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(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)
By Jack Connolly
Jackconnolly422@gmail.com
Several community meetings have been held by Copper Mill LLC, the proposed developers of the Elm St./Grove St location currently occupied by the Burren, McKinnon’s Market and Dragon Pizza. The most recent meeting was held on February 12th before a standing room only crowd at the Community Baptist Church. The developers stated that the city encouraged them to meet with the community to get reaction to their proposal for a 500-unit, 25-story [put height in feet here] tower. The developer claims that this size and scale are necessary to make the development profitable and that there would be no compromise on the proposed number of apartments and building height. By the way, this is the third attempt at redeveloping this site by the owner and development team after two failed previous attempts.
A development of this magnitude does not align with the current residential and commercial landscape in the Davis and Porter Sq. neighborhoods.
But let’s stop right there. Why isn’t the City of Somerville Special Planning and Community Development Office organizing and conducting these meetings? Why hasn’t the city taken any formal position on this development proposal which runs counter to community planning for Davis Square in SomerVision 2040, and the draft Davis Square Commercial Area Plan? Take a hard look at those studies – this proposal is totally inconsistent with the long standing Davis Sq. history of community-led planning efforts for our City and our neighborhoods.
The Copper Mill proposal for a massive Davis Square 25 story tower is nothing more than a PR campaign by Copper Mill hoping to get the neighborhood on board, while our Somerville elected officials hide in the background.
To date, Copper Mill has made NO application to the City, NO formal plans or impact studies focusing on traffic, shadow impacts, construction impacts, etc. Yet the city and the neighborhood is being asked to “trust them (Copper Mill)” and override current zoning and planning efforts to grant approval for what would be the largest single development in the history of Davis Square.
A project of this size deserves a thorough review, complete with planning studies, community meetings, and revised zoning for the future of Davis Square – not just for the benefit of one property owner.
Sadly, none of the elected city councilors who were present at the last meeting (including Ward Six Councilor and two Mayoral candidates) made any substantive comments about the size and scale of the project or impacts on the community. If Copper Mill was looking for neighborhood reaction, it was evident from the size of the crowd and testimony given that there are many residents and business owners who have serious concerns about the proposed project. And if Copper Mill is unwilling to compromise on the size and scale of the project, why put us all through the charade of community ‘engagement’ meetings?
Have you been around Davis Square lately?
Have you seen the empty storefronts, streets and sidewalks that are falling apart and creating trip hazards, broken trash receptacles, public safety concerns, and littered streets that continue to daily deteriorate.
Copper Mill and the property owner have contributed to the decline by failing to rent empty storefronts in their block, leaving them in disrepair, plastered with flyers and graffiti. They claim the building is beyond its useful life and can’t possibly be repaired. Despite this, Copper Mill just announced plans to open one of the Elm St. storefronts as a marketing office for their ‘dream’ development. Copper Mill claims that the tower will be a new “gateway” to Davis Square, and somehow magically revitalize the entire commercial district by adding luxury units that will command rents in the $3,000 to $5,000 per month range, while “temporarily” displacing local businesses including the Burren, McKinnon’s and Dragon Pizza. In return, they only plan to provide the minimum 20% affordable housing units in return – WHAT A DEAL!
Construction impacts for a building of this 25 story scale and type would only exacerbate existing problems in the Square, with traffic and congestion disrupting existing businesses for several years and making it even more difficult for patrons of Davis Square to enjoy local restaurants and entertainment spots. How does this make things better for small business owners struggling to survive?
Most Somerville residents agree that we need more affordable housing and that new construction, especially near transit, will help achieve that goal. Likely most residents also agree that our desire to create more housing doesn’t mean giving a blank check to any developer who shows up with a plan, no matter how large and disruptive it is to neighborhood residents, property owners, and businesses.
In my humble opinion, the City administration should right away step out of the shadows, OPPOSE the Copper Mill development, and work with the Davis Sq. area community to create a BALANCED GROWTH approach for the entire Davis Square commercial district and surrounding neighborhood.
Jack Connolly is a native Somervillian, a Davis Sq. resident and insurance agent: He is also a former Somerville Ward Six and At Large Alderman (known now as City Councilor).
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Well said, I couldn’t agree more. This mayor and her staff are useless.
