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snoopy1
Member
64 Posts |
Posted - 06/20/2013 : 10:02:23 AM
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Evmorphia Stratis: No casino for Everett
JUNE 20, 2013
ARTICLE
COMMENTS
Q. What would be the most significant impact a casino would have on the residents of Everett?
A. I’d love to support a casino that creates jobs, business growth, and tax revenues for Everett. But Steve Wynn’s casino plan would destroy jobs, cannibalize businesses, rob Everett of legitimate tax revenues, and destroy our quality of life in the process.
Q. Can concerns over traffic caused by the casino be addressed?
A. Of course they can be addressed, but can they be solved? The traffic study cited in the host agreement was financed by Wynn. Where are the independent traffic and transportation studies? After all, if there’s going to be another 15,000 to 20,000 cars a day shoehorned into that small area where Everett abuts both Charlestown and Somerville, shouldn’t there be a plan to handle that traffic and the likely impacts on our community and quality of life?
‘Even just the talk that there could be a casino in Everett has compromised our property value.’
Wynn proposes to widen Broadway “if easements can be obtained.” This is very unlikely. Homes and businesses are within 8 feet of the street.
We are already trapped in Everett with horrible traffic problems. Imagine the busloads of people coming into the city.
Q. Are you worried a gambling operation would attract crime?
A. I am very worried about increased crime. There are comprehensive studies on how crime will increase; larceny, car theft, burglary, aggravated assault, and rape. Domestic abuse also increases. We already have problems with that in Everett. The mere nature of a casino, a place where you gamble and lose your money, is a magnet attracting criminals to exploit customers and allowing easy access to our children and property. And you don’t need to read studies, just talk to people who live near a casino and find out the truth.
Q. Does the language in the host agreement ensure that jobs would go to Everett residents?
A. No it does not. The contract says it will “give preferential treatment to qualified Everett residents for contracting.”. . . First of all, construction jobs are not forever. This is short-sighted for long-term employment. The same words apply to all the jobs, “reasonable preference to properly qualified residents of the city. . . . ” What does that really mean? I see most of the jobs being low-paying service jobs. Steve Wynn has left us with far too many unanswered questions, questions that Mayor Carlo DeMaria neglected to answer in his rush to sign a casino agreement.
The host agreement as it stands is a great deal for Wynn, but it’s an incredibly bad deal for Everett, its residents, its businesses, and its schools.
Q. How would the presence of a casino change the quality of life for people who live in Everett?
A. The quality of life for Everett residents would decline. Our property would decrease in value. Even just the talk that there could be a casino in Everett has compromised our property value. What family or professionals decide to move into a city that is 3.5 square miles and has a casino? It is common sense and we don’t need studies, statistics, etc. to see how traffic will be overwhelming. Where’s the community business plan? Doesn’t it make sense that when a casino titan like Wynn pledges that guests will be able to satisfy all of their gambling, entertainment, and shopping needs within his casino walls, that Everett’s local restaurants, pubs, stores, and other retail outlets will likely be cannibalized?
What will the rest of Everett look like? Having a casino open 24/7 has a direct impact on the drinking and driving problem. Light and noise pollution is a concern. What happens to all the residents who live in the immediate area? Does this mean all of the many bars in Everett will also be open 24/7?
This is not Milford, a town with about 25,000 people in an area of 25 square miles. There are more than half a million people within a 5-mile radius of this site in Everett. We need a better vision for our city to create real jobs without all the risks and negatives a casino will bring. For the silent minority or majority who are against this casino: Vote on June 22. Let our voice be heard!
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlobeKMcCabe
Pro casino: Everett Ward 6 Common Councilor Michael McLaughlin
JUNE 20, 2013
Q. What would be the most significant impact a casino would have on the residents of Everett?
A. This resort would put Everett back on the map. Over the last several decades, we’ve lost major employers and taxpayers like GE Aviation, Charlestown Chew, and Monsanto, to name a few. This one facility would bring over 4,000 careers to the community, place the state’s finest hotel on our shores, clean a severely blighted site, and make Everett once again a community of choice. The taxes alone add well over 25 percent to our city coffers in addition to the $30 million city beautification fund and the opportunity to raise revenue from tourists through a hotel tax.
