Author Archives: George DeLuca

Palmer St. in Downtown Lowell

This from Kathleen Marcin of the Lowell Downtown Neighborhood Association:

MBTA plans put a damper on Lowell's economic development strategy

Monday night in the City Hall Council Chambers, officials from the MBTA arrived at the Lowell stop on their regional tour of 24 Cities, Towns, hospitals and colleges to hear the concerns of all comers to the podium.

Among a standing room only crowd, over 50 people answered the call to speak including Rep. Kevin Murphy, Sen. Eileen Donahue, Brian Martin (for Congresswoman Tsongas), Mayor Patrick Murphy, Councilors Marty Lorrey and Vesna Nuon, City Manager Bernie Lynch, MVCVB’s Deb Belanger (via letter), LRTA Chief James Scanlon, Rep. Colleen Garry, Tyngsborough Selectman Elizabeth Coughlin, Registrar of Deeds Richard Howe, Beverly Woods of NMCOG, UML’s Paul Marion, Abby Goldenfarb of Trinity Financial, business owners and residents of the City of Lowell, Greater Lowell and other towns.

MBTA Director of Strategic Initiatives Charles Planck used 2 viewing screens to make his slide presentation, and every word of the presentation and public responses were transcribed and displayed on another larger screen. MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis handled the tough questions.

Audience voices spoke in unison with a unanimous and resounding “NO” in response. But there’s more to all this than meets the eye.

We need to be clear at the outset that this was a public forum and not a public hearing. With Lowell thirteenth on the tour, the presenters were well rehearsed. They’ve heard the questions before and couldn’t be stumped.

But one person made an inroad with his jab “You’re looking for a bailout!” This yielded a poignant response from Mr. Davis when the testifier tied MBTA’s fiscal problems to the Big Dig. Mr. Davis agreed that debt service to the MBTA originated by the Big Dig is a significant factor contributing to their budget woes.

MBTA is over $5 billion in debt. This fact fuels an inability to meet expenses because of the enormous debt service requirements. Add to that rising operating costs and disappointing sales tax receipts and we have an out of control train on our hands.

As a result, MBTA is concerned they may not be able to meet payroll or pay maintenance costs. So now the officers are appealing to communities in an attempt to rally support so that legislators will go to bat to put together a pipeline of state and federal funds.

To grease the wheels, the MBTA has proposed discontinuing weekend service and service after 10pm weekdays, and, raising fares by up to 44% including significant hikes for students and senior citizens.

People with accessibility needs came up one after the other, stressing their need for service to remain affordable and in tact. One was partially blind, one had a head injury, college students, special needs, senior citizens. The common sentiment was that such a deprivation would cause devastation to countless lives.

Some of the protests:

• People stated that they’d have to leave their jobs if such changes were to come to fruition.
• Students would no longer be able to take advantage of the relatively low tuition at UML because of the increase in transportation costs.
• More cars on the roads to exacerbate traffic jams, waste energy and add to pollution; and an increase in intoxicated partiers adding to the risk of serious injury and deaths.
• People who came to downtown Lowell to reduce costs of living, would lose options for transport to jobs and recreation opportunities in Boston.
• Seniors with jobs along the rail would need to give them up.
• Many with a need for medical resources that only Boston provides will suffer financial hardship.
• Tourism would be impacted especially events like Lowell Folk Festival and Summer Music Series.
• The proposed policies fly in the face of established efforts to achieve sustainability and foster a green planet.
• Bus fares increase dramatically, while many connections disappear entirely.

Our state & federal delegation and local officials stressed the adverse impact to the local and regional economic development strategy, especially in Lowell. Several speakers stated the obvious impact to Hamilton Canal District and trolley expansion plans, the arts and cultural vision, tourism, students, workers and senior citizen expenses, etc.

There was little discussion about budget reform, no offer to reduce salaries and percs of MBTA officials, no proposal for equitable sacrifices by the agency. Stone cold faces and pat answers met the often emotional pleas and inquiries.

Some expressed that more trains are needed not less. In a glaring exchange it was clear the MBTA executives didn’t take public transit to the forum. But it was noted that locals that do were unable to attend due to weekday Commuter Rail schedule conflicts. When questioned about why the forum wasn’t held at Gallagher Terminal to allow incoming patrons an opportunity to speak … Mr. Planck’s response: visit the MBTA website and make your comments there.

One person, in an emotional plea said go ahead and raise taxes … affordable fares and uninterrupted service are just too important to lose. Music to the ears of the several MBTA officials, who made sure to collect any written statements from those who testified. Desired impact achieved.

photo by George DeLuca

George DeLuca produces ComeToLowell.com

Aftermath of beating on Middle Street in Lowell, MA

A FackBook post caught fire over the assault that took place on Sat. at around 2am on Middle Street leaving one bar patron critically injured and air transported to a hospital in Boston and another to a local hospital. (note: friend LDNA on facebook if you haven’t already).

It’s time for citizens to step up and let Lowell leaders and planners know what they want the Downtown to be. There’s a great infrastucture planned, with improvements progressing for a City of Lowell that can be a leader in the world economy in 10-20 years.

