by David Dahlbacka in All Ages, Assembly Square, Beat Reporter, Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Green Line, Housing, Orange Line, Union Square
Posted on November 27, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Last Modified on November 27, 2011 at 4:54 pm
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Somerville Redevelopment Authority Meeting
Mon. Nov. 28 5:30 – 8:00 PM
Somerville City Hall
3rd Fl. Conf. Rm.
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)
This is a meeting of the Somerville Redevelopment Authority. According to state law, Redevelopment Authorities are empowered to buy and sell property, acquire property through eminent domain, and grant tax concessions.
Agenda includes the acquisition of 258 Somerville Ave. and updates on Assembly Square and Union Square.
Note: the Somerville Redevelopment Authority does not have a web page.
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Is anyone else curious about what this organization has been doing that doesn’t have a web page? The last thing I heard they did was exercise Eminent Domain over the Central Steel property in Assembly Square, resulting in a lawsuit by Central Steel. What other actions have people heard about?
The meeting is kind of early for me. If anyone is around at 5:30 and wants to check them out, please do so and drop a note here about what happens.
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Beat Report: 11/28/11 Somerville Redevelopment Authority Meeting
Bottom Line on Top
Regarding acquisition of 258 Somerville Ave. Processing paper work. January to finish. It’s an empty lot. Regarding Assembly Square: there were concerns raised about the traffic generated by the outlet stores (which would be regional destinations). Regarding Green Line Extension: there were some concerns voiced about paying for the GLX stations after the first two. Regarding Union Square: there was talk about doing another DIF for Union Square. Citizens had voiced concerns about tax revenues being swallowed by the Somerville DIF and wanted more attention paid to school expenditures next time.
Rough Notes
New OSPCD director Michael Galvin was present and introduced himself. He had been to the Chamber of Commerce and found it very positive.
When I arrived SRA was discussing a Groundworks program in Boynton Yards, a 3000 s.f. plot.
Members present:
Nancy Busnach — works in real estate as consultant. Lotus Development, etc.
Bill Gage — works in MEPA office
Jim McCarthy — 1940 born in Somerville. MBTA construction department until 7 years ago. 12 years on the SRA. Much more planning now than 40 years before. More view of business as partners now; was antagonistic before.
Iwana Bonney — 16 years. Tufts Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology. Lives 20 minutes from Sullivan Sq.
Jeff Levin — ~ 20 years in Somerville. City planner in Brookline, which has town meetings. Is an adjunct professor at Tufts. Used to run planning department. Did the updated Urban Renewal Plan. Pushed the Green Line Extension.
Acquisition of 258 Somerville Ave. Processing paper work. January to finish. It’s an empty lot. Googlemaps link: 258 Somerville Ave.
Assembly Square Update
Needs to do Urban Renewal amendment. Needs to get that organized. On track. Don’t know if it’s a major amendment (would require MEPA filing). Try not to have it be major. If developed in pieces, maybe not. Communicate with DHCD.
Article in Globe about outlet stores. Won’t change urban form, design. Surprised at 50 outlet stores. They want to make it successful. The whole waterfront parcel will be outlet stores on first floor.
Levine: Will generate more traffic.
[NOTE: MVTF Agreement gives 50,000 trip limit.]
Urban build form all around. Is VHB involved in the traffic estimates? Is this a different land use from a shopping center? Separate use from outlet store.
Mayor Curtatone was on Greater Boston. No stores named. Said they were high quality stores in an urban context. Emily Rooney said “You said don’t call this an outlet mall.” Not box stores. FRIT prmoting this.
Avalon Bay is doing design on residential building. Early spring to start construction. Emily Rooney queried affordability. Mayor spoke of 12-1/2% requirement. Condo sales in Natick didn’t go well. We’ll have the T stop.
Union Square Update
Exploring Union Square development tools. Urban Renewal Action Plan, DIF. OSPCD trying to make station area plans (have grant funds to do that). Will help T do acquisition. City owned properties to get start. Already did renewal, not solidified. If DIF comes back into question, need to reserve revenue along Somerville Ave corridor. People need revenue for schools etc. Had setaside for affordable housing. Don’t want all tax money encumbered.
New OSPCD head Michael Glavin took tour of Union Square. Said it showed a healthy core of businesses. Don’t want to take away existing businesses, provide new opportunities. Union Square is a larger area than Davis Square. Green Line Extension could be change agent there. Want new investment to be able to build quickly. Want same around other GLX stations. Do development as a whole, not in pieces, with lots of community involvement.
Somerville DIF brought out legitimate differences of opinion. DIF plan could be redirected. Renewal is a respectful process. Friend of development and friend of neighborhoods. Keeping in touch with T about stop. State is more involved now, days where funding 90% federal, 10% local are gone. How is funding for new stations handled? Need funding dollars. GLX parallels Hyde Park commuter rail line. Both were BIg Dig mitigation. Union Square and Washington Street are early phase stations. “How can SRA help?”
Other Business
Next meeting December 15 at 5:30 PM same place. Adjourned at about 6:30 PM.
After meeting, OSPCD head Michael Glavin asked if I was going to write something about this, was I mainstream media. I said a blog. He said if I were mainstream media they’d want me to go through the City media department. He said they can’t stop me from coming, they welcome citizen visits, but as a professional writer I understood the situation.
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Thanks so much for this report! And Yes, David, I’m very curious about this new “authority” that doesn’t appear to be even slightly transparent. I hope that the mainstream media will take the challenge, go through the City media department, and provide regular reports to the public about what this group is doing.
I wonder if this is prologue to the dismantling of the Somerville Planning Board.
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Actually, the Somerville Redevelopment Authority is not new. To my knowledge, it has been around for at least ten years. I believe it is a legal requirement for the use of state and federal funds for urban renewal purposes. I would like to look back into its history and understand what it has done to benefit the City.
Here is a link to a document about their creation:
http://www.mass.gov/hed/docs/dhcd/cd/ur/howtora.pdf
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DD, OK, Thanks… is the dated copy of the Secretary of State’s Certificate of Organization for Somerville’s Redevelopment Authority online, or did you request that information from the State’s Urban Development Coordinator?
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I don’t have a dated copy of the Certificate of Organization. The link I posted I found by searching on “Redevelopment Authority”. I found who the members were by looking in the Somerville City Budget and then by showing up for the meeting.
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Looking further, I find that the SRA has been in existence at least since 1968. Around then it was engaged in urban renewal in the Inner Belt area, an area that is still in play.
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