Q. Can concerns over traffic caused by the casino be addressed?
A. Yes. the Wynn proposal is comprehensive and ongoing. It includes major reconstruction and modernizations of the major traffic circles, routes 99 and 16. If the city of Boston wins this license we will be saddled with heavy traffic through the Route 16 corridor. Boston, as is typical, is not even considering us an affected community or seeking our opinion. Boston will stick us with the traffic as they did by doubling the inbound tolls on the Tobin, making us a cut-through city. I am sick of being a dumping ground for Boston. They placed a sewage plant on our doorstep, move excruciatingly slow on the Alford Street Bridge, and use our lands to stage all their construction. It’s our time!
Q. Are you worried a gambling operation would attract crime?
A. I am not worried at all. Wynn Resorts plans to have a great deal of security on site, ensuring the safety of its patrons and grounds. I have gone to both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun and have always felt safe, whether it was 2 in the afternoon or 2 in the morning. In addition to the folks they will have assigned to security, the city of Everett will receive a $5 million impact fee each year. This fee is approximately 25 percent of our current public safety budget. Also, our chief of police was diligent in contacting other chiefs in other cities that have seen this kind of development, and they all said there was no significant impact, and in several cases [crime] decreased. I feel certain that this facility will help us secure our city and clean up our streets.
Q. Does the language in the host agreement ensure that jobs would go to Everett residents?
A. With 4,000 full-time careers, even if that language was not in the agreement, it would be a no-brainer that Everett residents would receive the lion’s share of the jobs. With that being said, two of the first questions I asked the mayor back in November, when we first heard about the development, were: Will this put my neighbors to work, and understanding the issue of traffic in that area, how will it be fixed? Again, I think both sides worked well on the traffic plan and I believe the mayor did a good job ensuring that the jobs would be given to Everett residents first. That is not to say that someone from another city can’t and won’t get a job at the resort because — make no mistake — they will. This language reads that Everett residents will be given first chance at hiring. This development will be a job creator, [and] not only within the boundaries of the resort.
Q. How would the presence of a casino change the quality of life for people who live in Everett?
A. If and when successful, this development will be a shot in the arm to the city. It puts us back on the map, brings new industry and good-paying jobs to the city, and ties us back into the Metro Boston area. What is the difference between Cambridge and the Charles River and Everett and the Mystic? We are actually closer to the tourist center of Boston. It’s our time to redevelop and modernize our city. I can only see this as being a Win “Wynn” for Everett and the people.
Kathy McCabe can be reached at Kmccabe@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlobeKMcCabe. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2013 : 12:58:52 PM
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Everett mayor takes aim at Menino over casino site
By Kathy McCabe and Nikita Lalwani
Globe Staff | Globe Correspondent
August 10, 2013
The battle between backers of Boston-area casinos became unusually personal Friday, with the mayor of Everett accusing Mayor Thomas M. Menino of being a bully, prompting a quick retort from Menino and then a remarkable accusation by the developer who wants to build in Everett.
The sharp rhetoric began to unfold Friday morning, when Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. of Everett held a press conference to promote his efforts to bring a casino to his city.
“It is no secret that Mayor Menino, a man I hold a deep respect for, holds a great deal of power and influence,” DeMaria said, standing on the spot in Everett where Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn hopes to build a $1 billion resort casino.
“But for him to attempt to bully the city of Everett, the Gaming Commission, and state officials into submission to gain a political advantage for Suffolk Downs is something that I could not stand idly by and allow to go unchecked.”
Menino, an early and ardent supporter of a casino at Suffolk Downs, struck back a few hours later, declaring that he was standing up for Bostonians.
“I’m not bullying,” Menino said, asked about DeMaria’s comments during a senior citizens event in Roxbury. “I’m just trying to protect the residents of our city, especially Charlestown. If that’s bullying, then too bad.”
