HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-05-16 Board of Selectmen HandoutTOWN MANAGER'S REPORT
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
• ISO report and rating (8A)
• Storm and storm damage
• DPW Water Awards
• RHA LIP application for property next to 75 Pleasant Street has been filed with DHCD and is
available to the community for public comment. (8M1)
• Cable TV - and proposed changes at a State and Federal level. (8V)
• Route 128/193 meeting - June 7
Water and Sewer
♦ Franklin Street Sewer Inflow/Infiltration
♦ Auburn Street water line ♦ High Street waterline
♦ Trench patching on West from Wescroft to Countv
Streets and Roads
♦ Arcadia; Edgmont
♦ Green St - Main to High (laid out -
construction in a week)
♦ Bancroft - Hartshorn to Morton Field (under
construction)
♦ Hillcrest
♦ Juniper Circle
♦ Longwood Rd
I ♦ California
♦ Deering; Middlesex
♦ Harriman (Under Construction)
♦ Cumberland
♦ Maple Ridge
♦ Cape Cod Avenue; Bancroft (Lowell to
Middlesex)
♦ Locust St.
♦ West Street -Willow to Wilmington line;
Curb and Sidewalk: I
♦ Franklin Street - Fox Run Lane to William I ♦ Minot at Main
eIiMiRate-sU-de Cars
a We St Street LGRgwoGd to F= + John Street - Salem to Walkers Brook Drive
• Ipswich River Clean-up - announcement is in your packet
• Applicants are needed for the Town's newly formed Economic Development Committee - there is
one. applicant for 5 positions.
• Upcoming Board of Selectmen meeting agenda:
May 23; 2606,
Proclamation + Boy Scouts 90th anniversary
Appointments Economic Development Committee
Hearing Water and Sewer Rates ~ 7:30
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Hearing Increasing permit fees 8:00 1
Review policy for "advertising" on the common 8:451
Policy on Land Bank Committee 9:00
Report - Nurse Advocacy Task Force 9:15
Sign deeds - Dividence Meadows 9:30
May 30 200
Hearing 2007 Classification and Compensation plan
Hearing driveway variance -111 Forest Street. 8:30
Joint meeting with School Committee re Oakland Road
property ?
Review progress on Goals
Follow-up - Town Meeting Instructional Motions
Master Plan follow-up on creation of various
committees - CPA; Housing Partnership; downtown
parking; community transit
June 12, 2006 -Special Town Meeting
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Page 1 of 1
Hechenbleikner, Peter
From: Jones, Bradley - Rep. (HOU) [Bradley.Jones@state.ma.us]
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 3:25 PM
To: Hechenbleikner, Peter
Subject: RE: Potential home Rule petition
Dear Peter -
Thank you for your e-mail about this proposed home rule legislation. I spoke with several people about this and I
tend to think it would be both possible and feasible, though I am not quite sure exactly what language we would
have to use. The wording of your warrant article seems to be broad enough that we could try different
approaches. Let me know if you end up including it in the warrant and we will start to put something together.
Brad
From: Hechenbleikner, Peter [mailto:phechenbleikner@ci.reading.ma.us]
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 1:24 PM
To: Jones, Bradley - Rep. (HOU)
Subject: Potential home Rule petition
Brad
This is a potential Home Rule petition the purpose of which would be to short cut as much of
the administrative process with MEPA, WRC or others as possible to compete the buy-n to the
MWRA.
What do you think? Is this possible? Feasible? The warrant closes on May 16th
Pete
To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to file a Home Rule Petition with the
Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which would provide legislative
approval for the Town of Reading to purchase the entirety of its public water supply from the
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority including to the extent possible expediting and/or waiving of
all other required approvals, any other legislation not withstanding, or take any other action with respect
thereto.
Board of Selectmen
5/15/2006
GQ,o
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY
MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
400 Worcester Road
Mitt Romney Framingham, MA 01702-5399
Governor Tel: 508-820-2000 Fax: 508-820-2030
Kerry Healey Website: www.mass.gov/mema
Lieutenant Governor
Robert C. Haas
• Secretary
DATE: May 16, 2006
Cristine McCombs
Director
TO: All Heads of Government and Emergency Management Officials
Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden,
Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and
Worcester Counties
FROM: Cristine McCombs, Director
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
SUBJECT: Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA)
May 2006 Rainstorm/Flood Event
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is diligently working to
capture Federal assistance to assist your community in recovering from the significant costs
you incurred following the May 2006 rainstorm/flood event. To determine the immediate
federal assistance needs in your community, I am requesting that you document your
damages on the attached Preliminary Damage Assessment Form.
