From Michael Moran, executive director of the new Amazing Things Arts Center coming to Saxonville:
Please come see our new venue [to be] – up close and personal! This Saturday January 15 12:00 [noon] 55 Nicholas Rd. in the Pinefield shopping mall.
January 14, 2005
Natick Mall Expansion Plan Endangers Pedestrians
OK, so it's not just me (and Dick Miller), when we concluded that the Natick Mall expansion plan focused solely on auto traffic to the point of creating a hostile pedestrian environment (see earlier post).
"The latest Natick Mall expansion plan would endanger pedestrians and lead to more traffic headaches, the owner of two mall stores and others told the Planning Board Wednesday," the MetroWest Daily News reports (emphasis mine). "[T]he new phase 1 ... would force shoppers outside to travel between what for a time would be two separate malls. "
"We have a lot of pedestrian/vehicular conflict," said town landscape consultant Steve Cosmos, according to the article.
Pedestrian/vehicle conflict? That makes it sound like an argument. In fact it's a pedestrian-hostile design, which appears to have been created by developers that have given no regard to the needs or desires of pedestrians.
At a time when all important community retail trends are focusing on walkable, pedestrian-friendly "lifestyle centers," this is a major error on many levels -- safety, aesthetics, quality of life, and more.
"The latest Natick Mall expansion plan would endanger pedestrians and lead to more traffic headaches, the owner of two mall stores and others told the Planning Board Wednesday," the MetroWest Daily News reports (emphasis mine). "[T]he new phase 1 ... would force shoppers outside to travel between what for a time would be two separate malls. "
"We have a lot of pedestrian/vehicular conflict," said town landscape consultant Steve Cosmos, according to the article.
Pedestrian/vehicle conflict? That makes it sound like an argument. In fact it's a pedestrian-hostile design, which appears to have been created by developers that have given no regard to the needs or desires of pedestrians.
At a time when all important community retail trends are focusing on walkable, pedestrian-friendly "lifestyle centers," this is a major error on many levels -- safety, aesthetics, quality of life, and more.
January 13, 2005
New McAuliffe Branch Project: Not Dead Yet?
Apparently, it's possible to go ahead with the land purchase approved by Town Meeting last night, and then try again to see if Town Meeting members will support building construction, either at a new special TM or at a special within the regular spring Town Meeting. Gosh I hope so. After four long years of study, debate, grant application, and winning a rare state grant for a branch library, it would be heartbreaking to see this opportunity lost for at least the rest of the decade, and probably much more.
So many taxpaying citizens want their tax dollars to support this.
There's an important question about what we want Framingham to be. A downtown and a commercial strip along Rte. 9, where nothing else matters? Or a closely-knit collection of healthy, vibrant neighborhoods, with downtown at the heart?
Except for schools, there has been almost no town investment in facilities north of Rte. 9. And while I'm all in favor of neighborhood schools, the majority of town households have no school-age kids in public schools, so they don't add to day-to-day quality of life for the rest of us.
The ice skating arena (Loring), the main ballfield (Bowditch), the main library (program room for lectures, concerts, etc.), town adult education classes (Keefe Tech), public swimming facilities -- all are 01702. I don't begrudge downtown these facilities, but we pay taxes too. Don't non-school-age residents of other neighborhoods deserve any convenient access to public buildings for activities?
So many taxpaying citizens want their tax dollars to support this.
There's an important question about what we want Framingham to be. A downtown and a commercial strip along Rte. 9, where nothing else matters? Or a closely-knit collection of healthy, vibrant neighborhoods, with downtown at the heart?
Except for schools, there has been almost no town investment in facilities north of Rte. 9. And while I'm all in favor of neighborhood schools, the majority of town households have no school-age kids in public schools, so they don't add to day-to-day quality of life for the rest of us.
The ice skating arena (Loring), the main ballfield (Bowditch), the main library (program room for lectures, concerts, etc.), town adult education classes (Keefe Tech), public swimming facilities -- all are 01702. I don't begrudge downtown these facilities, but we pay taxes too. Don't non-school-age residents of other neighborhoods deserve any convenient access to public buildings for activities?
January 12, 2005
Very, Very Bad News For Framingham
In one of the most bizarre votes in recent memory, Framingham Town Meeting tonight narrowly passed an article to buy land for a new Christa McAuliffe branch library -- only to turn turn around and narrowly defeat an article that would appropriate money to actually build the library.
The move puts a more than $1 million state grant to help fund the project in deep jeopardy. As Library Director Tom Gilchrist said afterwards, while the project isn't dead, it's on life support. Unless another vote can be taken and certified on this before May 15, the grant is gone for at least 4 years.
