Consultant gives report on vision for future of Lynn's downtown
By David Liscio and Thor Jourgensen
-- The Daily Item
Friday, November 19, 2004
LYNN -- It's seen as
the ultimate fix-it - a long-range plan to rejuvenate the city's
downtown business district by capitalizing on the expertise of a
team of consultants who've worked on similar projects.
RKG Associates, a private consulting group that hosted two workshops
for government, business and community leaders last spring and
summer, joined City Development Director Harold "Hal" McGaughey in
releasing those findings in a preliminary report that shows Lynn as
a city with potential to reinvent itself.
McGaughey and those experts shared their findings and vision
Thursday at the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce's breakfast meeting
attended by downtown movers and shakers.
"The recommendations are consistent with our focus," said McGaughey.
"We want to bring the downtown back to what is once was - a thriving
place to work, shop, and live."
RKG suggests re-establishing a link between the waterfront and the
downtown business district; strengthening the downtown core at
Central Square; building upon and connecting the open spaces at Lynn
Commons and at North Shore Community College.
The plan also recommended zoning changes including elimination of
industrial and automotive uses in the Central Business District;
elimination of industry on the waterfront; establishment of
consistent zoning throughout the downtown and waterfront
neighborhoods; increase density incentives by adding upper floors to
existing buildings or constructing taller new buildings.
"We need to set the building blocks: In order for the long-term
goals to be successful, we first have to see to the short-term
projects," McGaughey said.
Lynn's recent receipt of a $830,000 state public works economic
development grant will aid the city in putting forth many of the
recommendations. The money will help with improvements to the
downtown block including new curbing, sidewalks, trees, fencing and
antique lighting.
RKG suggested a long-term goal of developing 500 or more additional
market-rate housing units; strengthening the office, cultural and
retail sectors; expanding the community college; and upgrading
public transportation, either by extending the Blue Line
rapid-transit rail from Revere to Lynn, or creating a water ferry
service from Lynn to Boston.
Lynn views DNC as opportunity
By Phoebe Sweet -- The Daily Item
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
LYNN -- The Greater Lynn Chamber of
Commerce and city officials are planning to roll out the red carpet
for commuters stopping in Lynn during the Democratic National
Convention.
Lynn will be the last stop on the commuter rail for thousands of
commuters during the July 26-29 convention and travelers will have
to transfer from the train to buses in the city.
The chamber and city officials are planning an event tent for city
departments like Community Development and the Economic Development
Industrial Corporation, kiosks for local businesses and beverage and
food sales during both morning and evening commute times.
The Mayo Group's Pevear Building will also bear a sign welcoming
commuters to Lynn, according to chamber Executive Director Kevin
Donahue.
"It's a good opportunity to put Lynn's best face forward," said
Donahue. "(Commuters) will be coming into a nicely cleaned up
station. The place is going to be spic and span."
The plans are still awaiting approval from the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority and a working group of local businesses and
city leaders.
Plans should be finalized by Friday, according to Mayor Edward J.
Clancy's Deputy Chief of Staff William Bochnak, who is scheduled to
meet with T officials today.
He said the city is still working out details of coordinating
security with the T and ensuring commuters will not experience any
additional delays.
"Everyone's been pulling in the same direction," said Bochnak. He
said thousands of commuters passing through Lynn's new
transportation hub and across the lush lawn of North Shore Community
College will give the city a "venue to talk about the positive
aspects" of the city.
About 8,700 commuters pass through Lynn's station - although most
remain on their trains - during a typical summer weekday. Those
numbers are expected to be down to between 2,000 and 4,000 commuters
during convention week, according to Bochnak.
Many Boston businesses have urged employees to take vacation or work
from home during the convention to avoid the inconvenience of closed
roads, diverted public transportation and traffic snarls.
Business comMITTment
Romney shares vision of future
for city, state during Chamber breakfast
By Jonathan Bender -- The Lynn Journal
Wednesday, May 5, 2004
Governor Mitt Romney believes the health of the economy in
Massachusetts is improving but still needs a jumpstart from
government in the form of deregulation and a static tax rate.
Romney addressed the fiscal health of the state and the influence
wielded by special interests at the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce
Annual Meeting last Wednesday morning.
In his opening remarks, Mayor Edward “Chip” Clancy Jr. said, “I want
to thank him [Gov. Romney] publicly. In my entire 40-year saga of
trying to bring the Blue Line to Lynn, his administration has been
more supportive and proactive. They understand the economic impact
that the Blue Line can have on the central business district,”
Although Mayor Clancy was complimentary initially, he and Gov.
Romney would later lock horns over charter school funding in Lynn
(See story on Page 3).
“I suppose you would be interested in knowing what the health of
the economy looks like and what the future looks like,” Gov. Romney
said to the 500 guests present at the Knights of Columbus.
He went on to paint a picture of an economy on the rebound, but
still lagging a bit behind in Lynn.
The unemployment rate across the commonwealth sits at 5 percent,
but in Lynn, that number is closer to 8 percent. Full employment is
at 4 percent.
According to Romney, apartment rental rates went down this year
as his administration increased the housing flow. “All indicators
are positive and the signs are promising,” said Romney, who argued
that his administration must convince businesses to grow in
Massachusetts. He sent a letter to all major employers in the state
last month that basically said the same thing.
Romney stated that Massachusetts must keep taxes competitive and
improve on the unemployment insurance tax rate (the highest in the
country) because taxes are like the prices that stores charge
customers.
“We raise our prices and people are going to look elsewhere, not
overnight; but over a decade or a half decade,” said Romney.
The governor also discussed the importance of economic incentives
to companies considering their future in Massachusetts.
He cited the example of Ocean Spray, which has a manufacturing
plant in Centerville.
