Proceed with .....

I don't want to bite the hand that sends readers my way (and we're talking a jump of more than 600%!!) But did the Daily News editorial page really have to repeat itself in Tuesday's editorial?

Port ban on chainstores needs close look

It is easy to understand the thinking behind the current push to ban any more chain stores in Newburyport's downtown.

Many in Newburyport don't want its unique downtown character to become a collection of national outlets that looks like every shopping center in the country. That may become especially critical in the near future if the development of Waterside West, between the Black Cow and Michael's Harborside restaurants, proceeds.

That said, city officials would do well to proceed with caution on a proposed ordinance from Buy Local, submitted to the City Council in April, that would ban any new "formula" retail outlets and strictly limit any expansion of the chain outlets that are here.

The editorial sounded familiar. So I set my Way Back machine to April 16, 2007.......Annnnnnnnnnd

Chain store ban needs careful consideration

The war on chain stores in downtown Newburyport is about to be launched, with a four-page proposed ordinance now before the City Council.

But before councilors embrace the concept that the city needs a major ordinance to keep the local business district frozen in "unique, historic" time, they should remind themselves to proceed with caution. Big social, or economic, engineering efforts like this tend to have unintended consequences.

Since the city didn't adopt anything in the five months in between, caution apparently has won the day.

I guess some things just bear repeating.

For the record, I agree with the Daily News--both times. I applaud those folks are take such an active interest in preserving the downtown, but I don't think a few chainstores would hurt. I see Portsmouth, NH as a success story, not a failure.

I particularly agree with the ending to the News editorial--the second one.

The bigger issue here is what exactly Mr. Karp intends to do with his controlling chunk of Newburyport. He is the city's largest landowner, and it's clear that its future direction lies in his hands. Wouldn't it be nice if he were to come before Newburyporters in a public forum, introduce himself, and explain what it is that he wants to do? We hope that he will do so.

Perhaps that would begin to alleviate the well-founded fears for the downtown's future, and give us all more information to act on.

It would be nice. And if he didn't want to take the time to make a trip up here. He's welcome to introduce himself to the now dozens of Newburyport Posts readers (at least as of yesterday.)