What’s missing is the voice of the people. If you allow blue ribbon panels and City officials to decide what you want your City to be, then that’s exactly what will happen. That’s what’s happening now.

This is the second in a series of blog posts about the future of Downtown Lowell. Hopefully, other bloggers will pick up on the subject and participate. The first addresses the Lowell High School question.

My own sense is that this is an opportunity for the City Council to address the situation on Tuesday as an emergency.

Great photo (aftermath of the assault at top) by Kelly Fox. Perhaps another downtown group will form around good citizens like Kelly and Elaine Wood to bring issues to the appropriate commissions, councilors, sub-committees, etc.

In addition, an emergency meeting for the Public Safety Subcommittee is in order. And the next meeting of the Economic Development Subcommittee should have this issue high on the agenda. So I’m hoping the City Council can add this issue to this Tues. agenda as an emergency item.

Public safety is paramount.

George DeLuca produces ComeToLowell.com

October 2010 … urban planner Jeff Speck released a report that suggested that Lowell High School should stay put. However, his argument is weak and unsubstantiated. Apparently, he was steered to his suggestion by the Lowell Plan and other blue ribbon panel style groups.

Whether or not Lowell High School stays or moves to the Cawley Memorial Stadium area is ground zero when considering plans for the future of downtown. It’s a fork in the road, so lets hear your thoughts.

Question: What’s the impact of moving Lowell High School out of downtown, and reprogramming the entire LHS site and physical plant for multi-use such as retail/office/light manufacturing (for example, tear down all buildings on Arcand Dr. side including the dental building and build a Wegmans as anchor tenant on ground level with office/light manufacturing towers above) and residential (for example, renovating the Kirk St. buildings using existing bridges over the canal for access to the commercial side)?

LInk to my radio podcast which outlines a Vision for Downtown

Editor’s Notes: Feel free to express your creativity while being respectful of others. Personal insults will not be published.

George DeLuca produces ComeToLowell.com

From Gerry’s post:
Sun shows true Agenda, Ignores Facts in Asbestos story

“Facts Supplied by Dr. Wallace and the LHA: The LHA had all led abated by a professional licensed company as per a contract in the years between 1990-1992 and received a certificate of Full Compliance.

Also, there was an extensive asbestos abatement project performed at NCV in the late 1980′s, again, in full compliance”

For an extensive asbestos abatement project to take place in the late 80s, and inspection report by a certified inspector would have been completed. This report is critical to compiling a work plan for abating asbestos containing material (ACM). Once the work is abated and inspected, compliance can be determined and the ACM that remains becomes part of an O&M plan for the physical plant.

Compliance does not mean that ACM isn’t present. Abatement includes removal of materials, but it also applies to covering (encapsulating) ACM. By encapsulating asbestos, for example, you’re using a coating or other material to bring the asbestos to a category of good condition. In other words it’s not dangerous as long as it remains in good condition and isn’t disturbed. With proper encapsulation, removal isn’t required.

Therefore, inspection reports should exist which describe the ACM in buildings where “extensive asbestos abatement” occurred. These regs were in effect in the late 80s. In fact, AHERA had emerged as the mandatory standard for schools by that time. Its use quickly proliferated to public buildings and beyond. 

Inspection reports are needed so that a scope of work to “abate” the ACM can be created. LHA would have put the scope of work out to bid. It should be in detail with material identification, locations of all the material and estimated quantities.

Once the asbestos is removed, manifests are required that identify the removal company, the means of packaging, shipping, and ultimate destination of the materials.

There’s a paper trail somewhere. If they can’t find it at the LHA offices, then the contractor who completed the work may have it on file, or the regulatory agency that oversees the process may also have a record. If records are not available for some reason, then you can start the drums drumming. But what can be done at this point? Back then, asbestos was mishandled routinely by maintenance workers, plumbers, janitors, etc. 

From what I’m hearing, the units may have been pretty clean. But the boiler rooms and hot water piping likely had ACM in poor condition at some point, if not the determining factor leading to the abatement project. Check for inspection reports.

Fast forward, years later you start a renovations project that involves demolition in a previously abated building, the records come in handy. Frankly, by this time workers know if there’s ACM in the building, so what one or two have said may be true and there may have been violations. It wouldn’t be unusual. But legally, you need licensed asbestos abatement professionals to inspect, test, handle, remove and transport it.

I’m hearing there was asbestos containing floor tiles. Wouldn’t be surprised if units still have the old 9″x9″ or 12″x12″ tiles. But, I’m not concerned about ACM in tiles as the bonding agent prevents fibres from being released into the air. But friable pipe lagging in poor condition is another story.

Lead paint … just follow the process above. It’s similar. After abatement is completed, there still can be lead paint in a building. I don’t know how much regs have changed in recent years, but it use to be required to abate 6 feet off the floor, removal only being required at bitable edges. So again, if you leave it in place and remove it later as part of a reno project, you need to address what’s remaining then.

I’m not sure what the argument is now, which is probably a good thing from a standpoint of objectivity. But it may help to know that the regs for these processes are state and federally mandated. Violation orders would come down from the appropriate agencies.

