Gewirtz speaks to The News

By Nuria Chantre

The Ward 6 alderman spoke at The Somerville News contributors’ meeting held Feb. 8 at Davis Square's Mr. Crepe shop.

“Ever since I saw the movie ‘An inconvenient truth,’ I’ve been talking excessively about the environment, what we can do on the local level to make change and to address this problem that inches closer toward a crisis,” said Rebekah L. Gewirtz, Ward 6 alderman.

Gewirtz said she agrees with the film’s consensus that people go from disbelief to despair once they understand global warming, but never stop to take action. One of her goals, as alderman is to counteract this attitude of discouragement and to promote engagement in environmental issues, she said.

In January, the city joined over a 100 other communities across the country in a nationwide green-cast to discuss ways to address environmental concerns, she said.

“I’m very happy that the president of the board of aldermen decided to convene a committee on environment and energy and appointed me to that committee,” Gewirtz said.  “I’m looking forward to the follow-up from the meeting.”

As the budget session approaches, Gerwitz said the environment is not the only issue she is concerned about. 

She is enthusiastic about the changes in Davis Square, including the construction of the new building at 1 Davis Sq., which will house a CVS and a Boston Sports Authority, in addition to the non-profit organizations formerly located at this address, she said.

Gewirtz said she plans to support Marty Martinez in the upcoming special elections for the position of alderman-at-large.

“Marty Martinez is a tremendous asset to the city of Somerville. He is committed to values I care about, that I share. I would be glad to have him as a colleague on the board of alderman.”

Gewirtz said she favors locally owned and operated businesses. “I’ve made my position clear from the very beginning that I don’t think we should turn Davis Square into an outdoor mall or into some generic place where everything is a chain.”

Presently, Gewirtz said she is focusing on a home rule petition before the board of alderman, concerning the removal of the civil service designation from the positions of assistant supervisor custodian and supervisor custodian, she said.

She opposes this revocation, which would limit the potential for career advancement in this field, she said.

“My concern is that civil service was set up for a reason.  It was set up to retain employees, to give people a career ladder.  They are positions that are there frankly to prevent patronage,” she said.

Proponents of the home rule petition argue that civil service doesn’t work, and that the city has not hosted the civil service test for this position in years, she said.  “But when you delve into the issue and you see why we have civil service, it’s not so much about the test it is about the day-to-day.”

“I want people to feel, in the city of Somerville, that they have the opportunity to advance and civil service is one way of assuring that,” said Gewirtz.   Ultimately, the proposal will have to be approved by the state, she said. 

Meanwhile, Gewirtz said she is also working with her colleagues to help address the city’s rising debt, which may reach its highest point in the city’s history by 2009. 

“That’s something I talked about when we were voting to bond the 2.3 million dollars.  If we don’t have a better picture of what’s going on, I don’t feel as comfortable approving bonds,” she said.   

Comments

[it *is* funny]

I like Rebekah and clearly she's doing a lot for her constituents in her first year on the job. What doesn't jive for me is how she is against the mall-ifying of Davis Square (doesn't want it to turn into a generic quare like Harvard) but supports the CVS/Boston Athletic club at One Davis. I'm really sad that the landmark building in Davis is going to be so very Gap. I wonder how she squares that circle?

[Ron Newman]

The One Davis Square building was fully approved while Jack was still the alderman for ward 6. Not much Rebekah could do about it even if she wanted to.

[it *is* funny]

Tenants were signed by then too?

[Ron Newman]

Yes, I recall listening to a discussion of this project at the Davis Square Task Force when Jack was still chairing it. The developer mentioned CVS and Boston Sports Club at the time. By the time Rebekah took office, this project was a fait accompli.

[it *is* funny]

Thanks for the info. I wont hold it against her!

[Ron Newman]

There was a fair amount of discussion of "couldn't we get something more useful than CVS?", but the developer didn't seem very responsive. Several of us suggested Trader Joe's as an alternative. The developer said he had previously contacted TJ's but that they didn't want to open a store without parking (even though they already have such a store in the Back Bay).

I also recall that the original plan was for a four-story building that would have exceeded Davis Square's height limit, and that the developer reduced it to three after hearing input from Jack and others at the Davis Square Task Force meetings.

[Somerspeak]

As I remember reading about this, the final design approved by the City and approved by Connolly stipulated that as long as the height did not exceed the height of the Somerville Theater building, it was a go.

Is that right Ron?

[Ron Newman]

That may be true, but I don't recall that particular provision. I think whatever they are now building conforms to the height limit for its zone, while their original proposal exceeded it.

[Butter Cup]

Hey Ron,
Why don't you buy a building and put whoever the hell you want in there? Trader Joe's, Victoria's Secret, Capital Grille, Chucky Cheese....anything you want. But until then, mind your own business. When you start paying the bills we will listen.

