Ward 1 Alderman Forum

If you weren't able to attend the Alderman Forum you can check it out right here.

Lincoln Park Ideas?

The City of Somerville invites all interested residents to the first in a series of meetings to discuss community ideas for the renovation of Lincoln Park, located next to the Argenziano School just outside Union Square. To kick off this process from scratch, we will be hosting a listening session on Wednesday, Oct. 30, to gather community input as we reexamine the renovation needs of Lincoln Park and the neighboring community.

The meeting will be hosted by Alderman Maryann Heuston and the City’s Parks and Open Space Department, and will be held at the Argenziano School Cafeteria, at 290 Washington St., on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m.

City staff will develop plans for the long-term needs of the park based on input from all interested community members. This process will be essential in establishing priorities for the new design. Please join us to share your ideas. For more information, please contact Arn Franzen, Director of Parks and Open Space, at 617-625-6600 x2545 or afranzen@somervillema.gov.

CITY EXPANDS STOREFRONT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, TARGETS EAST BROADWAY

Financial and design assistance provided to businesses and commercial property owners who renovate or restore building facades

The City of Somerville’s storefront improvement program is expanding to provide even greater financial assistance through reimbursable grants to businesses and commercial property owners who renovate or restore building facades, revitalizing business districts and making storefronts more attractive, safer and accessible to all.

The revised program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through Community Development Block Grants, will be geographically targeted to improve its impact and effectiveness. This round of funding will first target the East Broadway area where major street and sidewalk improvements are underway and a three-day public planning event was recently held as part of Somerville By Design.

The original storefront improvement program began in 1981, and since 2008, the City has invested approximately $500,000 dollars on storefront improvement projects, leveraged by the same amount in private investments in key commercial districts such as Union Square and East Broadway.

One example of these investments is the storefront improvement at 255 Washington St. in Union Square, undertaken with the expectation that it would help bring more vibrant restaurant business to the area. Four years later, one of those new Union Square businesses, Bronwyn, has been named one of America’s best restaurants according to Esquire Magazine. Other attractive storefronts created through this program include Jumbo’s in Ball Square, Cantina La Mexicana in Union Square, 133-137 Broadway in East Somerville, and LP Market on Highland Avenue.

Now renamed the Commercial Property Improvement Program (CPIP) to reflect the program’s expansion, businesses and commercial property owners can now apply for a matching grant in which the City reimburses 50 percent of the total eligible project cost for substantial storefront rehabilitation projects, up to a maximum of $35,000. Those matching grants are on top of matching grants in which the City reimburses 100 percent of eligible costs for smaller projects such as exterior signage, lighting and awning upgrades, up to a maximum of $7,500. Applicants must also provide for accessibility as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, with costs directly attributable to ADA compliance eligible for reimbursement up to 50 percent of the matching amount, up to a maximum of $5,000.

These grants make up to $42,500 in total available to businesses and commercial property owners approved through the CPIP, under the administration of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD). At its sole discretion and subject to available funding, OSPCD may waive those maximum limits to provide for larger projects that maximize visibility and design consistency among commercial streets. Reimbursement grants vary each year, so prospective applicants should contact OSPCD for further information and to inquire about the availability of funding.

OSPCD staff is also available to provide information and technical support to applicants through the conceptual design stage, as well as to advise applicants on how best to schedule and complete reviews and approvals needed to secure a building permit.

“Helping our local businesses improve their storefront facades beautifies our neighborhood commercial districts, attracts more private investment, makes our commercial districts and buildings safer, and helps the City proactively maintain accessibility throughout our community,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “This program is consistent with the goals articulated in our 20-year comprehensive SomerVision plan. It also embraces the ‘Somerville By Design’ philosophy that has already proved hugely successful in our community by combining community participation, place making and design, with businesses and commercial property owners working collaboratively with the City’s planning and design experts to create the best possible outcome.”

