Wegmans is confused. It's getting its suburban, Big Box store concept mixed up with what worked for the East Avenue-Winton Road commercial area in the past - which was a variety of small, personal, intimate businesses that encouraged foot traffic, not car traffic.

Some time ago, when Wegmans set up business in the city, it was a well run, modest sized, grocery chain and a welcome addition to the neighborhoods. Then, with a management change, came the Big Box concept, which resulted in Wegmans abandoning the very city neighborhoods it had grown from and who had come to rely on its fine services.

The East and Winton commercial area has seen a marked deterioration in recent years as Wegmans started buying properties. Seven businesses closed and the historic buildings of Old Brighton were left vacant and rotting. Surprisingly, the M&T bank, which was the newest and most expensive structure, was torn down. The area is a mess.

Even after the closure of so many businesses, there is too much traffic congestion at the East-Winton intersection. The addition of a huge new store will make this congestion much worse, probably resulting in traffic spillover into adjacent residential neighborhoods and through Cobbs Hill Park.

Wegmans' Big Box store concept for East Avenue is an inappropriate model that works against the new urbanization trend as exemplified by the success of such city areas as Park Avenue, with its small, personal, walk-to restaurants and stores. I don't expect Wegmans to just pack up and go away, but it might consider a new, urban-based business model which shares some of its space with other businesses and which builds in creativity, flexibility, and the kind of variety suitable to a vibrant city.

HUGH MITCHELL, ROCHESTER