Letters to the Editor | Idaho Statesman Local businesses would probably be hurt. Attempting to drive down an already congested Route 1 on a Saturday or Sunday, when hundreds of out-of-town cars are en route to the Rockpile, will be a nightmare. Linda Lancz Guilford is a unique town with mostly locally owned and operated businesses that comprise much of the tax base. 3. It is clear that Costco expects to draw gas guzzlers off I-95 and from towns north of Guilford too. Reset Password. Friday, October 15, 2010, Shoreline Times. It is a town whose major roadways are two lanes only, where old stone walls and big red barns can still be found. We reserve the right to edit for length or clarity and of course the right to reject or accept. And even if that should happen, so what? Advertising Rates Contact Us. I dont think that the Planning & Zoning Commission should lightly disregard the spirit of this document. The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling barring the consideration of race in admissions has . The Guilford Commons proposal did not include a filling station, which would greatly add to the difficulty of preventing environmental damage to those waterways. A Matter of Privacy, Costco would be a danger for Guilford in several ways: It would jeopardize important smaller stores, such as the Guilford Food Center, Fortes, Foodworks, and Bishops. Aesthetics and economics are not mutually exclusive. : Letters By Letters to the Editor. Hold These Principles Close, One of Guilfords town departments is Economic Development and Tourism, which, among its many duties, seeks appropriate economic development. That department is supported in its work by the volunteer citizens Economic Development Commission, which is charged to conduct research into the economic conditions and trends in the town and to make recommendations to appropriate town officials and agencies regarding action to improve the towns economic condition and development., Two statements seem to set important principles that should guide economic development: Seeking businesses that preserve the towns distinctive character while adding to the economic base and Protects Guilfords character as a small, residential seashore town.. She has no concern with the welfare of Guilford, which many Guilford citizens are working to protect and enhance. Or should we stay an unusual, interesting place? Is it socially responsible for Costco to threaten our town and the many small businesses we now enjoy? The Times Community Newsgroup, our . Most townspeople are overwhelmed with just earning a living and dealing with the complications of everyday life to let their voices be heard or attend endless hearings that are and should be unnecessary. Hopefully members of the Planning & Zoning Commission will not fall for such fallacies and will reject the Costco request for zoning amendments because one zone change can lead to another. Not a Big Box Town. No need to drive a short distance to find the stores we know from everywhere else weve lived or visited. Those favoring continued, endless development that will ruin our town always present the populace with what constitutes blackmail. Is this an example of Costcos claims of transparency? We have the honor, the pleasure of living in Guilford, one of those special towns that is different and unique. It All Comes Down to This, I have been following the debate over the Costco application closely and I feel it is important for you to hear from as many Guilford residents as possible about this important issue. Theyre touting how community friendly Costco is, but reality is, they are a publicly traded company and Wall Street speaks louder than Main Street. Obviously Costco thinks it sells good products; otherwise why be in business? Put simply, this suggests that a 150,000 square foot Costco would cost the town $70,200 annually. It has a sense of place. We could easily make Guilford look like hundreds, thousands of other places, by lining up the same stores that we find everywhere else in the country. Guilford should not be short-sighted the economy will bounce back. Someone who argues that Walmart has had no impact on the town is likely to argue in the future that Costco had no impact and therefore the big box du jour should be allowed an exception as well. Is the town willing to take the risk of losing numerous small locally run businesses by pandering to the wishes of one large corporate entity, all for the sake of a $500,000 increase in the tax base? Elgin Courier-News Opinion - Chicago Tribune Costco of No Help to Guilford, Costo wont help Guilford. The town appeared in a distant woods every 100 years. The Courier | Opinion | Letter to the Editor The experts are saying that our grocers and hardware stores will go out of business. In 1999, townspeople decided that big box warehouses did not belong there. The current size limits for stores on the Rock Pile were approved in 2002 after many hours of citizen deliberation, input from experts in several professional fields, public forums and public hearings. Before this carrot is accepted, it should be seriously examined for its blemishes and possible rot. Published By Shore. I have that same feeling when I meander through the streets of Guilford, up Route 1 toward the holiday shop, at the top of the hill. 69F. As a 15 year advertising veteran, I know that throwing money into advertising all at once and getting your skewed opinion out there louder than the competition can really make an impact short term. Guilford, Letter: Costco needs us more than we need it If youre in Maine or California, Michigan or Texas, you already know which aisle to look in, since the store is identical to the one you have near home in Connecticut. A responsible public servant would ascertain the majority opinion first, through another formal survey if need be, before allowing consideration of a development which so blatantly violates our current zoning law. Top 5 Highlights of the 2019-20 season: Van Buren Black Knights. The writer quoted people against the build on the first page and expanded on the persons view and then quoted someone for the build buried deep within the article, almost as an afterthought. Since ours is one of the lowest mill rates in Connecticut, we can expect that after a few years of depreciation the net tax received will be on the lower side of the range, more like $300,000 -not really that much. Letters must be 300 words or fewer and are