Improvements eligible through the CPIP include:

·       Removal of architectural barriers to public accessibility;

·       Replacement or reconstruction of historical architectural details, and removal of elements that cover architectural details;

·       Window display areas that are appropriately scaled and that facilitate night viewing;

·       Window replacement and window framing visible from the street that are appropriately scaled to the building;

·       Removal of existing solid, roll down security fixtures or, at least, the replacement of those solid fixtures with interior open-mesh type fixtures;

·       Signage that is attractively integrated into the architecture of the building, including the window area, awnings or canopies, and entryways;

·       Lighting that is visually appealing and appropriately illuminates signage, storefront window displays, and recessed areas of a building façade;

·       Awnings or canopies that can be both functional and visually appealing;

·       Some landscaping features attached to the building, such as boxes or planters, when part of an overall façade restoration project;

·       Other storefront construction, appropriately scaled and designed within the context of the existing building; and

·       Cleaning, repainting or residing (masonry or wood) of buildings. All proposed materials are subject to review and approval by OSPCD staff; no stucco or artificial materials are allowed.

If you wish to participate in the Commercial Property Improvement Program or would like additional information, please contact David Guzman, Program Coordinator, at the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development at 617-625-6600, extension 2546, or e-mail at dguzman@somervillema.gov for a complete set of guidelines and requirements. The City of Somerville will provide auxiliary services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to persons with disabilities upon request.

NEW ONLINE ‘SOMERVILLE SITEFINDER’ HELPS BUSINESSES FIND A HOME IN SOMERVILLE

One-stop shopping for information on every available commercial property in the city online

SOMERVILLE – As Somerville’s reputation as the Innovation City grows and more start-ups look to the city as a place to call home and grow, the City of Somerville is assisting entrepreneurs and business owners in their search through the new “Somerville SiteFinder” website, created by the City’s Economic Development team through the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development.

The website at www.somervillema.gov/sitefinder is now available to assist businesses with finding the optimal location for their business in Somerville, with one-stop shopping for information on every available commercial property in the city including location, asking price, square footage and a direct link to the listing broker. The Somerville SiteFinder makes it easy for both start-up companies and traditional businesses large and small to locate, price and tap into available spaces for lease in the city, whether they seek multiple floors of prime office space, fabrication space, or a storefront.

“Somerville prides itself on innovation, creativity and originality and companies that hold these values are taking note and moving here—and bringing good jobs with them,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “The commercial real estate market can be difficult to navigate. I’m pleased we can offer this free service to prospective Somerville businesses and make it even easier for them to call the Innovation City home. Somerville has created an environment where businesses can take root and flourish by investing in innovation, infrastructure and education. Today Somerville has 45,000 workers, but only 20,000 jobs. Our 20-year comprehensive SomerVision plan sets forth an ambitious goal of creating 30,000 new jobs by 2030, bringing these numbers into better balance.”

The Somerville SiteFinder is another way that the City has cultivated a business-friendly environment. Aggressive investments in infrastructure have greatly improved both the utilities beneath the ground necessary for industries and residents alike, and created the active, walkable, bikeable and transit-oriented neighborhoods that allow employees to live near where they work. Long-term planning based on the vision set forth in the community-driven SomerVision comprehensive plan is driving redevelopment in neighborhoods that are evolving into regional employment centers with new offices, housing and businesses. This year’s budget represents Somerville’s highest ever investment in our schools, providing more students than ever before with hands-on  experience with cutting edge science and technology, on the heels of Somerville Public Schools’  phenomenal growth in student achievement levels that has exceeded most other school districts. The City’s Jobs Advisory Committee has also set in motion plans for improving workforce readiness by building job and career skills, so that older residents and those with the equivalent of a high school diploma can also compete in the 21^st century economy.

“Our Somerville Sitefinder is already paying dividends,” said Edward C. O’Donnell, the City of Somerville’s Director of Economic Development. “Tissuevision, a Cambridge-based company founded by MIT researchers, contacted OSPCD in August regarding their need to relocate and inquired into available spaces in Somerville. The company produces fully automated, high speed equipment used for whole organ imaging, primarily by academic and pharmaceutical research companies. Through the Somerville SiteFinder, we were able to identify space in the Ames Business Park. OSPCD put Tissuevision in touch with Cushman and Wakefield, the leasing agent for the property, and Tissuevision signed a lease to relocate to Somerville on Oct. 11.”

