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John Boney submitting comments re: #202235, a Community Benefits Agreement for Union Sq.
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To the Honorable Board:
My name is John Boney and I am a resident of Union Square (Hamlet St) and a member of Union United. I am probably also one of those “new” Somerville people that everyone loves to talk about when they talk about rising rents, redevelopment, and displacement. My (now) wife and I moved to the Union Square area about five years ago, knowing nothing of Somerville. We soon picked up a dog and, through her, began to meet our neighbors. We fell in love with Somerville, the community, and the people.
The new development that is coming to Union Square brings risks along with the exciting opportunities promised by the neighborhood plan and other city efforts. Many are at risk of displacement or otherwise risk losing out in the promise of new development. Such displacement would weaken our community and take away the people that make Somerville such a great place making the community less attractive than it is today. A Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is an essential part of the effort to ensure that development benefits the whole community.
While regulatory efforts such as zoning can help ensure dedicated commercial space for jobs, green space requirements, and affordable housing they cannot address all community needs. Zoning, for instance, cannot ensure local hire or prevailing wage requirements for construction jobs, nor can it ensure that local jobs will be available for the local workforce. These are things, however, that can be negotiated for as part of a CBA.
A CBA works best when it is negotiated for and by the community. Residents of Union Square are best suited to determine the needs of the community. A representative and democratic group of stakeholders should be at the table with US2 and the city to negotiate, and, if needed, enforce a CBA. Such a tool is essential to ensure that the people and places that make Somerville great are able to coexist with the new development.
It is important that a CBA be part of the larger efforts to ensure that the redevelopment of Union Square is equitable and works for all current and future residents. As such, I urge you not to move forward with the zoning proposal until there is a commitment to a CBA that is negotiated between the city, US2, and the community.
Thank you for your consideration,
John Boney