I could not agree more. Jack Connolly is correct. Why is there no engagement from our elected leaders. When I moved to Somerville 25 years ago just fresh out of the Army I fell in love with Davis Square. I was born & raised in Boston but the vibe, personality and character of Davis Square was nothing I had ever seen. I lived there for 3 years & have lived in Somerville for 25 years. The character of Somerville is so unique & special.
I know there is a need for housing but this skyscraper is ludicrous. Another glass & steel box with anywhere USA chains on the ground floor. The amount of sun block this will cause walking down the sidewalk and the current zoning not allowing this.
I am ashamed of all of our elected leaders. It seems like they are letting Copper Mill see what the temperature is with the residents and maybe they won’t go crazy.
I work with many developers in my business and I think this might be just a “long con”. 25 Stories is insane but have community meetings, pretend to listen to the public & then the City Councilors & Mayor step in and reduce this building by say: 7 stories. “Everyone is Happy” and then the developer & the City still get a high-rise at 18 stories. This is how they operate.
The only way to prevent this monstrosity is for the residents of Somerville & Davis Square to go to every meeting & tell their elected officials that this is not right or correct for Davis.
I also do believe they are letting that area rot to pump up their case of this block being totally is disrepair. It is a game being played & I know the residents of Somerville are smart and will not to be duped by this plan.
I would ask ask this simple question to any politician or developer: Would you care to live next door to what you are proposing?
Nimby behavior! I agree, Somerville is an amazing city with a well defined character and that’s what we all love about it. But the fact of the matter is we’re dealing with a severe housing crisis. Rents continue to rise out of control, thus pushing out the very people who make this city what it is. Whether you like it or not, more housing availability means lower rents. Instead of opposing a proposal for 500 new units, why not spend our energy getting our city leaders to re-zone lots that have sat vacant for for years and even decades so that we can convert those into residences too!
These giant apartments are mostly studios and 1 bedrooms, when the average renter in Massachusetts needs 2 bedrooms or more.. And they are astronomical prices. They aren’t for Massachusetts residents. They are for rich college students from out of state. The low income housing will go to illegal immigrants for free, which will do nothing for low income citizens.. This city has become woke beyond representing its constituents. It cares more about non citizens then the people it’s supposed to work for.. The city needs to wake up and get rid of the sanctuary status and all the other DEI policies that are a detriment to the people..
This article is bad, and the scaremongering & concern trolling painfully transparent. Most of the questions can be answered with a google search, and have been directly addressed by the developer.
Why aren’t they renting empty storefronts? Because they’re not rentable in their current condition, and it’s not economically feasible to make them so.
Why isn’t the city running the meetings? Because there’s no formal proposal. The city did ask the developer to hold these meetings before submitting, and they are engaged with the community. As it should be.
The developer is bending over backwards to accommodate The Burren and other current businesses if they want to return, yet I don’t see you talking about that.
I agree there are definite concerns to be addressed, and ways to make this development, if it happens, better. This article is so bad, it makes me trust the developer more, because at least they seem to be negotiating in good faith .
Kyle writes: “Whether you like it or not, more housing availability means lower rents.”
Not in this case. One has to take into account market segments. A 25-story high rise with one bedroom apartments renting at 40-50K a year targets a different market segment from the lower middle income group that is being priced out of Somerviile. These are people who do not qualify to enter the lottery for income restricted (“affordable”) housing. Introducing a gentrification accelerator into Davis Square will exert an upward pull on rentals nearby and on the City as a whole.
Example: In January, while the 25-story Prospect Union Sq development was renting out, the median Somerville rent rose 9%.
To depart from crude supply-demand model that assumes a homogeneous housing market is not a Nimby-Yimby issue; it is one of real estate experience and savvy.
Housing and rent is unaffordable for the majority of residents. Young people are moving out of the state every year because Massachusetts is unaffordable. The best way to bring down prices is by increasing the supply. Just look at Austin. This a great project. #YIMBY
Our nation is currently in a humanitarian crisis. We desperately need to develop more housing near transit to accommodate all those who believe in the values and prosperity of Massachusetts. Red states are objectively dangerous for women, especially those of child-bearing age. 25 stories and 500 units? Why not build five more just like it?! Let’s make room for our fellow humans needing a safe, sane place to live and raise their families. Davis is currently a dump, and this is the revitalization we need. The selfishness of NIMBYs knows no bounds. Bring back abundance for everyone! #YIMBY