The City’s Economic Development team is available to help businesses bring new opportunities to our city. Those seeking assistance with their search or want to know about additional resources for local businesses should call Stephen Houdlette, Senior Economic Development Planner for OSPCD at 617-625-6600 ext. 2521.

SOMERVILLE ARTISTS TRANSFORM OLD PHONE BOXES INTO PUBLIC ART

City of Somerville, Somerville Arts Council, and the NAVE Gallery announce a roving art opening for The Phone Art Box Project, Sunday, Oct. 27 

 As cell phone use increases, phone booths have lost their purpose, but many still remain forgotten on urban streets. So what's a City to do with abandoned phone boxes on sidewalks and building walls? The City of Somerville’s answer is: Turn them into public art—then hold a roving citywide art opening to celebrate the creative works made for The Phone Art Box Project. 

At the behest of Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, The Nave Gallery and the Somerville Arts Council teamed up to recruit the City’s industrious public artists to transform what was once just urban clutter into public art that both surprises and engages passersby.  All are invited to the opening of The Phone Art Box Project on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for a tour of the first five completed phone art boxes. Follow Mayor Curtatone from box to box for mini-openings with refreshments at each box, or visit any box during the two-hour event at your leisure. Artists inspired by the display may apply to create additional art boxes. Artists receive an honorarium. 

This thoughtful public art project takes on the re-purposing a rapidly disappearing material culture—the once ubiquitous phone booth.

“Yet again, a public art project that makes sense for Somerville. We’ve taken an unused public space—the abandoned phone booth—and brought it to life.  With all of our public art projects, we strive to be responsive to artists’ needs and their energy in the community.  This is another perfect example,” said Gregory Jenkins, Director of Somerville Arts Council.

Though each artist began with roughly the same raw materials—a roughly 2-by-3-foot abandoned call box—the results vary from an imaginary urban landscape to “Phone Fossil,” a monument to outdated technology, and even includes a functioning mini book-lending library. Participating artists include, Joe Barillaro, Gary Duehr, Pauline Lim, Rachel Mello, and James Fox and Akil Williams of the Friends of the Somerville Public Library.

“Art lovers can always expect the unexpected on the streets of Somerville. The Phone Art Box Project continues a long line of innovative public art driven by the desire of local artists to display their work, engage their community and improve their city,” said Susan Berstler, Director, Nave Gallery/Nave Annex.

“We are not just lucky to have such a high concentration of artists in our city, with that resource comes a responsibility on the City’s part to engage local artists in creating public art for all to enjoy because public art that you stumble upon can sometimes be the most powerful,” said Mayor Curtatone. “Somerville isn’t just a great place to live, work, play and raise a family. It’s a great place to let public art surprise you, startle you out of your usual day, and inspire you to reflect on the world around you, and the Phone Art Box Project is an exciting contribution to that.”

Please join Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone to kick off this project and to tour five completed phone booth projects.    The tour will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 27^th, at the booth of Rachel Mello at the corner of Highland Ave. and Vinal Ave. and will continue to booths in Ball and Davis Square.  For a full listing of the finished phone art booths and how to submit to create a booth go to:  www.somervilleartscouncil.org/phone or http://navegallery.org/wp/phone-art-box-call/ .

ICE RINK DEDICATION CEREMONY TO HONOR THE FIVE VETERANS WHO FOUNDED SOMERVILLE YOUTH HOCKEY

Happening this afternoon...................

Special emcee and guests at event on Saturday, Oct. 26; Legendary BU Ice Hockey Coach Jack Parker to speak at ceremony

Five Somerville veterans who founded Somerville Youth Hockey and exemplify service to country and community will be honored when the new ice rink at 570 Somerville Ave., next to the Veterans Memorial Rink, is officially dedicated as the Founders Rink at a special event on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m.

