Curtatone was very serious about fighting to keep the
Green Line maintenance facility from being built in its proposed spot
directly next to Brickbottom.

"We're very committed to pushing
for this change. We don't believe this will work. We cannot accept it
if it is built right here – and you can base that decision on logic,
not just emotion."

The mayor gave an opening statement, various
city leaders were introduced and then Monica Lamboy, Executive Director
of Strategic Planning, gave a powerpoint presentation to a group of
about 75.

Lamboy presented an overview of the whole project with
aerial views, and then progressed to the main concern of many of the
audience – the location of the maintenance facility.

The current
Environmental Impact Report from the State was expected to be published
in January and some leaders said the best organizational strategy was
to wait until the final plan was published.

Lamboy mentioned
there were 6 to 8 alternative plans for the Inner Belt. "It was a
sincere search, they really looked at these options, but at the end of
the day, the state came back to their original plan."

The mayor
continued on about the struggle with the Executive Office of
Transportation (EOT). "We want them to envision something positive for
our city 10, 20, 30 years from now. They've had a committed position
all down the line. There's a lot of tunnel vision with the left hand
not talking to the right hand. It's really tough…they care, they want
to do a good job, but it would be great to see more creativity and
talent in the process."

Many of the group spoke during the Q and
A that followed the powerpoint presentation. Most of the crowd were
Brickbottom residents and many were very worried ,since the proposed
maintenance facility would be just 20 feet from their home.

A person asked if the MBTA was involved. Lamboy answered: "The MBTA has not been involved as far as strategy is concerned."

Another
asked if the Governor was involved. Curtatone said, "He is aware of it
and he has listened, but we're mainly dealing with Secretaries at this
point."

An elderly man and 20-year complex resident spoke up:
"Id love to see a picket line in front of the Governor's house with
signs saying How would you like a maintenance facility built 20 feet
from YOUR house?! In order to get this defeated maybe we have to be
more active, more dramatic. We have nothing against the workers. I know
everyone needs work, but they will use this against us."

State
senator Pat Jehlen was present and she was asked her opinion."We need
to understand the constraint they're working under in order to get them
to move on. I'm hopeful, but you have to understand what the other side
is working with."

Another resident added: "A lot of artists
voted for Governor Patrick. We're a cultural capital. I think that's a
greater issue for the City of Boston and the State."

Alderman
Bill White and Brickbottom trustee-resident Heather Van Aelstcboth
emphasized the best strategy was to wait until after the plan is
published to completely organize any resistance.

The mayor had
also passed out to the group a letter from his office to the EOT – he
then summarized the letter and stressed it's three main tenants about
the whole Inner Belt project. "Our team has said to them repeatedly we
want these three main things: no impeding of economic growth., we want
to decrease barriers to movement and access not increase them, and no
facility should adversely impact the quality of life for area
residents."

The discussion continued and the only heated moment
of the night occurred when a man argued that not putting the
maintenance facility at North Point in Cambridge but sticking to the
current plan of locating it next to Brickbottom would help both cities
because of the business brought in by further North Point development.

A
lady resident turned sharply to him and said, "You obviously don't live
here." A disagreement followed about what would be business zoning and
what would be residential. The lady said there would indeed be business
sections in the Inner Belt that would bring business and revenue to
Somerville. The mayor agreed.

A thoughtful female resident said:
"It should be like Cambridge here. It's such valuable land, so close to
these world class institutions. How can we help you? What can we do to
make this tangible for you?"

It was stressed again that the
community should wait for the publishing of the EIR. A man asked
whether the rest of the city cared and would join in a fight. The mayor
seemed positive about this. "The high school (gym) has been filled more
than once (in the past) – they'll come out. We haven't yelled at the
state for some time."

The older man who spoke before said," I'm an original Brickbottomer. Our lives really depend on it."

Another
resident questioned the Mayor as to how serious he was about a
resistance to the proposed plan. Curtatone said, "We're going to be as
tenacious as a rabid dog on this. But we still need to be strategic on
how we do things."

Before the powerpoint presentation, Alderman
Maryann Heuston pushed for aldermen throughout the city to make regular
inspections and ticket infractions without warning. She made note of
when her three walks were for January and encouraged anyone interested
to join her.