~ Revere City Council Roundup ~

By The Advocate

Apartments at the lumber yard

The City Council held a public hearing on Eastern Equity Partners’ applications for special permits to allow residential apartment use within the Central Business District at 29, 35 and 43 Foster Street. Eastern Equity Partners also applied for a special permit to allow residential apartment use within the Central Business District, and to alter and extend a nonconforming structure to enable the appellant to construct an 85-unit residential apartment building at 40 Foster St. and 310 Broadway.

An attorney for Eastern Equity Partners said the development would eliminate the Burnett & Moynihan lumberyard, which is no longer compatible with the neighborhood. He said it would reduce truck traffic and make the area safer. He added that the project would replace aging buildings and contribute to a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood.

Ward 4 Councillor Paul Argenzio was the first councillor to support the project. “I’m in favor of development in the right places, and I think the central business district is the right location,” said Argenzio. “Broadway businesses will benefit by infusing some residential development in the neighborhood.”

At-Large Councillor Marc Silvestri agreed. “This is a project that makes sense,” said Silvestri. “The lumberyard hasn’t made sense for a while. And we have a reputable developer [Jamie Russo] who stays and supports the city in every way, shape or form.”

Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro said he lived on Foster Street. “I can attest to the number of trucks backing up on Broadway and stopping traffic,” he said, adding, “This is a great project.”

Paul Rizzo, an abutter to the proposed development, also spoke in support of the project. “This is the right area for development,” said Rizzo. “This will revitalize this area of Broadway.”

Councillors were also encouraged to hear that the owner of the lumberyard has an equity stake in the project.

The City Council referred the special permit applications to the Zoning Subcommittee for additional review.

Tattoo shops

The City Council held a public hearing on the zoning amendment relative to tattoo shops. Currently, body art establishments are allowed only in the Technology Enterprise District (TED) by special permit. The amendment would keep the special permit requirement but allow shops in more districts. Councillors agreed that zoning restrictions reflect an outdated attitude towards tattoos.

“We need to modernize the ordinance,” said Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya. “By allowing these businesses, we’re keeping economic activity and tax revenue in our city.”

Revere resident Alicia Thompson runs a family tattoo studio in Danvers. She wanted a shop in Revere but ran into too many roadblocks. She spoke in favor of amending the ordinance to allow body art establishments in all districts. “I want to bring my business back home,” she told councillors.

Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro rolled up his sleeves and showed off two powerful looking forearms loaded with ink. “There should be no restrictions,” said Cogliandro. “This is old legislation by people who didn’t know any better. By special permit can be changed to by right.”

The City Council referred the proposed amendment to the Zoning Subcommittee, where, City Council President Anthony Zambuto said, it will be tweaked to everyone’s satisfaction.

Barking dogs

The City Council supported a motion from Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya requesting the Animal Control Officer and the Revere Police to proactively enforce all applicable state laws and city ordinances regarding excessive and habitual dog barking that disturbs the peace and quiet enjoyment of neighboring properties. Guarino-Sawaya proposes that officers be authorized to issue warnings, citations and fines, where appropriate, to property owners who repeatedly allow dogs to bark continuously after complaints have been made.

The city’s ordinance on the regulation of dogs does include continuous dog barking in its list of prohibited behaviors. Owners could be fined $100 for a first offense violation.

Bring in the food trucks

The City Council held a public hearing on a zoning ordinance amendment that would expand where food trucks are allowed to operate. Policy writer Clair Inzerillo explained that the amendment would add one zoning district, PDD2, to the areas where food trucks would be allowed. In drafting this amendment, city planners were looking specifically at Wonderland Marketplace as a potential site for a food truck. Inzerillo stressed that any food truck would still need to be approved by the Licensing Commission, which would grant approvals on a case-by- case basis.

Inzerillo and small-business liaison John Festa said they have received numerous inquiries from food truck operators interested in coming to Revere. They said food trucks would benefit residents and help local businesses by increasing foot traffic.

Still, councillors raised concerns. Councillor-at-Large Joanne McKenna reminded fellow councillors that there were complaints from residents kept up late at night from truck generators. McKenna also said there were concerns about fumes from trucks, especially in areas where there are typically children and families.

Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya said she is concerned that the food trucks would negatively impact brick-and-mortar restaurants. She said the ordinance should prohibit food trucks from operating near established restaurants and from serving similar types of food.

But other councillors favored the idea of more food trucks. “I think it’s great for the city, great for business,” said Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri. “More choices will help other businesses.”

The amendment was referred to the Zoning Subcommittee for review.

The Name Game

The City Council referred the proposed ordinance on naming city property to the Legislative Affairs Subcommittee. The ordinance gives the City Council the authority to name city buildings and property with the approval of the mayor. Several councillors questioned the School Department’s authority to name school buildings and property. State law gives the School Committee the authority to operate and manage school property but does not specifically address naming. Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro said he intends to file a home rule petition to shift that authority to the City Council.

Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky was even more emphatic. “We are getting a $500 million building that we authorized,” said Novoselsky. “We should have the option of saying what it’s called.”

Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya proposed making naming property a collaborative responsibility of the City Council, the School Committee and the Mayor.

Abandoned shopping carts

The City Council supported a motion from Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya about the appropriate department to work with local retailers to establish a program for the prompt retrieval of abandoned shopping carts throughout the city, particularly in residential neighborhoods, parks, wetlands and along roadways, and begin enforcement with removal and retailer responsibilities.

Councillor-at-Large Joanne McKenna said she has been working with the Public Works Department on this problem since Covid. She said people can call the DPW and they will come and collect the carts. McKenna said that they are returned to the stores where they belong.

Council calls for repairs to Short Beach

The City Council supported a motion from Councillor-at-Large Joanne McKenna and Ward 1 Councillor James Mercurio that the City Council write a letter to the Department of Conservation & Recreation advocating that the DCR request funding through appropriations or grants relative to the repair, reconstruction and climate-resiliency improvements of the Short Beach seawall and sidewalks along Winthrop Parkway. The motion points out that the DCR State Parkways Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment identified Winthrop Parkway as a hot spot.

“State Rep Jeff Turco has been advocating for these repairs and improvements for more than a year, but DCR is not listening,” McKenna told fellow councillors. “As a council, we should be advocating for the safety of people walking and running along the beach.”

McKenna listed the problems at Short Beach, which include a collapsing sea wall, broken sidewalks and streetlight outages.

Mercurio echoed those issues, adding broken railings and potholes on the parkway. “DCR has neglected this beach for a number of years,” said Mercurio.

Councillors, most of whom have experienced similar frustrations with DCR, seemed happy to support the motion. “This is well overdue,” said Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri. “We have the first public beach in America, an historic beach, and we have to beg to get it fixed.”