Mayor: Assembly Square development could be delayed

The third-term mayor of Somerville was the guest at the Aug. 8 Somerville News contributors meeting. Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone discussed the city's future, its policies for parking tickets and who convinced IKEA to give priority to East Somerville residents when hiring for its new store in Assembly Square.

SN: What's happening with the SCAT building in Union Square?

The building itself as a structure will stay; it has some history in it. SCAT we feel will be relocated, but somewhere as part of our development of the square, because we're building an arts overlay in the square that the media arts are a big part of. So no matter what, SCAT is going to have a home in Union Square, and if it's a new home, it'll be more technologically advanced.

SN: With the economic climate the way it is, is there a possibility that development at Assembly Square could be stalled?

Yes. There is a danger in every development, that the schedule will be changed. So it has an effect on everything, because the major impact is what it does to infrastructure costs, if you look at NorthPoint, they lost their other potential development partner Goldman-Sachs, because the infrastructure costs just surpassed the land value so much it didn't make sense. Any major economic development project over the last few years that hasn't gone into the ground has lost economic value, even Assembly, but we're still teed up to go.

I speak to the Federal Realty people, the IKEA people, they're looking at the economic downturn and they wanna catch it on the upturn, so don't be surprised if you see a store supposed to open up in September, open up in January. They wait three or four months so they can catch the market on the upturn. The bottom line, it's happening.

SN: We hear IKEA's opening up a station in the central library for Somerville people who want jobs.

We [the city] did that. You should call the Somerville Community Corporation and ask them if they were at the table when it was negotiated. They [SCC] came to me and we were already discussing it with IKEA and I said 'It's a good idea. We're already doing it, we're getting it done.' Unfortunately sometimes these well-minded and intentioned social service agencies, they're not the city government here, developers are not going to sit with them. They're not going to negotiate these deals. You might want to ask 'hey when were you at the table when the deal was made?' Because I looked around the room and they weren't there. We negotiated it, not the Somerville Community Corporation.

SN: Are meter maids and parking tickets used as a source of revenue for the city?

In any city they're a major source of revenue. Traffic and parking around the city, that's a major focus for residents all the time. Parking spots are a luxury here, as a revenue source, sure, they bring in several million dollars for the city. That money's not being held, that money's going back against the tax levy, or it's for other technologies or services our resident's get.

SN: What is coming up in Somerville as far as new events and activities?

The next thing that is going to happen is you're going to see more of the civic events, next September we're going to have a fireworks display, it will be an annual event in Assembly Square, the Riverfest. People used to say 'why should we do these things, we might have problems.' I mean, what are we animals over here? We can't have a small town feel to this city? So we're going to do more, we're going to keep beefing up what we're doing with the parades and the arts events, more civic events, we're going to really push them hard.

SN: With the city becoming a more desirable place to live, some longtime residents are finding it harder to stay here as housing prices rise. What can the city do, if anything, to maintain affordability?

You need diversified housing that's available. We're excited to get some new developments to create some new rental stocks as well. We don't want to make Somerville poorer, we want to keep what we have here.

Gentrification is not an issue now, that's an issue that doesn't make sense. These people who are coming in and moving into Somerville, want to make our city better. I think we should welcome them.

Comments

[kev]

Don't forget that there will be a BIG celebration this December when the firefighters celebrate 10 years of "temporary housing" in the trailer. Fun for all ages. Cotton-candy and pony rides for the kids. Hopefully it won't rain and flood out the station area where the fire apparatus is parked.

[Somerville n00b]

Stop whining... If you like to resign as a firefighter, there are plenty of other qualified people who would be glad to take your job... Besides, given the ongoing scandal with the Boston firefighters, I'd keep a low profile these days, if I were you. You don't want the Feds sniffing around here as well, do you?

[FP]

People should think twice about buying a home in Somerville. Especially in Ward 2. the city services allow the drainage systems to spill over into the sewer systems and basements of home owners. On top of that the drainage system does not work well and is not well maintained. It backs up into the basements of houses in Somerville. To top it off, inspection services does not care if houses route their gutters into the sewer system.... Many houses on my street have gutters that go into what is clearly a sewer pipe on the outside of their homes. These folks raise the cost of water bills for everyone else and add more water to the basement flooding problem since the sewers and drainage systems just spill over into each other. If somerville really cared wouldn't they inspect and ticket these home owners? Wouldn't they rebuild the drainage systems?

People in ward 2 should be refunded all of their property taxes because that money is being squandered on providing services for big box stores.

These stores are just bringing in more traffic and pollution and are not doing anything for the local residents. Unless you are a business person, or have crony connections, these deals don't make sense for you or the majority of Somerville Residents.

Should we not do deals that benefit most of the people instead of deals that just benefit the lucky connected people?