[Ron Newman]

Here's a picture of the future One Davis Square. Three stories, but the second and third stories look very tall.

The zoning ordinance says the height limit in a Central Business District is four stories or 50 feet.

[Somerspeak]

Ron, thanks for the picture. Juxaposed next to the Somerville Theater building really says a lot about todays architects.

Boring.

[Tricky]

Hey, at least it wasn't me. Personally, I would have tried to save the original facade - while blowing out those hideous brick infill arches from the 70s, then building up. What've got could be far, far worse though - it's not that bad.

What is worse is the introduction of another pharmacy into the mix; I can't imagine both surviving. Mr. Mayor can stick his hotel where Brooks Pharmacy is now.

Ron, seems like Trader Joe's would have been a good fit, too, with the boatload of foot traffic passing through the square everyday. Maybe the alleged greengrocers down the block would have put up a stink (sorry), or strangely enough, TJ moving in would probably affected Sessa's more so, with cut-rate prosciutto and balsamic. And Sessa's is the kind of business Davis Square can ill do without.

Parking? Couldn't someone have walked the TJ guy down to McKinnon's? I swear I can't tell if I'm in Southie some afternoons, what with all the double-parking out there, please people.

[Horrible!]

Thanks, Newman, for the link to the picture of the new building. This will be a horrible addition to Davis Square, and I fear it's the beginning of the end if we're not careful. Besides the height and overall mass of the building, aesthetically it simply doesn't fit with the old-time architecture of the rest of the Square. It looks hopelessly out of place and out of size.

[Some Ole Villen]

For those who think that One Davis Square is such a bad project, what do you want there? It may not be perfect but it is vibrant and active looking and much better than the lifeless brick walls that were staring at the middle of the Square for the past three decades. I think Davis can handle Brooks and CVS. Medford Sq has two CVS's.

[Ron Newman]

I have no problem with the size, scale, or architecture of this building. I just think a CVS adds nothing of value to the square, and they know nothing about how to use glass windows to make attractive displays. With a better first-floor tenant, I'd more enthusiastically support this project.

[Tricky]

CVS adds a little value to the square as a hubbub of activity, people moving in an out with regularity during the day (beating the old 9-to-5 hours of the old offices, which created a dead zone there for the rest of the day); however Ron is spot-on with his observation on CVS' window displays, which appear to be non-existent at Porter and Magoun Squares. They apparently could care less about what kind of statement they are making to passersby by presenting blank white drywall (why pay for all that storefront, then?), not allowing views into the store, etc.

Speaking of first-floor tenants: Diva Lounge. Could we call out a) the owners and b) the "architects" who foisted that facade off on the rest of us? For me (and I'm sure I'm not alone here) it says "the hell with you, we don't like you, you're not even allowed to know what goes on in here." Nice gesture. Someone needs to be taken to task here.

Also, in Ron's rendering of the new building the windows on the second floor appear to be plastered with some sort of applied images - is this going to be similar to whatever the MBTA has been plastering their buses with in recent years? No thanks.

[JV]

I think that CVS in Magoun Saquare has done a relatively nice job with their windows along Medford Street. They are filled with giant enlargements of pictures of Old Somerville. I have to give them credit for that, it's a lot better than sale posters!
As to the facade at Diva, 'try' talking to the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals, or perhaps elected officials. People are allowed to build whatever they want, aesthetics is not a concern. Just look at the new building on the corner of a side street and Somerville Ave. They have placed a massive garage facing Somerville Ave.! What a horrible picture for a main thoroughfare (not that anything around it is very attractive, but it is scheduled for an upgrade).

[How about this?]

How about if they keep CVS open until midnight or later and sell bread and milk and stuff like the Porter Square one does, close up Store 24, and then use the site of Store 24 for the proposed hotel? I bet a sharpie architect (like the Trickster) could design a real nice building to go where the Store 24 is that would be about the same height and have a similar facade of brick and mouldings made of concrete and properly sized windows to fit wih the rest of the buildings along the plaza where the statues are. That way the hotels lobby could open right onto College Ave. and across from the T and be a centerpiece of the Square. Store 24 is a waste of space and has been there beyond its usefullness I think. It isn't even really a Store "24" any longer.

[Ron Newman]

Store 24 closes at midnight not because they want to, but because the city requires them to. Also, Store 24 is not the only occupant of its building. If you tore it down you'd also be displacing JP Licks, Antonia's, a beauty shop, and a number of residents.

The story I've always heard is that people parking in their lot after midnight were making too much noise, disturbing the people who live in apartments directly above the store. These residents asked the city to require a midnight closing. A better idea would have been to leave the store open but close the parking lot after midnight.