The cranberry producer was considering moving a manufacturing plant
to Wisconsin until the governor’s office was able to offer a $75,000
grant from the Workforce Training Fund to new employees of Ocean
Spray. Craisins will still be made locally.
After introducing his new secretary of economic affairs, Ranch
Kimball, Romney talked about the “weed wackers” on his staff. Romney
compared his staff’s ability to cut through regulatory delays in the
permitting process, (a la the weed wacker).
“Raising taxes is not the answer. There are two ways we can get
more money. We can have greater economic growth and we can at the
things we are spending money on,” said Romney.
He followed that statement with a ringing criticism of special
interest groups and the power they wield at the state level.
“Elected officials are bombarded with support and request of
special interests. Special interests are coming between the public
and personal good,” said Romney.
He pointed to I-90, where the average toll taker makes $70,000 a
year. According to Romney, the Massachusetts Turnpike has 10 percent
of the highway miles in the state; but 80 percent of the costs.
“All friends, Republican and Democrat, find a home on the
Turnpike,” said Romney.
_________________________________________________________________
Chamber honors business owners:
Lopardo wins
businessman of year
By Thor Jourgensen -- The Daily Item
Thursday, December 4, 2003
LYNN -- The Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday honored
North Shore Spirit owner Nicholas Lopardo and other individuals and
institutions that changed the face of the city in 2003.
Lopardo won the chamber's businessperson of the year award for
bringing minor league baseball back to Fraser Field. Lopardo
renovated Fraser Field and made it a summer location for family fun
and social outings.
Lopardo friend and personal security aide Alan Melanson called
the Spirit a testament to the values Lopardo learned as a young
athlete and translated into business success. Lopardo built the
world's sixth-largest money market fund before branching off into
new ventures.
"Nick believes what set him apart in the business world was what
he learned on the playing field," Melanson said.
The Chamber's Commitment to Lynn award winners reflect renewed
efforts to revive Central Square and other neighborhoods.
Recipients include:
The Mayo Group, which has purchased 10 local buildings, including
the Keith and Security Exchange buildings in Central Square; Russo
Plumbing which relocated from Federal Street to Washington Street;
and developer Cisco Meneses, who is renovating space under the
commuter rail tracks along Mount Vernon Street.
Also, the Greater Lynn YMCA, which is adding 40 new
single-occupancy rooms to its Neptune Boulevard building, and
Equitable Cooperative Bank, which is building a new office on
Broadway.
Developer David Solimine Jr. and the Lynn Housing Authority and
Neighborhood Development also received commitment awards.
The Chamber inducted two local business stalwarts into its hall
of fame: Saul Gilberg, who spurred redevelopment on Lewis and Broad
streets in the 1960s, and the late Morris Zimman, who founded the
Market Street fabric and furniture store now operated by his
grandson, Michael.
The Chamber also honored outgoing City Councilor-at-large Deborah
Smith Walsh with its community service award. Walsh is capping off a
political career that included eight years on the School Committee
and six terms on the council.
"She always has been there on issues that were too hot to handle
for others," Chamber Director Kevin Donahue said.
Restaurateurs Paul Petersiel and Michael Callahan were honored
for their commitments to Swampscott and Nahant. Water and Sewer
Commission Director Stephen Smith and Girl's Inc. Director Patricia
Driscoll received good neighbor awards.
_________________________________________________________________
Sen. McGee a keynote speaker for
Lynn Area Chamber breakfast
By David Liscio -- The Daily Item
Friday, November 14, 2003
Sen. Thomas M. McGee is the keynote speaker at the Lynn Area
Chamber of Commerce annual awards breakfast on Dec. 3 at the
Porthole restaurant.
The event, which attracts dozens of business community activists,
is highlighted by the presentation of three major awards:
businessperson of the year, the community service award and the good
neighbor award.
"We do a number of other recognition awards as well, but those
are the primary ones each year," said LACC Executive Director Kevin
Donahue.
"We're pleased that Sen. McGee agreed to serve as the keynote
speaker because we're eager to hear what's happening at the State
House. There are lots of folks who are interested in more
information on the proposed commuter ferry from Lynn to Boston, and
in other issues that are important to the business community, like
the unemployment trust fund, and projections for state revenue
coming into the city," Donahue said.
According to Donahue, the chamber of commerce is still accepting
nominations for the businessperson of the year award. It's given
each year to someone who has demonstrated excellence in business
practices throughout the year in order to make their business
successful. The recipient also must have demonstrated commitment to
the community.
The criteria for all awards is posted on the organization's Web
site at www.lynnareachamber.com. Communities within the chamber,
including Lynnfield, Nahant and Swampscott, give out their own
commitment awards.
Additionally, the chamber will give out a Hall of Fame award to a
business leader with a lengthy career of success in business, with
accomplishments in business, civic and community endeavors.
McGee, son of the former House speaker, served as state
representative to West Lynn and Nahant for four terms. He was
elected to the state Senate in April 2002.
The senator has shown commitment to issues including the need for
public transportation by rail and over water; senior access to
affordable prescription drugs; improved childcare and health care;
and providing educational resources.
The awards breakfast begins at 7:45 a.m. at the restaurant at 98
Lynnway.
Tickets are $25 per person. Call the LACC at (781) 592-2900 to
make reservations. Seating is limited to 150 people.
Reservation requests can also be faxed to (781) 592-2903.
_________________________________________________________________
Property sale process draws
criticism: Investor negotiates with health clinic over lease of Lynn
building
By David Liscio -- The Daily Item
Thursday, October 23, 2003
David Shum bid $450,000 this week for a
city-owned Union Street commercial building, seemingly good news as
Lynn wrestles with a budget deficit, but it remains unclear whether
the sale will be finalized. At issue is a dental clinic
run by the Lynn Community Health Center, which rents a third of the
building for $1 a month and holds a lease that expires in 2006, with
an option to renew until 2011. According to real estate agent Chris
Bibby, who represented Shum before Tuesday's meeting of the City
Council's Public Property Committee, the stipulation that the buyer
must recognize the dental clinic's long-term lease with the city was
not part of the legal advertisement announcing the property sale.
