Arnold Karp
Neighbor of Merritt Village Retaining Wall to P&Z: ‘It Doesn’t Bother Us’ and ‘Let Them Finish’
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The owner of the home directly opposite Park Street from the divisive and thus-far standalone retaining wall at the Merritt Village site is pushing back on criticism of its appearance. David Prutting in a letter to the Planning & Zoning Commission said he and his wife are “happy it’s nearly done” and, referring to the town body’s request for a fieldstone finish on the retaining wall, that “the thought of the 3-month-long installation of a 4-inch veneer is not welcome.”
“Besides, who gets to decide the aesthetic choice of the veneer?” Prutting said in his letter to P&Z, received Jan. 3 by the town. “Drive along Park Street and beyond and you will view many different looks, from a ‘pile of rocks’ ready to tumble, to flat and round looks, many very unattractive, at least to me. As I often tell our clients, stonework is like portrait painting—some can look really good or really bad.”
The appearance of the wall in October immediately became a flashpoint for some area residents, including passersby and critics of the 110-unit Merritt Village condo-and-apartment complex that P&Z approved more than two years ago.