total time: 7.87 minutes
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[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Good afternoon, this is Stephanie Muccini-Burke, and I'm here from the mayor's office at Medford City Hall. Thank you so much for tuning in today. I'm pleased to introduce you to one of the transition teams that we had in place. It's the economic development transition team. They spent quite a bit of time over the course of the last several months meeting with the businesses and residents throughout our community in the various squares in order to bring forth a plan called Shaping Medford, which we're really proud to highlight today. We'll give you a brief report on the comprehensive committee work called Shaping Medford and some of the initiatives that we already have in place today. The Business and Economic Development Committee is one of four teams that I put in place shortly after being elected. We had the City Hall Audit Team, the Cultural Affairs and Recreation Team, as well as the Constituent Service Team. Behind me are committee members for the Business and Economic Development Committee, which was led by Co-Chair Rick Orlando, Co-Chair Fred Dello Russo, President of the City Council, Members Muhammad Chowdhury, Christine Cousineau, Paul Matarazzo, Kelly Herstack, Tim McGibbon, and Linda Garriott. I'd like to thank these committee members for taking part in this experiment and for their expertise and the commitment of time that they put forth. They met countless hours with some of the residents in the community to try and bring forth the best plan possible. So they gave up quite a bit of their personal time. And for that, I'm very appreciative to all of you. Further, this report would not have been possible without the community members that took part in all of these meetings. We try to value your input and hopefully when we come back out and meet with you, you'll see what has come from all of the discussions that were taking place along small tables and large conference rooms. It's an important time in Medford with an influx of new residents, businesses, and nationwide focus on walkability and placemaking. My administration is dedicated to making strides to enhance Medford's appeal as a place to live, play, and work. Economic and business development are at the heart of this effort. And this committee was key to providing detailed and geographically specific feedback that will guide the many important conversations and initiatives currently taking place and future initiatives that will take place. At this point, I'd like to introduce Rick Orlando, the co-chair of the committee, who will provide a little bit of information on the process and some of the basic findings of the report. Mr. Orlando.
[Richard Orlando]: Thank you, Mayor, for the introduction and the opportunity to be part of the community effort. My name is Rick Orlando, and I would like to also thank the individuals on the committee. They not only gave their time, but what we found was that this committee and the report benefited significantly because of their extensive professional experience in city planning and urban development. Thank you, Mayor, for making those excellent committee choices. I would recommend that anybody reading the report take a quick look at the section that briefly describes their backgrounds. The report is a comprehensive compilation of regional, city-wide information and local inputs. The committee conducted a series of meetings, as noted, one for each of the squares located throughout Medford. The basis for the recommendation is grounded in the resident, business owner, and property owner inputs from those five meetings. The meetings were supported by the Chamber of Commerce, and specifically the chamber representatives from each of the squares, George Thurow, Fred Dello Russo, Steve Papio, Anthony Pereira, Dominic Camara, and John Veneziano. These individuals provided communications on the upcoming meetings to get the word out and drive up the attendance. There were approximately 40 to 60 attendees at each of these meetings, and the representatives were also extremely helpful during the meetings themselves. A brief explanation of the process the committee used would be useful in emphasizing how important the resident business owners and property owners' inputs were. The meeting format used multiple teams of 17 people in groups. The meetings were significantly focused on the attendees rather than presentation by us. These groups were able to then provide a wide range of inputs, suggestions, concerns and hopes for their city. The maps were provided to each one of them, which they then extensively marked up and We then, the committee, we collected these maps. There were a combination, there was perhaps over 30 square maps we had and over 700 inputs that came as a result of these five meetings. And I think I can say with confidence that the meetings were informative and fun, actually, both not only the members on the committee, but actually the attendees. And people that attended very much appreciated being asked to participate in this. The committee organized those many inputs, the 700 or so, into countless hours of putting them on spreadsheets and understanding