[FP]

"Unfortunately sometimes these well-minded and intentioned social service agencies, they're not the city government here, developers are not going to sit with them."

I don't get it, can you say that they are not allowed at the table, or that they other party won't allow them to negotiate, and then hold that against them too?

"Sorry you weren't there.."???

[Fool on the Hill]

To me, this is the most interesting statement in the interview because it seems so innocent, but implies so much: "Gentrification is not an issue now, that's an issue that doesn't make sense. These people who are coming in and moving into Somerville, want to make our city better."

Gentrification isn't an issue to who? Not to the mayor. Not to the people who are moving here and pushing the price of housing beyond what long time residents can pay. Who does it not make sense to?

How do "these people who are coming in and moving into Somerville" want to make it better? What, or who, do they just not care about being better? Is that better for everyone, or better for you, Mr. Mayor?

It's also the ten year anniversary of when the Mystic View Task Force presented a plan that could have created 30,000 new jobs and reduced Somerville taxes by $30,000,000 per year for those "longtime residents who are finding it harder to stay here as housing prices rise." But Joe Curtatone's political ambitions were more important than long time residents' needs.

[Imux]

Kev, Somervilleboob is a retard. I take some blame for it as I have kicked his ass up between his shoulderblades - so often - that some damage has now been done. Ignore the fool.

Gentrification. Not an issue? Do you know what housing prices too high in the city for average families to buy into creates? No families in the city. It's what we've become and the mayor seems to want now. Want to see what Somerville will be in a few years? Go to San Fransisco. I lved there a few years back -- when my kids were younger -- and there are no kids. Anywhere. It's spooky. You either have the deviants, bums or single yuppies looking to move out to Marion county when they do have kids. Same is happening here. Hey... according to Joe - THAT'S PROGRESS!!!

And let's all admit what no one seems to want to say aloud....that there is a lot more gays/lesbians around here now than ever before --- hey, hey... nothing wrong with that, but... that is the gorilla in the room everyone is ignoring.

[Craig]

Once again, I-hole, your fascination with homosexuality speaks volumes about your closeted, self-loathing, homophobic self than anything else. Get over it, get a boyfriend, and end the verbal fantasy.

For you it's either "ZOMG TEH GAYZ!!!1!1!!" or "ZOMG TEH DEMOCRATZ!!1!!!1!" or your equating one with the other.

How pathetic.

[Somerville n00b]

You can tell when somebody (I-Hole) is a pathetic liar when they say they spent years in a city but they cannot even spell the city's name correctly. There are plenty of kids in SF, idiot.

[kev]

n00b,
I'm just curious, how exactly am I whining? I'm simply letting the people of Somerville know that there will be a celebratory event this December that they will be able to attend with their children and I want them to save the date.

[Ron Newman]

if you ever actually lived anywhere near San Francisco, you'd know that the next county to the north is Marin. Not Marion.

[JPM]

Cry me a river. If these long time residents didn't buy and made poor choices with their money then that's their tough luck. You should have taken a risk and bought something when you could. This is America and people are free to kove in anout of neighborhoods as they please. Neighborrhoods change over time...some go up...some go down...some stay the same. That's life! If you can't afooed to love in Somerville then move somewhere you can afford. Just stop whinign and expecting your life to b subsidised by everyone else with your afordable housing BS.

[Somerville n00b]

Kev, I assume you are only playing stupid...

[Imux]

JPM, I agree with you to a point. However, it is a lot easier for a single person to buy a house then it is for a family with 2 or 3 kids (kids are expensive). That's more the issue - this city is becoming only for those young professionals without kids and the lowlifes (illegals and bums). I own multiple properties here, so it doesn't affect me as much now. I'll be sleeping on the wrong side of the grass when the noob-like-substance hits the fan. But I doubt that a city that no young families can afford to live in is going to be a healthy, vibrant city.

Ron, thanks for doubling as my proofreader and spellchecker. Keep up the valuable contributions to the issues.

b00b, again with the zero substance posts? You should become one of Barack Hussein's speechwriters. Zero substance.... just a lot of "uh....uh....uh...er"

[Somerville n00b]

People with no kids have more time to devote to gentrification, to improving the city, and to get political scumbags out of here. Go Carl!!!

[somebody]

JPM: I agree with you. I feel bad that people feel like they are being pushed out of their own town, but that's life. I bought a place, because I liked my neighborhood and was worried if I didn't buy soon, I too would be whining.

Imux: I agree with you about the city becoming hard for families to afford. However, I do think that families will be able to afford to live in the city. It's just that those families will have higher incomes than the ones that lived here historically. I think the main concern for Somerville, with respect to being attractive for families, is not affordable housing but condo conversions. Too many condos are too small for families, so for that reason alone, many families would not live in Somerville. Two-level condos that have 3+ bedrooms are family friendly. For example, a 3-story 2-family home is often converted into 3 single-level condos. Instead, it would be nicer to convert those into two units: a single-level condo (for singles, dinks, young families) and a two-level condo for larger families. The challenge is to find a way to encourage developers to do this, without restricting the rights of property owners or unnecessarily burdening Somerville residents.

