I hope Blogger Michael Molovinsky won't mind me sharing a telephone conversation I had with him yesterday. If he does, it won't be the first time I pissed him off. But ne called it. He predicted exactly what would happen at last night's Allentown Zoning hearing on Rite-Aid's request for a drive-thru pharmacy on 7th Street. The matter was continued, exactly as he said.
Because I was at Northampton County Council, I was unable to attend. But WFMZ-TV's affable Will Lewis reports that the drug giant, seeing the opposition, sought a delay. Rite-Aid might very well change its designs to make their pharmacy more pedestrian friendly.
Updated 12:21 PM: There are also accounts in The Morning Call and a new face in town, The Express Times.
5 comments:
Oh thank God!
Allentown Democrat Voter
Bernie
Please explain: Is this Rite Aid site only going to be a drive-in? No more walk in shopping?
It would be like your typical pharmacy. You could walk in or use a drive-in. In an urban neighborhood, it might not be a good fit with that design.
I have been meaning to ask Molovinsky a question ...
Since when do urbanites have a problem with drive-bys, er, uh, drive-ins?
Schoenes Wochenende zu dir, Herr O'Hare.
It appears that Rite Aid actually will be reasonable in this. From what we can gather, King Ed and Queen Hailstone simply told Rite Aid to design whatever they want and they'll get permission to build it. It was a way of buying them off to vacate Hamilton St. What King Ed didn't bank on was a community having some nerve to say "no." Rite Aid was simply doing what King Ed suggested. Now, King Ed's supporters in the neighborhood are finding out and it doesn't look like they appreciate it. In the end, Rite Aid will probably compromise in keeping the existing building or constructing an appropriate new building, but will ask for permission to do signs that are not normally permitted in this district. B/c they are doing the right thing with the building, they will probably get the thumbs up on the signage.
In the mean time, b/c Rite Aid isn't going anywhere until they have their new space secured, the arena project just got delayed. King Ed gambled on trying to be slick and quick. All he got was chaffed.
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