DeMaria’s press conference drew scores of residents and officials who belong to Everett United, a procasino group funded by Wynn.
Everett common councilor Jason Marcus, speaking to WBZ radio, raised some eyebrows when he said that his city’s casino would be a big draw for Asian visitors.
“All the colleges in this area; MIT, Harvard, Boston University have many, many Asian students,” Marcus said, according to WBZ. “And their families are well-to-do. They’re paying cash. And they are very big gamblers.”
Marcus could not be reached for comment Friday night.
The exchanges reflect the increasingly heated competition between two rival casino projects: an Everett casino, proposed by Wynn for a 37-acre site on the Mystic River, and a $1 billion casino planned by Caesar’s Palace and Suffolk Downs in East Boston.
The state’s casino law gives vast power to “host communities,’’ requiring developers to negotiate lucrative agreements promising revenue and addressing impacts such as traffic. Communities must also hold a referendum for residents to approve locating a casino in a city or town.
As he tries to hammer out a host community agreement for Boston’s Suffolk Downs proposal, Menino believes that Boston should be named a host community for the Everett casino because, he says, the property lies partly in Boston, and local streets provide access to the site, located off Routes 99 and 16.
“The plans I’ve seen have the city of Boston in them, so by definition, we’re a host city,” he said Friday.
Not so, DeMaria said Friday.
“Let me be clear,” the Everett mayor said, his back turned to the Boston skyline. “Everett is the sole host community for this development.”
If Boston were declared a host community, Menino could thwart the development, giving Suffolk Downs a clear path to win the coveted casino license, DeMaria said.
“Basically, what he wants is for Mr. Wynn to say, ‘Ok, you’re a host community,’” he said. “And then never negotiate anything. And then that kills our plan. It’s all politics.”
Menino should accept Boston’s status as a surrounding community, a provision of the gambling law that requires developers to negotiate agreements to address the impact of traffic and other issues, DeMaria said.
“Boston, as a potential surrounding community should . . . engage Wynn Resorts to talk about the real impacts, positive or negative, of this development on the city of Boston,” he said.
But Menino said Wynn has given him a cold shoulder.
“I’ve been asking for weeks for information from the developer of the casino, but they have not been forthcoming,” Menino said.
Friday night, a spokesman for Wynn disputed Menino’s account, questioning his veracity.
“The mayor’s ongoing disruption of the process and his insistence that our resort is somehow located in Boston is clearly a political ploy and an embarrassing attempt to benefit his preferred project,” Michael Weaver, a senior vice president at Wynn Resorts, wrote in an e-mail to the Globe. “If and when he acquaints himself with the facts, he will hopefully cease the need to rely on inaccurate rhetoric.”
Everett residents overwhelmingly approved a local referendum backing the casino in that city in June.
In April, DeMaria announced a host community agreement with Wynn that would generate up to $3o million in annual revenues and give employment preference to city residents.
“It’s a game changer,” said DeMaria.
In his remarks Friday, DeMaria did not just take aim at Menino.
He also admonished Mayor Joseph Curtatone of Somerville, who has joined a statewide effort to repeal the state’s expanded gambling law.
“I am disappointed that Mayor Curtatone seeks to derail a project that could revolutionize my community,” DeMaria said.
Curtatone, a Democrat mulling a bid for governor in 2014, dismissed DeMaria’s criticism.
“I understand my good colleague from Everett and his sense of urgency to develop that site,” Curtatone said. “I am just as against the Suffolk Downs proposal as I am the Everett one. . . . It is not good, sustainable economic development.”
Stephen Crosby, chairman of the state Gaming Commission, said the panel will not be influenced by politics.
“Elected officials will do their duty to advocate for their constituents, and we will do our duty to decide issues on the merits and the merits alone.”
Kathy McCabe can be reached at katherine.mccabe@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlobeKMcCabe. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2013 : 12:21:17 AM
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Route 99 bridge delays cause angst
By Martine Powers / Globe Staff
Users of Route 99 have been patiently waiting for the conclusion of a bridge construction project at Alford Street outside of Charlestown’s Sullivan Square.
