BETTER THAN HEARSAY - What’s In a Name? (continued)

By Michael Ryan

WINDHAM - There is apparently a possibility a new gas station/vending machine stop in Windham won’t be called “The Gas Hole,” following a second planning board public hearing on the issue.

Planners met on June 19 for a continuation of public comments that began on June 5 after the project was introduced to the board in late May, ostensibly for routine site plan review.

The owner, Nick Bove told planners he intended to “breathe life back into” a site along Route 23, on the east end of town, that had formerly been a refueling station and coffee shop but more recently empty.

Planners, at the May session, voiced discomfort over the name including Lisa Jaeger who said, “it’s in bad taste, in my opinion.”

A large crowd turned out for the June 5 hearings, focusing on the name, both for and against it, rather than site plan review.

Bove, since then, has questioned why his proposed business is being put through the proverbial ringer when he will change virtually nothing regarding past and present use.

Many matters, such as lighting, environmental impacts, sewer, water, etc. have been addressed and could be settled within the next two planning sessions, slated for July 3 and 17.

One exception could be the call for a traffic study at the intersection of Route 23 and Brooksburg Road where The Gas Hole will be located.

A letter has been sent to the State Department of Transportation by planning board chairman Thomas Poelker requesting the study.

Referencing the June 5 hearing, the letter states, “those on both sides of the proposal - for and against it - expressed concerns about the intersection.”

Those concerns include “crash history,” the “need for enforcement of traffic laws” (specifically speed limits) and the “installation of a traffic signal (flashing yellow on Route 23).”

It remains to be seen if DOT does the study. In the meantime, controversy is swirling over the name which Bove says is “catchy. It’s funny. It’s not offensive. There are no swear words in it. It’s silly.”

There has been agreement and disagreement to that perspective with the public hearing remaining open for written comments about the project.

Josh King, identifying himself as a “year-round, mostly-weekend resident,” wrote, “some people object to Nick’s marketing pun. That’s their right.

“They can buy gas elsewhere. I know of no ordinance, however, empowering the planning board to regulate Nick’s speech.”

Drawing a sharp freedom of speech contrast between “shouting fire in a crowded theater” and “The Gas Hole,” King wrote, “by any reasonable measure, there is no clear and present danger from a sign atop a gas station sporting a double entendre.”

Derrek Shannon, president of the Windham Area Stakeholders Association wrote, “while WASA generally believes government intrusion in private enterprise should be minimized to the extent possible…we do have concerns about the name “Gas Hole.”

"We do not believe a business at Windham’s gateway named “Gas Hole” will be accretive to the character of the community,” Shannon wrote.

“The name is suggestive of and phonetically overlapping with a profanity. We encourage the business owner to select an alternative name fitting with the character of Windham,” Shannon wrote.

Bove, joined at the public hearings by his life partner Lori Torgersen, has defended his right to select the name or any other name.

“I will do everything I can to make you happy,” related to size, shape and lettering of any signage,” Bove said to planners. “The name is staying. I have money in the name. There is already an LLC.”

However, speaking at the June 19 hearing, Torgersen seemed to indicate there may be a change, saying, “we have heard some of the [opposition] comments here.

“Please note the vast majority of feedback [we have received] is exactly the opposite. Nonetheless we are hearing it all and actively considering it all,” Torgersen said.

While not committing to a different moniker, Torgersen said the potential change is “under consideration for all sorts of reasons.”

One reason is, “our own market research,” Torgersen said, adding, “we have always demonstrated our commitment to the community,” already being local business owners and creators of the popular Windham Path.