Rather, that information was disclosed after the committee unsealed
11 bids for the 6,900-square-foot storefront structure at 232-256
Union St. But Lori Berry, the health center's executive director,
said she provided each bidder with a letter describing the lease
arrangements and the inherent responsibilities for would-be buyers.
"My letter was distributed before the bids were unsealed, so there
should have been no surprises. They all knew about the lease," she
said Wednesday.
With the bids unsealed, Public Property
Committee member Timothy Phelan asked each of the bidders if they
would be willing to purchase the building with the agreement that
the clinic would stay and continue to pay a nominal rent. The
question put pressure on the bidders to reassess their business
plans on the spot. It also drew criticism from investors, civic
leaders and others who contend the property-sale process of
soliciting proposals is flawed and should be replaced by an open
auction. The committee previously announced that all public
properties on its list would be sold to the highest bidder, with the
exception of abutters. Phelan said the dental clinic is an exception
because the city needs the service, as evidenced by a recent survey
among Lynn residents.
Potential investor Peter McMahon was not
convinced. Although he was unsuccessful in his attempt to bid
$282,000 for the Union Street property, he nonetheless was incensed
Wednesday by the committee's introduction of the dental clinic
requirement after the envelopes were opened. "It's ridiculous. If
they advertise the sale to the high bidder, then that's who should
get it. Unless, of course, an abutter wants the same property, which
is something we all agreed to before spending a lot of time and
money preparing our proposals. Nobody told us we'd be forced to
accept a tenant that doesn't pay rent," said McMahon, who owns other
commercial property in Lynn. Public Property Committee Chairman
Richard Colucci, Phelan and member William Trahant Jr. voted to
allow Shum 30 days to reach an agreement with the dental clinic.
Committee member Charles O'Brien cast the dissenting vote because
the stipulation was made after the bids were unsealed. "There
shouldn't be any negotiating after the property has been advertised
and people have bid on it," O'Brien said. Negotiations are now under
way between Shum and the health center executives. Shum is not
allowed to reduce his initial bid, according to Assistant City
Solicitor George Markopoulos. The next nearest bid is $91,000 less.
The committee did not reject the other bids for the property, and
those investors who chose not to withdraw could still be in the
running if Shum fails to reach an accord with the clinic.
The City Council 3 years ago agreed to
rent the publicly owned building to the dental clinic, and in
return, the health center invested $232,000 in state-funded property
improvements. Councilor-at-large Deborah Smith Walsh said the city
should abide by its agreement, which included a 5-year lease at $1 a
month with an option to renew for another 5 years. According to
Bibby, that's a lot to ask of any investor. The "economic yield" of
a rent capped at $12 annually wouldn't be adequate to float a
$450,000 investment. The real estate agent noted that the clinic
occupies 2,300 square-feet, or a third of the entire property.
Lynn Chamber of Commerce Executive
Director Kevin Donahue said an auctioneer should handle subsequent
public property sales, adding that the City Council is currently
advertising to fill the temporary position. Donahue said the city
could have brought in twice or three times the revenue through an
auction instead of the sealed bids. The entire City Council must
vote on all recommendations from the Public Property Committee
before the sales can be completed. Although no monies have been
collected, the committee Tuesday recommended the following sales: 50
High St., for $171,770 to Jonathan Bedard; 49 Vine St., for $133,700
to Devon Simpson; and 18 Elmore St., for $80,000 to David Potter.
The sale of several smaller parcels was also recommended, indicating
the city can expect to reap about $400,000 plus whatever price the
Union Street building fetches, presuming it is sold."We'll try to
work something out with the high bidder," Berry said Wednesday. "At
the time we opened the clinic, it was in everybody's self-interest
to have a tenant in that building. It was a mess. "Berry said the
state funds invested in the dilapidated building should be viewed as
rent paid in advance for the term of the lease."Now the market rate
has changed. It's up to $8 to $14 a square-foot, but under these
circumstances, it's not reasonable to expect us to pay that amount,"
she said. "As far as we're concerned, this is breaking faith with
the clinic."
_________________________________________________________________
Lynn property bid hits snarl:
Clinic lease jeopardizes $450G offer
By David
Liscio -- The Daily Item
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
The city's
long-term lease with a Union Street dental clinic emerged Tuesday
as a major obstacle when a private investor offered $450,000 for
the public building.
David Shum, who owns several commercial properties in the
downtown business district, was high bidder for 232-256 Union St. as
the City Council's Public Property Committee opened a stack of
sealed envelopes. The nearest bid was $91,000 lower.
Although the committee previously announced that all public
properties on its list would be sold to the high bidder, with the
exception of abutters, the offer presented to Shum at the meeting
was not the same as that advertised in a legal notice. After all,
the notice did not stipulate the buyer would be required to house
the existing Lynn Community Health Center's dental clinic at least
through 2006, and perhaps through 2011, at its current rent of $1
per month.
Public Property Committee member Timothy Phelan recommended the
committee tentatively accept the high bid pending further discussion
between Shum and Lori Berry, the Lynn health center's executive
director.
Assistant City Solicitor George Markopoulos clarified that Shum
would not be allowed to resubmit a lower bid even if he were to
reach an agreement with the dental clinic.
Public Property Committee Chairman Richard Colucci, Phelan, and
member William Trahant Jr. voted to give Shum 30 days to make his
business plan workable while still accommodating the clinic.
Committee member Charles O'Brien cast the dissenting vote.