Opponents ignored an outpouring of public support for the project, deciding that this investment in Saxonville -- creating this great anchor destination and community center -- wasn't worth spending our money on, even though HUNDREDS of taxpayers signed petitions supporting the project, and dozens showed up tonight. Instead, apparently, library patrons should all drive downtown if they need services. If we need to see a newspaper more than 2 weeks old, or want to sit and have a place to read, or to conduct research; if our students want a place to do their homework, they can all jump in their cars, clog the already overly congested north-south roads further, and try to find a place to park.
Hey, I've got an idea -- let's close every grocery store in town except for Super Stop & Shop in Saxonville, and have everyone who needs to buy food on the South Side drive up Rte. 126 and back. What's that, you say? People don't want to drive 12 miles roundtrip just to pick up a loaf of bread? Well, guess what? They don't want to have to cross town every time they want a reasonable level of library service either.
Two-thirds votes were needed to pass the articles. The first vote on buying the land was 101-45 in favor; I think the second was 94-51 in favor, but am not sure; once I saw that the yes votes fell under 97, I stopped writing. Actually, I thought it was 94-45, which would have been passed. I'm crushed.
Tonight's vote was a roll call. I'll be seeking a listing of who voted how, to link to or publish.
No more for tonight, as I'm so upset I'm likely to write some things I'll regret later. (Once you're Googled, it lives, cached, forever.) Suffice it to say that I think this was extraordinarily shortsighted. The way to keep Framingham "affordable" is NOT by delivering services so crappy in comparison to surrounding towns that nobody wants to buy here. We're not talking extravagence here. Somerville has TWO branch libraries with a smaller population than Framingham, and it's only 8 square miles large, compared to Framingham's 25 square miles. Offering neighborhood community libraries is a basic government service, that those of us who live in neighborhoods besides downtown have a right to have funded with our tax dollars. I don't begrudge the South Side our best library; all we were asking is to give us a good one.
The move puts a more than $1 million state grant to help fund the project in deep jeopardy. As Library Director Tom Gilchrist said afterwards, while the project isn't dead, it's on life support. Unless another vote can be taken and certified on this before May 15, the grant is gone for at least 4 years.
Opponents ignored an outpouring of public support for the project, deciding that this investment in Saxonville -- creating this great anchor destination and community center -- wasn't worth spending our money on, even though HUNDREDS of taxpayers signed petitions supporting the project, and dozens showed up tonight. Instead, apparently, library patrons should all drive downtown if they need services. If we need to see a newspaper more than 2 weeks old, or want to sit and have a place to read, or to conduct research; if our students want a place to do their homework, they can all jump in their cars, clog the already overly congested north-south roads further, and try to find a place to park.
Hey, I've got an idea -- let's close every grocery store in town except for Super Stop & Shop in Saxonville, and have everyone who needs to buy food on the South Side drive up Rte. 126 and back. What's that, you say? People don't want to drive 12 miles roundtrip just to pick up a loaf of bread? Well, guess what? They don't want to have to cross town every time they want a reasonable level of library service either.
Two-thirds votes were needed to pass the articles. The first vote on buying the land was 101-45 in favor; I think the second was 94-51 in favor, but am not sure; once I saw that the yes votes fell under 97, I stopped writing. Actually, I thought it was 94-45, which would have been passed. I'm crushed.
Tonight's vote was a roll call. I'll be seeking a listing of who voted how, to link to or publish.
No more for tonight, as I'm so upset I'm likely to write some things I'll regret later. (Once you're Googled, it lives, cached, forever.) Suffice it to say that I think this was extraordinarily shortsighted. The way to keep Framingham "affordable" is NOT by delivering services so crappy in comparison to surrounding towns that nobody wants to buy here. We're not talking extravagence here. Somerville has TWO branch libraries with a smaller population than Framingham, and it's only 8 square miles large, compared to Framingham's 25 square miles. Offering neighborhood community libraries is a basic government service, that those of us who live in neighborhoods besides downtown have a right to have funded with our tax dollars. I don't begrudge the South Side our best library; all we were asking is to give us a good one.
Town Meeting Vote Tonight On New Branch Library
Framingham Special Town Meeting opens tonight, Wednesday, January 12, 7:30 p.m., and on the agenda is a vote to build a new McAuliffe branch library in Saxonville. A show of support down at Town Hall would be really useful!
If you're wondering why this project is worth supporting, may I humbly suggest you look at my article in the MetroWest Daily News.
Seriously, this is the right project, at the right time, in the right place, serving a lot of taxpaying citizens who very much want and need improved library services. Big bonus: the way the project is planned, it will give an enormous boost to the historic Saxonville village center.
Framingham residents, please support the new branch library!!!
If you're wondering why this project is worth supporting, may I humbly suggest you look at my article in the MetroWest Daily News.
Seriously, this is the right project, at the right time, in the right place, serving a lot of taxpaying citizens who very much want and need improved library services. Big bonus: the way the project is planned, it will give an enormous boost to the historic Saxonville village center.
Framingham residents, please support the new branch library!!!
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