~ Revere City Council Roundup ~

City Council Honors

As they often do, the City Council opened their meeting this week awarding commendations to individuals and organizations that have made contributions to the community or completed notable achievements. This week it took some time. The council first awarded a commendation to the Revere Karate Academy in recognition of their 45th anniversary of being in business. Next was a commendation for Paul Baglio in recognition of his valiant battle against a rare form of cancer. Lieutenant Robert Impemba was honored for organizing a police escort for Baglio.

And finally, RHS basketball varsity star Ethan Day was awarded a commendation in recognition of his status as the 2024-25 Greater Boston League Co-MVP and for scoring 1,000 career points.

New Building, No Changes

The council held a public hearing on the special permit application for 250 Lee Burbank Highway LLC to raze the building at 250 Lee Burbank Highway and reconstruct a two-story office building with 26 parking spaces. The developer will be building in the existing footprint and no changes are planned. The council referred the application to the Zoning Subcommittee for review.

Changes at 870 Broadway

Master Spray Foam Insulation at 870 Broadway was granted a special permit to use the site as a contractor’s storage yard. The permit was subject to conditions set by site plan review, and the Zoning Subcommittee including parking restrictions and hours of operation.

ADU Rules

The council approved amendments to the city’s ordinance regulating accessory dwelling units, as recommended by the Zoning Subcommittee. The most significant change is a prohibition on variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals. New curb cuts and driveway entrances are also forbidden, as are additional ADUs on one site.

“The ordinance is more than sufficient to protect the city. It meets the goal of allowing in-law apartments for seniors without the state’s one-size-fits-all mandate for ADUs,” said Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley.

Revere Power Choice

The council heard a presentation on Revere Power Choice, a municipal aggregation plan for electricity. The plan involves Revere purchasing electricity for the entire city from a supplier other than National Grid. Residents and businesses will still receive electricity through National Grid wires and poles but the electricity will be from another supplier.

Although there is no guarantee, the hope is that the city’s collective purchasing power may result in reduced rates. Revere Power choice does, however, guarantee some cost stability with prices holding steady for 30 months. National Grid changes their pricing every six months, and ratepayers are subject to unseen price hikes.

According to several councillors, the biggest problem residents have with the program is the automatic enrollment. But residents can withdraw from the program at any time.

For more information about the program, go to Reverepowerchoice.com.

Imbrasico Way

Councillors supported Ward 6 Councillor Paul Argenzio’s motion to name the four-foot-wide footpath running from 201 Arnold St. to 688 Park Ave. Imbrasico Way in recognition of the Imbrasico family who live at 201 Arnold St. and have helped maintain the path for decades. Argenzio also called for signs at both ends of the path that identify it as Imbrasico Way.

Squire Road Safety

Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro presented a motion calling on MassDOT to paint new lines, repair potholes and install additional lighting on Squire Road. According to Cogliandro the road’s turns are unclear and unpredictable and pose a threat to drivers who are unfamiliar with the area.

In Case of Emergency

The council supported Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya’s motion that the city explores the feasibility of equipping all Fire Department vehicles with EpiPens and to look for state or federal funding to offset the cost of purchasing and maintaining an EpiPen supply.

Parking in Riverside

Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya called for two-sided parking in Riverside. Guarino-Sawaya also requested “No parking here to corner” on all streets in Riverside. The motion was referred to the Traffic Commission.

Don’t Block the Box

Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna requested that MassDOT paint “Do Not Block the Box” markings for traffic control on Bennington Street at the intersection of Crescent Avenue.