To the Editor:

I believe the new pergola does not fit the downtown historic district of Wilmington. According to Section 620 of the Building Review Criteria of the Zoning Amendment, the style should be of similar historic architectural style. I remember the original park design was an arbor, with straight lines. The townspeople voted for it. Somewhere down the line, the arbor became a pergola. Many people complained, attended meetings, even requested the project be put on hold until we could work something out, but our selectboard pushed it through.

It seems to me the altered design of the pergola was forced upon the voters of Wilmington. We spent over $120,000 to purchase and build the park, which is public knowledge. What about the hours of town crew time and their material and equipment time? Mr. Rusten told me the town didn’t keep track of the town’s work.

It is hard for me to believe that people from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York will drive to Wilmington to view, have a picnic, and relax in the park. Let’s face it, in the winter the park is unused, in summer there is no place for a picnic or for people to mill around. There is no place at the park to get out of the rain or snow. There was no thought put into how functional the park would be, only to make it artsy. (Remember the handicap issue?) As published in Fortune magazine: “a doctor buries his mistakes and architects cover theirs with vines.”

Maybe we should buy some plastic vines and cover it. Please help to take back Wilmington, vote to remove the pergola..

Peter Morris Jr.

Wilmington