Should the vacant Dee Bus Service lot be redeveloped?

This winter I was running through the lot, and slipped and got a chunk of tile embedded in my knee. I had to be taken to the Emergency Room and got several stitches. I really, really believe that it should be redeveloped, for the sake of the community.

Sorry for your injury Wes, but developing the lot is no guarantee that you might injure yourself again next time around.
What should really happen is that the town insists that the owner deliver on the 50 orders he has against him and clean up the site.

I agree with Hany. Perhaps 'redeveloped' is not the best definition; the site just needs to be cleaned up. The corner of Cottage and Main is horribly congested during commuter hours. The light will cycle several times before you can get through it ... the train may come and then congestion is worse. Even getting in and out of Dunkin Donuts a block down - with parking in the back of the building (!) can be tricky. In addition to traffic flow concerns, what also concerns me is what will replace the less than stellar structure that WAS there? What did burn down was (unfortunately and in my opinion) an eyesore. The new plan, as I understand it, is to build something twice the size of what was there and double the parking spaces (folks, think Starbucks on Sudbury St. x 3 + buses!). Let's work together to either buy this piece and keep it green (and clean), OR let's at least limit the impact of that corner on all of us and consider something that supports the ideals of the development (redevelopment) of West Concord.

Yes, the poll wording is misleading. Re-developed is one thing...a building with almost three times the capacity is another. And double the parking !

Let's use this chance to make a welcoming addition to our lovely West Concord center ! We have a new Task Force to advise the town. Let's work together to clean up the lot, have access to the Assabet River and avoid making the traffic any worse than it is.

If the town can not buy it for a park then the redevelopment should fit with the neighborhood. The traffic is a huge problem before any redevelopment. Running on someones private property should be avoided as a common sense issue.

I agree that the site should be redeveloped, but with strict guidelines regarding the size and use of the building and limiting the number of parking spaces.
Regardless there should be NO EXIT onto Cottage Street. The traffic is already difficult here on this road filled with houses with young families.
Let's remove the eyesore left behind and get something rebuilt with care and concern for the neighborhood.

The Dee site is an eyesore and has been since the fire, with no atempt whatsoever on the owner's part to clean up the borken glass and other debris. If what is meant by "redeveloping" means creating another unattractive and oversized building with parking for twice the number of cars as previously, and with vehicles exiting onto a narrow residential street that is already a traffic nightmare during rush hours and when trains arrive and depart, then the answer is a definite no. I too would like to propose that the property be purchased, ideally by the town, and developed as a welcoming entry to West Concord Village. West Concord deserves to be protected, not destroyed.

The lot should be redeveloped. The buses that was the biggest concern will be gone and it can be done were everybody is happy and the people that lost there lively hood ( Dino's and possibly the nail salon ) can get it back.
When people start talking about making it a park or greenary think of the impact that it would make on a family that invested not just money but the hard work that was put in to make it a nice clean place to go eat.

I am all for family businesses and support them in town when I can, but I must confess that, in my 12 years of living only a block away, we went to Dino's only once. My mistake I am sure, but this town is overrun with pizza options and nail salon facilities. Also, a fire is a tragedy for anyone, especially a small business owner, but I am surprised if - in the two years since the fire - the business owners from the former Dee corner have not reinvested elsewhere. Also, I did not realize the buses would not return to this site. Is that a guarantee? Where are they now? Any clarification would be helpful.

Catherine. I wish you had visited more and hopefully if it gets rebuilt you will. If it were possible to reinvest somewhere else it would of happened but there were alot of circumstances that didn't allow it to happen. If you would like to find out you can go to the meetings at town hall I will be there(Steve owner of Dino's). Also the buses are will not be returning to the site. The plans that are submitted to the town show that.

The town should not feel obligated to maximize Dee Bus' profit by allowing numerous variances to expand and create more traffic. Dee Bus already has taken advantage of us by letting numerous violations go on for years. Why doesn't the IPOD request a proposal from Dee Bus for redevelopment that doesn't require variences and improves the neighborhood of surrounding businesses and homes, not damages it. I think the neighbors support redeveloping (although a park would be nice), but it should be in a positive direction.

There is no need to exit onto Cottage Street, exiting onto Main St was not a big problem with the old Dinos (and we went there all the time) - why would we dump more traffic onto smaller roads when the site has access to route 62? Traffic on Cottage backs up and frustrated commuters already race down Crest St, an even smaller narrow street, to go around it.