"Usually, a lot of it happens
behind closed doors and the community doesn't see it until it is 80 or
90 percent done," said co-facilitator Lisa Brukilacchio, who directs
the Somerville Community Health Agenda, one of four partners that
comprise CCP. The other co-facilitator was Lisa Gimbel of the
Somerville Community Corporation, who led the group through a series of
exercises aimed at bringing out the group's collective knowledge of
Somerville. It was an knowledgeable group indeed, each attendee having
spent an average of about to about 15 to 20 years in Somerville,
ranging from 2 to 50 years.

As they worked through the
exercises, the attendees struck a tensely ambivalent tone at times,
expressing both their optimism regarding the project's potential
benefit to the community, and their fears of the kinds of negative
change that a T stop might engender.

As for their hopes for the
project, the group expressed univocal support for the implementation of
green infrastructure surrounding the stop, including increased access
for bikers and pedestrians. Current plans include a bike and pedestrian
path leading behind the Visiting Nurses Association, where the meeting
was held, and attendees hoped that its residents would have safe access
to the pedestrian route.

They also wanted a minimal impact on
the community, which perhaps comes as no surprise given the lengthy
Somerville tenures of those in attendance. Fears of resident
displacement, particularly the elderly living off of fixed incomes,
were pervasive. Other worries included disruptive noise and light
caused by the trains, more cars vying for limited parking spots, the
bulldozing of residences, and higher property taxes.

"Will there
be a plan for resident issues to be addressed?" asked one attendee,
indicating the larger concern that local residents will lose their
voice in the project after this initial phase, and have to stew in
their grievances.

Attendees agreed that they wanted to keep
the character of the community intact, but had a hard time identifying
what their ideal growth model looked like. "Smart and sensible growth"
was proposed by the group, but Lisa Gimbel pointed out the subjectivity
of such statements, saying "what might be sensible to me may not be
sensible to you".

"If there is a greater commercial tax base,
then there is less pressure on raising housing taxes," said one
resident, Dave, in favor of developing more commercial property. He
wondered what effect more condo development would have on the area,
especially considering that the plan to turn the nearby MaxPak site
into more than 100 condos was just approved last month. "Is there room
in our schools? Enough Parking? Will more residents strain our
resources?" he wondered.

Other residents weren't as fond of the
idea of zoning more property for commercial purposes, and one resident
said he hoped to keep commercial properties contained to the area's two
main business areas in Magoun Square and Highland Ave. Ultimately, the
group seemed a bit unsure of how the balance of commercial versus
residential development nearby would grow or diminish the tax base, and
how it would be possible to keep the area affordable for longtime
residents who might not be able to afford increased rents or property
taxes. When asked by a facilitator how they could do this, the group
grew quiet. With no solutions yet on the table, one crowd member yelled
facetiously, "restrain the natural economic forces!"

Wig Zamore,
founder of the partnering Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership
(STEP), suggested that people look at models other cities have used
when moving toward increased access to public transportation. He cited
the example of Arlington, Virginia, that was in a similar situation
with the extension of the D.C. Metro in the 1970's. Ultimately,
Arlington rezoned a corridor surrounding the station stops for
mixed-use development, allowing property taxes to remain among the
lowest in the nation.