Vol. 2, No. 7
June 17, 2002
Contents
1) IMPORTANT HEARING ON ASSEMBLY SQUARE MAJOR PLAN CHANGE
On Tuesday, June 18, there will be a joint public hearing of the
Board of Aldermen's Committee on Housing and Community Development
and the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA), at 7:00 p.m. in
the Aldermen's Chambers, to take public comments on a Major Plan
Change to the 1980 Assembly Square Revitalization Plan.
The SRA approved the Major Plan Change on May 22, 2002, but the
applicable statute, Mass. General Laws ch. 121B, requires that a
public hearing be held by it and by the Aldermen before the Major
Plan Change can be submitted to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Housing and Community Development for approval. The
Major Plan Change outlines the city's vision for the redevelopment
of Assembly Square for the next 20 years, and is therefore extremely
important.
The Major Plan Change includes new maps for reflect current
conditions and new proposals; states new development objectives and
an updated financial plan; designates redevelopers; describes the
citizen participation process that has taken place; and names new
acquisition and disposition parcels. In the latter category comes
the recommendation that the city take by eminent domain four local
businesses: Central Steel, Spaulding Brick, Amerigas Propane, and
Green Cab. Their land would then be sold for private development.
Anyone interested in the future of Assembly Square is encouraged to
attend the hearing and to comment on the Major Plan Change, which is
available for public viewing in the OHCD office on the third floor
of Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue. Especially since City
Hall will be closed on Monday, June 17 for Bunker Hill Day, you may
want to view it
online.
2) ALDERMEN O.K. LINCOLN PARK TRANSFER; COMMENTS AVAILABLE
I wrote in my last newsletter about the Somerville School
Department's plans to build a new Lincoln Park Community School in
Lincoln Park. That plan will ultimately require a two-thirds vote of
both houses of the Massachusetts Legislature, to approve a Transfer
of Park Land under Article 97 of the state constitution.
The first step in that approval has been completed: on May 23, the
Board of Aldermen voted to approve the Finance Committee's
recommendation to send a Home Rule Petition to the Legislature
asking for such approval. The vote of the Board of Aldermen was 9 to
1 in favor of the petition authorizing the transfer of park land.
Plans of the existing
and proposed Lincoln Park School are still
available on my website. Also now available online are my
comments in response to the Massachusetts
Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) filings for the Lincoln Park
Community School Project. Interestingly, the original comment
deadline of May 28 was extended until June 14. Comment deadline
extension are apparently posted on the EOEA website; anyone
interested in a particular project might want to check for such
changes, which are otherwise not widely publicized.
3) IKEA MOVES FORWARD; COMMENT OPPORTUNITY
a) Conservation Commission considers IKEA impacts
The Somerville Conservation Commission is holding an Order of
Conditions hearing on the IKEA proposal for Assembly Square on
Monday, June 17, at 7:00 p.m. at the Winter Hill Community School,
115 Sycamore Street (at the corner of Sycamore and Medford Streets).
The Conservation Commission has authority over the environmental
impacts of IKEA's proposal on the health of the Mystic River and
public portions of the river bank, especially as to the drainage of
runoff water.
b) IKEA Issues Draft Environmental Impact Report: Order Yours Now!
The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for IKEA at Assembly
Square, EOEA No. 12672, is now available. To request your own
exciting two-volume set, contact Greg Carrafiello of Fort Point
Associates at (617) 357-7044, EXT. 211. Comments to Secretary Durand
of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA), to the
attention of LeAndrea Dames of the MEPA Office, are due by July 8,
2002.
4) WANT MORE ON NORTH POINT? WATCH THIS SPACE....
Curious about what's going on at North Point? So was I, so I went to
a public presentation of both the smaller Charles E. Smith
residential project at North Point, Cambridge (776 units of
housing), and Spaulding and Slye's 48 acre, mixed-use project that
includes 5.1 acres of Somerville. Both projects, but especially the
latter, are well thought-out, beautifully designed, and exciting
examples of what 21st century urban redevelopment should look like.
Once the Board of Aldermen's budget hearings are over, I will write
more extensively on this topic.
5) HELP PLAN THE FUTURE OF WARDS ONE, FOUR, WHOLE CITY
The "Community Visioning Session" for Wards One and Four, hosted by
the Mayor and originally scheduled for May 22, has been rescheduled
for Wednesday, June 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the East Somerville Community
School. These "visioning sessions" are funded largely by a grant
from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) of the
Commonwealth. It is part of the grant program mentioned by the EOEA
representative at the Buildout Analysis presentation on June 13.
The sessions, which also receive city funding, have not been well
publicized. They also have been scheduled almost to guarantee low
attendance. The original Ward 1 and 4 session was scheduled for the
same time and place as a community meeting on gangs. The Ward 2 and
3 session was scheduled the night of Somerville High School
Graduation ceremonies.
This Wednesday's session will be the last of the "visioning" series,
and is not limited to residents of Wards One and Four. I plan to be
there, and hope to hear the hopes, dreams, and concerns of many.
There will also be a "Citywide Community Science Fair" at 7:00 p.m.
on Tuesday, June 25, at the Somerville High School Atrium. Won't the
city be surprised if turnout exceeds all feeble efforts at
publicity, and a potent community vision does manage to emerge?
6) COMMENT ON SOMERVILLE OPEN SPACE PLAN
There's still an opportunity to get your comments included in
Somerville's evolving update of its Open Space and Recreation Plan.
The city's consultant for this project, McGregor & Associates, is
still surveying public opinion about our existing open space and
recreational areas, and our open space needs and desires. I
encourage everyone to take a few minutes to participate; I'll
email
the survey form as an attachment to anyone who requests it.
I thank the many of you who have requested and filled out the
survey. The survey itself has information about where to send
completed forms. I don't know if forms can be returned
electronically - perhaps an inquiry to the Office of Housing and
Community Development is in order, at (617) 625-6600.
7) FARMERS' MARKET EVERY WEDNESDAY
You deserve a bouquet of flowers. And a basket of strawberries. And
the tastiest tomatoes to be had anywhere. And... you can get all
these and more. The Davis Square Farmers' Market is back in season,
and happening every Wednesday. Look for it in the municipal parking
lot at the corner of Day and Herbert Streets.
Gardeners, remember: the market is a great source for healthy
perennial, floral hanging baskets, and, bedding plants. All this
rain makes it still perfect weather for planting. While you're
there, pick up an easy dinner: fresh bread, goat cheese, organically
grown lettuce for your salad. The market will be open every
Wednesday from noon until 6:00 p.m., until the end of October.
8) UPDATE ON MAGOUN SQUARE CVS ZONING
The Board of Aldermen's Committee on Legislative Matters and the
Planning Board will probably be holding a joint public hearing on a
proposed zoning amendment to the table of uses to accommodate the
proposed Magoun Square CVS on Thursday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m. Watch
for confirmation of the event here, or in the usual locations for
public notices. No further word yet on the draft Request for
Proposals (RFP) for "surplus" land in the municipal parking lot.
copyright 2002 Denise Provost
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