The new proposal, which features a pergola, was praised by the Board of Selectmen, and has been deemed as a “much better” plan than the original. In addition to the pergola, three benches will be located under it, as well as a walkway, flagpole, and set of stone walls are a part of the plan as well. There would also be two quotes as  a part of the memorial – one from Helen Keller, and another general statement regarding 9/11. It is estimated that the cost for the memorial could be about $45,000. The location will be on the green in front of the Easton Public Library.

Each of the three benches would be dedicated to Peter, Susan, and Christine Hanson, a family of three that tragically died while on United 175 – the plane that struck the south tower of the New York World Trade Center.

Before the memorial is officially proposed, the commission has been advised to meet with various boards throughout the town, including the Library Board, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Planning and Zoning Commission. The town also needs to discuss how the memorial will be funded – which will likely be a mix of funds from the town and money from fund raising.

I hope that you all understand. Between caring for my familty, getting into college, and preparing for football, and I just can’t operate this site at the moment. I will leave the site up, as it is my hope that, once everything sorts itself out, I can come back and get NE Development up and running again.

Please be patient, I hope to be posting again soon!

-Tim

Developers could force landowners to give up their land (essentially a version of the eminent domain law, even though it is not worded that way) and they could also raise hundreds of millions by issuing tax-exempt bonds. Builders would be able to do this in designated development districts.

Opponents of the plan are concerned that such legislation would lead to numerous “mini-cities” aroung the state, as each developer would create a an area basically fitting their own vision with little input. Also, some are concerned about the exclusive power that these developers would have over these districts.

Those concerns aren’t as significant as the ones regarding the clause that would allow developers to essentially scoop up whatever property they want to make their projects work. Within the districts, developers would be allowed to build on any of the land, even if they do not own it.

On the flip side, supporters argue that this bill is needed so that developers can pay the bills for the expensive road and utility work that goes along with getting major projects completed.

While there are certainly many critics of the proposal, but Lida Harkins, the main sponsor of the bill, is confident that the bill will be passed within the year.

Mr. and Mrs. Giannopoulos bought out the mill from their partners back on July 31. The couple have teamed with the Heritage Design Group to create the proposal. Preliminary deisgns were presented to the Board of Selectmen last night.

Initial plans call for preservation of the facade of the mill (Mr. Giannopoulos has said he wants to maintain some historical aspect of the mill), a small museum on the top floor of the mill, condos, retail space, and a restaurant facing the scenic waterfall. The possibility of usig new environmental technology to power the mill is also being explored. The mill covers 116,663 square feet and stands about five stories tall. Even though it has been out of operation for some time, it has been said that the building remains structurally sound.

Because of a fire that displaced several businesses at the old Bernat Mill, the owners of the Linwood Mill have invited those tenants to tour the Linwood Mill. An antiques mall has already leased about 10,000 square feet on the main level and moved in several weeks ago.

There are possibilities for tax deductions on the property, as the Linwood Mill could be designated as an Economic Opportunity Area, meaning that they might receive state tax benefits. The owners could also apply for a 10% abandoned building state tax reduction.

There is no timeline as to when the project would begin construction.

People on both sides of the issue have vehemently voiced their opinions about the new jail. Opponents claim that, in these difficult economic times, $38 million is not readily available to spend on the jail, but they do acknowledge that something does need to be done about the oercrowding and the condition of the facilities. Supporters claim that these issues have become so bad that they no longer can be put off.

Supporters are also saying that, after several redesigns of the jail, the cost will not come down any more. In fact, many say that, unless the plan is passed now, the cost of the jail will only go up, even if the design stays the same.

The new jail would have, in addition to new cells for the inmates, a medical and mental health ward. While not common in most county jails, the rural location of the jail makes such an addition necessary.

Some people feel like a newer facility may also contribute to the rehabilitation of the inmates. A newer facility would be more condusive to turning the inmates into law-abiding citizens rather than an aging prison that is overcrowded.

To be located on Newfields Road in Exeter, the St. Michael Parish wishes to construct a new campus at the location that would include an educational facility, and a church. The church would have enough space for about 900 people and would have a footprint of about 15,800 square feet. About 285 parking spaces would also be a part of the plan. The other building would cover about 8,000 square feet and would have offices, a food pantry, and religious education classrooms. This building would also have the capability to be added on to in the future.

