Character vs progress: Litchfield struggles to find its balance in the face of change

By MICHELLE MERLIN Register Citizen Staff mmerlin@registercitizen.com

LITCHFIELD Seventeen years ago, CVS moved into Litchfield, stirring controversy among some who worried that the pharmacy, a national chain, would contribute to eroding the New England rural and historic character of the town.

CVS, of its own volition, decided the building should conform more to the towns look than its corporate look. The store exchanged its usual vinyl walls for wood clapboards and created a sign that looks carved out of wood.

Earlier this summer, Village Green developer Mark Greenberg, in conjunction with Stop & Shop, proposed building one of the chains supermarkets in his plaza. The proposal was withdrawn, but is likely to reappear later this year. Although a smaller Stop & Shop already exists just down the road from the plaza at 331 West Street, the application proposed a 39,000 square feet new Stop & Shop, compared to the present 24,000 square foot store currently existing. Two buildings in the Village Green Plaza would be razed for the project and a new building would be put next to the wetlands in the back of the property.

The proposal caused concern among some residents, who worried a larger Stop & Shop would hurt the character of the town, damage local businesses and pollute the wetlands.

But back when CVS moved in, people tried to get a handle on chain stores moving in. Inspired by both the drug stores attitude and the worried reactions of some Litchfield citizens, a handful of residents got approval to form the towns Design Review Advisory Committee, a body that can make recommendations about the aesthetics of new buildings in town.

What were looking for is a design that works and has the look of its surroundings but is also practical, said committee chair Jeff Savage.

The committee makes recommendations about color, style, parking and signage. Its thanks to this committee that the Dunkin Donuts has mullion windows (windows divided decoratively) and the signs outside the Litchfield Commons are color-coded to correspond with each business building.

But the committee only has advisory power and concerns about chains moving on to Litchfields New England land remain. Some also fear chain stores will threaten local businesses that have already established themselves.

A group has organized to protest the expansion of Stop & Shop into a new building so close to the wetlands behind the Village Green Plaza. PLAN (Protect Litchfield Action Network)s members range from people who worry about the new stores potential effect on the environment to those who worry that a larger grocery store will hurt local businesses and destroy the quaint character of Litchfield.

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Character vs progress: Litchfield struggles to find its balance in the face of change