Letter sent to Director of 612 Centre St. Office on 19 September 2003:

19 September 2003

Samer M. Tahoun, DMD
Director
Gentle Dental
612 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Dear Dr. Tahoun,

This letter is to welcome you to Jamaica Plain and ask you to please replace your signs with smaller and less aggressive ones. Jamaica Plain is a humble neighborhood full of creativity and character. The bombast of your signage does not fit with our personality. Your signs are NOT GENTLE.

While your dental techniques may strive for minimum pain and a pleasant experience, your storefront does not reflect this ideology. The signs are too big and too bright. After dark, the sky is lit up so significantly, and is visible from so far away, it is as if Fenway Park moved in. The sheer size, in contrast to your neighbor's more modest and creative storefront signage, resembles the assault of a big bully.

These signs may be appropriate for your other locations in strip malls or those set back from major thoroughfares, but in our small, close community they are very imposing - for all of us, not just those who live next door. We have nothing against a new dental office or Gentle Dental per se. But now we need an optometrist in town because your signs are such an eyesore.

The zoning board has indicated that you have not applied for your sign permit. Perhaps this is why you seem not to be aware that the regulations restrict signage to 45 square feet and 30 inches in height, among other things. I have enclosed a section of the regulations for your reference.

We are certain that you had no intention of discrespecting your new neighbors and potential customers, and we look forward to the replacement of your current signage with a smaller, gentler version.

Many thanks in advance for your honorable and swift response.

Respectfully,

Caryn L. Anderson
P.O. Box 788
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

CC: Ronald G. Weissman, Samuel M. Shames, Leo Cook, Allison Rogers, John Tobin, JP Gazette, Citizens of JP

Responses will be posted here as they are received.....