what all the raw data was telling us. The report with all of those details will be on the website shortly following this press release. The categories that had the highest number of comments were street side improvements, vehicular, pedestrian and bike circulation, and safety for both pedestrians and cyclists. Business development and marketing was also another high point for some of the squares, and new development of a construction nature for mixed-use development. The organized inputs were then analyzed for paths of common needs or unique interests in these various square streets. Streetscape improvements in safety were the common in four of the five squares. However, Medford Square was different from the other squares in that it was clearly asking for a focus on development. This was the form of mixed-use retail and residential in the immediate square area. We also saw that a number of years ago come out of the Sykes-Sasaki plan, which also emphasized that point as one of the main drivers for Medford Square's redevelopment. Physical changes on walkability were also another high point for Medford Square. All the details, community inputs, et cetera, recommendations can again be found on the website once the report is posted. And the report does start off with an executive summary, which you can read through to see what the full report, which is, I think, somewhere around 70 pages, will provide. In addition to gathered data and recommendations on the individual squares, the committee cited content from previous studies, which are still useful and relevant today. There was also information and recommendation on citywide patents and other emerging business districts beyond the five squares, such as the Wellington Circle area, the Mystic Ave corridor, and the East Medford commercial area that you would probably recognize along Route 16 and Locust Street. The committee did set its sights high and provided major citywide recommendations including Route 16 changes, Clippership Drive changes, and even land swaps for some of the state and federal properties in the city. Those were obviously to be investigated with the appropriate state and federal agencies. The report also includes recommendations on the availability of state-level resources and programs. Mayor Stephanie Luchine-Burke has already been working with the state and those agencies on a number of these resources and will be providing updates on positive progress to complement the city's efforts in improving the downtown and other squares. The mayor will also be outlining a number of activities and actions to help with the implementation of this program. In closing, it is key to understand that development has already started in Medford and will continue due to market conditions and private sector activity. The challenge, the city's challenge is to influence and guide the coming changes to create the desired outcomes for Medford residents and what they've been providing us inputs on. I saw recently a quote that I think is very relevant. Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen.
[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you so much, Rick. I think when people take the time and read the report, they're going to be astounded by some of the ideas that came from these various community business district meetings. And there really are some fabulous ideas, really out-of-the-box ideas. So I thank you all for bringing it all together for us. To follow up on this report over the next two months, we plan on bringing it to the streets. So we plan on revisiting the sections of the city to bring people back to the table so that they can hear the outcomes from all of their comments and to see the next steps that the city plans on taking in order to initiate some of these grand ideas. Also, I'm pleased to say that we're moving forward with some very important initiatives. You heard Rick speak about safety and crosswalks and bike accessibility issues. So we do have several initiatives that are on the front right now. One is the complete streets process, which our city engineer will be speaking about shortly. Medford Square revitalization plan. Releasing a business guide to help new businesses navigate the different requirements and permits that are required to open up their shop. Strengthening our relationship with the chamber, which we think is at the forefront that we need to do. And other business coalitions that are throughout the community. and exploring ways to actively invite businesses to Medford. And one of the key aspects of that is we were able, with the City Council's vote for appropriation this past June, to add two new positions to the Office of Community Development. We think that is vital to initiating and bringing some of these ideas forward. So we look forward to bringing on these new staff positions and seeing the work that they will do to help the Office of Community Development flourish. With that being said, I'd like to introduce Lauren DiLorenzo. She is the Director of our Office of Community Development. She's gonna speak a little bit about the Method Square process that really is the jumping off from all the work that these fine people behind me did. And Lauren, if you could step forward.