There are two projects holding back the project. For one, a variance would need to be enacted that would allow a church to be built in a residential area. The other has to do with the height of the structures. The church would have a spire that would reach at most 93 feet, and the average height of the buildings on the campus would be about 53 feet. In the current zone, the height of buildings is not allowed to exceed 35 feet. For the project to go through, the ZBA would have enact ordinances that would grant the parish exceptions to the restrictions.

Two previous meetings have pitted supporters of the project against the opponents. Supporters believe that this project would only bring positives to the community, while the opponents maintain that the project is incompatible with the residential zone, and that there are issues with public health, safety, and welfare. St. Michael Parish has already had a meeting where they addressed site-use, landscaping, and traffic concerns, among other things.

Before the ZBA grants a special exception for the project, the board will review whether or not the project would affect the abutting properties, and whether or not the project would affect the safety, welfare, and convenience (among other issues) of the area.

Plans call for a 100,000 square foot facility that will have an indoor ice arena (with seating for about 400) and a field house (seating for about 6,500). The ice center will potentially have two ice rinks, and the field house would be able to accomodate soccer, tennis, track, and lacorosse.

Before construction can begin, a feasibility study of the three sites needs to be completed. An initial timeline suggests that that process will be completed by March. Of the three plots, the old railroad yard is most likely to be rejected because of a project that is currently being built on the same plot. The required space for the complex most likely will exceed the available space once that other project is completed.

If everything goes according to plan, construction could begin in 2009, and the project could be completed by 2010. If estimates are correct, the construction phase of the project will take about 15 months.

The $15.5 million center features state-of-the-art fitness equipment and a multi-purpose gymnasium. The gym has courts for rollerblading, roller hockey, volleyball, basketball, and indoor soccer. Other features include locker rooms, racquetball courts, lounges, and a juice bar. A noticeable architectural feature is the floor to ceiling glass wall that is visible from the road.

This is just the first part of a massive plan in place to upgrade the entire campus. The projected cost once everything is completed is about $90 million. The next part of the redevelopment is a 120,000 square foot, 400 bed student housing complex. Ground will be broken in May.

A $5 million expansion to the terminal will be built in order to accomodate an increased number of flights from Skybus, a low-cost airline operator. With work to be completed by next fall, the airport is also hoping that the increased traffic at the airport will attract new businesses to the area. 

Dennis Bailey has had great success in Maine in designing campaigns that have led to numerous rejections of casino proposals throughout the state. His most recent success was when he got Maine citizens to shoot down a proposed Indian casino that would have been located up North near the Canadian border. Backed by the Massachusetts Council of Churches, Massachusetts Restaurant Association, and the Massachusetts League of Women’s Voters, the group has also said that they will raise $1 million to help campaign against Governor Patrick’s plans.

Unfortunately for the group, the plans drawn up by Governor Patrick and his staff have received significant support from some of the states’ most powerful unions. Additionally, as much as 60 percent of citizens polled have said that they would support casinos in the Bay State. This stat seems far less troubling to Bailey, as, in his experience, these approval ratings tend to decline as the issues are discussed and debated in more depth.

The support of the unions, however, could pose a problem because the $1 million that Casino Free Mass has pledged to raise is a miniscule amount when compared with the sums that the unions could fetch. Additionally, these unions (as well as some casino companies) will spend millions to promote the positives of casinos in MA, specifically the economic jump that casinos would provide.

Plans are to start the campaign as soon as possible, and Bailey has said that he will attack the Governor’s plan through public forums, the internet, and direct mailings.

The Connecticut Attorney General has also said that, if any of the necessary permits are granted by the state of New York, CT will promptly appeal them. Officials in CT seem concerned over the environmental impact that such a project would have on the area. Many of their messages are focused on lobbying for other, more environmentally sensitive locations. The project, which would provide natural gas to the state of New York, would be located in New York waters.

Broadwater spokesmen have said that the alternative spots CT officials have proposed are insufficient because they would not provide natural gas to the state. Broadwater has also gone as far as to claim that CT officials are trying to deny a project that would provide energy help to needy families and businesses.

The terminal would cost about $700 million and would be located about 10 miles from the CT shoreline. It would be 82 feet high and would stretch for 1,200 feet in length.

New York officials have postponed their decision regarding the project for another two months because they need more time to evaluate whether or not the project is environmentally safe.