The committee voted not to reject the other bids for the Union
Street property, but a few withdrew their offers in the wake of the
dental clinic impasse.
Councilor-at-large Deborah Smith Walsh, a non-voting member of
the committee, defended the dental clinic and the committee's
requirement, noting that the Lynn Community Health Center would not
have invested $232,000 in state funds into the building if the City
Council had not given the impression that the address would be
available for 10 years at nominal rent.
Others were less enthralled. Bibby challenged Berry's argument
that the clinic's investment makes the property worth that much
more, dollar for dollar. He stressed that the clinic's specialized
equipment and interior layout does not enhance the property's value
as a general retail site, adding that a private doctor renting the
storefront would not expect the landlord to pay for such
improvements.
Lynn Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kevin Donahue, who
favors an open auction process rather than the solicitation of
sealed bids, said the committee should not have put the would-be
investors on-the-spot regarding their plans for the clinic.
"That's why an auction is better. It takes a lot of the
after-the-fact negotiating out of the picture," Donahue said. "Lots
of people took this seriously by spending time and money to prepare,
and then you end up with a situation like this. If Mr. Shum and the
health center can't come to terms, the city could be looking at the
loss of a potential $450,000. That's five firefighters or five
police officers at a time when the city is scraping for bucks."
Donahue said the city of Salem brought in $1.5 million through
auction of its unwanted public properties, twice the original
estimate that its city officials projected through sealed bids. "In
Topsfield, their auction brought in three times the amount
anticipated," he said. "Besides, an open auction keeps everything
clean."
Tuesday's meeting marked the committee's first attempt at selling
public properties, most of which are tax delinquent. The effort
brought in thousands of dollars, presuming the committee's
recommendations are endorsed by the entire City Council.
Among other properties for which six-figure bids were accepted
Tuesday were: 50 High St., for $171,770 to Jonathan Bedard; and 49
Vine St., for $133,700 to Devon Simpson.
"It's a great day for the Lynn taxpayers," said Colucci,
referring to the accepted bids and projected windfall. "Those
properties were just sitting there, not bringing in a dime. Now
they'll be back on the tax rolls."
Phelan described the dental clinic as a "unique situation" that
can be resolved. "It's a work in progress," he said.
According to Berry, a recent survey showed Lynn residents need
dental care more than other health-related services, and that 9,000
patients received services last year. Colucci earlier this week
suggested each patient pay $2 per visit, which would amount to
$18,000 that might be used toward rent, but Berry explained Tuesday
that state regulations prevent the clinic from accepting payment
from patients below certain income levels.
_________________________________________________________________
Lynn City Council expected to
expedite land sale process
By Thor Jourgensen -- The Daily Item
Friday, October 3, 2003
The City Council's plan to revamp the way
public property is sold and placed back on the tax rolls is on the
fast track, with full council approval set for as early as next
week.
A vote at next Tuesday's council meeting on reforming public
property sales would come a week after the council public property
committee approved the seven-point plan.
The plan calls for handing lots of 2,000 square feet or smaller
over to Housing Authority and Neighborhood Development for reuse as
open space; allowing all city departments to review property before
it is auctioned off; selecting an auctioneer to dispose of property;
and having an attorney ensure all property set for auction is
advertised in conformance with city ordinances.
The plan also prescribes a 30-day auction and allows the fee paid
to the auctioneer to be added onto the bid amount for a property.
All money generated by the auction must be rolled back into the
city's coffers.
"The Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce is glad to see the council,
especially Jim Cowdell and Rick Ford, going in this direction,"
Chamber Director Kevin Donahue said, "We've been working with the
council for several years on this. It's a great example of the
chamber working for the betterment of the community."
At the urging of the Chamber, the council has tried to come up
with a plan to dispose of property taken from former owners for
nonpayment of taxes.
The council voted in June to auction off 55 properties and then
reduced that list to 36 lots and buildings in September. The list
includes the city's first secondary school, located at 55 High St,
and valued at $133,000.
The city is accepting written offers to buy 50 High St. and 35
other properties up until Oct. 21. The bids will opened that evening
by the City Council public property committee.
The winning bidders will be chosen based on the amount of their
bid and how their proposed use of the properties impacts the
surrounding neighborhood.
The High Street building is not the highest-appraised property on
the auction list. A commercial building at the corner of Union and
Silsbee streets is valued at $232,000 and a vacant house at 49 Vine
St. is valued at $134,000.
The list also includes a home on Elmore Street and a condominium
on Portland Street. The remaining properties are vacant lots ranging
in size from a few hundred feet to three lots on Den Quarry Road
totaling more than 150,000 square feet.
The bidders must be present at the Oct. 21 public property
committee meeting to answer councilor's questions. Successful
bidders that do not complete their purchases within 45 days will
lose their bid deposits and the property will be awarded to the next
highest bidder.
The Building Department faced criticism Tuesday for not disposing
of public property on an ongoing basis. Building Commissioner
Francis Calnan Thursday said his office has followed state bidding
laws in preparing properties for sale. The law requires the
department to pinpoint the size of a lot and determine if it has
potential for development or can only be used as open space.
Calnan said two retirements and an extended sick leave left his
staff struggling to keep up with permit reviews and inspections.
_________________________________________________________________
Cowdell land-sell plan gets OK
By David Liscio -- The Daily Item
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
The City Council's Public Property Committee Tuesday adopted
a seven-point plan submitted by Council President James Cowdell
aimed at speeding up the process of selling unwanted public lands.
The committee voted several months ago to take action and issued
orders to various department heads related to the property sales,
but the overall result lacked coordination and apparently stagnated.
"My sole intention here tonight is to move this process along,"
said Cowdell.
