Anyone who thinks a large Wegmans can't be crowded hasn't been to Pittsford Wegmans... and the storefronts behind East Ave Wegmans are ugly.

There is another design possibility, one the City supports -- as I learned when I submitted my comment. That is, for Wegman's to create a series of mini-specialty stores along East Avenue, in parallel with the same specialty departments along the interior of the store. So - bakery, deli, coffee, patisserie, green grocer, even the equivalent of the corner grocery with most-often-purchased items -- all would be available from the outside (as well as from the inside). Wegman's, I was told, doesn't want to diverge from the model it has used in all its stores, and though this is understandable as a starting point of negotiation, in the face of public desire for a new model and given Wegman's security as a market leader in this community, if they won't branch out, become creative, adaptive, responsive -- who will? I'd love to see the force of social media brought to bear here. The City of Rochester can't do it all. The public probably can. Thanks for opening the discussion.

Although I agree with the sentiments about the design concerns for any new Wegmans in the city I take umbrage with assessment of the city administration is business friendly. As a business owner on Monroe Ave seldom of a week pass without a fellow merchant telling me a new tale of woe about their relations with the city administration. Whether it is a restrictive sign law, expensive zoning regulations, or need for variations to have sensible business hours most small merchants seem to feel the present administration is down right hostile. Worse yet, they seem to overcome ever obstacle of local resistance to get national chains any variance needed to give them an unjust business advantage over the local merchants and often grant them tax incentives as well which local merchants are never granted. It seems that in the struggle between Wall St and Main St our city administration has chosen the national chains over the local business who they prefer to treat as villains.

A wonderful piece, Ms. Towler, and a story that desperately needs telling. It seems most people in Rochester are willing to settle for the new Wegmans, or are even happy that it's coming, because it is "better than what's there now." Why oh why does this community continually have such low expectations? This is a tremendous opportunity for Wegmans to demonstrate progressive design and leadership, but instead Wegmans acts with arrogance and entitlement.

I would just like to point out one small clarification regarding this statement:

"I wish the folks at City Hall would stand with the neighborhood critics and insist on changes."

Please don't place everyone at City Hall into one monolithic group. There are talented and dedicated civil servants- architects, planners, urban designers- that would love to insist on changes. This administration, however, does not always allow city staff to do their jobs without political interference. Please clarify that it is the folks of the Duffy Administration that are not likely to insist on changes, not some vague group called "the folks at City Hall."

When I received my here's-the-new-Wegmans-you-want piece in the mail my first thought was, who wants it? Most people I talk to don't. And the few that do don't find the extra 5 minutes to Pittsford that much of an inconvenience. Wegmans reminds me of Wallmart. I'm sure it gives lots of money to charities, etc., but at what cost? It seems it usually includes putting local businesses out of business.

I, too, wish they'd at least forsake the old storefronts. Sometimes I think if the Coliseum was in Rochester we'd tear it down.

I want it. Without question I want it. I shop at the East Ave Wegmans regularly -- I probably go in four or five times a week. That parking lot is a demolition derby more often than not. Too few spaces, too tight a configuration -- I'm amazed there aren't more accidents. And before the issue is raised, it has nothing to do with not wanting to walk -- I typically park way in the back by choice. The parking lot simply isn't capable of handling the volume of traffic that comes into that store. Some Sunday evenings I have to bypass going to the store at all because there are literally no spaces left.

The scenario inside the store isn't much better. The aisles are crowded with people, people's carts are colliding, people in the little scooters are blocking the way -- it is a mess. They have crammed that store to the gills. All they're trying to do is give the people that shop there some more room to breathe, and to update the place and its services. I'm sorry, I don't see a downside. The vast majority of the building that are being razed to make room for the expansion were abandoned years ago and the block was falling to pieces. We have quite enough empty buildings moldering in this town as it is.

As to Wegmans putting local businesses out of business, Wegmans IS a local business. Its competitors -- Tops, Price Rite, Aldi's, etc. -- are not.

