While CVS is under construction

[SRB]

Have been out of the loop on this one. Completely. I thought the CVS project had been denied, and was horrified to see the sign on the fence saying "CVS" when I passed the demolition site. What a way to maintain and improve the small-town atmosphere of our beloved Sebastopol. Nothing as charming as a big box store, right in the middle of the main intersection.

Have we lost our minds? And as to the drive-by window issue, It would be easier, cheaper and quicker to add a booth to the existing store. Extend the roofed-over area out a little in place of a couple of parking spots, and pedestrians could either walk around it, or into/through the store through some new sliding doors. Or across by the bank maybe, and scoot the prescriptions underground through a tube! Or walk them across. We have a CVS. Its fine.

The center of town is no place for a big new characterless eyesore. Build something else there. With charm, and people-friendly. This is a bad plan, and before any building actually takes place, it surely is possible to change it.

[santoshimatajaya]

feel the same way, can't believe this is happening, did not follow the sequence that led to this, yet don't understand the logic, we have a cvs and it's properly situated off the rd in a small shopping center, why a second one, and why THERE!!! love the idea of changing this possibility, that positive optimism, yet the machinery is in full gear. . . . . . .thank you tho for expressing your sentiments, not sure expressing mine is of much value, just felt like chiming in to support your heart~

Have been out of the loop on this one. Completely. I thought the CVS project had been denied, and was horrified to see...

[Roland Jacopetti]

I hope the CVS people realize how easy it is for all the inhabitants of Sebastopol and its surroundings who feel as so many do will establish an automatic boycott, not only for this eyesore of a building but for any other CVS stores anywhere they exist. That's easy. And it's a good way to test the powers of boycotting.

feel the same way, can't believe this is happening, ...

[santoshimatajaya]

i don't have anything against CVS as a store. to me it is Poor Planning to have the store located where they are building. it's not just CVS. it's the planners of the town that are allowing this. or maybe the owners of the land. i did not follow the story of its coming about, just that it is so unfitting, inappropriate, AND why do we have two CVSs??? i don't want to shop there for these reasons. i don't want to participate in THAT LOCATION, that eye and energy sore. . . . so from the info below it sounds like it was payment from cvs to the city for the location. wonder how many residents were in favor of this~ and do residents equate 'the city?'

[santoshimatajaya]

after listening to the video, appears to be all 'business deal.' so 'city' and the 'residents of sebastopol' are two different things, not necessarily representing one another. city officials, lawyers, business and money. that's not really characteristic of this rural community and its values. . . it's more typical of 'the typical'

[Barry]

after listening to the video, appears to be all 'business deal.' so 'city' and the 'residents of sebastopol' are two different things, not necessarily representing one another. city officials, lawyers, business and money. that's not really characteristic of this rural community and its values. . . it's more typical of 'the typical'

The city council tried mightily to stop this deal, but given the current (inadequate) state of our zoning and other land use regulations, CVS was permitted to proceed.

Afterwards, the city tried to formulate a formula business ordinance, that would prevent this kind of travesty, but I don't think that passed (anybody??)

[Barry]

...And now the highway is being widened to accommodate tourists coming to the Barlow. ...

From the PD:
"The 220-foot span, first built in 1921, is being replaced because of structural deficiencies, including underwater scouring and erosion in the foundation, first discovered during a 2002 inspection, Caltrans said."

The bridge is not being replaced because of The Barlow development.

[american dream]

The changes in our county are as disturbing to me as Donald Trump's ascendancy - Fortunately, Bernie continues as a strong candidate - But. locally, as CVS prepares another eyesore, as heritage trees are killed to pave Courthouse Square (like CVS, over the objections of large numbers of people), as our relatively huge homeless population continues to find nowhere to live in our overpriced neighborhoods and corporate greed seems the order of the day it's hard to not become enraged/depressed. Even here, in hip Sonoma County, it's as true as ever that taxation without representation is tyranny!

[Shepherd]

The huge traffic jams at that corner due to CVS construction are likely to continue when CVS opens. Helen Shane and others warned that such traffic would worsen if CVS located itself there. As soon as it opens, I am willing to stand outside with signs. If many of us do so, it could impact their business. Who else might be willing to show up with some signs?
Shepherd

[SRB]

Standing outside with a sign might be better before the building goes up. Like now. Get some attention and maybe questions asked. Why did the court case to sue CVS never materialise? Seems absurd to wait until it is built. The chances of getting it demolished are non-existent. Eyesore in place. Mission accomplished. People get used to it and the issue goes away. Our town goes forward uglier, more like any other boring place, and with a net loss of charm and character. Maybe we could "Occupy" the site, pending a publicly available architectural plan that would be approved by the Sebastopol citizens. That might get some attention!