The rink’s new sign will be unveiled at the event and the founders’ families will be presented with copies of the plaque that honors the five men who, after serving our nation in the Armed Forces, came home and created an integral piece of Somerville’s community: George Hughes (Army), John Doncaster (Army), Raymond Deeran (Navy), James Papaluca (Marine) and Joseph Guidi (Navy). A special guest who will be well-known to hockey fans will serve as the emcee for the event, and legendary Boston University ice hockey coach—and Somerville native—Jack Parker will also speak during the ceremony.

“These five men are role models for every person in Somerville,” Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said. “Everything we do in Somerville is based on the core value of building community and making our city an exceptional place to live, work, play and raise a family. Somerville Youth Hockey and its mission is directly tied into these values, and for that we must thank these five men who epitomize Somerville’s core values and service, to both their country and their community. We are humbled that we can call George Hughes, John Doncaster, Ray Deeran, Jim Papaluca and Joe Guidi as ours, as Somerville’s, and I look forward to this Saturday’s dedication that will permanently recognize their immeasurable contribution to our community.”

“From their time serving in the Armed Forces to their time running Somerville Youth Hockey, these five men have created a lasting legacy of teamwork and made an enduring positive impact on the city of Somerville,” said Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston. “Their hard work and commitment is the catalyst that led to a boom in kids becoming interested in hockey and, ultimately, the construction of this new rink. It’s only right that Founders Rink is dedicated in their names.”

In October 1964, Deeran and Hughes placed an advertisement in the Record American inviting anyone interested in forming a youth hockey program in Somerville to attend a meeting at the Veterans of Foreign Wars James A. Logan Post. Five men showed up at the meeting and by the end of the night, Somerville Youth Hockey had a board in place: Deeran as president, Guidi as vice president, Doncaster as secretary, Hughes as treasurer and Papaluca as players’ agent.

That fall, 30 kids signed up, forming four teams. One year later, enough kids had signed up that the program had already grown to four Peewee teams (under 13 years old) and four Bantam teams (under 15 years old), along with all-stars from each age group forming the association’s first traveling teams.

The soon-to-be-named Founders Rink opened in September 2012 next to the Veterans Memorial Rink. The City of Somerville assumed maintenance and daily operations of Veterans Memorial Rink from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in 2010.

SOMERVILLE NAMED A SILVER BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY BY LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS

Honor comes only two years after city named a Bronze level community, demonstrating City of Somerville’s continued progress

If you’re on a bicycle in Somerville, you can get there from here. The League of American Bicyclists has recognized the City’s continued commitment to creating a bikeable community with a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community designation—only two years after the city earned a Bronze level designation. Somerville now joins a number of cities including New York City, Philadelphia and Boston receiving this level of recognition for its efforts to promote bicycling.

The City of Somerville has installed more than 25 miles of bike lanes and sharrows in the last three years and in May held a groundbreaking ceremony for the extension of the Somerville Community Path from its current end at Cedar Street to Lowell Street, with the City strongly advocating for the Path’s future extension to Boston.    In 2012, Somerville joined the Hubway bikeshare system with 12 stations garnering thousands of rides monthly, and since 2011 has added over 200 new bike parking spots to city streets as part of a regional bike parking program. Investment in infrastructure has been complimented by safety programming including an informational poster and PSA campaign, increased police enforcement, and cycling education in schools. 

“We have seen the impact of our investments in bicycle infrastructure, with biking up 56 percent over the past two years in Somerville according to our counts,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said. “It’s not just social infrastructure, however, that makes it easier to get around, live a healthier lifestyle and be kinder to the planet. It is economic infrastructure. Bicycle infrastructure connects people to mass transit and jobs. It brings more customers to local businesses. In turn, it also attracts developers, who see a vibrant, active city with bustling streets filled not with faces seen through car windows, but out walking or biking. We have already earned recognition as the 10^th most walkable city and 8^th most bikeable city in the nation—but we won’t be satisfied until we’re number one.”

