Agenda Text
title
Adam Dash submitting comments re: #202853, Union Sq zoning.
body
Official Text
To the Honorable Board:
As a Somerville business owner, zoning attorney and someone who has worked with US2, I urge you to pass the zoning overlay for Union Square as proposed. Somerville needs to act now while we have a quality developer in US2, a favorable development climate, and a need for funds to pay for the Green Line and infrastructure improvements.
There has been ample discussion, which is great. It is now time to act.
While the resident groups have raised valid points, the City should not abdicate its governmental power to private groups. I do not mean this as a reflection on the particular neighbors to this project, but it is generally a bad precedent, and ripe for problems, to have development run by private citizens on behalf of, or instead of, the City. We have an elected government to specifically handle things like this.
We do not want the Union Square Green Line station opening without development in place to activate it, nor can we pay for the Green Line Extension without such development. I ask that you pass the zoning now so that we can have shovels in the ground.
Adam Dash, Esq.
Adam Dash & Associates