And waiting.
And waiting.
In recent weeks, readers who frequent the bridge, which straddles the Mystic River between Charlestown and Everett, have sent desperate missives about the never-ending project that has whittled down the traffic flow to one lane per direction, causing major gridlock.
“It seems like the traffic has been backed up and punished there forever and ever. Two years? How long does it take to get that fixed?” wrote one reader, James. “You almost never see anyone working on the bridge. What is going on?”
“It seems it has been going on for YEARS and still is a traffic clog. You almost never see anyone working on the bridge, though finally one side seems done, now the other one is beginning work,” wrote Jim of Charlestown.
“Because of this construction, traffic sometimes backs up nearly all the way back to the McGrath overpass outside Union Square, Somerville,” wrote Paul of Malden. “It seems as if any construction had stopped on the bridge for several months. Now at least I see some activity. But . . . this is just for one side. When that’s done, they still have to do the other side of it before things return to two lanes of traffic in each direction.”
Mike Verseckes, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, had some good news and some bad news. On the plus side, the Boston-bound side of the bridge is refurbished and mechanical testing of the drawbridge has been completed.
But the $51.5 million project — contracted to SPS New England, the folks who worked on the first stage of the Longfellow bridge reconstruction — is a little more than one year behind schedule, Verseckes said.
He attributed the delay, in part, to parts of the bridge that contractors thought could be refurbished.
“As the job got underway, it was determined early on that many of those elements could not be reused and that additional materials had to be fabricated from scratch,” Verseckes said. “Also, work was required to remove and replace the bridge’s north abutment, which had experienced more deterioration than anticipated.”
Construction crews also had to remove an abandoned gas line they discovered behind the north abutment.
But that’s not all.
MassDOT has a deal with the Coast Guard that the Mystic River channel can be closed from Nov. 1 to May 31 to allow for bridge construction.
When delays pushed back the construction timeframe — well, too bad, the Coast Guard said.
“Because of these complications and the additional work they required, we lost the most recent window of time to accomplish that [which ended this past May],” Verseckes said.
“The Coast Guard is allowing for the channel to be closed for that required work starting Nov. 1 of this year and ending May 31 of next year.”
So, in short: It’ll be a while longer.
Verseckes said the project “is back on a schedule we are confident in.” July 2014, he says, is when officials believe the bridge will be fully reopened with travel lanes in both directions, with the entire project completed by August 2014. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2013 : 09:05:10 AM
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EVERETT
Voters must make choice for mayor, with or without casino
By Kathy McCabe
EVERETT — Since casino mogul Steve Wynn sprinkled stardust on an old factory site on the Mystic River, residents have been swept up in Las Vegas-sized dreams.
The promise of new jobs, tax revenues, and other economic opportunity from the $1 billion resort casino Wynn proposes comes as Everett is poised to embark on a new era of local government.
Voters in November will elect the city’s first mayor who will serve a four-year term, and replace its 25-member bicameral legislature with an 11-member City Council.
A first step will come on Tuesday, when the preliminary election will eliminate one of three mayoral candidates and narrow the field for councilors in Wards 2, 5, and 6.
But it is the high-stakes mayor’s race that is expected to draw the most voters to the polls, choosing who’s the best candidate to lead the city if Wynn receives the license to build the Greater Boston- area casino, or if Everett must forge its economic future without it.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr., a six-year incumbent who negotiated the city’s host agreement with Wynn, is being challenged by two political veterans: Ward 1 Alderwoman Millie Cardello and Ward 5 Alderman Robert Van Campen.
City Clerk Michael Matarazzo estimates that 5,000 of the city’s 19,000 registered voters will cast ballots.
“I’d be surprised if we hit 6,000, but if the campaigns are out there hustling, making sure their supporters get out, we could have more,” Matarazzo said.
Some voters in this blue-collar city of 38,000 aren’t shy about voicing support for their candidate.