Since 2002, the League of American Bicyclists has received nearly 600 applications for designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community, and Somerville is among 291 Bicycle Friendly Communities in 48 states across the nation awarded the honor. The program assists communities evaluate their quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks, while giving them a way to measure their progress toward improving their bicycle-friendliness. 

"Somerville is playing a critical part in creating a truly Bicycle Friendly America," said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. "We know Somerville’s investment in bicycling will be returned many times over in the health, environmental, and quality of life benefits of a thriving community.”

To apply or learn more about the free BFC program, visit bikeleague.org/community.  For more information about bicycling in Somerville, visit the City’s page at http://www.somervillema.gov/departments/ospcd/transportation-and-infrastructure/planning-for-bicycles.

LBGT Halloween Skate Night

The City of Somerville’s second annual LGBT Halloween Skate Night is THIS SATURDAY, October 26^th, from 8-10 PM at the Veteran’s Memorial Rink at 570 Somerville Ave. LGBT folks and allies of all ages are welcome, and costume prizes will be awarded. Tickets are $10 and include skate rental. You can get more information by contacting Elizabeth Field at 617-625-6600 x2400.

It’s not too late to get your own skates at a discount! Play it Again Sports in Stoneham is offering 10% off new and used ice skates to anyone who mentions the LGBT Halloween Skate Night.

This event is brought to you by the LGBT Liaison to the City of Somerville of the Office of Somerville Commissions, and cosponsored by Shape Up Somerville and the Somerville Council on Aging.

CITY RECEIVES HIGHEST RECOGNITION FOR GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL REPORTING

Receives Certificate of Achievement by Government Finance Officers Association
for City’s comprehensive annual financial report

The City of Somerville has earned the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR), which demonstrated a spirit of full disclosure and motivated people to read the report, according to awarding nonprofit Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.

The nonprofit awarded the City the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, its highest recognition, after an impartial panel judged the City’s CAFR as meeting the high standards of the program, specifically the spirit of transparency and full disclosure that is a core value of City Hall under Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone.

The program’s high standards mandate that, among other requirements, the CAFR includes an independent auditor’s report on the City’s financial statements. Discussion and analysis in the CAFR must describe the relationship between the City’s financial statements and the data reported for governmental activities, with analysis focusing on the reasons for changes in the City’s financial statements, rather than only the amount of change. The City must also clearly distinguish expenses by function rather than object of expenditure, instead of lumping all expenses together in a line item, making it clear to readers what exactly is being spent and where, among the other 220-plus requirements included on Government Finance Officers Association’s checklist.

“I am thrilled that Somerville is recognized for its commitment to transparency, accountability and open government, a commitment demonstrated in our CAFR,” said Mayor Curtatone. “Taxpayers deserve to know exactly how their money is being managed by the City, and the CAFR does that while helping everyone from City Hall to residents assess the level of services we can provide and our ability to meet our financial obligations. We are also committed to smart cost savings and efficient delivery of services, and the CAFR helps us achieve all of that, as recognized by this independent panel of governmental finance experts.”

In January, the City compiled the CAFR, presenting a complete accounting of all government funds, investments and operating activities. The CAFR complements the annual City budget by providing more detailed demographic and statistical information, as well as annual budget comparisons to help the reader better understand the financial condition of the City. The CAFR also has the potential to improve the City's bond rating, which would reduce the cost of interest payments for the City over time.

The 120-page City document, available at www.somervillema.gov/departments/finance, includes three sections: (1) Introduction, including a summary and transmittal letter; (2) Financial, including an independent auditor's report, management discussion and analysis, financial statements and notes; and (3) Statistical, including additional financial, economic, and demographic information.

“WALLBREAKING” CEREMONY TO MARK DEMOLITION OF SOMERVILLE WASTE TRANSFER STATION, MONDAY, OCT. 28

On Monday, the demolition of Somerville’s hulking, long-out-of-place waste transfer station will begin, and a gaggle of wrecking celebrities will join Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston for a “Wallbreaking” Ceremony to celebrate. Wreck-It Ralph, Mario of Nintendo fame, and some kids (because kids love to wreck stuff), as well as the wrecking field’s latest hanger on, “Miley Cyrus,”* will all join in on Monday, October 28th, at 4:15 p.m., to give the structure a few good sledgehammer whacks. Demolition company S&R Corporation of Lowell will then knock down part of the structure. (Think of it as a groundbreaking ceremony, but in reverse.)

