BERLIN – Town officials delayed approval of plans for an Auto Zone on Route 50 to give the developer time to improve the appearance of the store.
The Berlin Planning Commission tabled a decision regarding a site plan for an Auto Zone near the intersection of Route 50 and Seahawk Road. Commission members asked developers to soften the design of the store, which as proposed looks like the majority of Auto Zone locations.
“It doesn’t have to look like a Frankenstein to attract your business,” commission member Pete Cosby said. “I just think that us bending over to corporate logos and corporate designs is not good practice for Berlin. We’ve got something special going on and we want to keep it that way.”
Applicant Kevin Murphy told the commission Auto Zone was planning to tear down the old McDonalds on the site and build a new store. The design he presented represented the classic Auto Zone store.
Because Government knows what’s best for Auto Zone. Everyone knows that having a nationally recognized brans and logo never works. Making this auto Zone store the same lean, efficient marketable and employee, customer friendly design that has pushed them into billions of dollars in profits which pays millions of dollars to the tax base is a horrific idea.
WTH is Auto one thinking???
I got a laugh out of “commission member” Pete Cosby’s ludicrous statements. What in the world, does he own Advanced Auto nearly next door? I don’t know any parties in this debate or any dog in the show. Just found it funny we have two of these stores on business 13 in Salisbury that I have used for years and never noticed anything awful appearance wise. I realize Berlin is a neat unique place downtown, but this has nothing to do with downtown. A visitor going to O. C. wouldn’t even know they were traveling through Berlin. Does this Cosby dude think the new building would not look as nice as the auto store yards away? He should be tickled someone is willing to remove that nasty building that the fast food occupied. Talk about unsightly, how long has it remained there. Has Cosby noticed the old super market structure that Harley Davidson abandoned years ago. Sorry, just my humble opinion. Good luck Auto Zone, I may visit you I’m sure, I was at the Berlin Advanced last night and live in Salisbury.