For residential and business damage, I am requesting you document all residential and
business damage on the attached Preliminary Damage Assessment Form (Parts 1, 2, D and
E) and fax the initial report to the MEMA Disaster Recovery Department at (508) 820-1404
no later than noon on Thursdav. Mav 18, 2006.
For public damage (i.e. losses to your community's infrastructure, overtime etc.), please
complete Parts 1, 2, and B of the attached Preliminary Damage Assessment Form
documenting your overtime labor, equipment, material, contract costs for debris removal,
emergency protective measures, as well as regular and overtime labor, equipment, material,
contract costs for damage to infrastructure. Please fax the initial report of the public damage
portion of the attached PDA form to the MEMA Disaster Recovery Department at (508) 820-
1404 no later than noon on Friday. Mav 19.2006.
We are sensitive to the fact that many of our communities in the Commonwealth are still
responding to this rain/flood event. Your timely input, however, is essential in ensuring that
the Federal resources are requested and obtained for our residents and communities as
quickly as possible. If you have any questions regarding this process please do not hesitate
to contact Lorraine Eddy at the Disaster Recovery Department at (508) 820-2055 or e-mail
her at lorraine.eddyCstate.ma.us.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
attachment
cc: Elizabeth McDonald, Disaster Recovery Manager
MEMA Regional Offices
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COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
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ZECEIVING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMAWARD FOR
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Hechenbleikner, Peter
From: Ben [ben@planetnw.com]
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 2:07 PM
To: Hechenbleikner, Peter
Subject: Info on the TASC Building
Perhaps you saw this...
The entire article maybe viewed at
http://www.bankerandtradesman.com/pub/5_231/commercial/193144-1.html
Nordic Hoping That It's Up to TASC
May 15, 2006
By Joe Clements
Nordic Properties will soon have a new task to tackle: the TASC building in
Reading.
Confirming persistent rumors, officials at the Burlington-based real estate
investment company say they anticipate closing in early June on the
185,000-square-foot property, which is located just off Route 128 at 55
Walkers Brook
Drive. The asset is dominated by a 6-story, 145,000-square-foot structure
erected
in the mid-1980s on behalf of its erstwhile tenant, The Analytic Sciences
Corp. (TASC). A smaller, 3-story building also is included, as is a tiny
structure likely to be demolished to expand parking.
The pending sale marks the latest machination of the immediate commercial
real estate landscape following last year's opening of a large lifestyle
retail
center across the street from Nordic's target and a large Stop & Shop slated
to
be developed on an abutting parcel. While stressing the merits of 55 Walkers
Brook Drive as an office address, Nordic Vice President Todd Fremont-Smith
acknowledged that a retail play is also part of the company's strategy.
"We're excited," Fremont-Smith said of the opportunity. "We think we're
going
to do well with it." Preliminary plans foresee two retail pads - most likely
for restaurants - that would be.carved out of the front-right corner at the
intersection of Walkers Brook Drive and Newcrossing Road..
One experienced retail developer applauding Nordic's concept is Mark
Dickinson, whose Quincy-based Dickinson Development Corp. is not only behind
the Stop
& Shop project, but also was responsible for creating the lifestyle center
across the street, known as Walkers Brook Crossing. A dominating 33-acre
retail / C
conglomeration grafted atop a reclaimed landfill, the complex is anchored by
1
a
Home Depot and 400,000-square-foot Jordan's Furniture, which includes the
usual side attractions such as an IMAX theater. Several other national
stores also
are located there, as well as a Bear Rock Cafe, Macaroni Bar & Grill and
Chili's restaurant.
Dickinson said he also mulled buying 55 Walker's Brook Drive, but ultimately
concluded he "couldn't make the numbers work" as deftly as Nordic appears to
have with an approach of catering to high-end office users. The building
became
vacant for the first time following the lease expiration of tenant Northrop
Grumman. The lone tenant since acquiring TASC more than a decade ago, the
defense contractor earlier this year consolidated its operations at
Brickstone
Square in Andover. Former TASC Chairman Harry Silverman has owned 55 Walkers
Brook
Drive since 1997.