“I’m for Millie,” said Joanie Slama, 53, as she stood in Everett Square, holding a sign for Ward 2 council candidate Dennis DiBiase. “A woman can clean a house, and she can clean up City Hall.”
“Van Campen, that’s who I want,” said Mary Ann Zimmer, 67, as she sat on a bench in Everett Square. “Let’s face it. We need change. The taxes are sky-high in this city. Some of the elderly can’t afford to stay in their homes. Why should that be?”
But Emily Savickas, who sat in her wheelchair a few feet away, is firmly in DeMaria’s camp. “I’m going to vote for him,” said Savickas, 69, a retired mental health worker. “He supports the senior center. He’s very concerned with seniors’ needs.”
Others aren’t sure which candidate deserves the keys to City Hall for four years and the $105,000 annual salary that was approved by the Board of Aldermen and Common Council, up from the $85,000 the post previously paid.
“I like all three candidates and I don’t know yet who I’ll vote for,” said Ronald Senna 67, a homeowner for 13 years.
“I want to hear more about what their positions are before I decide,” said Charles Leo, 54, a retired Boston fish pier worker. “ I think the last couple of times, the mayor has run unopposed. But not this time.”
In the run-up to Tuesday’s primary election, the three candidates have been campaigning almost nonstop: Waving to motorists from rotaries, knocking on doors, or visiting senior housing complexes.
Each is quick to share their vision for Everett — with or without a casino.
Cardello, 62, the only woman and military veteran in the race, is proud of her native city.
“If not for joining the Air Force, I might never have ever left Everett,” said Cardello, who served for five years during the Vietnam era. “At the time, I had been laid off from a job at the airlines. A lot of my friends were serving. I thought it would be a great way for me to give back to my country.”
A former paralegal for the Middlesex district attorney’s office, Cardello is a 16-year elected official. She served six years on the School Committee, six years on the Common Council, and the last four on the Board of Aldermen.
“I enjoy helping people,” said Cardello, who is married and has a grown son. “And I haven’t completed everything I’d like to do.”
Cardello, who earned a degree from the University of Southern Mississippi while serving in the Air Force, is concerned about public safety, high property tax bills, and salaries at City Hall.
“I want to lower taxes,” said Cardello, who is chairwoman of the aldermen’s licensing committee. “You have to make really hard choices. You have to start cutting jobs that maybe you might not need.”
DeMaria, 40, was born and grew up in Everett. He was elected as a Ward 2 common councilor in 1994 and later to the Board of Aldermen. In 2007, he was elected to the first of three two-year terms.
“I’ve walked these streets for 20 years,” DeMaria said as he campaigned on Pierce Avenue, a tidy street near the Malden line. “Not just in election season. If there is a problem on a street, I visit.”
DeMaria and his wife, Stacie, have three young children. A graduate of Northeastern University, DeMaria owns four Honey Dew Donuts shops located in East Boston, Revere, and Winthrop.
“I manage those shops the same as I do the city, with good help, and keeping your eye on the bottom line,” he said.
On the campaign trail, DeMaria has heard residents’ cry for relief from high property taxes, rising water bills, and even issues over which he has very little control.
“Can you get those cable rates down?” asked Conrad Lattanzi, 82, a homeowner and supporter on Pierce Avenue.
“The problem is we don’t have any competition,” the mayor answered.
He said the city is working to help residents cope with an unexpected hike in water bills, which he said resulted from a recent program to replace old meters.
“A lot of the inside meters are accurately read, but a lot of the outside meters aren’t,” he said. “We’re working with residents on it.”
New commercial growth is the surest route to lowering tax and water bills, DeMaria said.
“We need to rebuild our community,” he said, identifying lower Broadway, a stretch of Route 99 near the proposed casino site. “There are used car lots and auto body shops and scrap yards down there now. Is that what the city of Everett should be known for? Or should we be known for something bigger and better, regardless if the casino comes in?”
A lawyer, Van Campen is the Melrose city solicitor, a position that has given him insight into municipal leadership, he said. As an alderman, he has worked on legislation to create a historic district in Everett, and on an ordinance to allow greater enforcement of city health codes to prevent overcrowding in housing.
