The North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) voted 10-1 on Monday night to oppose proposed signs for the 7-Eleven store that recently opened at 340 Hanover Street in the space formerly occupied by the White Hen Pantry.
NEWNC’s opposition may be moot because the Boston Redevelopment Authority already granted the chain store a permit for the signage last week after receiving a comment letter from the Residents’ Association. NEWRA reviewed the application last December and requested specific changes, including the removal of window signs and decals.
The 7-Eleven representatives did not show up at the December 2013 NEWNC meeting despite being on the agenda. NEWNC members brought up not only that slight, but the disruptive all-hours (and weekends) remodeling process that resulted in at least one stop work order. As for the signage, some NEWNC members questioned the acrylic material proposed favoring instead something like the carved wooden type similar to the CVS on Hanover Street.
Other concerns included the lack of a deli, proximity to another 7-11 down the block and nightime delivery problems. The latter issue was identified at the meeting by State Representative Aaron Michlewitz.
7-Eleven representatives said the store at 340 Hanover Street is currently owned by 7-11 corporate but is up for sale to be franchised. The new franchise owner could change the store’s operations, and potentially apply for extended hours and a retail alcohol license.
View the video above for the full discussion and vote at the January 13, 2014 Neighborhood Council meeting. Shown below is the proposed sign package.
I have a question please. Now that NEWNC opposed the 7-11 signage and NEWRA granted the signage, what happens? Does 7-11 not get a sign or do they?
For crying out loud, the sign is fine.
@bosguy,
I’m not saying the sign isn’t fine, I’m asking what the next step is. I want to know what the next steps are when one committee votes yes and one votes no.
Read what I wrote, it isn’t negative and maybe you don’t know the answer either, but I would like an answer from somebody that does know. Maybe a member of the NEWNC Board seeing that I voted for just about all of you.
Thanks
and I don’t believe those votes are binding, only the city has the right to force them to change their sign.
@bosguy,
That’s exactly what I wanted to know…..
Thank you!
The fact that there are two 7-11’s on Hanover isn’t 7-11’s fault. The landlord didn’t need to accept them as a tenant, correct? Legally, they can have 20 stores on Hanover if they wanted.
As for the deli, I’ve seen it written on this site that they promised to have a deli but I’ve never heard them promise that in a meeting or seen it in writing per the lease. The beef the neighborhood has really is more w/ the landlord of the building, in my eyes. They didn’t need to accept them as a tenant.
I’m not a fan of 7-11 at all…but I don’t think complaining to 7-11 about their presence in the North End is the right way to to go about it. It’s more about the owner of the building accepting them as a tenant. They need to abide by all of the rules the other businesses do but…unfortunately, like it or not, they have the right to do business here.
Why exactly would you have a beef w/the landlord? The person who owns the building wants to make money (shocking, I know, but that’s why people own investment property). He set a rent he thought was fair, 7-11 offered to pay it. That’s business. Apparently 7-11 thinks they can make money at both locations on hanover, they really aren’t doing this just to screw NE residents out of another deli. On that note, if they think there’s money to be made in having a deli at that location, believe me, they’ll have one. That’s what businesses try to do, make money! One could argue that the real beef is with North End residents for not doing more business at the old White Hen so the owner could afford the new, higher rent.
Higher rent…you nailed it.
If people in the North End have a problem with a landlord trying to make as much money as possible at that location, they should band together and buy the building.
i wonder if there a place in the world where this are 100+ 7-11’s within a few square blocks and people there complain when a second italian restaurants goes into the same area?
TRUTH – 1st off your English is horrible. Secondly THIS IS THE NORTH END, everyone, including you I think, knows that the North End is about Italian Restaurants, Cafes, and Pastry Shops. So your comment, besides being illegible, makes no sense. Glad you want to live in a neighborhood of convenience stores that are open all night and attract all kinds of filth and scum during later hours
2,3,4, or 100 7-11s, the bottom line is that they offer the same crap in all of them. while 2,3,4 or 100 italian, french, or chinese restaurants, at least they would all have different menus, different chefs & different ambiance.
Truth – You nailed it. That is funny!
I think a Cumberland farm should go on hanover st ,,,why not just think of the big cut out of david hasselfhoff shirtless on a hot summer day.. something else to complain about..
Where’s the beef?? There’s nothing in the store, and we are being fussy about the signage? The space is vacuous, and deserted a good part of the time, according to one of the staff. No English muffins; no Pepperidge Farm cookies; no deli. Most business is over the counter lottery tickets.
Too bad, and a shame to have lost Dan for this non-entity.
Couldn’t have said it better – what a shame. Waste of space!’
No English muffins??? Oh, the humanity!
Life Long North Ender,
At our NEWNC Meeting that was held Monday night, the Project Manager representing 7-11 informed our Council that they had received BRA approval for their sign proposal and had picked up their sign permit(s) that day.
-David Marx-
NEWNC
@David Marx,
Thank you so much for your answer. I just didn’t know the procedure.
Now I know.
You have my vote the next election!
Wait, so the NEWNC voted to oppose the signage to make a point because they were angry? How about you vote on the issue at hand, the signage, and not because you are mad that there are now two 7-Elevens on Hanover or because the Rep missed your first meeting. I cringed as I watched that video. I can’t believe the 7-Eleven Reps had to even listen to those absurd questions and comments from the board. This is exactly why I moved out of the North End – to get away from the ‘Life-Long’ NIMBY’s. If you want deli meat, go to Golden Goose or any of the other shops in the North End who would love your business.
I don’t know what ” NIMBY ” stands for but be assured they are not all “Life-Long”. Also, be prepared–NIMBYs exist everywhere they are inescapable lol.
“NIMBY” means Not In My Back Yard
Thank you!–and by “everywhere” I mean not just the North End!!!