The committee voted to adopt the council president's
recommendations, including that all lots of 2,000 square feet or
less be given to the Lynn Housing Authority and Neighborhood
Development (LHAND) for review. "This would prevent anyone from
trying to buy a small lot with intention to build on it, and it
would also help out the housing authority's Add-a-Yard Program,"
Cowdell said.
All properties on the current for-sale list must be submitted for
review to city department heads over the next 21 days to determine
if they have any use for the land.
A private auctioneer will be interviewed within the next 21 days,
who will handle advertisements and property sales. The position
would be subject to a request for proposals because the committee
cannot out right hire an auctioneer.
The idea of hiring an auctioneer was introduced by Lynn Area
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kevin Donahue, who had
witnessed the process work successfully for the city of Salem.
According to Public Property Committee Chairman Richard Colucci,
the Law Department was ordered months ago to prepare the guidelines
for hiring the auctioneer. Assistant City Solicitor George
Markopoulos told the committee Tuesday that he handed the task off
to Don Walker, an answer that prompted Colucci to ask when the
document might be completed. Cowdell, too, stressed that the
document must be drafted, no matter who ultimately does the work.
"Let's just get it drafted," he said.
Colucci also questioned Chief Financial Officer Richard Fortucci
about delays in getting property information to the councilors. Ward
3 Councilor Charles O'Brien asked Fortucci if the workload was
overwhelming and whether hiring additional office help would
expedite the process. Fortucci said hiring another person would not
make much difference.
Fortucci also explained that the available properties are divided
into two lists - foreclosures and other miscellaneous pieces.
However, in some cases, the landowner can still reclaim by property
by paying the outstanding taxes if the "right of redemption" time
period has not elapsed. As a result, those properties shouldn't be
added to the list, since they might not come up for sale, Fortucci
said.
Colucci also took aim at the Building Department.
"They've dropped the ball," he said, noting that the department
has not complied with the committee's order to advertise and sell
all unwanted public properties in the city.
"There's just no accountability," he said. "People are told to do
things and they just don't. And when they don't, there's nobody that
makes them answer."
Both Colucci and Cowdell, in separate interviews, agreed that the
city might fare well by hiring an inspectional services coordinator
who would oversee the Building Department and other municipal
offices.
Prior to his election, Mayor Edward Clancy voiced opposition to
hiring an inspectional chief, opining that to do so would create an
unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
_________________________________________________________________
Lynn to sell public properties :
Council president pushes sales
By David
Liscio -- The Daily Item
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
City
Council President James Cowdell is scheduled tonight to publicly
unveil his plan for selling off unwanted city-owned property.
According to Cowdell, the job just is not getting done in an
expeditious manner, and the list of properties for sale is not
always available to all those who might need it.
Ward 5 Councilor Richard Colucci concurred with the council
president on some key points, but stressed that progress has been
made in identifying the public lands the city wants to sell.
Cowdell said the dozens of city-owned lots, some larger than an
acre and others merely a few hundred square feet, could be
generating revenue if they were sold and put back on the tax rolls.
The council president said he wants all parcels on the list
submitted to city department heads for their review over the next 21
days to determine if they have any need for them.
Additionally, Cowdell wants to ensure that city hires an
auctioneer to sell off the remaining properties, but not before each
is reviewed by a real estate attorney to eliminate any potential
problems with the sale. The buyer would pay for the auctioneer's
commission. Under Cowdell's recommendations, an auction would be
held every 30 days.
"A lot of these things have already been done, but the process is
just going too slow," said Colucci, who supports the hiring of an
auctioneer.
"We have met with department heads, set aside the small lots for
the Add-a-Yard Program, and started to sell some properties. So in
that respect, we have been implementing the plan. But there's a
hold-up at the Building Department. The properties just aren't being
advertised fast enough."
Colucci said more than 35 lots of city-owned land have been
scheduled to be sold in October.
"We identified those properties months ago. It should not have
taken this long to get them ready for sale," he said. "We have to
address why this plan isn't being implemented right after the list
goes to the Building Department.
"We only sold three pieces of land in August because the others
that we had identified weren't even advertised. If we're going to
get rid of these properties, it has to be done in a timely fashion.
Maybe it has to be given to a different department."
Kevin Donahue, executive director of the Lynn Area Chamber of
Commerce, said the city's merchants and community leaders who are
members of the chamber support the plan. "We have to eliminate
blight," he said.
Last fall, the Lynn chamber invited a Salem attorney to address
members of the city's business community and local officials to talk
about how he was able to sell many of Salem's public properties at
auction.
The event generated enthusiasm among the Lynn leaders and the
City Council drafted a plan of action. However, the plan has not
produced the anticipated results, according to Cowdell, who is
seeking his colleague's support to revamp the process.
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Polishing welcome wagon
Chamber urging business-friendly
permit process
By Caroline Louise Cole – Globe Correspondent
Sunday, September 21, 2003 –
Boston Sunday
Globe North
To encourage
retail development, particularly by smaller businesses, the Lynn
Area Chamber of Commerce has offered city officials an eight-point
plan for reducing the red tape new business owners face when they
apply for operating permits at City Hall.
“Right now we
are recommending the city offer to its workers the type of routine
customer service training all our business owners know is so
important in order to make their own businesses a go,” said the
chamber’s executive director Kevin Donahue. “We don’t want to point
the finger at specific city employees or departments because we know
that every town worker is overburdened at this point. We do,
however, feel that a brush up on some basic customer service
techniques could improve things markedly.”
Donahue said
that those who want to launch a new business in town, whether a
pizza joint or a major manufacturing operation, face a range of
requirements before they can open. Permits needed include a basic
business license to those that are necessary to renovate and upgrade
buildings, food service and alcoholic beverages licenses, and other
specialty authorizations.
“The range of
permits that are required can be overwhelming to even the most
sophisticated business owner,” Donahue said. “The time it can take
between when you apply and when you get all of your OK’s can be 12
months or more, which is just too long for most people to wait.