[theindependenteye]

With due respect to those who're posting on this thread, the whole issue of the CVS site has been the subject of months & months of controversy, on Wacco and elsewhere. If you want to get the full messy story of who wanted the project (CVS) and who opposed it (just about all Sebastopol), go to the archives.

If this thread continues, probably desirable to change the title: demolation is started and finished.

[Changed! ~ Barry ]

Just for the sake of accuracy, I need to qualify my friend Shepherd's comment:

>>>The huge traffic jams at that corner due to CVS construction are likely to continue when CVS opens.

Driving to gym every morning through those intersections, the traffic was impossible long before the bulldozers came in: I haven't seen any difference between "horrible" and "horrible" due to CVS. What happens once it's in operation, that's another story.

-Conrad

[Sara S]

What most people don't know about CVS (which might send them to another store) is that their regular prices are very expensive; I went into their store for one item, and the price was more than twice what the same thing was at Walmart........this was a few years ago, and I haven't been back.

[Tinkerbell]

There was serious objection to this awful development and much discussion and many meetings. It is not fair to condemn city officials. On behalf of the many residents who objected to the proposed CVS plan, the city fought the new location as long as they could afford to do so. The city hired an expensive specialist law firm to fight CVS. The city won at the State court trial level, and then CVS appealed. Then the City won at the state court appeals level. Then CVS took the battle to the Federal Court in the hopes of overruling the state court. At that point, the city officials decided the city could not afford further expensive litigation, and a compromise ensued. This is a clear example of large corporate money defeating the will of the people of a small city.

I totally agree that we should boycott CVS and maybe picket it again.

It is my understanding that CVS wanted a central location where there could be a drive in window. This was not possible in their present location. I assume, though I don't know, that they will vacate that location when the new building is completed.

[Barry]

Standing outside with a sign might be better before the building goes up. Like now. Get some attention and maybe questions asked. Why did the court case to sue CVS never materialise? Seems absurd to wait until it is built. The chances of getting it demolished are non-existent. Eyesore in place. ...

I hate to say it, but stopping the project at this point, before it is completed, is not possible, IMO, short of a valid legal case. However raising community conscious about the project now to galvanize a boycott once it opens would be helpful.

I could see monthly protests while it is under construction, and then weekly protests once it opens.

I hate to say this also, it would take years for the boycott to work, if ever. Is it worth that much negativity? is there some way to make them more tolerable? Better signage? More contribution to community organizations? Free Drugs?

[celeste]

I used to have a friend whose employment consisted of discovering a fossil or an endangered species on a proposed building site and when he discovered same it would usually result in the halt of all construction . But we are probably in too deep now, I don't know. He was a paleontologist. Have not seen in over a decade .He made incredible enormous gongs . Possibly at the monastery near Ukiah with a slightly altered name - if anyone would know if there was a prayer of a chance ; it would be him. I got as far as finding a Rajdev up that way .

[rossmen]

It passed. The restrictions vary according to location. Chain restaurants and hotels are banned from the downtown core. The new roundtable probably needed a special use permit.

...Afterwards, the city tried to formulate a formula business ordinance, that would prevent this kind of travesty, but I don't think that passed (anybody??)

[Tinkerbell]

Barry, You are right, of course. I just get so furious and feel so helpless every time I drive by, especially when traffic is especially heavy. Maybe a good course of action would be to demand that CVS make a donation to Sebastopol equal to the amount of the litigation expenses. A donation to the city itself, or to affordable housing in Sebastopol?
Judy Meyer

I hate to say it, but stopping the project at this point, before it is completed, is not possible, ... is there some way to make them more tolerable? Better signage? More contribution to community organizations? Free Drugs?

[arthunter]

Sorry to be brutally honest, but it seems that "we the people" lost control of Sebastopol a long time ago ... we seem to be on the fast track to gentrification, if you could call a garish CVS in the middle of town and endless wineries and "event centers" gentrified, ... corporate big money does appear to be winning and all of our screaming and protesting isn't even touching it ... we can and will boycott, but our town will already be compromised against our wishes ...

And, I hate to say this, but it's the same for the county and possibly the country ... I spent time at the supervisors' meeting today as they tried to restrict commercial interests from buying up all of the property in scenic locations for use as vacation rentals, leaving the residents to deal with loud parties and no real neighborhoods ... geez ...

I'm out of solutions, ... not giving up but looking around the globe for "real life" again ... this is surreal ...

[celeste]

Does anyone know what haggis is but the Irish?

Funny how this thead on CVS morphed into stuff about McGarbage burgers.

I do believe someone in Scotland might have heard of haggis