"It's a great building," said Dickinson, who also seconded Nordic's outlook
on the retail potential. "That's an excellent location for restaurants," he
said, especially once a few office leases are signed. "That will provide a
lot of
bodies there."
'Feeling Pretty Good'Fremont-Smith, meanwhile, praised Dickinson for putting
Walkers Brook Drive on the map, working with state and local officials to
cap
the massive, aging landfill, widen the roadway and institute other
infrastructure improvements to facilitate a retail behemoth that today lures
consumers
from afar. The Jordan's Furniture location alone draws shoppers from a
37-mile
radius, he said. "That whole interchange has literally lit up in the past
year," he said. "It really has become a mixed-use destination."
Nordic has retained Trammell Crow Co. to help bring office occupants to the
property. The team, led by Trammell Crow principals Michael Dalton and Brian
Hines, has been assisting in.the sale of the building on behalf of Silverman
for
a price that those involved decline to identify. Sources put the sales
figure
in the $100 per-square-foot range, or around $18.5 million. While
Fremont-Smith would not provide an exact amount, he placed it at slightly
less than that
mark, explaining the firm deems it good value given the property's quality
and
other attributes, including a prime location just off Route 128 and a few
miles from the Interstate 93 interchange.
"We're feeling pretty good on a price-per-pound basis," he said, especially
in light of significant spikes in materials costs that would make
replacement
run closer to $200 per square foot. Perhaps even more encouraging is the
condition of the 20-year-old property, he said, describing the structure as
being
"built to last for a defense contractor."
2
"It really has withstood the test of time," he said, while Nordic also will
undertake a significant capital campaign to further attract tenants.
Bolstered
by the existing attributes, including "super" views of nearby Lake
Quannapowitt and the surrounding landscape, the work should produce a unique
Class A
opportunity that will feature finishes and amenities rivaling the best,
promised
Fremont-Smith. "It will be of downtown office quality," he said, albeit
sporting one major advantage to a Financial District office: generous
parking of 3.5
spaces per 1,000 square feet leased.
Nordic sister company Nordblom Development will renovate the space in the
main building and in the second-largest structure, which has about 30,000
square
feet. Another selling point will be the amount of space available, said
Fremont-Smith, indicating it represents a rarely found block of contiguous
space of
at least 80,000 square feet. "We really will be the market leader," he said.
"There is nothing comparable around us." The space is also intriguing in
that
is has never been available to the general public, he noted, with TASC and
then
Northrop Grumman the only previous occupants. Even brokers in the area are
generally unfamiliar with the inside of the setback complex, said
Fremont-Smith,
partly due to the secrecy requirements of its past occupants.
As for Dickinson Development's latest venture, the company is in the process
of meeting Reading planning boards and community members, said Dickinson,
but
the current goal is to break ground on the Stop & Shop by July and complete
the center in about a year.
3
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_ Metropolitan Area Planning Council
60 Temple Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 617-451-2770 fax 617-482-7185 www.mapc.org
I M.A. PC Serving 101 cities and town. (g61V, 0051 itR1i 4so
May 12, 2006
Join us at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's (MAPC) Annual. Council
Meeting on Wednesday, May 24 at the Burlington Marriott. The meeting will run
from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, with a continental breakfast available beginning at
8:30 AM.
Joan Blaustein, coordinator of the North Suburban Planning Council subregion,
will showcase key development trends and issues in the subregion's nine
communities of Burlington, Lynnfield, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham,
Wakefield, Winchester, Wilmington and Woburn.
Burlington Planning Director Tony Fields will review major projects in Burlington,
including efforts to develop a zoning overlay district for the downtown and a new
retail development called Wayside Commons. Wilmington Planning Director
Carole Hamilton will describe the town's efforts to rezone the area around the
North Wilmington Commuter Rail Station to promote transit-oriented mixed-use
development.
Other important business will include elections for seats on the Executive
Committee of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and municipal
representatives of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization and the
presentation of the Theodore D. Mann. Regional Leadership and Legislator of the
Year Awards.
The Burlington Marriott is located at One Mall Road, at the intersection of Rt. 128
and Rt. 3A. If you plan on attending, please RSVP to SCadett&mapc.ora.
We look forward to seeing you on the 24th
Sincerely,
Marc D. Draisen
Executive Director.
Richard A. Dimino, President Gordon Feltman, Vice President Grace S. Shepard, Treasurer
Marc D. Draisen, Executive Director
Jeanne E. Richardson, Secretary
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