[Tricky]

I don't think you can just convert a two-family home to three condos without a major hassle anymore.

However if someone long ago converted a standard-issue Philly to three (or more!) units, well, you can flip it to three condos.

[Somerville n00b]

Somebody, the single most important reason why families may not want to live here is that the public schools SUCK! They go to Belmont, instead.

[JPM]

1. Imux, as someone who has preached personal responsibility, it is odd that you want others to pay for a person's decision to have kids. I know kids are expensive so I have delayed my decision to have any. It's no good having three kids and then complaining that you can't afford to live in nice apartment within walking dsitance of Davis Sq.!!

2. I have see plenty of couples with young children in Somerville....i.e. before school age. So why do couples move out of Somerville when their children become school age? Simple...better schools in the suburbs. Somerville High School tries hard but it is not a great school. Only, when public schools in Somerville are as good as schools in the burbs will people stay in Somerville. Young "yuppie" couples care about their children's education and have the option to move out. People vote with their feet when it comes to the child's education. It's that simple.

3. Fact. Old timers would not have been pushed out if they bought when you could get a place for next to nothing. Remember the old maxim, "no risk no reward." People forget that the US and indeed Boston is full of areas that have gone south. If you bought in those areas you were trapped in negative equity or had to sell at a loss. That is the risk in buying. If you rented in an area that was good and turned bad, then you simply handed your notice to quit and left in 30 days! It seems that those that rented in Somerville but did not buy want all the benfits of renting, such as flexibility, but do not want any of the downside, i.e. missing out on potential profit if the place gentrifies. You can't have your cake and eat it! We all now know that West Somerville has gentrified....we are wise AFTER the fact. Now all those that did not want to take a gamble on which way Somerville would go want to get in on the action...by way of affordable housing.

4. Affordable hosuing is a tax. Remember, the developer gets his money one way or another. If he has to set aside affordable housing units, he simply makes up the lost profit by jacking up the price of other units in the development. Somebody is paying for affordable housing...it is a hidden tax.

5. Take responsibility for your decisions. It is easy to whine that you can't afford to live in your hometown and that you should be subsidised at everyone else's expense. If you can't afford to live in Somerville get a better job or move out. Just don't expect me to pick up the tab.

[JPM]

Somebody: You make an interesting point regardng condo conversion. Who is pushing all this stuff through, running roughshod over zoning laws, getting variances at will, and exhibiting massive conflicts of interest with the ZBA??

Why yes it is those very same Somerville "old timers" who are connected to the political hack system that will give you permission to build that condo development if you make a contribution to the correct "charity"...nudge nudge wink wink!

The idea that Somerville old timers are all poor old benevolent dears is laughable. Remember, someone is selling those houses for massive profit to those yuppies who have gentrified Somerville....and they are quite happy to pocket the cash. I am not faulting them for that...but lets cut the BS.

[kev]

n00b -

I'm still waiting for you to explain how in my first post to this story that I was whining. I simply stated that there will be a big celebration later this year and I wanted to get the word out to the public. Unfortunately, you decided to bash me and put a total negative spin on things. Just wondering why you have to be like that. There is enough negativity these days in this world, we don't need people creating more.

[yupper!]

You can tell the mayor is converting yuppyism himself. He got that slicked back Harvard part along with his golf club jacket lol.

[somebody]

n00b: Somerville schools always get a bad rap, and towns like Belmont & Winchester get all the praise. But people rarely focus on why these schools are ranked the way they are. They are ranked based on test scores. It has little to do with the actual school system (teachers, administration, etc), and has mostly to do with the people that go to that school. Belmont, Winchester, Lexington, Newton, etc have very homogeneous populations. Those schools have students that mostly come from upper middle class families with parents that are highly educated and take an active role in their children's education. This type of student is a minority in a city like Somerville. I'd argue that if Somerville and Belmont swapped students, but kept the teachers and administration the same... The "quality" of the school systems would also swap. Haven't you noticed that Cambridge and Arlington schools have "improved" as the home values have increased and more upper income families have moved in?

[Breaking News!]

Just in: Ron the Newmanator's paternal dad just revealed! Woody Allen! That's correct Woody Allen had strong ties to the Ville and was known to hang around the Davis Square area and mooch around for free food that was being served at local events! Just remember that you heard it here on the Ville's hot test Web site first!

[Planet Somerville]

Now his honor says Assembly will not get built as scheduled.

How many more times do we need to get snowed before we tell this faker to screw?

Don't bank on the orange line stop down there either. The show he put on with state officials is more of the same. All talk no action.