[Buu0dDHgsRo_SPEAKER_06]: Thank you, Mayor Burke. Briefly I'd like to update you on the status of activities that we've been working on with the city administration and consultants that we've had to implement some improvements in Medford Square. Some of these have been ongoing activities and others are projected to really move full force this fall. The first is a little bit of an update on the Medford Square Master Plan. I've decided to rephrase this, the Medford Square Master Plan, rather than calling a really an update, it really is time for a new master plan and there is really no reason to do anything other than pull goals and objectives and ideas from the past and from the committee behind me and move forward. So I'd like to propose that we don't call this an update anymore of Medford Square Master Plan. This is a new master plan for Medford Square with participation by residents and businesses who are in the community now under the guidance of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Worked with them, we've received $90,000 of funding in order to complete this master plan. We had one input meeting earlier in the spring, and over the summer, the staff of the Office of Community Development, along with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, have met with a number of stakeholders to receive their comments, their input about what they feel is necessary to enliven Medford Square, bring additional business, and improve safety and connectivity. The project is going to focus on some areas that have been identified with input by the groups that have met previously. And they're going to include economic development, vitality, really making Medford Square lively more than just in the morning or the afternoon hours, but to extend that into the evening. Land use, you know, the land uses are a mixed use in Medford Square as they are, but it's time for an update based on the current economic conditions. transportation, connectivity, open space, and then the land use regulations in order to implement the goals and objectives that will be established. The planning process will really be moving now that we're going into the fall. And the first community forum will be held on September 7th in the city council chambers. So we invite everybody to participate. We welcome your comments and we hope you can attend. If you can't, you can email comments to us. You can send them in writing or give us a call. We'd be happy to consider your comments. And an update on a couple of other items that we've been working on. It's called the Riverside Plaza. Someday they may have a name for this with the area in front of the Salem Street Burying Ground. It's also another area that we've been focusing on in terms of open space and connectivity issues and to also provide a stage for performance in art and bringing that goal of increasing vitality in Medford Square. So a number of us have been working on this concept and the idea to spend some meetings with art groups And we expect to hear shortly whether or not we've received the grant that we have applied for. We applied for $250,000 land and water conservation. grant would be matched with $250,000 of other sources of funding, and we expect to hear that announcement very shortly. We have a landscape architect engaged currently. We've had meetings starting in anticipation of hearing about this grant funding announcement, and we will be moving ahead on improvements and design, schematic design, programming, and construction of improvements to the area in front of the Salem Street Barrier Ground, which is currently called the Riverside Plaza. Just a very quick update, there have been a number of other ongoing projects that have been under construction and they're nearing completion. Basically, there has been probably $2.1 million worth of improvements. Some of them look like they may be unrelated to Medford Square and the idea of an overall master plan, but the fact is they are to improve the social and recreational activities that we have. at the senior center, over a million and a half dollars has been invested with CDB federal, CDBG grant funds to upgrade the conditions at the senior center. That's nearing completion. And in front of that, the Crystal Campbell Peace Garden, which is over another million dollars of other sources of funding that we've gathered through grants and donations. And each of these projects, while they may have some other purpose, like providing services to seniors, or commemorating the bombing victims, of the Boston Marathon, but they also link into other plans. They will link into Riverside Plaza to create the walkability of the downtown area and improve the experience, improve the open space connections to the Mystic River. So those are the projects that we've been working on this summer, and I hope that you'll see them complete this fall. Very good.
[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you, Lauren. Also, one of the first initiatives we undertook upon being sworn in was signing on to the community compact with the Governor's office. Lieutenant Governor Perlito did come out and meet with us and we signed the compact together in this office a few months ago. And the item that Lauren just spoke about, the Medford Square Master Plan, was part of agreement that we made with the Commonwealth of Mass. So we thank them for being a party in all the work that we're doing. And the next initiative that we undertook was a complete streets policy initiative. And Cassandra is going to update us on that right now. Thank you, Cassandra Kudlitas, City Engineer.
[fRTeqEogCEI_SPEAKER_39]: Thank you, Mary Burke. Good afternoon, everybody. So how do we get to all these wonderful places, you might ask. Well, you need streets and sidewalks. And one of the things that we're working on that I think beautifully dovetails with all of the work that the committee and other folks are doing is to push forward the Complete Streets initiative. And a complete street is a street that is meant to be safe and accessible for everybody. So since we signed the community compact, we have been working very hard. We put out a complete streets policy that was sent to the state and scored, and we got a very high score, almost 100. It would have been over 100, but they don't give more than 100. We also developed a working group, an ad hoc working group, and came up with a prioritization plan, which meant we reached out and gathered dozens of projects that people came up with and we used the services of the MAPC, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, to help us try to winnow it down. We went out and looked at a number of different locations and prepared concept sheets in which we took 20 of these projects and submitted it to the state. So that was done this summer in what's called a prioritization plan. The state read it, approved it, and gave us permission to go on to the next step, which is a request for funding. So from the prioritization plan, we came up with about six projects, and just to let you know briefly what they are, we're looking at pedestrian enhancements at the Brooks Elementary School on High Street, pedestrian enhancements in West Medford Square, also in Medford Square on Salem Street, where the crossing of Ashland and River can be quite difficult for people with three lanes of traffic going at high speeds sometimes. We're going to create a curb extension that will allow for visibility and for shortening that crosswalk. We're looking at a project that would have bike lanes on Boston Avenue which is an important element for commuters. And we're looking at the interchange of Medford Street and Main Street where Tufts School and Park is so we can have improved pedestrian crossings there, maybe some changes in the parking layout to make it more safe and more appropriate for cars pulling in and out. And I think that's about it. Let me just check my notes. Oh, Winthrop Circle, how could I forget? So we're going to be bringing Winthrop Circle up to current standards for signs and striping so that we meet what is called the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control. So that is something that's a real safety improvement for, as well, pedestrians, cyclists, and of course, motorists. So with that, I will turn it over to you.
