Vol. 5, No. 12
August 1, 2005
Contents
1) "ENVIRONMENTAL NOTIFICATION" FOR MAXPAK SITE
What's the Background?
KSS Realty Trust is the owner of the roughly triangular, five and a
half acre piece of formerly industrial land (the "Maxpak" site") on
the northwest side of the Lowell Street Bridge. Well below the grade
of the bridge, the site is bounded on the north and east by the
present right of way of the Lowell Line of the MBTA commuter rail,
which is slated to accommodate the promised Green Line extension. It
is bounded on the south by the abandoned Arlington & Lexington
Branch Line right of way, into which the Bike Path will be extended.
On the west, it abuts the neighborhood, known as "the Patch," which
is built around Warwick, Clyde, and Murdock Streets.
KSS has proposed the redevelopment of the site for densely built
residential use, initially getting a chilly and skeptical reaction
from the neighborhood. The City of Somerville then sponsored a
lengthy "Community Planning Process," designed to increase public
"buy-in" to some version of the KSS proposal. The process resulted
in a Report, prepared by the City's Office of Strategic Planning and
Community Development, which endorsed the concept of residential
use, but which flagged serious concerns with "traffic delay,
congestion, and vehicular and pedestrian safety," and which endorsed
no specific development proposal.
The report includes a recommendation that any redevelopment project
be constructed in phases, with construction delayed until
"completion of the Lowell Street Bridge, and completion of a post
bridge construction traffic study."
What's Happening Now?
KSS has recently filed an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) with
the state's MEPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act) Office on
this project. Part of KSS's proposal involves the construction of an
access road between the Lowell Street Bridge (or the land between
its two spans), and its site. Such construction requires a Mass.
Highway Dept. Access Permit, triggering the need for environmental
review.
What Does this Mean, Exactly?
One feature of the KSS proposal is creation of "new access to Lowell
Street." Most of the traffic generated by the project would be
shunted to a new road, with the greater part of the site made
inaccessible to the small neighborhood roads that feed on to Cedar
Street. The new access road would intersect the Lowell Street
Bridge, or the small piece of land between the two spans of the
bridge.
Because the bridge is the property of the Mass. Highway Dept., its
permission is needed to intersect the new road with the existing
infrastructure. The first step in getting that permit is the filing
of the ENF. The MEPA unit then determines the nature and scope of
the impact, and determines how much more information and review of
the project the state will require, taking into account PUBLIC
COMMENT.
The permitting process is the "front end" of any development, and
some kinds of permits necessarily precede any others. The Mass.
Highway Access Permit precedes, and is independent of Somerville's
review and permitting of the project, but the ENF does give some
details of the KSS proposal: a "multifamily residential condominium
complex" of 220 units, 48 feet high, encompassing 265,000 gross
square feet of floor space, estimated to generate an estimated 1,254
vehicle trips per day.
Should I Care? Is there Anything I Can Do, Anyway?
Most people I know who live near Lowell Street have opinions about
the street, its intersections, the bridge, and the likely effects of
more traffic on this infrastructure. Increased traffic volumes raise
safety concerns, as does the placement and grade of the new access
road. Many involved in the community planning process think that the
project should be delayed until the bridge was completed, then
phased in, as real (versus hypothetical) traffic impacts can be
studied.
The new access road will link the bridge to a site well below its
grade. How steep will that road be? What sight lines will there be,
from Lowell Street, and from the new road? Will the new road be a
public way, or a private one? What will be the design of the
intersection? Will it be signalized?
Anyone can get a copy of the complete ENF from Matt O'Neil of KSS,
at 617-948-2637. Public comments are due by August 12, 2005, should
reference project #13592, and be directed to Rick Bourre, 617-626-1130, the MEPA Office Analyst.
2) PUBLIC HEALTH DEVELOPMENTS
A) HYPODERMIC NEEDLE PROTOCOL ADOPTED
In May, I sponsored a Board Order asking the Somerville Police Dept.
to meet with the Health Dept. and develop a uniform protocol for
needle disposal. That protocol has now been adopted. It can be found
in the Health Department section of the city website.
B) BETTER INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON "BEDBUGS" (CIMEX)
Although not posted on the city website the last time I checked, the
Health Department has prepared some helpful new materials regarding
the pest cimex, better known as "bedbugs." Available in hard copy
from the Health Dept. (City Hall Annex, 50 Evergreen Ave.) is a
pamphlet, "Bed Bug facts and Help," which offers "what to do"
information, for landlords and tenants, about cimex infestation. It
is available in several languages.
There is also a letter available, prepared primarily for health
professionals, which helps to clarify the appearance of cimex bites,
for diagnostic purposes. For those who think this information
arcane, consider this: a reader who saw my piece about cimex in
Vol.5, No. 1 of SOMERVILLE AT LARGE (Jan. 2, 2005) identified cimex
as a possible source of the large, itchy "hives" that had troubled
her daughter for months, and which had mystified two pediatricians.
Once the correct diagnosis was made, and the problem identified, her
landlord cooperated in eradicating the problem.
Cimex can easily travel from apartment to apartment within a
building. It does not discriminate as to education, income, or
nationality. Watch out for it. And if you are buying a house -
particularly a multi-unit building - it's something to think about
when you have your pest inspection.
3) SYCAMORE STREET BRIDGE - "FACTS ON THE GROUND"
During the first flurry of construction on the Sycamore Street
Bridge, Mass. Highway had posted signs which said, "Bridge closed -
pedestrians use School St. or Central St." Even then, the pedestrian
crossing on the east side of the bridge remained open, and was
usable evenings and weekends when the workers were absent from the
site. Now, the signs referencing pedestrians are gone, and I haven't
seen a lick of work on the bridge for weeks.
The bridge is still closed to motor vehicles, of course. Pedestrians
and bicyclists may, at present, get through. Willoughby Street,
between Sycamore and Central, has been made one way, westbound, for
the duration of construction.
Questions? Call City Engineer Charles O'Brien at 617-625-6600,
x5410, or email him at: cobrien@ci.somerville.ma.us.
4) IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Many people are aware - sort of - that there is a special election
scheduled to elect the successor to the late Sen. Charles Shannon.
City elections (yes, I am a candidate for re-election!) are also
approaching. Many people seem to be confused about when that
election will occur. Here is a calendar of important upcoming
election dates:
Senate Race, Primary Election - Tuesday August 30, 2005
City Preliminary Election - Tuesday September 13, 2005 (Ward 3 ONLY)
Senate Race, FINAL Election - Tuesday September 27, 2005
City FINAL Elections - Tuesday November 8, 2005
If you will be out of town for the August 30 Primary, you can
request an absentee ballot, or vote in person at City Hall as soon
as the ballots are printed, 2 to 3 weeks before the election.
I am endorsing PAT JEHLEN for STATE SENATE - you can read my
endorsement letter to learn why.
5) "NIGHT OUT" IN FOSS PARK
Tuesday August 2, from 4 pm until 10 pm, bring your family and enjoy
a picnic (bring your own), organized games, face painting, a family
swim (the pool will stay open late). The Sunsetters will perform, a
movie will be shown - an old-fashioned good time. See you there?
Material from this newsletter may be quoted freely, provided that it
is credited to Denise Provost, www.provost-citywide.org
copyright 2005 Denise Provost
This file has been converted from WordPerfect
Using wp2html.exe by Andrew Scriven