Originally, the town was planning on teaming up with Chinburg Builders to renovate the old textile mill into a complex featuring as many as 45 condominiums. The overall cost of the project would have been $9.6 million. A good deal of the cost would come from repairing the old building, which has been deteriorating since its last tenant abandoned the property back in 1987. The city has since condemned and purchased the property.

The project began to go south after it was discovered that, even after all of the condos were sold, there would still be aout a $2 million gap between construction costs and the gross sales figures of the 45 condos (about $7.9 million). The backbreaker came when the roof of the tannery collapsed recently due to a deteriorating structure from seeping water. The cost to properly repair the roof has pushed the cost far too high to justify continuing the project.

In a recent poll of about 60 residents at a town meeting, an overwhelming majority voted to have the town pay the necessary $375,000 and have the building demolished.

The Boston Globe is reporting that the residents of Newton are becoming increasingly divided over whether to continue construction on the new Newton North high school before foundations begin to be poured next week. The crux of the argument is whether or not the $186 million price tag is too much.

Currently, the design calls for a zig-zagging building that will have a glass-walled cafeteria, student restaurant, 2,000 seat stadium, tennis courts, track, 650-seat auditorium (including an orchestra pit), and a swimming pool. These are just some of the luxurious aspects of the plan that have some relating the high school to the Taj Mahal.

Initially, the cost of the new high school was at about $141 million. However, due to some “bad luck,” the cost has skyrocketed. An undetected ledge beneath the surface needed to be removed, and a design flaw in the cafeteria needed to be addressed as well. However, some residents are questioning whether or not Newton students need such a flashy high school when a more traditional facility would fit the bill perfectly. However, town mayor David Cohen maintains that the increased cost is a result of unforseen challenges rather than the design itself.

Supporters of the plan say that the Newton education system (which is consistently ranked amongst the best in the state) deserves a state of the art facility. Opponents say that the building is not what people want to see, it’s the quality teachers and programs that keep the system at the high level that it always has been. This is an especially touchy issue as, unless the town passes a Proposition 2 1/2 override, as many 100 faculty members could be cut from the payroll.

The 400,000 square foot facility was once supposed to be open in 2009, but has now been pushed back to 2010. This means that most current Newton North high school students will never set foot in the new high school.

It is important to realize that the argument is not whether or not to build a new high school. The current building in 35 years old and suffers from significant problems with the basic functions (temperature control, ventilation, etc.). The building itself is also not a pleasing sight. The rising cost is what has citizens worried. While the project still has its supporters, the rising cost is certainly driving a gap in between the two sides, and the debate is heating up.

Prock Marine Co. of Rockland, ME, put enough piles into the river to accomodate as many as 25 boat slips. This is the beginning of a marina that is a part of a master plan that includes transforming the Wiscasset waterfront into a lively village. Eventually, the marina will be able to hold as many as 239 slips. The hope is to have the marina open this summer.

National RE/sources of Connecticut has plans to construct 80 single family homes and and five mid-rise buildings that will hold 160 condos on the waterfront. An underground, 200-space parking garage will also be built.

In addition to the marina, the company has plans to develop a small village in the area as well, featuring dining options, retail stores, and art galleries.

Even though National was given ten years to develop the 33-acre site, some setbacks already have some concerned. While it was expected that at least 15 of the single-family homes would have been sold by now, only two have been bought. Additionally, it was expected that at least one of the mid-rises was going to be underway at this point. Another issues is that Hinckley Co. withdrew from operating the marina. However, two companies appear to have interest in operating the public marina.

There is no definite timeline regarding the project, but it is known that it will take seven to ten years for the project to be fully completed.

While there are no price estimates for the proposal, the project would increase the space of the current library from about 45,000 square feet to 80,910 feet. Of that total, the Fitchburg Law Library would pursue the possibility of renting 6,000 square feet for their own collection. Plans are still in the preliminary stages.

The Law Library is interested in such a move because of the increased exposure they would gain from being in the public library. Their current location – 84 Elm Street in the Superior Court – is relatively unused other than some court cases throughout the week. Such a move would also be the first of its kind that Massachusetts has seen.

Poor security and infrastructure (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc.) have plagued the building, and the current structure has received little work since it opened 50 years ago. While the plans are still a work in progress, the proposal would call for a larger children’s library, a space dedicated to teens, enlarging the amount of public meeting space, and building a new auditorium that would be more intimate as well (about 95 seats compared to the current 200 seat auditorium).

An analysis of the current facilities will be submitted to the Fitchburg Public Library board of trustees, and then will move on to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to be reviewed.