“I have sat with developers in Melrose and have helped to bring development there,” he said, citing the Stone Place apartment complex near the Malden city line. “I’ve worked on deals to benefit that city; I would do the same here.”
“Everett can bring vibrancy, bring people who want to work here, raise their families here,” said Van Campen, 38, as he stood waving to motorists at the rotary at Routes 16 and 99. “Or people who want to bring their businesses here. I don’t think we’ve tapped that potential as much as we should.”
Van Campen, an alderman for 12 years, earned a bachelor’s and law degree from Suffolk University. He grew up in East Boston and Melrose before moving with his parents to Everett in 1992.
“I have a different perspective from the mayor and Millie because I wasn’t born here,” said Van Campen. “That’s an advantage for me in this election, not a disadvantage.”
Van Campen and his wife, Lisa, have two young children. “I know why my parents invested here, and why my wife and I also decided to invest here,” he said, citing the city’s tightknit neighborhoods. “I just think that type of perspective is different, and frankly, very refreshing for a city that’s no longer all about natives. It’s now about people coming here for other reasons.”
Kathy McCabe can be reached at katherine.mccabe@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlobeKMcCabe
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2013 : 12:08:48 PM
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Question 1
How will Everett change if the casino is built?
September 12, 2013
Millie Cardello, Ward 1 Alderwoman
As I have said from the beginning, the possibility of the added revenue that the casino would bring along with that of additional development that will follow can be an asset in the building of a stronger financial foundation for our community. That being said, along with the review of the fine-tuned details of the other host agreements of Boston, Revere, and Milford, it is clear that we could have done a much better job in negotiating our host agreement. It is unfortunate that we entered into an agreement so quickly.
I feel if more time were spent in learning the complex details involved and bringing in truly independent consultants with the best interest of Everett, we could have come to an overall better and more detailed agreement for all of Everett. Rushing into an agreement with a political agenda is already showing that many details were overlooked or rushed into that will cost Everett and its small business community in the long run.
Carlo DeMaria Jr., Mayor
When you have a developer like Steve Wynn come to town, it has a positive impact on the entire city, not just one site. Steve has seen in Everett what I have always seen. Great people, a stable financial outlook, and a future that is bright. Together, we will make Everett even better than it is today with renovated infrastructure, access to the waterfront, remediation of a contaminated site, and a world-class resort destination as the city’s front door.
Robert Van Campen, Ward 5 Alderman
This development has the potential to be a game-changer for South Everett. It has the potential to transform an industrial section of our community into a thriving and vibrant destination location. What concerns me is that Everett could lose its identity in this process. Instead of Wynn/Everett becoming a new corporate neighbor, Everett could easily become merely a support system for this billion dollar “Destination Resort/Casino.”
My concerns are based on the inadequacies of the casino host agreement negotiated by the current mayor. There are virtually no protections in that agreement for residents and businesses, there is no concrete commitment from the developer with respect to traffic mitigation, and the business community will receive a $50,000 crumb in the form of purchased gift certificates from the developer while those same business owners will effectively subsidize the 50 percent discount Wynn receives on its tax bill.
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2013 : 12:13:52 PM
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Question 2
What would be the benefit, and the negative effect, of a casino?
September 12, 2013
MILLIE CARDELLO, Ward 1 Alderwoman
Many of the positive factors have already been presented over the past eight months, with added revenue and job opportunities leading the way. The concerns of traffic issues, although general comments have been presented, no detailed or concrete solutions have been set forth. There are now studies surfacing that the crime in the immediate areas of a casino is an issue. Also, the overall effect on property values in a host city needs to be looked at. In talking to real estate companies here in Everett and in surrounding cities, there has already been some concern from buyers looking to owner-occupy single-family homes in a community where a casino may be located. The property in the immediate area of the casino may be desirable to large development companies, buthow does a casino in Everett affect the rest of the city?
