Drugstores: A Success Story at the Corner of Union and Market
MassachusettsThe Threat
In early 1999, a proposal for a new Walgreens pharmacy threatened two buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located at the corner of Union and Market Streets in Rockland, Massachusetts, the Jenkins Lane House and the Richmond Lane House are the cornerstones of the historic district. The former is a Greek Revival mansion built in 1840 by a prominent shoe manufacturer (and former state legislator), while the latter home was built in the Second Empire style in 1874. Demolishing or relocating either of these structures, as suggested in the site plan, would have jeopardized the status of the National Register Historic District as a whole and seriously detracted from the neighborhood’s character.
The Preservation Effort
In February of 1999, nearly 200 hundred residents turned out for the Rockland Zoning Board Meeting where a special permit application that would have allowed a 15,000 square foot Walgreens drugstore and 56 car parking lot was unanimously rejected. Many of these citizens represented an ad-hoc committee that grew out of concern for the future of the neighborhood. The National Trust became involved in the project by sharing national drugstore development trends occurring throughout the country and by providing technical assistance to the community.
Despite the rejection of the special permit, the developer argued that the drugstore fit within the guidelines of a “neighborhood convenience store” in the residential zone, and pointed to existing commercial uses that were grandfathered into the current zoning. Despite this claim, the application was denied on the grounds that the use was not in harmony with the intent of the zoning bylaws and would denigrate the historic district. The zoning board also pointed to issues of noise, glare, and traffic concerns that would most certainly accompany the store’s construction.
Following the decision, the case remained active for several months. This changed in the summer of 1999; Richard Moe, President of the National Trust, appeared on NBC’s Today show to discuss the placement of the “corner of main and main” on the National Trust’s 1999 list of 11 Most Endangered Sites; President Moe cited the Rockland case as a key example of the larger national trend. The developer withdrew the proposal soon thereafter.
The Result
The events in Rockland demonstrate the impact the National Trust can have when working in partnership with grassroots organizations early in a drugstore proposal and with strong zoning laws in addressing commercial development. The Trust’s involvement in helping to save these historic homes grew out of the strong preservation effort and commitment initiated by local residents. Immediately following the developer’s decision to drop the proposal, local City Council members re-examined the case and removed the loophole for convenience stores in the zoning bylaws for this neighborhood.
For more information contact:
John Burrows
P.O. Box 522
Rockland, MA 02370
781-982-1812
http://www.burrows.com/drugstore.html
