"Doesn't design matter?" (Urban Journal, July 14). Not really.

What does matter is comfort, convenience, safety. The present store isn't "intimate." It's just plain crowded. The parking lot isn't merely "zooey." It's downright dangerous.

The editor's attitude is typical of a short-sighted and conservative mindset which has plagued this community. It's a wonder that anything gets built!

Examples:

1) Eastview Mall. When the location was proposed, Perinton neighbors had fits. "Too much traffic on Route 96!" they cried. What happened? The mall did get built, but in Ontario County, not Monroe. Now Perinton has the traffic - but none of the tax benefits.

2) An abandoned factory on the canal near the Village of Pittsford is being considered for housing and businesses. But Pittsford residents don't seem to wish to enhance a now-ugly area, and are fighting the developer.

Those "architecturally important buildings" on East Avenue, adjacent to Wegmans, look sad and derelict. A "brick wall" would be an improvement, even a "long brick wall."

If Wegmans closed the East Avenue store, I wouldn't blame them. But even the editor admits that a closing would have "a serious impact on nearby businesses."

Isn't this more crucial than a pretty exterior and a bigger store?

JANET K. PATLOW, BRIGHTON