They’ll lose interest first.
The chamber’s
most ambitious suggestion is to publish a guide on how to do
business in Lynn that would walk prospective owners through the
city’s business permitting process.
“Several other
communities in the area have created this type of resource and we
understand it has really reaped rewards by making the process more
open,” Donahue said.
Beyond that, the
chamber has come up with seven other concrete suggestions for
cutting down on the paperwork and the time new business owners must
invest in the permitting process.
“When we say the
process needs to be streamlined, we mean that the city needs to
create a one stop permitting process so that you come to one place
for all of your permits rather than having to show up at several
different offices one after another,” he said. “We also want to cut
down on the amount of time a prospective business owner has to wait
for these permits.”
Donahue said he
keeps hearing horror stories that permit applications sit on
someone’s desk and don’t get acted on until the last minute.
Then, he said,
instead of being approved the permit gets sent back to the applicant
because something minor was overlooked, which means the applicant is
in for another 30- or 60-day wait.
Donahue said the
solution to that problem is as simple as making sure the clerk who
accepts the application checks to make sure it is complete before
the applicant leaves City Hall.
Hal McGaughey,
the city’s newly appointed director of development, said that all
the chamber’s suggestions are worth considering.
“We know the
permitting process needs to be streamlined and that good customer
service at City Hall is the first step to promoting Lynn as a
business-friendly place,” McGaughey said.
McGaughey said
as part of addressing this issue, Mayor Edward J. Clancy is in the
process of reorganizing the various departments related to economic
development.
“Right now we
are waiting to see what vacancies we will have now that the city has
elected to participate in the state’s early retirement program,”
McGaughey said.
McGaughey who
comes to his current position after serving as the finance director
for the Lynn Economic Development and Industrial Corporation, said
he himself is committed to making Lynn more welcoming to new
business ventures.
“People can be
quick to complain about City Hall when they might be the ones that
didn’t get the permit in on time or forgot information,” McGaughey
said. “But even if the reason a permit is initially denied is
because the applicant made an error, we need to be as helpful as
possible and spot those mistakes earlier on to avoid unnecessary
delays.”
McGaughey also
touted initiatives such as the new zoning regulation passed recently
by Lynn’s City Council allowing housing units on the upper floors of
downtown retail and commercial shops because, he said, over time
this initiative will help to promote business growth by keeping
potential customers downtown.
Maura Lynch, the
chamber’s president, said she discovered firsthand the hassles
business owners face in working their way through City Hall
licensing and permitting procedures after her family business burned
to the ground two years ago.
"For us it was a
good process though a long one, but we had longevity on our side
since my family had been doing business in Lynn for 50 years,” Lynch
said. “It would have been much harder for us if we had been new to
the city.”
Lynch said she
is beginning to notice an attitude shift among city leaders that is
favoring business in general.
“Now that both
the mayor and the City Council are with us on this, I really do
think that we are going to achieve out goal of making Lynn more
business friendly,” she said.
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Lynn Council president wants
public property sales process revamped
By
David Liscio -- The Daily Item
Friday, September 19, 2003
City
Council President James Cowdell is asking his colleagues to
support a revamping of the process used by the city to sell off
unwanted public property.
"We've got to get these properties back on the tax roll," Cowdell
said Thursday. He has begun distributing a list with seven points
that he said are key to the issue and should be adopted.
Among them: The council's Public Property Committee must maintain
a list of all residentially-zoned lots of less than 2,000 square
feet and submit it to the Lynn Housing Authority (LHA) for review
and possible inclusion in the agency's "Add a Yard" program. The LHA
would return a recommendation within 21 days.
Cowdell also wants all parcels on the list submitted to city
department heads for their review over the next 21 days to determine
if they have any need for them.
Additionally, the council president is advocating that the city
immediately hire an auctioneer to sell off the remaining properties,
but not before each is reviewed by a real estate attorney to
eliminate any potential problems with the sale. The buyer would pay
for the auctioneer's commission.
"It wouldn't cost the city," said Cowdell, noting that the
auctioneer would handle the advertisements, contact abutters and
keep a record of these activities.
The council president said the public auctions must be held every
30 days, using the same methods until all properties have been sold.
"As new properties come into tax-title, they, too, can be added
to the list and be auctioned as expeditiously as possible, but in no
event beyond 60 days," he said.
Money generated from the property sales would be returned to the
city's general treasury.
"We're 100 percent behind him," said Kevin Donahue, executive
director of the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce and an advocate of
selling public lands at open auction rather than through seeking
requests for proposals.
"Jim ran this past us and it incorporates a lot of what we have
been proposing," he said. "I've got to say, Jim is showing a lot of
initiative and leadership. This whole property thing has languished
for a while. Jim has made a commitment to get these properties back
on the tax-paying rolls and get them into the hands of people who
will take care of them. We have to get rid of the blight."
The points raised by Cowdell will be formally presented at a
special meeting of the Public Property Committee at City Hall on
Sept. 30.
"The council order I'm submitting would ensure that a
computerized list of the tax-title properties is maintained,
especially as more properties become available, and that it is
provided to the council on the last Friday of each month," Cowdell
said. "The city should not be in the real estate business, and as
soon as these properties get on the list they should be going up for
sale."
The prospect of giving the LHA jurisdiction over the lots of less
than 2,000 square feet for the agency's "Add a Yard" program would
require deed restrictions in order to prevent unwanted use of the
land. In other words, if the land is sold to expand a yard or make
room for a garden, it must only be used for the purpose.
"The premise here is to get rid of all the property we have and
develop a system so that on a regular basis it continues to happen,"
Cowdell said.
Public Property Chairman Richard Colucci could not be reached for
comment. Colucci has publicly said he supports hiring an auctioneer.