published at the discretion of the editor; all submissions will be edited. Letters to the Editor - Los Angeles Times Letters to the Editor - The New York Times Guilford will become Anyplace, USA, Sprawlsville. Say goodbye to Guilfords local businesses. Do we really want such eye sores along Guilfords main route? Links to important sources of information such as national studies, local articles, and reports from reliable sources are available. We accept that and embrace our small shops. Consider the Costco signs. They dismiss well-founded concerns that the mammoth retailer would drive many smaller, locally owned stores out of business. We have occasion to meet many people-visitors-and gain their impressions about Guilford, both before and after they move into town. Guilford, Article published Sep 23, 2010 in the Guilford Courier Never mind an added increased risk for children, pets, bikers, runners, and walkers who enjoy the country roads that feed to Route 1. I do not think so. Costco customers will add to the traffic congestion on Route 1 and my customers will have greater difficulty getting to my store. Mr. Mazza is quoted saying But have attitudes changed because of the recession? Article published Oct 7, 2010 in the Guilford Courier We do live in extraordinary times, but that does not necessarily justify short term steps which in the longer run are likely to have a detrimental domino effect on our town. Second is my pride in my father who, 50 years ago, was one of the founders and first president of the Guilford Land Conservation Trust. Website a Work in Progress. A Level Field for the Rockpile, Costcos lobbyists, both paid and unpaid, have been doing cartwheels to show what a boon the big-box warehouse store would be for Guilfords economy. I live on Schoolside Lane, which is near exit 57, and I absolutely dread what will happen to my exit if Costco or any large store were to move in. The Post Road might have to be widened. Westbrook Memorial Day Parade May 29 By Eric O'Connell 05/16/2023 07:53 AM EST 05/16/2023 07:53 AM EST. Find people's responses to the opinions offered by our editorial board. Besides the expectable occasional surface spillage, gasoline storage tanks inevitably leak when they age. Citizens-who are customers-will feel anonymous, dehumanized. I've always found the Letters to the Editor section to be interesting, representing a good and broad perspective of what's important in the community through readers' comments. Guilford, Article published Jun 3, 2010 in the Guilford Courier. Or are we going to be astute enough to help Guilford develop in ways that enhance just how special she is? Guilford is a charming town. To save a 20 minute trip to Milford, do we really want to add another 5-10 minutes to every trip around town? What is more important, as she points out, is that Walmart serves as a precedent for further box development., Every time someone claims that Walmart didnt have any effect on the local economy, they are proving the claim that an exception to zoning regulations now can lead to exceptions in the future. Residents First and Foremost, Im concerned that we may find ourselves with Costco or any big-box store as part of our town. Letter to the Editor | Detroit Free Press Penny Colby Also, it tracks us and what we buy through spy chips on goods. Only One Question. Im willing to let [the developer] go through the process and let the people have their say.. In addition, an enormous number of delivery trucks, gasoline tankers, and 18-wheel delivery trucks will supply Costcos warehouse. Bear my thoughts in mind. The huge parking lots of the big box stores increased the towns crime rates and were a favorite place for young people to obtain illegal drugs. There are plenty of other places Costco could move to increase their business (like North Haven) without ruining the small town charm of Guilford. The Guilford Courier provides superior, hyper-local news coverage delivered to every home and business every week. Instead I chose beautiful Guilford as the place I wanted to live, hopefully for the rest of my life. Guilford, Article published Aug 19, 2010 in the Guilford Courier To the Editor: The basic flaw in Ms. Merins article (last weeks ShoreLine Times) is the assumption that change or progress is always change or actual progress for the good. Letters with negative content are not accepted for the two issues preceding the elections to allow for candidate rebuttal. We dont need Costco; it needs us and what it offers cannot repay us for risking our future. At an average real estate tax of $6,000 in Guilford, this would result in average savings for property owners of only $36 per year. In its request for changes to the Zoning Code, Costco has rewritten that section, increasing the size of a wall sign from 1 to 1.5 square feet per lineal foot of the length of a wall. Instead of the lower taxes promised tax rates increased as additional town services were required for police and fire protection, sewage and solid waste disposal, and road widening. The common understanding of big box stores is that they are at least 100,000 square feet in size and may be as large as 300,000 square feet. Letters to the Editor Search letters The 'Ethic of Life' in the Political Arena Responses to an essay by Tish Harrison Warren. I am very concerned with the articles I have been reading in the Courier lately. Lets keep Guilford the place we know and love and not turn it into Anywhere, U.S.A. 1 in Guilford. 1. Guilford, Nona Bloomer hits the nail on the head with her letter lamenting how Walmart has already hurt the quality of local business establishments (Dont Forget Damage Already Done, Sept. 2). East Haven Letters - Zip06.com - Shore Publishing They should refer to an . Allowing one big box store by special permit is the slide to more big box stores in Guilford and there goes the Guilford as we hoped it would continue to be. For this to occur, FoodWorks was forced out of the town center into a peripheral location. If I feel the need to go to one of those stores, I will gladly drive the 20 minutes to get to them. All across American small towns and their Main Street economies are destroyed when a single big box store moves in and start the well documented, escalating domino effect. This will impact area businesses that distribute paper goods, food provisions, industrial supplies, and the like. Karen Scott How to write a Letter to the Editor - Keith Siau, Emad El-Omar, 2020