Hopkinton Residents Fight To Keep CVS Out Of Downtown
HOPKINTON (CBS) – A group of residents in Hopkinton are taking on the drug store giant CVS and its plans to move into a building downtown.
After locally-owned Colella's Supermarket closed earlier this year, many in town wondered what business would move into that space just down the street from the Boston Marathon starting line.
When it was announced that developer Crosspoint was granted a permit in June to build a new CVS there, a movement began to keep the drug store chain out.
One of the "No CVS in Hopkinton" organizers, Emily Struzik, said that among their concerns is the potential loss of another local business, Hopkinton Drug, which is directly across the street.
"Hopkinton Drug is a beloved institution in Hopkinton. They've been here, I think, since 1954. People get all sorts of things there besides their prescriptions. It's a great little store and, I think, when we heard CVS was going in, we just saw our downtown further deteriorating," she told WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
Struzik and a few others started a change.org petition that has so far gathered 2,800 signatures to try to keep CVS out.
"The 'no CVS' group is not anti-business, but we really think that is not the right location for a CVS," she said.
"We are just looking for the core downtown district, we just are really trying to preserve the character of it and make a walkable, vibrant downtown."
The town's planning board had no issues when the building permit was issued to the developers, Crosspoint Associates, to begin remodeling the site.
But, the zoning board of appeals will hear the protesters' complaints next month.
The developer, meantime, is going forward with the remodeling.
"Crosspoint Associates maintains they have found a great community-focused tenant for downtown Hopkinton, Lisa Nickerson, a spokesperson for Crosspoint Associates, told WBZ in an e-mailed statement.
"CVS is a well-regarded neighbor in many beautiful, quaint towns across America. We have received tremendous support from residents and businesses in Hopkinton who are looking forward to the opening of CVS. And, already Crosspoint and CVS are both supporting Hopkinton as sponsors of the Hopkinton 300th Anniversary Celebration in addition to other community requests such as offering the parking lot for public parking whereas other retail establishments do not," Nickerson said.
"Furthermore, it's important to note: As a retail establishment in Hopkinton's business district, the CVS is an as-of-right use under the town's zoning bylaws. That is why the use is fully supported by Town Counsel and the Building Inspector has issued building permits allowing the project to go forward."
Crosspoint said it looked at a variety of vendors before settling on CVS.
Strukis still hopes something local will fill the old Colella's space.
"Restaurants would have been welcome. I think we're actually starting really to look at a different kind of marketplace that had different kind of vendors," she said.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports