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Undermanned Lynn department struggles with permit backlog
By Thor Jourgensen -- The Daily Item
Friday, September 19, 2003
After losing two employees to retirement, the city Building
Department is struggling to reduce a growing backlog of permit
applications, some 21/2 months old.
Deputy Building Commissioner Edmund Blaisdell and Administrative
Assistant Nancy Amenta retired in July, leaving Commissioner Francis
Calnan with three inspectors and three clerks to process an average
of 200 applications a week.
The applications include requests to inspect business locations
before granting permits; review requests scheduled for Zoning Board
of Appeals hearings; checks on code violation complaints and local
churches, schools and nursing homes inspections.
The department has managed to process some applications in three
weeks, but others filed in early July, even June 30, have yet to be
approved.
Calnan said his department's workload is as big as it has ever
been in his 20 years as a city employee.
"We've actually closed the door and locked it some days so people
could go to the bathroom. We've never done that since I've been
here," he said.
The permit backlog is not news to the Lynn Area Chamber of
Commerce and Lynn Business Partnership. Both organizations since
1999 have unsuccessfully urged the city to reorganize departments to
streamline the permit process.
Ironically, the retirements that have left the Building
Department and other offices shorthanded prompted Mayor Edward J.
Clancy Jr. to begin focusing on the permit problem.
Up to 64 city workers are slated to retire by the end of the year
under a one-time, state-sanctioned early retirement plan. Clancy
sees the exodus of veteran city workers as an opportunity to
reorganize and coordinate the services of city offices that review
permits.
Clancy wants to assign a city official already handling permit
reviews the additional job of making sure departments process
permits in a timely fashion.
"We won't be creating another layer of bureaucracy," he said.
Despite the retirements, the Building Department has processed
204 permits since July 1 - almost the same number it processed last
year.
An increase in new housing construction has also required the
inspectors' attention.
"New houses require a lot of review," Clerk Kathy Collins said.
Some permits, including those for roofing and siding projects,
are processed by the department in two to three weeks. But other
requests take longer.
The chamber has suggested the city adopt eight changes aimed at
speeding up the permit process, including requiring clerks to
carefully check permit applications to ensure all necessary
information has been provided by the applicant.
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Lynn
accepting written bids for properties
By Thor Jourgensen -- The Daily Item
Thursday, September 18, 2003
A former student of the city's first shoemaking school hopes
the abandoned building will be restored or replaced with housing
after it is auctioned in October.
The city is accepting written offers to buy 50 High St. and 35
other properties until Oct. 21. The bids will be opened that evening
by the City Council public property committee.
The winning bidders will be chosen based on the amount of their
bid and how their proposed use of the properties impacts the
surrounding neighborhood.
The three-dozen properties were taken by the city after former
owners failed to pay property taxes. The council and Lynn Area
Chamber of Commerce have tried different approaches to selling the
properties, but, to date, have been unable to dispose of the lots in
one large auction.
The High Street building is one of three properties on the
auction list worth more than $100,000. The building is assessed at
$134,000 by the city, but it has sentimental value to Arthur Smith.
The Lynn native attended the school for five years in the 1960s
after teachers at the former Cobbett Junior High declared him
"incorrigible and unteachable."
"I was the class clown, but I guess they didn't appreciate it,"
Smith said.
Smith studied every aspect of shoemaking in the peaked-roof wood
building, perfecting his ability to craft soles, make uppers and
learn the tricks of a trade that was once the backbone of Lynn's
economy.
He practiced different trades after leaving the school, but never
became a shoemaker. Now a landscaper, he still has a place in his
heart for 50 High St.
"I can still remember my teachers' names. Seeing the place always
brings back a lot of good times."
Built in 1951 as the city's first secondary school, 50 High
trained shoemakers from 1925 to 1975. It was used for light
manufacturing and housed various businesses. In 1999, Lynn residents
led by the late Kathleen Leary worked to restore the building.
That effort improved security and fire protection in the
structure, but the building remains vacant. Smith hopes that any
bidders proposing to demolish the building will also suggest
replacing it with housing. The lot is located two blocks from the
Lynn shelter.
"It's a historic site; they shouldn't tear it down. But if they
do, it should be for apartments," he said.
The High Street building is not the highest-appraised property on
the auction list. A commercial building at the corner of Union and
Silsbee streets is valued at $232,000 and a vacant house at 49 Vine
St. is valued at $134,000.
The list also includes a home on Elmore Street and a condominium
on Portland Street. The remaining properties are vacant lots ranging
in size from a few hundred feet to three lots on Den Quarry Road
totaling more than 150,000 square-feet.
The bidders must be present at the Oct. 21 public property
committee meeting to answer councilor's questions. Successful
bidders that do not complete their purchases within 45 days will
lose their bid deposits and the property will be awarded to the next
highest bidder.
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Ward 1 Lynn City Council candidates
square off at debate
By Thor
Jourgensen -- The Daily Item
Thursday, September 18, 2003
The four Ward 1 City Council candidates shared common
ground during Wednesday night's forum at Pickering Middle School,
but split over approaches to managing banning smoking and managing
Gannon Municipal Golf Course.
About 70 people spent more than an hour listening to Ernie
Carpenter, Richard Eramian, Wayne Lozzi and Michael Phelps answer
questions about taxes, senior services, televised council sessions
and a city smoking ban.
The forum, sponsored by the Daily Item and Lynn Area Chamber of
Commerce, set the stage for next Tuesday's preliminary election. Two
of the candidates will survive the preliminary and face off in the
Nov. 4 final election.
All four candidates support streamlining the city's permit
granting process, reopening the Lynnfield Street fire station and
televising council sessions.
Phelps said the next ward councilor must bring neighbors, city
officials and developers together to work out problems before
construction projects are started in Ward 1.
Lozzi said future development must include plans to preserve open
space. He warned that plans for a residential subdivision in Peabody
near Sunset Drive off Cannon Rock Road could channel "unsafe
traffic" into Lynn.
"Ward 1 has reached the saturation point. There are lots on ledge
and edges of cliffs," Lozzi said.
Carpenter said the city must monitor traffic generated by
developments, not limit future construction.
"If a development is done legally, there is not much we can do."
Phelps, a former Wyoma Little League president, stressed that the
city must solve its budget problems by attracting more business to
Lynn and increasing the commercial tax base.
Eramian, a Lynnfield Street resident, called for lower taxes and
less government involvement in the lives of Lynn residents.
"There is no point in having government grow every year," he
said.
Former Ward 1 Councilor Carpenter said the Newton firm hired to
maintain Gannon should be given additional time to spruce up the
course. Carpenter called Sterling Golf Management "very capable,"
but Phelps and Lozzi criticized the city's decision to place golf
course maintenance in private hands.
"This is a case of the city fixing something that wasn't broken.
The contractor can't handle the job," Phelps said.
Lozzi, a state environmental analyst, said the city should
balance the financial benefits of auctioning 36 city-owned lots
against the need to protect watershed land near local reservoirs. He
called himself an optimist who believes that the "pendulum will
swing back and revenues will come back."
Lozzi said Lynn's public schools have been saddled unfairly with
unfunded state and federal mandates, including tutoring and
transportation costs.
Phelps, Lozzi and Carpenter said the next ward councilor must
work with residents on Woodland, Anchor Road and other streets
bordering Union Hospital to monitor future hospital expansion plans.
Phelps said the hospital has been "a little slow to react to the
neighborhood." He said he will support a city smoking ban if ward
residents favor one. Carpenter supports a ban while Eramian called
it "meddling."
Lozzi promised to study the merits of a ban and weigh it against
the impact on restaurants and bars.
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Travaglini hopeful about Lynn’s
future
By Josh Resnek & John Lynds --
The Lynn Journal
June 18, 2003
State Senate President Robert Travaglini failed to appear at the
Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce 91st Annual Meeting at the Nahant
Country Club last week.
It wasn’t because he didn’t want to attend, he explained to the
Journal this week. It was because he was trapped by the workload
revolving around the creation of the FY’04 budget. It is that
budget, Travaglini said, that will directly influence the future
financial solvency of Lynn and cities like it.
It’s been five months since Travaglini was sworn in as the 93rd
president of the Massachusetts Senate, and many of his colleagues on
Beacon Hill say he never shows up on the job sulking, or out of
character, even when surprises hidden in the Commonwealth’s fiscal
crisis knock him around a bit.
Since taking the oath of office on Jan. 1, 2003 Travaglini’s work
hours have increased, too.
Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. for the senator, when he meets with a
different state agency or group every morning.
Following breakfast, appointments run all afternoon with
colleagues and experts familiarizing the senator with the day’s
issues.
As the afternoon turns to night, Travaglini has his final meeting
at 8:30 p.m. with staff members who brief him on the following day’s
schedule.
Travaglini’s assignment calls for a man who will work tirelessly
and honorably to manage the state’s fiscal crisis, and so far, his
quest to tackle this daunting task has been admirable.
Forming bipartisan relationships in both the House and Senate, he
has called upon the experience and expertise of his colleagues to
help solve the state’s economic emergency.
“My top priority from day one is to restore confidence in the
economy,” he said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. There needs
to be a large reorganization and reform of state spending. We need
to identify a way to save money while honoring our commitments to
public safety, education and health care. We can’t ‘cut’ our way out
of this one. The magnitude of the problem is just too large.”
It hasn’t been easy for Travaglini to find a way to reorganize
revenues, save revenues and prioritize the state’s under-funded
programs while simultaneously trying to find ways to get money for
these under-funded programs.
“Raising taxes is not the answer,” he said. “It is in the best
interest of the Commonwealth and its economy to begin raising new
revenues. Generating revenues has to be part of the discussion down
the road, but we just don’t know what those revenue boosting
vehicles will be in the future.” Instead, Travaglini has handed the
ball to many lawmakers who may be more knowledgeable regarding
specific issues in the Senate.
“There are a lot of bright and talented members of this body,” he
said. “I realize I don’t hold the monopoly on wisdom, but I have
learned if you let people express themselves and their capabilities,
good things happen.”
To date Travaglini’s cooperative political policy has earned
praise from Statehouse lawmakers on Beacon Hill.
“I believe I have enhanced my colleagues’ participation in the
governing process,” he said. “I feel they are pleased with the new
environment in which they work and I am receiving a continuous level
of encouragement and support from my fellow lawmakers.” However,
radical recommendations made by the Romney administration have
created disagreement on Beacon Hill despite Travaglini’s saying the
public can’t afford finger pointing and chaos between Democrats and
Republicans.
“We are going to disagree,” he said, “but disagree within a
dialogue and debate that is both professional and without delay.
This budget will be on time.”
In Lynn, Travaglini’s presidency has given the city that’s
dependent on small business and commerce a strong voice in the very
place where policy is made.
“Small businesses provide employment, pay taxes and are
sparkplugs of the economic engine that drive the Commonwealth,” he
said. “We are doing everything now to protect and provide attention
to these vital resources in Lynn and elsewhere.”
And even though Travaglini brings more weight to the table for
many communities including Lynn, he said he wouldn’t flex that power
unless there was a cause or condition dictating such a move.
“Lynn at the very least will not be overlooked,” he said. “I will
continue to provide the needed support to local social service
programs. I will continue to be an impetus for these vital
organizations. In the end I hope everything I do meets the approval
of those who gave me the power and opportunity to serve.
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