Musical selections including “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel will add to the festive atmosphere and guests will be given souvenir chips of the structure (Berlin Wall style) to preserve the memory.

“We may be gathering to mark the tearing down of the transfer station, but we are celebrating the building of a new future for Brickbottom and InnerBelt,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “In creating SomerVision, the City’s 20-Year Comprehensive Plan, community members designated Brickbottom/InnerBelt as a transformative area targeted for mixed-use, transit-oriented redevelopment that will provide an economic engine for our city. And with the transfer station coming down, the Green Line Extension coming in, and the grounding of McGrath under review, we are well on our way. Reclaiming this once and future thriving neighborhood will help us reach our shared SomerVision goals of creating 30,000 new jobs, new and affordable housing, and new commercial tax revenues to fund our services and schools.”

Waste Management operated a trash transfer station at the Brickbottom location until closing in the summer of 2013 as part of an agreement with the City. Prior to that, the site housed a trash incineration facility that spewed ash into the air, causing its surrounding neighborhoods to all but disappear. The Brickbottom Artists building is the lone residential outpost in the current industrial area where bustling neighborhoods once stood.

“We have an exceptional opportunity here to leverage two significant infrastructure projects—the Green Line Extension and the grounding of McGrath—to both revitalize this area as well as create new and vital links between our neighborhoods and also to our neighbors in Cambridge and Boston as well,” said Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston. “I look forward to seeing a new, welcoming, flourishing neighborhood sprout from this landscape and to working with the community to make sure its transformation brings real value both to Ward 2 and our city as a whole.”

S&R Corporation will begin demolition of the transfer station on Monday, Oct. 28, and, weather permitting, work is expected to be complete by mid-November. The above-ground structure will be removed, the remaining foundation capped, and electric and sewer will remain intact to allow interim use of the site. The City is actively working with residents of the Brickbottom Artists building to brainstorm possibilities, among them a container market, which could repurpose shipping containers into an inviting cluster of retail locations, urban ag projects, work spaces and perhaps a café.

“All discussions are completely preliminary at this point, but the idea is to activate the space and bring life into it during the transition from the transfer station to its ultimate use, and the Mayor felt that Brickbottom residents, the people who have been looking out their windows for some 25 years at the waste transfer station, should be the ones to guide how we reinvent it,” said Hayes Morrison, Director of Transportation and Infrastructure, who has been meeting with Brickbottom residents and the Somerville Arts Council to explore interim options.

Long-term planning for the area is also underway via both an ongoing community process to determine a long-term plan for InnerBelt/Brickbottom as well as a public process to develop plans for the de-elevation of McGrath Highway. A draft of the InnerBelt/Brickbottom Master Plan, resulting from the two-year community process begun in 2011, should be available for public comment by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the State has finalized its study of the de-elevation of McGrath and is moving both a 4-lane and a 6-lane “Boulevard Option” into review. After continued public, City, and State review, McGrath could break ground in five to seven years. As designs for McGrath reach consensus, plans will be able to move forward for Brickbottom, and, as always, any proposals will be discussed via a robust community process.

“What we’ve heard from residents helping to shape the Master Plan for InnerBelt/Brickbotton is that they want infrastructure that connects the area to surrounding neighborhoods and creates walkable, bikeable, transit-accessible spaces. And they care about placemaking,” said Mayor Curtatone. “Residents want to honor the urban grit and the funky artist community that is already here and bring those unique characteristics forward into a new vision for the neighborhood. This area abounds with opportunity, and on Monday, we’ll take a big step forward toward seizing these promising possibilities and making them Somerville’s own.”

*Please note, all celebrities will be impersonators (aka City staff with no shame), not the actual persons or official mascots for those named.