Dear editor,

The proposed CVS development for Mattapoisett is not a positive step for our community.

A 13,000-square-foot building would dominate the Route 6 corridor and change the aesthetic landscape of Mattapoisett forever.

In addition, there are 10 retail pharmacy outlets available in the area. This level of saturation begs the question of what happens if this site doesn’t prove profitable.

The town will be left with an empty, big box in one of its most visible locations.
CVS/Caremark has 7,200 stores and $96 billion in revenues. The idea that it will make a significant effort to produce a store reflecting the unique character of Mattapoisett is questionable.

More likely, the chain’s designers will “interpret” the architectural vernacular resulting in a big box store with a pseudo-colonial façade. This is the usual course of action.

The elimination of affordable housing on the corner of North Street and County Road must also be considered. The removal of such housing would reduce the diversity of housing available in the town, which impacts negatively on the community.

And as the Planning Board recently noted, traffic on what is already a busy corner and a residential abutting area is a concern.

The suburban sprawl we see in Fairhaven and Dartmouth did not happen overnight. It was a step-by-step progression.

The town must be vigilant. A 13,000-square-foot chain store at the busiest intersection would be significant a step towards that type of sprawl.

This project simply does not provide significant value to Mattapoisett. It should not be built.

Thank you,
John A. Theriault, Mattapoisett