Our family appeals to Middletown and Lake County leadership: Moving forward, please preserve this unique community by working to prevent box stores like Dollar General from building in our town.
As Middletown moves through inevitable growth in the coming decades, let us carefully preserve the spirit of our town and develop locally owned businesses that will continue strengthening Middletown’s position as a beautiful gateway into Lake County.
Although I do not possess comprehensive knowledge of the Middletown Area Plan, I understand Chapter 7 of the Plan outlines guidelines to support us in strategically growing Middletown in a manner that will protect the aesthetics, locally owned businesses, and property values in our community. Dollar General is not aligned with these guidelines. For instance, Dollar General’s proposed building violates the following portions of the Middletown Area Plan:
•Avoid visually bulky buildings
•Utilize high quality building materials and details
•Avoid blank walls and service areas.
•It is important that development provide a positive initial impression that complements the natural setting and predominately rural character of the area. Not only does this create a good aesthetic impression on travelers, but a well designed community increases community pride and economic viability.
•Projects should possess a “village” scale and character that is sensitive to the scale and livability of the adjacent residential areas.
Clearly, Dollar General’s proposed building is not aligned with these guidelines. Nor does the community want it.
When our family moved to Middletown from Napa three years ago, we planned for only our house to be in Middletown. Our work and community lives would remain in Napa. But then, within two weeks of our move my husband and I simultaneously discovered that Middletown is so much more than a town with a house for us to live in. There is something special about this place. It caught each of us off guard. Life unfolded in a richer way here, and at a slower pace. The cashiers at Hardester’s looked us in the eye. Fellow shoppers apologized if their cart almost knocked into ours. The shopkeepers in small, locally owned stores had both the time and interest to engage our children in conversation.
We feel captivated by a community culture that is so different from what we experience elsewhere. Time and time again, life in Middletown fills our souls and inspires us to live a little deeper. Our children feel it too. They fiercely articulate their desire to spend less and less time in Napa and other surrounding communities. When people in Napa ask our family how we like Middletown, we enjoy responding, “We do not like Middletown. We LOVE Middletown!”
As the years pass, our love for this special town only grows. The land and the community here are alive with uniqueness and beauty.
Looking at the hillsides of our lovely little town, strolling along its sidewalks, or smiling at people in small shops: These are vivid reminders of the beauty we hold in our hands. Too often in life we do not know what we have until we have lost it. Together, may we ensure Middletown’s beauty is not lost on our watch.
Thank you for considering our family’s request.
Carolynn Spezza is a Middletown Resident
