| Building
is in the Pink |
| Several people have voiced their "concern" about the "pink"
buildings being built off the intersection of Elden and Grant
streets near Burger King in Herndon. The color was approved
some time ago and the cement blocks‰more of a dull salmon
color than pink‰are now being put in place. |
| I drive past that intersection several times each week and
really feel the color isn't as bad as people make it out to
be. Some call the complex the "Pepto Bismol" buildings, which
reminds me of times I'd just as soon forget. |
| Some residents who attended this week's Council for the
Arts of Herndon's annual meeting on Monday night said that
the developer, after being unable to lease a Pepto Bismol-colored
building, would probably be forced to paint the cement blocks
gray, hence ending the color controversy. But is gray really
better than pink anyway? |
| A visit to downtown Herndon shows how color can enhance
an area. The Great Harvest Bread Company building (the old
James Building) is a pleasant salmon, and the Community Bank
is a true pink. While we might think these colors are historically
correct, it should be pointed out that history in Herndon
does not necessarily dictate those kinds of colors. Still,
the colorful facades make for a pleasant, almost romantic
scene. |
| The 10,770, square-foot Pepto Bismol buildings have been
planned since 1977, but only recently received final approval
from the Herndon town staff. The revised plans for the site
call for a maximum height of 30 feet in two stories and 55
parking spaces. The project is being built by JAM Enterprises
in Vienna. |
| But there is a bigger problem with that area than just the
color of the buildings. Since there is no left turn from Grant
onto Elden (only right turns are allowed) those drivers wanting
to turn left must go north on Grant Street, west on Madison,
then south on Van Buren where they can make a left turn on
Elden Street. |
| The traffic congestion at the Van Buren and Elden intersection
was one of the reasons the Herndon Town Council refused to
allow Burger King to build a drive-through at its restaurant
there. |
| There is one other solution to drivers wanting to turn left
onto Elden from Grant: They can leave the Pepto Bismol buildings,
cross Grant, drive through the lane Burger King built for
its nonexistent drive-through, then turn left onto Van Buren
and then left onto Elden. Whew! All that and you still don't
get a Whopper! |
| That problem was supposed to be solved when the Town Council
ordered the driveway from the Pepto Bismol buildings to be
offset from the Burger King entrance. However, it's only about
a three- or four-foot offset, making it easy to short-cut
through Burger King. |
| Confused? Look at a map. |
| And speaking of color, years ago when the Historical Preservation
Review Board was trying to decide what color the Great Harvest
Bread Company sign should be, the question was asked: "What
color reminds you of bread baking?" |
| The answer: blue. Which shows you how little we all know
about color anyway. |
| And that's Our Town this week. |