Of couse, the City is concerned about whether proper permits were pulled, and City inspections were performed. The project design would have included addressing ACM and lead as part of the controlled project. This may be a sticking point in the matter now.

But, if City, State and Federal agencies are working with LHA to get a clean bill of health, that’s what they get paid to do. So all I can say is get ‘er done!

I’m glad Councillor Elliot is holding eveyone’s feet to the fire. Public Safety is a serious and important matter, and transparency is once again paramount to process it to closure. As you can see, once he sees that things are under control, his focus turns to other issues. In my opinion he’s a good City Councilor to have on the team. But I’ll continue to monitor relationships as per my post City Manager Cleans Up Dodge.

George DeLuca produces ComeToLowell.com

They cracked the surface but they were on the right side of the issue. Basically, their recommendation is to open it up for discussion, and perhaps consider other transportation alternatives that may be more practical and economical.

 I’ve researched the trolley expansion issue as part of a study of general transit options throughout the City, and have developed a thought process about it, which can be found in various segments of The Lowell Connection. Basically, a trolley expansion cannot be considered independent of overall transit needs and economic development vision.

I wish I could say the second half hour of the show was as strong as the first, but it wasn’t. That’s not a pan at all, as it was the first show. We need more media coverage of local issues. The program shows promise, but Lowell needs more voices participating in (or starting) programs of this type.

Congratulations to John and the Bear for joining the fray of talk radio. I hope to call in at some point. Best wishes on your success.

Editor’s Note: John MacDonald and the Bear airs on 980WCAP on Fridays from 11am-noon.

George DeLuca produces ComeToLowell.com

I heard 980WCAP’s Tedy Panos interview both former Building Commissioner Robert Camacho and City Manager Bernie Lynch on the subject of the LHA debacle. I thought it was somewhat courageous of  Mr. Camacho to come on the radio, but it was also an opportunity to clear the air and come to some sort of closure.

Mr. Camacho said that City Manager Lynch interfered with his job, engaged in political dalliances, pushed the line, took the route of least resistance, gave the City Council incorrect information, gave answers to technical questions he knows nothing about, looked the other way, and so on.

Obviously, we’re never going to process the entire story to everyone’s satisfaction, nor do we need to.

So how did the City Manager respond? “There are people who like the way business was done before.” “Public safety is paramount.” “My job is to direct the Building Commissioner to do his job.”

There’s this little matter of dust emanating from a building being renovated without a permit. The Sun cries “Asbestos” and “Lead Paint”! Really? There were rumors that asbestos was involved. Lead paint may have been involved. However, there’s no evidence that these materials were in the dust.

If I’m a building inspector and I happen upon a building that’s being renovated without a permit and has dust particles emanating out the door. I stop the job myself … call the police if necessary. It’s not that I suspect asbestos or lead paint. Dust control is a big part of any renovation job, as a matter of public safety. It gets in carpets, peoples clothes, hair, lungs, throats. And, if there was a concern about worker safety, why wasn’t OSHA called?

I don’t believe Mr. Camacho suspected asbestos or lead paint, although it would have been easy to investigate from the point he arrived if he had concerns of that sort. In fact, if he suspected such materials to be present, he would have directed that the building immediately be evacuated, sealed and material samples taken to be sent to the lab. Nothing like that happened.

Look, janitors use to go into boiler rooms and pick up pipe lagging material in such poor condition that it fell on the floor, put it in a garbage bag and toss it in the trash. They didn’t realize that just being in the room was hazardous because of asbestos fibers in the air. Pipefitters have died horrible deaths after years of breathing in the most deadly form of asbestos containing material.

Nothing remotely like that happened here. In fact, it wasn’t about asbestos or lead paint. It was about a long standing tradition that let the LHA perform renovations and repairs that require a building permit … without one.

City Manager Lynch is in the final stage of cleaning up the situation, while some people try to kick up a little dust.

The Building Department has a ways to go before it has my complete confidence. My sense is that a Building Commissioner is a czar who knows the building code and knows how to enforce it. No exceptions to the rule here. It’s in the book. Yes, interpretations are necessary every day. But no one is treated any differently than anyone else, because at the end of the day its Safety First and the Building Authority makes the call not the City Manager or the Assistant City Manager!

I’m comfortable that we’re heading in the right direction, at least at the moment. And I congratulate City Manager Lynch for taking a job over 5 years ago that required a major house cleaning, and getting it done. He’s done a great job in that respect. And in the process, he’s accomplished a great deal more. Hopefully, this progress will continue.

He also knows where his shortfalls are, and I think he’ll continue to hone his operation. Why? To make Councilor Rodney Elliot a believer for one thing. I think Councilor Elliot will place his confidence squarely with City Manager Lynch if he proves its deserved. In the meantime, the City Council is going to have to do a little soul searching of its own. I like our chances all around.

Editor’s Note: This post is first in a series that studies relationships involving the City Manager, the City Council, neighborhood groups, citizens of Lowell, stakeholders, Commissions & Boards, and the delegation to the state and federal government. How strong is ‘The Lowell Connection’?

George DeLuca produces ComeToLowell.com