Mary Anna Towler, you did NOT just fall off the turnip cart! Regarding design and planning:
1) Classic train station razed and replaced by temporary train station with no connection to other transport modes....for 36 years;
2) Downtown-1 block gutted for Hyatt....which cost the taxpayers millions;
3) Downtown: the block next to it gotted for Convention center....which cost the taxpayers millions per year to maintain;
4) Suburbs: Wegmans awareded millions of taxpayers' dollars to move.....100 feet.
5) Downtown: 1 residential block gutted for Bausch & Lomb, costing taxpayers millions and as a side benefit, helping to make downtoen more desolate.

I coiuld go on and on, starting with the Urban Renewal or the 60s and 70s to present day, but you get the gist and the anonynous member of City Council confirms it: They don't hear us.

The city is continually being torn down and re-built, yet one constant remains: there is no plan, from the city to the federa, level, that is working for the residents and the taxpayers, because in the end, they are one and the same.

I have seen this city re-made, and so far, what replaces does not hold a candle to what is replaced.I have spoken with and written to all levels of government.

They don't hear us and I have to ask if, like Rep. Massa, our politicians feel that the electorate doesn't know what's best for us.

They do.

What was the purpose of the "charette" held sometime ago which supposedly gave everyone in the neighborhood an opportunity to share their design ideas with Wegmans? Just guessing, but I somehow doubt that big brick wall on East Avenue was the consensus. Priscilla's idea of shops with street accessibility (see above) is brilliant and says CITY in the best way. But in Smugtown? No way!!

Has there been any proposals for Wegmans to have windows that are showcases? I would love to see local art, food displays, farming displays even. What if some of the windows were walk up? Like a ice cream and coffee window? put some tables out there and you would have a nice cafe spot.

But I do agree on the horrible traffic in the area, I hope that there is something to mitigate it.

I recently read an opinion in the City Newspaper, wherein the writer made an analogy about the store design akin to a residential neighbor wanting to put up a fence on their property line that was taller than City Code allowed, thus requiring a variance. The analogy as applied to the Wegmans store design is a valid one. Essentially, City Code puts forth rules for design. Wegmans, albeit a valued community partner, disavowing the City Code to design a store that is not compliant with preservation, or neighborhood guidelines is like saying "we're too big to fail". Frankly I'm getting tired of this approach in our society. Yes, overall our community loves you Wegmans. Many of us are employed there, or might be looking to gain employment there, we are your neighbors, many of us are your shoppers, but that does not mean we can not civilly disagree and that Wegmans must have the wherewithal to respect those codes and not use its "size" as a weapon of intimidation. Power comes in a lot of forms, sometimes generosity is also a shield - used to hide the real purpose of enveloping people or populations into the fold of obedience. I personally find it petulant when a large employer, business or funder steamrolls over criticism to get what they want. I think the community deserves and should expect Wegmans or any other large entity to follow the same rules as do small businesses and resdients throughout the city.

Memo to the array of busybodies and meddlers wanting to tell every merchant and vendor in the City, including Wegmans, what to do and how to do it -- put up or shut up. You sound like the endless know-it-all critics of politics or sports teams or whatever -- you know it all, largely because you have never done it yourself. Wegmans is one of the most successful companies in the United States and one of the most employee-friendly, yet you think you know better than they do how they should design and run their stores. Not one person in City Hall, that I am aware of, has ever created a job (the current Mayor was successful in getting 700 of his co-workers fired, though) yet City Hall is endlessly telling businesses daring to do business here how to operate. Maybe one of the many reasons the City has lost 1/3 of its population over the past decades is the insistence of its remaining residents and elected officials on butting into everyone else's affairs instead of doing it themselves or leaving people alone. If the City took a portion of the money it spends on "planners" and their enforcement agents and devoted it to police protection and basic services, more merchents and landlords might find coming to the City more attractive. As it stands, if Wegmans leaves the City after this micromanaging nonsense no one would blame them. And they would have plenty of company amongst the departed.

I wish Wegmans simply said this..."This is the design of the store we are WILLING to build. If you want it we will build it...if you want it changed, we will not". Wegmans is needed in this location. What would the city feel if it closed the current store and moved out?