But because of the agreement, task force member Wig Zamore said, “All the lawsuits are going away.”
I know this doesn’t directly affect everyone who reads here, and I know that not everyone will have followed the details. But to summarize my understanding of this: the city of Somerville has been trying for a long time to develop Assembly Square. A neighborhood group (Mystic Valley Task Force) was very actively protesting and fighting aspects of the plans, to make them better for the neighbors. But now that appears to be over.
According to the email from Fred Berman, who was part of the MVTF, there was going to be a signing and press conference today at City Hall.
Thanks to everyone for working together to get this to happen, finally–seems to the benefit of all.
Mixed use development and smart growth. I like the sound of that.
You’re right, MEM, this isn’t something we all talk about here, but this seems to be a very “Democratic” project in a lot of ways – everyone wins, people make some money, housing (a lot of it affordable, I’d expect) gets built.
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And we get to go to an IKEA on the T! (Wait, does that mean we have to lug those heavy flat boxes home on the T too?)
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I think Mayor Cutone ran and won on this platform of developing that area. I wonder if he’ll have bigger and (perhaps not) better aspirations some day…
because it seems off-topic with the election rush. But I re-read the tag line “…politics and policy” and I hoped this fit into the policy part!
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It was also sort of buried in the Globe, I thought people might miss it.
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And yeah–I’m betting that Mayor Joe uses this a key point for the future….
I mean, what is politics about except actually getting something done? Haw haw.
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Seriously, it’s great news. However, I have to wonder what kind of neighborhood feel they’ll have there. The new development by Wellington has all the trappings of a neighborhood — homes, shops, transportation — and yet … there’s something missing. No soul yet.
I think there won’t be a “feel” for quite a while. The article said there’s going to be “more office” there, so I wonder if it will be “neighborhood-y”. It certainly won’t be like the Back Bay or South End in that close-quarters way, nor will it be like other areas of Somerville. I think it will likley be a lot of renters who end up living there in the future, taking the T 5 minutes to downtown. But it also seems like the T station isn’t happening tomorrow either.
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But we still get to go to IKEA! Mmmmm, meatballs with lingonberries for $4.99……
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As for politics, you’re right: this is certainly something conrete the Mayor could point to, although the last line of the article makes it sound like Doug Foy mediated it all. Good for him, after being summarily duped by Romney into serving as the new Secretary of Commonwealth Development and getting dumped when his agenda clashed with Romney’s. Maybe the stop won’t be called Assembly Square but will be called “Capuano-Curtatone Station.”
As much as I support mixed-use zoning, you can’t just create a fun, social, active community with some cinder blocks.
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I hope Assembly Square will get seeded with artists and studios and such! And progressives, of course….
I just hope it doesn’t make East Somerville look like Davis Square in a few years (i.e. affluent, white, generally homogenous, and completely unaffordable to working families who progressives should be all about).
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-Steve from (east) Somerville
I went away to think about your comment, and tried to think about what makes great places to live great. I think of artists first because the artists I know are creative, outgoing, interested, willing to try new things, and eager to communicate in many ways.
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But I tried to also think about what else makes winning communities succeed–and now I think it is community activists. I think some proportion of the development should be community activists.
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Like artists, they are outgoing, interested, eager to communicate–and may be creative in non-artsy ways, too. And their goal is to bring the community together to accomplish things.
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I’d be interested to hear other strategies, though. What is the yuppie-antidote you would want?
I actually posted that in haste and then realized that bashing the good people of Davis Sq. was not constructive nor called for. I regret that. I looked for the delete button but it apparently doesn’t exist in soapbox comments.
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You make a good point about activists.
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I don’t know if I have the yuppie antidote – it’s something I’m struggling with over here because I can sense what’s coming (between this development and the Green Line extension). For the record, I’m not a native and I am in fact something of a yuppie myself. I just get a feeling that some progressives in Somerville need to be reminded that the social justice message (for example, marriage equality) will be stronger if it’s tied to economic justice (like affordable housing and good paying jobs).
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So to summarize, I don’t have a solution and probably should’ve kept my mouth (keyboard) shut if I didn’t have anything constructive to say. Sorry for the negativity – I’m excited that Assembly Square is going to be moving forward in a more transit/pedestrian friendly manner.
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On a lighter note, I-93 and the associated pollution will probably keep out a good number of health conscious yuppies. Bring on the activists! :)~
I understood the underlying issue, and I think it is a fair question. Heck, I was priced out of Davis, and I’m probably in most of those categories you cited…. (Winter Hill here).
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And it is true: when neighborhoods that were previously “underdeveloped” become hot, things change. But I personally think a neighborhood is stronger with some of everything: seniors, children, students, young professionals, immigrants, artists, …. I just don’t know how to create that from scratch. Can we?
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There was all that talk about the “creative class” for a while. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a broad demographic. I don’t know if that is still the hot idea in planning circles. I’m just a neighbor, I’m not a planner or anything.