Boring chain coming to Powderhouse Circle

[ron_newman]

from the Planning Board agenda for December 2, received in my e-mail:

860 Broadway (Case #ZBA 2010-73) Applicant Chobert, LLC and Owner Charles Kostopoulos seeks a special permit under §4.5.1 to change a non-conforming use (a frozen yogurt parlor) to another non- conforming use (Restaurant, fast food §7.11.10.2.1.a) for a Subway sandwich shop. RB zone. Ward 6.

This is the former Spün yogurt shop.

Comments

[inahandbasket]

ugh.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

I never been to spün. If this near the rotary?

[ifotismeni]

yea right off of it.

[ron_newman]

Yes, a couple doors down Broadway from the Dunkin Donuts convenience store. It was closed much more than it was open, leading to endless repeating discussion threads on davis_square (check the "powderhouse" tag)

[dougo.livejournal.com]

Sometimes boring is better than the alternatives.

[blinkidybah.livejournal.com]

At least Subway will have regular hours.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

Wow Spün never got its own tag? It has had probably as many posts as the yelling guy!

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's as useless to me as Spün was.

I'd rather see something with more local roots, but..

[mrsdollylevi.livejournal.com]

at least rent will be paid and people will be employed

[eclectician.livejournal.com]

Bleargh. But I agree with mrsdollylevi.

The problem, though, with boring chains, is that they're damn sticky. Once turned into a subway, this is going to stay a subway for a while, denying the space to something more interesting.

[ron_newman]

Although I remember when what is now Taipei Tokyo, across from the Somerville Theatre, was a Subway. It closed, and was eventually replaced by China Sun (the restaurant before the current Taipei Tokyo).

[trtls.livejournal.com]

It's generally true, but Subway is a franchise and bad business people are everywhere, so there's that. Also, given it's in a driveby location for me, I'm only going to stop if there is a spot right on Broadway which could get fewer and fewer now with people popping in to DD and Subway.

who do we talk to about this?

[tealegirle.livejournal.com]

Not at all pleased with this chain-invasion (regardless of stickiness, reliability, whatever). Who do we talk to about this, or is it a done deal already?

Re: who do we talk to about this?

[ron_newman]

You can go to the Planning Board hearing on December 2, 6 pm at Somerville High School auditorium.

EDIT: You can also go to this tomorrow evening at 5.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

What's boring about $5 footlongs? They are cheap, pretty tasty and the bread is fresh baked.

Re: I'd rather see something with more local roots, but..

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

I agree. I will bet $20 to anyone's favorite charity that this place will do a crapload more business than the yogurt shop did. I don't think gentrification is so bad.

Re: I'd rather see something with more local roots, but..

[ron_newman]

Of course it will do more business, because it will actually be open.

But how is Subway a sign of gentrification?

Re: I'd rather see something with more local roots, but..

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not sure that Subway is "gentrification" compared to a fancy yogurt shop--seems like the reverse, if anything--but I agree that any business which will actually be open and provide goods or services at agreed-upon hours is going to be a step up.

Re: who do we talk to about this?

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

You can go to the planning board meeting and share your opinion of there being too many chains or whatever, but I don't think that that's likely to affect the board's decision about awarding or not awarding the non-conforming use permit.

Generally, if one food purveyor has gotten a non-conforming use permit, the only thing that would make a successor unlikely to get it would be specific complaints from the abutters about how their enjoyment-of-property rights were infringed by the previous food purveyor.

If there aren't any rubrics in place about managing the ratios of individual businesses vs. chains, it's highly unlikely that the board would be likely to address it as a factor.

[frankmcs.livejournal.com]

With all the great Sub Shops that are around it amazes me that another Subway can make money here.

[overstim.livejournal.com]

Oh no! I wanted another place that sells vegan wraps for $11 and closes at 5pm.

Planning Board Attendance

[francescadavis.livejournal.com]

There is value in attending the planning board meeting regardless of whether or not you like Subway. There are things to consider like trash blowing around the neighborhood, what sort of sign are they going to put up, etc. What is the owner's plan for the management of garbage?

When McDonalds and DD came to Davis there was much discussion and while I don't like either establishment, both owners have kept their promises to the neighborhood.

Subway is not gentrification, it is a chain that, with DD, contributes to making the area...just like everywhere else. And that's too bad. Hopefully Tu Y Yo, Toni and Ana's, Yoshi's etc., can hold on. Those are the businesses that provide the character to the neighborhood.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

Ron, your post title says it all. Yuck.

Re: Planning Board Attendance

[ron_newman]

and Broken Yolk!

Re: Planning Board Attendance

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I have to say, Broken Yolk has gone way downhill with the new ownership. The last two meals I had there were really really bad, which is a shame because I used to love their omelettes. A chain restaurant would be an improvement.

Re: Planning Board Attendance

[ron_newman]

I haven't been there in a few months and didn't know there was a change in ownership. When did that happen?

Re: Planning Board Attendance

[dougo.livejournal.com]

They put up a sign announcing new ownership a few months ago, I think. I don't remember exactly when.

[ron_newman]

Two years later, I decided it was time to add the froyo tag, which includes all the posts about Spün.