FW: Follow-up on ULI TAPs - was RE: New Meeting Time - USMS Committee Discussion on Zoning
Eric Fellinger
More info on the USMS meeting to which I have been invited. Apparently The City will be there. I will fill everyone in on the 15th.
-Eric F
From: Mimi Graney
[mailto:mgr...@caasomerville.org]
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007
5:27 PM
To: 'Eric Fellinger'
Subject: RE: Follow-up on ULI TAPs
- was RE: New Meeting Time - USMS Committee Discussion on Zoning
Hi Eric --
I'll have to put some thought into the response to the ULI TAPs. Some ideas -- like te Farmers Market -- grew out of the TAPs but in a different form. Maybe we can get together next week and I can flip through them with you and fill you in.
Glad you can come on Thursday. As you might have noted, Jim Kostaras will attend which is good.
-- M
Mimi Graney
Executive Director
Union Square
Main Streets
P.O. Box One
Somerville, MA 02143
617-623-1392 x119
www.unionsquaremain.org
Union Square:
Somerville's
Lively Historic Crossroads
From: Eric
Fellinger [mailto:ericfe...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007
11:19 AM
To: mi...@unionsquaremain.org
Cc: 'Valenta, Jay (US RE
Investing)'
Subject: Follow-up on ULI TAPs -
was RE: New Meeting Time - USMS Committee Discussion on Zoning
Hi, Mimi – Actually it’s my existing job that has the interview in Albany, but it turns out I personally won’t need to go, which is fine w/ me. So, I will be at the meeting on Thursday night. (I am still looking for a new job, while also putting in hours for the one I have.)
I’ve also been involved w/ the ULI’s Public Outreach commission – which of course did the TAP reports for Union Square. ULI-Boston has a new executive director, and she has suggested the idea of following up on all of the TAPs the group has done over the past 3 years. I volunteered to collect that information for the Union Square TAPs. (I’m cc-ing Jay Valenta, who was on the later Union Square TAP panel.)
The idea is to generate a short paragraph summarizing what has been done with the TAP recommendations – which are being pursued / have been adopted by the community and what progress has been made toward those? Have any recommendations, for whatever reason, not been embraced by the community, if so which ones?
Do you think it would be possible for you to put something like that together? If you’d like, I could come down & participate with you, maybe act as scribe while you go through your mental list of actions taken / not taken. Or, perhaps it would be easier for you to write up a punch-list off the top of your head.
With the zoning up in the air, of course, we can’t say definitively what’s been adopted by the city, but I think a statement such as “included in proposed zoning which is currently under review” will be fine as far as ULI is concerned.
Thanks, see you Thursday night!
-Eric Fellinger
-----Original Message-----
From: Mimi Graney [mailto:mgr...@caasomerville.org]
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 12:48 PM
To: 'Eric Fellinger'
Subject: RE: New Meeting Time - USMS Committee Discussion on Zoning
Congratulations on the new job! Hope it's a good fit for you.
For this this meeting we're actually just inviting folks who are part of the
committees of Union Sq Main Streets at this stage to keep the gathering
small and "in-house." I pushed the invite beyond to include you as someone
with some insights who I think might be interested in getting more involved.
Deanna Waddell who I know you know from Prospect Hill I suspect might be a
good proxy since she's already active with USMS.
Sorry the new time isn't as convenient for you. Hope you might still be
able to come and if not I or Deanna can tell you about the issues folks
brought up.
-- Mimi
Mimi Graney
Executive Director
Union Square Main Streets
P.O. Box One
Somerville, MA 02143
Union Square: Somerville's Lively Historic Crossroads
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Fellinger [mailto:ericfe...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 2:16 PM
Subject: RE: New Meeting Time - USMS Committee Discussion on Zoning
Well, due to an interview w/ my current job, that may be difficult for me to
make. If I can designate a proxy, is that OK?
Thanks.
-EF
-----Original Message-----
From: Mimi Graney [mailto:mgr...@caasomerville.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 1:31 PM
To: Mimi Graney
Subject: New Meeting Time - USMS Committee Discussion on Zoning
Hello All --
A number of folks aren't able to attend the discussion on zoning at the
previously scheduled time so it has BEEN MOVED TO THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 AT 6
PM.
My apologies for the change to those who already RSVP'ed. There's a lot of
interest in this gathering and I'm trying to accommodate as many folks as I
can.
Looking forward to hearing your opinions on the proposal.
You can find background info on the USMS website www.unionsquaremain.org and
from the City's website www.ci.somerville.ma.us
Wishing you all a wonderful New Year. At noon on January 1 come by to
Prospect Hill for the Flag raising -- always a fun community event.
-- Mimi
Mimi Graney
Executive Director
Union Square Main Streets
P.O. Box One
Somerville, MA 02143
Union Square: Somerville's Lively Historic Crossroads
-----Original Message-----
From: Mimi Graney [mailto:mgr...@caasomerville.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 2:41 PM
Subject: Joint USMS Committee Discussion on Zoning
You're invited to a discussion among active USMS members on the Union Square
zoning proposal on Monday, January 8 at 6:30 at the USMS offices (CAAS
conference room, 66-70 Union Square, upstairs from Toast.)
Since the public workshops and hearing in late November and early December
discussion has been ongoing about the Zoning Proposal among USMS folks. But
these discussions have been fragmented. While USMS Board of Directors have
voted to support the proposal and have submitted written comments a number
of active folks in USMS and other residents have raised concerns about
aspects of the proposal. In those larger general meetings the format
limited discussion.
Therefore, to foster discussion among active USMS members familiar with the
needs of Union Square you're invited to come share your views on the zoning
proposal and hear from others -- not with the intention of shifting anyone's
position but to have an open dialogue about the opportunities and dangers of
the proposal as we each see it. My goal is for us to together review the
range of possible outcomes and develop informed ideas on how we might
strengthen the positive and limit the negative. This might spur discussion
on possible responses such as recommending amendments (maybe no more than
60% of the PUD-C-1 could be built to the 12 stories? Maybe limit the c-1 to
8 stories?), initiatives of USMS (identifying and recruiting independent
businesses for these sites?), or other projects (gathering partners to
address ways to prevent displacement of low and moderate income residents?
suggesting elements to include in the request for proposals such as
encouraging green buildings?) We'll not make any decision or recommendations
at this gathering -- just inform ourselves about aspects we might not have
considered. Some committees or individuals may choose to follow up with
specific initiatives or advocacy but that would not be part of this meeting.
Joe Merkel of Strategic Planning and Community Development may be able to
join us but his schedule is tight. He is gathering information for the Land
Use Subcommittee on the feasibility and impact of potential amendments such
as decreasing heights and increasing the percentage of affordable housing.
I've asked him to share that information with us.
Please let me know if you can attend so I can plan accordingly.
Have a good holiday --
Mimi
Mimi Graney
Executive Director
Union Square Main Streets
P.O. Box One
Somerville, MA 02143
Union Square: Somerville's Lively Historic Crossroads