CARLO DEMARIA JR., Mayor
The benefits to the city’s residents and businesses are plentiful and recognized by the residents. These include construction jobs, permanent jobs, substantially increased revenue, and enhanced infrastructure to name just a few. Any negatives that exist, like increased costs to the city, will be mitigated through our successful host community agreement.
ROBERT VAN CAMPEN, Ward 5 Alderman
Siting a casino in an older urban community is a new concept. Although studies have shown the effects casinos operating in suburban or rural locations have on the city or town in which they are located, it is not clear what the effect would be here in Everett.
Benefits would include the promised construction jobs and permanent jobs at the casino. It remains to be seen how many and what type of jobs would be realized. Additionally, the revenue generated from such a development would be beneficial to the community.
There would be a negative impact in terms of increased crime rates. Studies have shown an increase in crime in the casino host community and in neighboring communities. Those studies also show an increase in traffic accidents and traffic violations, and a corresponding increase in motor vehicle insurance premiums. There will be a negative impact as well on local businesses. The mayor’s glaring failure to protect local businesses in the host agreement the way Boston and Revere were able to will result in a net negative impact for our business community.
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2013 : 12:16:26 PM
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Question 3
If Everett is not selected for the casino, what future do you see for the former Monsanto site?
September 12, 2013
MILLIE CARDELLO, Ward 1 Alderwoman
In the event that the casino does not come to Everett, I believe that the site in question will still be a desirable location for development. Some years ago there was a large development company that had plans to develop the site with retail, residential, and a marina. Keep in mind, the city does not own the land, it is not ours to sell. The current owners would have to market the land to potential buyers and the city would have to approve any development that would be proposed.
CARLO DEMARIA JR., Mayor
In 2011, my administration did a master plan for Lower Broadway that included that site. At that time, the possibility of a Wynn resort was not on the table. We envisioned higher and better uses for many properties along Lower Broadway and we are seeing some of those come to fruition with the Batch Yard, a 300-unit market rate housing development already under construction. For that site, we envisioned a strong, active use like a mixed-use development with office space and retail mixed with luxury housing.
ROBERT VAN CAMPEN, Ward 5 Alderman
Lower Broadway is primed for developments similar to those we have seen in surrounding communities — such as Station Landing in Medford. These types of developments are the wave of the future in communities like Everett. There have been a number of potential developers who have looked at this site over the past 10 to 15 years. Those development proposals have included a water park, a combined residential/retail project, a new ballpark for a minor league baseball team, and — as recently advocated by the current mayor — a construction debris processing plant.
I would encourage a smart growth project for this site. Our proximity to Boston, major highways, and public transportation makes lower Broadway an ideal location for a mixed-use, smart growth development.
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2013 : 11:09:16 AM
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Everett voters deserve a mayoral debate
OCTOBER 15, 2013
There’s a lot on the line for Everett voters on Nov. 5, when Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. faces off against challenger Robert Van Campen. For the first time in Everett’s history, the winner of the mayoral contest will serve a four-year term. Once sworn in, the next mayor must be ready to oversee the heady promise of new jobs and tax revenue from a $1 billion resort casino proposed by Steve Wynn — or the fallout if Wynn does not get the license he seeks from the state.
DeMaria is a six-year incumbent who negotiated Everett’s host agreement with Wynn. Van Campen is a lawyer who has served as an Everett alderman for 12 years. Voters deserve a chance to hear from them in a face-to-face showdown. But so far, the two mayoral candidates have been unable to agree on the terms of a debate. Each side blames the other for the impasse, but the greater reluctance appears to come from the incumbent’s side. Jim Spencer, a spokesman for DeMaria, said the mayor wants to be judged “on his record, not on his debating skills.”
That’s fair enough. But given the big issues in this race — especially the need for the small city to prepare for a possible onslaught of traffic, visitors, cash, and political pressures — it’s necessary that the candidates debate the issues in public. DeMaria should agree to an open forum at which candidates receive questions from an impartial moderator or panel. If his policies are right, the voters will forgive any verbal stumbling. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2013 : 2:04:30 PM
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Framingham, Everett Companies Sued by Massachusetts Attorney General
Attorney General sues alleged foreclosure relief groups for soliciting illegal fees and taking more than $350,000 from homeowners.
