Shoppers Drug has to fit in with King City

Is it just me, or are others detecting a certain laissezfaire attitude in King's planning department regarding the proposed Shopper's Drug Mart in King City?

Planning Director Stephen Kitchen stated the property is not a historical site. I beg to differ. King City and King Township are very historical communities in Ontario. Here is a oncein a-lifetime chance for our community and Shoppers to celebrate the historical and architectural heritage of King City's main street.

Obviously, Shoppers is ready to make a big investment and hope to reap great rewards for itself and its pharmacist-owner operator. It seems like they need and want us. So let's make sure we get what we need and want: a building that looks like it belongs and makes us feel good.

I recently viewed Shoppers stores in Oak Ridges, Aurora, Maple, Richmond Hill, Markham and Unionville, some of which King resident, Fiona Cowles said: ". . . reflect the surrounding development." She is being polite and too generous. In my opinion, these stores fall far short of that achievement. The Maple store is awash in huge main-street windows that are totally blacked-out (in the way of xxx-rated adult video stores) - very unappealing and uninviting. It pays lip-service to Maple's architectural heritage. Compared to the diagonally-adjacent, old Beaverbrook House at Maple's four-corners, it jars one's senses with its lack of detail and creativity. It is a bricks and mortar, minimalist, cookie-cutter short-cut. Stores in the other towns are similarly uninspired and sterile. God forbid this is what we end up with in King City.

Come the site plan stage, planners and politicians must dig in their feet and demand something that pleases us - not just Shoppers Drug Mart. Hold Shoppers' feet to the fire. It's just a few more design and construction dollars for them, but it's a cultural legacy for the rest of us.

Barry Wallace,

King City