Counters on Central Ave at Vernon?

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

Yesterday there were two women with clipboard 'counting' on the corners of Central + Vernon (I asked them what they were doing and that's what they said: 'counting". They weren't very friendly). Anyone know what's up with that? It's a fast street but that would be a stupid location for a traffic light.

Comments

[marmota.livejournal.com]

If you see them again, I suggest asking if they're with the city or
town. It's possible they're part of some sort of nosy "neighborhood
committee" trying to get statistics to push whatever their pet agenda
is (more one way side streets, changing onstreet parking rules, and so
on). Feel free to call it in and get them busted for loitering if they
aren't official.

[ron_newman]

It's more likely that they are employees of a private contractor hired by a developer to study traffic near a proposed development. Could be Maxpak, could be some other development we haven't heard of. Such traffic studies are often required before a city grants a permit.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

Sorry, meant city or state, not town. Ok, that would be even more
reason to run them off, so we don't end up with any more atrocities
like that new health club/drug store building that utterly fails to
fit the architectural style of the rest of the Square.

[ron_newman]

If the city requires them to do a traffic study, I think it would be rude to harass the people who are conducting it. And while I'm not a huge fan of the new One Davis Square, it does match the adjoining Somerville Theatre-Hobbs Building in height and general size.

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

I think for what it is they did a decent job of fitting in with the architecture. My main gripe is that the street level will be dead visually. While there are windows, if they do it like the CVS in Porter then the windows are basically dead displays. Same for the windows on the side street (Post office side).


My other gripe is that CVS should really have been forced to tone down there signage- there are 4 separate signs Do they really need to have more than "CVS" out there? AND - do they need to use different typography for each of the signs? Ugh

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

CVS "windows" drive me crazy. And having the store entrance on the corner, instead of in the middle of the block, is also not so great.

[ron_newman]

They need "CVS" and "pharmacy" ,but the others could and probably should go away.

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

>Feel free to call it in and get them busted for loitering if they
aren't official.

God forbid anyone pay attention to what's going on on the streets who isn't official. Next thing you know, people will be holding conversations on the sidewalk, discussing affairs of state that are none of the little people's business.

Fortunately, a series of Supreme Court decisions long since declared loitering laws unconstitutionally vague.

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

I say, if they aren't wearing jackboots and badges, let 'em have it! Damn agenda pushers, what with their counting and standing about, prepping to commit architectural atrocities on our city. It's un-American!