A group of businesses that advertised themselves as non-profit foreclosure prevention organizations was sued for allegedly soliciting and spending more than $350,000 in illegal advance fees from distressed homeowners, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced today, Oct.15.
“We allege these defendants targeted and took money from homeowners facing foreclosure, promising to help them stay in their homes, but instead used that money for personal expenses,” Coakley said. “Through our HomeCorps program, our office has obtained direct relief and free services for homeowners, and we will continue our efforts to combat deceptive foreclosure rescue schemes that take advantage of struggling borrowers.”
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frances McIntyre granted a preliminary injunction Thursday against the defendants, preventing them from soliciting or advertising for any foreclosure-related services or improperly charging advance fees.
The complaint, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, alleges that since 2009 a group of five individuals operated a series of organizations claiming to offer financial and legal services, including foreclosure-related services, to distressed homeowners in Massachusetts.
Those named in the lawsuit include the Alliance for Affordable Housing (AFAH) and the Global Advocates Foundation Inc., both located in Everett as well as the Alliance for Hope Network, Inc., in Framingham.
Individual defendants include Obeilson Roosevelt Matos of Framingham, Gailon Arthur Joy of Boylston, Pricila Trancoso Silva of Revere, John Charles Schumacher of Lancaster, and Paula Carvalho of Framingham.
The defendants allegedly portrayed themselves as tax-exempt, non-profit organizations, but operated like for-profit businesses, seeking financial gain for their officers and directors. The complaint also alleges that the defendants, who are not attorneys or law firms, engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.
According to the complaint, the defendants required homeowners to give deposits of up to 25 percent of their gross monthly incomes, claiming the deposits were necessary to be eligible for federal and other mortgage relief programs. The complaint alleges that between March 2010 and October 2012, the defendants collected and spent more than $350,000 in deposits that they received from homeowners and claimed would be placed in escrow for the homeowners to use to help mitigate their pending foreclosure. The complaint alleges, however, that the defendants never properly accounted for the use of the funds and allegedly used the funds for personal expenses including residential housing costs, car insurance fees, car repairs and vehicle excise payments.
In 2007, the AG’s Office issued regulations that prohibit soliciting or accepting an advance fee in connection with foreclosure-related services, or advertising services without disclosing exactly what is offered to avoid foreclosure, among other unfair practices.
If you are facing foreclosure, or the foreclosure has already occurred, the Attorney General’s HomeCorps may be able to help by offering access to a variety of foreclosure prevention or recovery services. Contact the HomeCorps Hotline at 617-573-5333.
This case is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Mychii Snape, Colleen Nevin, and Gillian Feiner, and paralegal Krista Roche, of AG Coakley’s Consumer Protection Division, with assistance from Investigators William Mackay and Jody Quartarone of the Civil Investigations Division.
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2013 : 09:36:13 AM
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Controversy is threatening the only Eastern Massachusetts casino proposal to receive clear voter approval, as a federal grand jury and two state agencies investigate whether a businessman with an extensive criminal record has a hidden ownership in the Everett property where Steve Wynn wants to build a $1.3 billion gaming resort, say people with direct knowledge of the investigations.
In response, officials at Wynn Resorts are rewriting the sales agreement for the former industrial land, slashing the price the company will pay if the casino is built to minimize the possibility that any undisclosed partners could benefit from a gambling business.
Federal prosecutors, as well as the state gambling commission and the attorney general, want to know whether Charles A. Lightbody, who has served prison time for assault with a dangerous weapon and pleaded guilty in a massive identity theft ring in New York, is a secret investor who could profit if the casino is approved, according to the people with direct knowledge of the inquiry. Full story for BostonGlobe.com subscribers.
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea.estes@globe.com. Shelley Murphy can be reached at shelley.murphy@globe.com. Mark Arsenault can be reached at mark.arsenault@globe.com. Michael Rezendes and Frank Phillips of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
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Boston Globe 2013