[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you very much, Cassandra. I'm just really proud to say that the projects that Cassandra just spoke about, they amount to about $400,000, and they've been funded through the Complete Streets grant program. So we're really, really pleased that the governor's office and DOT, they've all approved our plans, and the hard work that Cassandra and her office have done, as well as the bike commission and the pedestrian committee. A lot of people have put their thoughts into some of the ideas that now will be done in the near future. So we're really happy with the citizen engagement, and the way that people are willing to give up their time to make Medford a better community. So we're really proud of those two aspects. Next, I have Allie Fisk from our office. She is our business liaison. She's been working very closely with the Chamber of Commerce, some of the people behind me here, and a host of other cultural and arts people in our community. She wants to bring you up to date on a business guide that was one of our priority items back in January. And Allie, take it away.
[Allie Fiske]: Thank you Mayor Burke. So frequent feedback from the community of individuals and businesses as well as the business and economic development report have indicated that there is a desire for a business guide to help individuals navigate the system of creating and starting a new business in Medford. So we are pleased to say that we have one that will be released within the next couple of weeks. And what this guide does is it walks individuals through the different steps needed to open a business and that can cover things such as how to obtain a business certificate, how to obtain permits to get renovations on the building, how to sell food or alcohol in your business. So it's very comprehensive. Once the business owner's pointed in the right direction, which is what the guide is meant to do, then it's up to the individual departments to help the businesses from there in successfully launching their business. So that will be coming out shortly, both online and in print. So do stay tuned for that. And also, as the mayor said, we are working very hard to strengthen the partnership between the mayor's office, the city of Medford, department heads, and the Chamber of Commerce and other business associations. They are integral to business and economic development in Medford, and so we are making sure that they are a big part of conversations about new initiatives. We are attending meetings together, attending government affairs meetings of the Chamber of Commerce, just to make sure that they're part of the conversation and we're part of their conversations as well. So we think everything that the business associations are doing in Medford and our excited to keep working with them to move all of these initiatives forward.
[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you. Thank you very much, Allie. A lot of work has gone into that, and we do have a good draft that we have circulated to a few business owners from the chamber, and also some of the newer businesses that just opened up. We wanted to get their feedback. They've just gone through the entire process. We wanted to see what made sense and the sequencing of doing things, so we're very eager to get their input over the course of the next week, and then it will go to publication. So thank you very much, Ally, for spearheading that and we're just really, really proud of the work that the department heads are doing on behalf of the citizens of Medford and the business owners in this city. Just before I leave you, I just wanted to bring you up to date on a couple of events that will be taking place over the next two months. September 25th at 2 p.m., we will be unveiling the Crystal Campbell Peace Garden that Lauren DiLorenzo spoke of earlier. We're very excited to show that location, the peacefulness, the tranquility. and to pay our respects for those that lost their lives or that are suffering to this day from the bombing accident. Also, on October 23rd at 1 o'clock, we will be having Medford Day. This is a community day. We envision it highlighting the diversity of our community, the many multi-cultures that traverse our streets and take part in our school systems and dance and music. So we're very excited to have that. And we'll be behind the Andrews Middle School once again. But we're very eager, so if you have any interest in playing a role in that day, reach out to the mayor's office and we'll certainly get back to you and organize your event. help to allow you to participate in that day. So thank you very much. On behalf of the whole mayor's staff, I thank the committee members for all of their hard work. They're a fabulous group, very articulate, very educated, very invested. And without them, we could not have done the work that we did. So thank you very much for participating, and we look forward to working with you into the future. Thank you very much.
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