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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, ApRil 4, 2025 Page 19 DOCKLANDS | FROM PAGE 1 er pictures of other opportunities, not a lithium battery storage facility or an animal testing lab. What we’ve seen so far is not what I expected. I was looking for uses more beneficial to the community. There’s been a mess in that neighborhood for years and people don’t want another flammable operation in the area. The liquid natural gas tanks are not too far away. In this age of terrorism, I’m not sure about the direction you’re going in,” referring to issues raised at the February 10 meeting. “I’m concerned about the lithium batteries and can’t believe you want to put a storage facility in the middle of the facility,” Councillor-at-Large John Hanlon agreed. “I’m asking you to rethink where you want to put this thing. If you think about putting it there, I’ll be against it. They’re very dangerous. Do you know how they put out a fire in one? They let it burn. It’s a one-in-million chance, but may happen and you’d have to evacuate Everett. A lot of people could get hurt.” He also noted that Fire Chief John Hickey expressed similar concerns at the Feb. 10 meeting. “As an abutting property owner, I share your concern, but we’ve grown comfortable how important that is to decarbonizing the environment and the ability for companies and residents to be around it safely,” Davis Chief Development Officer Michael Cantalupa stated. “The battery facility is a very important part of how we pay for remediation,” a reference to efforts costing $200 million for decontamination, decommissioning and remediation of gas tanks, piping and contaminated soil resulting in 26 gas tanks being demolished, seven bunker tanks and 47,860 feet of pipe removed. There are also ongoing efforts to import new soil to enhance resilience against flooding and extreme weather events, often resulting in very high tides. But Matewsky interjected, “I know you’re here to make money.” Other possible uses are bioresearch labs, including animal testing labs, light manufacturing, office/commercial space and housing, but Cantalupa admitted, “We don’t know what the market will bring us. We’re planning for multiple uses, but there isn’t a market yet or a place to attract people to work and live. It will take time. It’s not a fiveor 10-year plan. It’s closer to a 20-year plan before it’s built out, and the plan will have to react to market conditions. It will change over time.” “We’re designing for growth so whatever comes will create a neighborhood you’re proud of, but the market will determine what happens,” Planner Jeff Speck of Speck Dempsey added. Councillor-at-Large Katy Rogers asked about the quantity of housing and whether they would be rental units or condominiums. Cantalupa answered that a low-density plan would have 1,000 units and a high-density plan 3,000 “tilted more to rentals than condos, but the quantity could change. If we determine there isn’t a CITY OF EVERETT - LEGAL NOTICE - ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS 484 BROADWAY, ROOM 24 EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS 02149 To Whom It May Concern: This notice is to inform you that a public hearing will be held on Tuesday April 22, 2025 at 6:00 PM, Everett City Hall, 3rd Floor George Keverian Hearing Room. All interested parties may attend and opinions will be heard regarding the following petition. Whereas a petition has been presented by: Property Address: Building Permit: 108 Ferry St [Map/Parcel L0-03-000243] 141 High St [Map/Parcel: L0-03-000244] B-25-216 Person Requesting: Mr. Albert Aversa Trustee (Richard Aversa Trustee) Ferry Street Realty Trust 108 Ferry Street Everett, MA 02149 PROPOSAL: To construct a Four (4) Floor with a Penthouse mixed used Building [Containing 1 Commercial Space and 20 Residential Apartments] in the Business District with provided parking some of which is located in Dwelling District Violation: The proposed parking of Fourteen (14) spaces at 141 High Street which is in the Dwelling District is not a permitted use. Zoning: Section 4 Dwelling District paragraph A REBECCA EDMONDSON KOREM - Chairman ROBERTA SUPPA - Clerk of Board of Appeals April 4, 11, 2025 manufacturing market, you could shift the balance higher or it could flex down.” He also said buildings, be they for housing or commercial uses, would probably be multistory. “The best outcome is a development like Assembly Row in Somerville,” he feels. “Our ideal is not for the lower density scheme.” Animal testing is a sore point for Rogers and other city councillors, especially in light of local regulations against it, which were retained after extensive discussion at City Council meetings on December 19 and January 13. “I can’t support any project in which animal testing continues to be pushed,” she said. “It’s a deal breaker for me. It’s not fair to continue to bring it up, since there’s an ordinance that prohibits it.” “We didn’t bring it up,” Cantalupa responded. “We were asked about it. We’re not pushing it and are creating a plan knowing it’s not allowed.” Other interconnected elements of the plan are walkability, creation of open space and public access to the waterfront. “The most important thing is the public realm: the spaces between the buildings,” Speck said. “My firm specializes in walkable places. How do you get people to walk? Walks have to be useful, safe and interesting. The best spaces in Everett are those lined by buildings with a nice height at the edge of a street to make it feel enclosed. What matters is if buildings build good edges on the street designed to be accommodating and comfortable, have street trees, bike lanes and the things that make it DOCKLANDS | SEE PAGE 21

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