The Smith family kicked off their PR campaign ahead of the scheduled appeal of the Planning Board approval for their Rockport hotel project on Central Street. This article in the online edition of the Village Soup provides some fresh insight into the thinking of the Smiths.
Their take on the Rockport hotel elimination of the view from Central Street, Goodridge Park and most of the West wall in the Shepherd Block is most telling. “We’re not building it here because we need to make any more money,” Stuart said. “They have two points to make in response. One is that people will still be able to enjoy the view. They can come to the hotel to see it. The public will have some access to the top floor lounge area, they said.” Plus, “They have also constructed a patio on the back of 18 Central to allow customers to enjoy the harbor from there.”
You know the deck they are talking about, this one that was built without proper review by the Planning Board.
As for the Rockport hotel itself, the one that disregards multiple provisions of the Town of Rockport Land Use Ordinance, “the vast number of people in Rockport are very much in favor of it,” Stuart said. He went on to say “They can enjoy the harbor. Great views, great parks. This is an ideal place to be.” As you now know, you need only patronize their buildings to enjoy the view, and Goodridge Park will be a whole lot less great when the view is gone.
A couple of other things you should look for in the article:
“Stuart said this was the location of the Rockport Ice Company building until about the 1970s.” The thing is we all know the Rockport Ice Company building did not adjoin the Shepherd Block. Funny, though, how they provided a photo which might make you think it did because it was taken up the hill. The photo provided by Clare Tully, on the other hand, clearly shows the large view window that was there since the Shepherd Block was built.
With respect to the Land Use Ordinance requirement that the project must be “visually harmonious with the overall appearance of neighboring structures” Tyler Smith said “Traditionally in architecture, if you’re building a new building out of brick, you try and source your brick and your clay (which the brick is made from) as close as you can. This helps it match.” So, having bricks that are pretty similar satisfies the Ordinance requirement? Never mind all those lights and balconies and wrought iron railings … just look at the bricks.