March 19, 2009

Last Comment on this for a month

I really am sick of talking of this, but today's story prompted these latest blogs. Before I give up on this, I want to make a couple things clear.

Low to mod income housing is not a bad thing. Actually I think there is definate place for these developments. My problem is the concentration of this housing in the urban core of Worcester. In fact this is the only residential housing that we see.

Right now in the City of Worcester there is no balance. Maybe we should start providing incentive for high end residential units???

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

The answer is for government to STOP crowding out the private sector.

Instead of rewarding the most well connected, the city should think about lowering taxes on business and on fixing the streets. Is there any city in America that has as many people living on dirt roads as we have in Worcester?

Jeff Barnard said...

Actually, if you think about it, anything over $400 a month (unsubsidized) is "high end" enough to exclude half the current residents of the city.

Bill Randell said...

It all goes back to the concerns expressed by the RKF Study in 2002.


The City's policy to use the many CDC's to develop more low income housing should be reconsiderd. While their renovation work has help stabilize some of the neighborhoods, especially at a time when the redevelopment was needed, their subsidized development has alientated some local builders/ developers.

Another alternative to renovating these three deckers would be to thin out selectively some of these buildings and make the sites ready for single for new single family homes in a townhouse style, and market the sites to private developers for construction. The CDC's in the future should be considered more of a developer of last choice....

Anonymous said...

Bill, came up on yesterday's flight from SFB with 61 sob's. Counted 55 on flight from ORH/SFB. Looked like flight ORH/PGD was about full.
Ben

Paulie's Point of View said...

those of us involved in the neighborhoods should not take a month off..we need to keep making folks aware of this

Anonymous said...

Also dont forget we basically handed WPI a section of West St back in the mid 80's by closing it off to traffic where it passes through the campus.

Can you imagine if St Gobain wanted the city to close off the city street that runs through their site.

Now that i think of it, there's a great way to squeeeze PILOT $$$$$ from WPI. Threatened to take back West St........if it isnt too late. For the record, I am opposed to PILOT payments. Why given a bunch of councilors who spend like drunken sailors in the Combat Zone, even more money to waste at the likes of The Golden Banana. God, I hope a councilor doesnt take this idea and run with it....!!

Todays T&G is all giddy about $14M in Stimulus money coming to Worc schoools..............but does anyone have the foresight to loook ahead one year when there will/may not be any more stimulus money coming our way?

Time to do away with teachers aids who make 16-18,000 annually and get a family health ins. plan that costs the city 12,000 annually plus who knows how much in pension and other bennies. Imagine a private sector job where the bennies cost all as much agian as the wage...can you say Bankrupt private company ???

How much u wanna bet that even the lowliest paper shuffler in every CDC gets gets a great medical ins package???

Rich Greenhalgh said...

Still no response to my email request to my district councilor and the at large councilor whose thoughts/opinions I requested on this subject. Funny though, I did get a fundraising request in the mail yesterday from my district councilor. Going to send the same request to the Mayor and Manager.

Anonymous said...

Ben,

I hope you mean Souls on Board when you say SOB's



Just wonderin'

Anonymous said...

Rich

I will bet you dinner they won't. Around for lunch today?

Jeff Barnard said...

Jahn said: "Can you imagine if St Gobain wanted the city to close off the city street that runs through their site."

New Bond Street?

Anonymous said...

Yes new bond st..........you going to now tell me that i am wrong it isnt a city sreet??? .....lol.

Well then I'll have to think of another city street that bisects a major city employer's properties...........old Wyman Gordon site maybe....???

Rich Greenhalgh said...

Signman,
I should have bet you dinner. Just heard back from the Councilor At Large and he plans to address the issue at City Council.

Jeff Barnard said...

It's a city street until you get to the guard shack.

Originally, New Bond Street went from W. Boylston St, through the Norton Company complex, and all the way to Cheyenne Drive on Indian Hill.

When I-190 was built, it chopped the street in half, and Norton's got to privatize a large chunk of it, which now runs between the guard shacks.

Jeff Barnard said...

After letting it brew in the back my mind, Jahn, I realized that Wyman's also got at least one street privatized: Gold Street.

Originally, Gold went from Green Street to Sargent Street, but the section between Madison and Hermon got swiped by Wyman's, somewhere along the line.

Bill Randell said...

Rich:

What city councilor?

Bill

Gabe said...

Hey folks,

Nice little debate started up over at Worcesterite. You know, if you like debates over low income housing... if that's your thing. :)

http://www.worcesterite.com/forums/politics/2009/3/19/32-units-low-income-housing-planned-canal-district

Rich Greenhalgh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rich Greenhalgh said...

Bill,
Councilor Rosen. In my opinion a person who considers the best interest of the city and its residents and doesn't shy away from topics that may be considered politically off limits when they impact the future of Worcester.

Bill Randell said...

Rich:

Councilor Rosen has been the #1 councilor bringing up issues and questions on the airport month to month on city council.

Councilor Rosen, if you are reading this, we have no problem with Low Income Housing. The problem is the high concentration of it and the lack or any corresponding non-Low Income Housing Development.

Maybe we should put a hold on any more low income housing and focus on putting together packages to attract developers of high income housing?

Bill

Anonymous said...

Hey

The more I think I about it I am going to call my city councilor.
District four. We have told her at our CBA meetings. maybe a personal note will help.

Anonymous said...

Signman, my take was always that contacting this particular coucilor is like inviting the fox into the chicken co-op....... i.e. .....directly, indirectly, or tangentially certain people are a huge part of the NO LO problem you're (we're)trying to solve.

Invite a Trojan Horse in to be part of the solution.....????