Yes absolutely, 2 market baskets and 4 booze shops in half a mile really helps take the pretentious classy edge of the new Westford the blow ins have made over the past 20 years. We are more Dracut and Ayer than Groton and Harvard folks let's drop the act and accept reality.

when are we gettin' a marijuana dispensary?

I thought I moved out of Chelmsford...

Market Basket, Marshalls, Petco, liquor store, cell phone store . . . So much for the "walkable, lifestyle" environment that was promised by the Cornerstone developer. We have now officially become just another trashy town. My wife and I have both said that Cornerstone has led us to decide to move out of Westford as soon as the kids get out of school. (At least the schools have maintained good standards. But, at this rate, I am concerned that the trash effect will 1. hurt home values, 2. thus, lower property tax receipts for the town, and 3. likely lead to decreased fiscal commitment to the schools, etc. Call me an exaggerator, but I have seen this trend play out elsewhere. It will take a number of years, but this is definitely the course we are on.

I understand your point, but property tax revenue will not decrease for the town. If assessed values drop, tax rate would go up to cover it.

Yeah, I'm still planning on buying a home out in a small town in Eastern Colorado, where a house costs $70,000, you can walk to the store, bar, cafe, without the jungle of strangers. Dry air, windy but low stress. I know other small places in Arizona, Utah and Wyoming that let me in when I'm there. No Florida here!

Once Parent's planned to close and Cornerstone wanted the license, this was practically a foregone conclusion. What is unfortunate is that all the locations are concentrated. Good for the consumer as regards pricing, not so good when it comes to travel.

Danny--I think you are an exaggerator. What we have now is a commercial district that runs from Nashoba Tech to the Littleton line, with commercial, retail, and medical development. It is relatively concentrated. I like the idea of not having to travel to Chelmsford or Nashua for some of the shopping. It's far better than the Wal*Mart project that was defeated years ago. What is bad is when it seems to be endless strip malls and pavement, and patchwork zoning with homes in between large businesses, in multiple places in town. I don't see that.

Do you really think that MB plans to keep two stores open any longer than they have to? When the lease is up on the old one it is history and that will be the final demise of that plaza. To many liquor stores, pet stores to close will only hurt the little guy. Wonder how much they paid for the license$$$$

Sounds like someone is getting paid. Why else would this guy be able to do whatever he wants. This makes no sense for the community. Now I am inconvenienced in Graniteville. I don't want to come to 110 every time I need something. I for one will not give Cornerstone or the new liquor store, one dime of my money.

It's disappointing... I'm from NH so when we moved here, (for the school system) I had no idea what to expect, but everyone said it was a very classy town. These developers, or whoever is responsible for what goes in there - are as bad as the cookie cutter home and townhouse builders that just plop a bunch of homes in a tiny spot and move on just to make money but it looks like crap... If they ever put a Walmart in - I'm moving!! Putting high end stores in to Cornerstone would have been a much wiser decision... keeps the rif-raf (sp?) out of Westford. Example for the liquor store - make it a high end winery or something - not a packy. Why on earth would they do this here? I'd rather have NO shopping here than have trash shopping. Doesn't anyone have pride in the status of their town and want to preserve it anymore?? Ugh...

Trash effect? I was unaware that Westford became a trashy town. Not everyone in this town is wealthy so I guess then we are trash. My husband and I moved to Westford 38 years ago in order to raise our children in a safe environment. We also moved to enjoy the country setting that was Westford. The school system became better over time and my children benefitted greatly. There were little to no retail stores in town. We shopped in Chelmsford and our physicians were also located in Chelmsford and Concord.
I do regret the loss of farms, apple orchards and much of the open space that is now the home to mac -mansions and over development. Do I wish Westford had retained is county setting, yes I do but life changes and if that is not acceptable then by all means move out of Westford. I am sure there are plenty of other towns to choose from.
Keeping businesses contained to 110 is a sound practice. Having four liquor stores is a bit much. Market Basket will close the older store when the lease expires. I would have preferred having an option with regard to grocery shopping. I worry about our existing small businesses and will continue to patronize them.

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Having doctors’ offices located in town is a plus. We do have aging population in Westford who will benefit from having retail stores and physicians close at hand. Oh and by the way the aging population does support the school system by paying real estate taxes when we no longer have children in the system. I for one am happy to do so. Should I now move out of town to escape paying high real estate taxes in order to support the children of the people who now describe Westford as trashy?

We are a spoiled and entitled group of people when all we have left to do is “complain that there are too many stores and businesses on 110”.

From a trashy town loyalist,
Pat

gotta love this incessant whining

High-end Stores in CornerStone? So, you'd rather have a high-priced Whole Foods than an up to date Market Basket? If you have been in any of their newer stores it is a much nicer experience than the narrow aisles in the old store. Somehow, I don't see these stores (Marshalls and Home Goods?) as pulling riffraff into town. Rather, I see them as opportunities to shop in town rather than elsewhere. Maybe the old Market Basket can serve as a location for an upscale store that doesn't require the large footprint of today's supermarkets.

For the record the towns commitment to the schools (teachers contract) was on display for all to see last year, the trickle down effect on the WPS isn't a danger for the future; it began last year and is likely going to continue as WPS teacher salaries do nothing but fall further and further behind!!!
There will be discord from here to Los Angeles if the town plays hardball again next year with its public employees

I think this additional liquor store is going to make people drive around following school buses and playing with themselves, just like those not so hoity toity neighboring towns

Elwood...play what with themselves exactly..? Not sure I follow you but there was some discussion about school busses making unnecessary stops here on the Patch a few months ago....

Westford is over 30 sq.mi, so having liquor licenses spread out around town makes more sense to me for everyone, especially since it is now closer for me to go to Groton than 110. I agree with Danny too. And 3 years ago it was a Walmart or high end stores? It can't be both. Lines out the door at 5 guys and Panera...sounds like they need a Drive Thru!

@Deron - read this
http://westford.patch.com/articles/westford-resident-arrested-in-lowell-for-allegedly-masturbating-to-girl-on-school-bus

First of all I think the Connerstone Plaza is a state of the art and it looks beautiful. Next Walmart coming to Westford was over 12 years ago and I know that for a fact, and last I like the idea of a one stop shopping center rather than run up and down 110 for this or that. Get with the program and go with the flow. If you have to move out of town because of this then do so.

I was told by a reputable source that a tattoo and body piercing business will be I Cornerstone before the summer, an upscale walkable plaza my bum!

After spending the last fourteen years walking to Parents Market with my daycare children for a treat it was a sad day when the Parent Brothers announced they were selling. Im glad that they were able to get a good price for their property even if it was without keeping the store intact. Parents hasnt been the same since their one of their clerks passed away anyways.

I think the 2nd MB in Westford is just a desperate ploy by Market Basket to continue their monopoly in this town as it is certainly a better location than the older one. As for the debate of what we'd rather like to see, I think the more competition the better and the worse thing that could have gone into Cornerstone is another MB. MB (even the new ones) is by no means a Whole Foods and Whole Foods is much different than a MB. If you look, even Clif bars (a staple for any Whole Foods) is actually more expensive at MB. Regular price at MB is $1.25 for them and they sell for $1.09 at Whole Foods w/ a slight discount for case purchases.

Of course, they will have their game up in Cornerstone Square for the first few months and it will wear off to be something like the old Westford MB always was.

Welcome to Bilericaford y'all.