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Residents left feedback on location of a new park for Union Square master developer during an open house.
(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)
Dear Editor,
Green & Open Somerville and Union Square Neighbors call on city leaders and Union Square master developer, US2, to make good on commitments to design, develop, and build new parks in and around Union Square.
Under the new Union Square zoning, US2, Union Square’s master developer, must construct a “Neighborhood Park” that is at least half an acre. During the zoning review process, US2 promised the Union Square community that we would have the opportunity to evaluate several different locations for this park.
On September 18, US2 submitted its master development permit application after holding an “open house” presenting its plan. However, during US2’s open house, only one location was shown to the public as a serious option for the park – one that has never been presented before. The location has serious drawbacks that need consideration. We left written comments and spoke to US2’s representatives and landscape architect about our concerns, however, we’ve learned after reviewing their permit application that their plans remain largely unchanged.
The success of this park will be determined by it being used. If the community is not part of the process to decide the location and design, there is a significant chance it will not succeed.
We call upon US2 to fully engage the community in good-faith and allow informed public discussion on the location for the park. We believe locating the park on the D7 block (site of the existing Citizens Bank and parking lot next to Properzi Manor) may better serve the Union Square community and is worth evaluating. We must wonder if US2 is shoving their plan down our throat because it makes their build-out easier to design and maximizes their profit. Somerville’s Planning Board should not approve US2’s permit application until the neighborhood has a chance to weigh in.
Secondly, we call upon the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen to develop a plan to acquire, design, and develop a park on Charlestown Street – consistent with recommendations of the Union Square Neighborhood Plan. The site is currently owned by the MBTA and is slated for temporary use as a storage yard during construction of the Green Line extension. Whether this means talking to US2, negotiating for a fair price from the MBTA, applying for grants, etc., it needs to start now. We cannot let this great idea remain a distant future possibility that moves further from our grasp.
Great parks come from great planning. We invite all interested residents and stakeholders to sign our online petition: https://www.change.org/p/union-square-station-associates-new-parks-for-union-square
Sincerely,
Renée Scott, Co-founder
On behalf of Green & Open Somerville
Rob Buchanan, Chairperson
On behalf of Union Square Neighbors
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There definitely needs to be more green space in Somerville. A good part of the problem is that there is too much development being allowed here. I read a while back in this very paper that we are over the limit allowed by law because the Mayor has been allowing more units to be built. If I am incorrect, please say so, but that’s what I remember reading.
You can’t hear about any building being bought here that isn’t being turned into living spaces. Every business that’s closed in recent years has been slated to become rentals. Even a single-family home was bought and torn down to build apartments in the same spot.
We’ve lost too many good long-time businesses to count. Some may have chosen to go, but in the end it came down to being given an offer too good to pass up by developers who were allowed to do so.
Think about that: Patsy’s Pastry – gone, to become apartments. Johnny D’s – gone, will become apartments. Winter Hill Auto Body – gone, torn down and now apartments. Faulkner Bros. Garage on Alpine Street – currently being considered for conversion to apartments. Even more than one school has been turned into an apartment building. That’s only a few of those who have since gone the same way. I don’t know of any former business that didn’t become an apartment or condo building.
The Mayor has said he wants to give us more green spaces, but he’s the one who okayed all these developers to take over our spaces in the first place. How can you say you are trying to do something you are actively preventing?
We need to stop the constant additions of living spaces taking over our city if we ever expect to have enough green space here.
We have more than enough people living here. We need to have places they can go to enjoy living here as well.
LindaS is absolutely correct. We have given large parcels of land to develoers and given them free reign to build whatever they want. The city is requiring fewer parking spaces than the zoning allows. Developers are allowed to create off-site green space so they can give more of their land to living space, developers are allowed to turn 2 and 3 family homes into condos with virtually no restriction. All of this creates more new residents who will support the Mayor’s agenda, and more tax revenue. Attend a few neighborhood planning meetings. The outcome is always in favor of the developer. We are building a huge high school when our student population falls more every year.
Here is the actual state enrollment numbers for anyone interested.
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/analysis/default.aspx?orgcode=02740000&orgtypecode=5&
Max, the student population is not decreasing.
Mac, This shows the total enrollment for last October, but no comparisons. And 4,931 is not a large enrollment figure for an urban district with 7 elementary schools, a high school,a vocational high school and an alternative high school. Please look at enrollment figures in past years. Particularly look at the numbers in pre-school and Kindergarten as compared with other grades, and the numbers in the high school.
I’d prefer the Citizen’s Bank site too, but I don’t think there’s going to be a bad or inaccessible spot anywhere in Union Square. My take is the farthest spot from Lincoln Park (which is the northeast side of the square) is probably the best option. That spaces out our parks.
What I’d really like is if we can figure out how to make it as big as possible.. That way we can use it for public events. It would also be nice to engage US2 in talks about green roofs as part of this, maybe even some with public access (e.g. a rooftop community garden or mini park).
As long as there is a give and take process, I think we’ll be good. Mostly I’m hoping the community advocates think big.