By Keith
Spencer
For The
Advocate
A recent vote by the Everett Conservation
Commission has moved the city of
“Everything that should be done is going to be done,” said Jon Norton,
Chairman of the Everett Conservation Commission. “The notice of intent was
quite extensive, and presented a proposal that will be quite beneficial.”
The move is just the first of several hurdles
that would bring development to the General Electric site, abandoned a decade
ago. Developers are planning to transform the 40-acre site into a five building
office park that includes a public river walk and scenic overlook as well as
public access to the city’s 7-acre park.
Representatives from the team of engineers at
Each building will be constructed on concrete
slabs to avoid any disturbance of sediments that could release chemicals at the
site. The site will feature only light industrial or office space due to the
site’s environmental restrictions. The area has been designated a “brown
field”, or an area of previous development.
Engineers outlined plans for the site’s runoff water systems due to the
project’s close proximity to the
The development also calls for
While much of the river will be left undisturbed, a phragmites control
program will also begin as part of the development. The invasive plant species
can be found through out the banks of the
Plans also call for 8,000 square feet of extensive landscaping and
restoration to offset any impact to the waterfront.
The project will be market driven which places restrictions on the
opening of the public portions of the project. According to officials,
Aldermen Robert Van Campen and Michael Mangan as well as Councillors
Cynthia Sarnie and Rosa DiFlorio voiced their approval of the project during
the public hearing portion of the meeting. Their comments and concerns
confirmed those voiced by the other residents who attended the meeting.
Before taking a vote, Commissioner Norton also presented a letter from
the Medford Conservation Commission (
“Because a portion of the proposed project property is located within
the City of
After much discussion with Wasserman of
According to both Norton and Wasserman, the only abutting area is
underwater and would not be impacted by the development. Where the plans do not
call for any drudging or work within the river, the
DiFlorio acknowledges challenges, urges continued cooperation
By
Keith Spencer
“I am very proud to be the president of the Common Council this session,
and I am so happy to receive that vote of confidence from my colleagues,”
Councillor Rosa DiFlorio said in an interview Tuesday. The ward-five councilor
will lead the Everett Common Council as president during the 2010 legislative
session.
DiFlorio is a native of
Through out our recent interview, DiFlorio reiterated her desire to see
teamwork at all levels of government. She noted the advancements in
communication made by the city council during the last session under the
leadership of Millie Cardello.
“I thought Millie did a great job working with all of the councillors,
speaking with each and every one of us, really communicating,” added DiFlorio.
“I am really hoping to build upon her work last year, and continue to create an
atmosphere where we all work together.”
DiFlorio also urged her fellow elected officials to promote teamwork at
all levels. Noting instances in the past where people chose to work against
rather than with one another, DiFlorio believes the city has moved forward,
also acknowledging Mayor Carlo DeMaria for his contributions over the last
several years.
“I have been happy to work with the Mayor and all of the members of the
city council in beautifying our streets and parks and bringing in positive
business development. We need to be focused on growth and moving forward.”
Despite her high hopes, DiFlorio is quite grounded, acknowledging the
challenges that will most likely be presented during the upcoming year.
The council president believes this year’s budget process will once
again present issues for cities and towns across the state. While Governor
Patrick has expressed the need and his desire to keep local aid in tact, the
budget ax of the legislature may ultimately leave the Commonwealth facing
cutbacks once again. DiFlorio believes it would be better to get these cuts
sooner than later.
“I am hoping that we don’t get the cuts, but I don’t have a crystal
ball,” DiFlorio said. “I really think it is better to get these cuts now rather
than scramble during the middle of the year when there are shortfalls.”
DiFlorio believes the city’s budget process should go smoothly despite a
potentially dismal outlook.
“We should have a smooth transaction like we did last year,” DiFlorio
stated. “Alderman Van Campen and I pushed to make the cuts as we moved along in
the process while we had the department heads in front of us. We needed to make
sure we could get the answers we needed in order to do the right thing.”
DiFlorio believes the procedural change benefited FY2010 hearings, and
hopes the city council will once again communicate openly and freely during the
process later this spring.
While DiFlorio supported a measure to use nearly $1 million to save jobs
last year, the new council president does not believe any similar action will
be an option in the future.
“We’ve been presented with cuts in the middle of the year in the past,
and we were facing a gloomy outlook,” DiFlorio admitted.
“I don’t see us being able to make any decisions like we did last year.
We all know that we have to cut the budget as best as we can, but we need to
make it so the city can still run.”
DiFlorio also acknowledged the serious need to look at our city’s taxes,
noting that both residents and businesses have been hard-hit over the years for
various reasons.
“It really does all come back down to growth,” DiFlorio concluded. “We
need to bring in more positive businesses, drive taxes down, and continue to
develop relationships that will help our city thrive.”