Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 7, 2022 ~ Op-Ed ~ Open Letter to the City of Everett: Not the right time or place O During Tuesday’s joint meeting of the School Committee and City Council City Hall, Ward 6 Councillor Alfred Lattanzi made a motion to look into the cost of modular classrooms. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) WITHDRAWS | FROM PAGE 1 of Everett, so he doesn’t think they’re wasting their time. Ward 6 Councillor Alfred Lattanzi made a motion to look into the cost of modulars for additional classroom space Mayor Carlo DeMaria said it would have been better to wait until all costs are tallied before making any decisions. and refer it to the mayor. “I’m not going to say we’re going to do it, but at least we can look into it,” Lattanzi said. “We have to decide between the high school and Pope John – that’s all going to take time.” DeMaria said he would seek Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith said she doesn’t want to put her young children in a classroom with 30 kids. 425r Broadway, Saugus Located adjacent to Kohls Plaza Route 1 South in Saugus at the intersection of Walnut St. We are on MBTA Bus Route 429 781-231-1111 We are a Skating Rink with Bowling Alleys, Arcade and two TV’s where the ball games are always on! PUBLIC SKATING SCHEDULE 12-8 p.m. Sunday Monday Tuesday $9.00 Price includes Roller Skates Rollerblades/inline skates $3.00 additional cost Private Parties 7:30-11 p.m. $10.00 Price includes Roller Skates Adult Night 18+ Only Wednesday Thursday Friday Everyone must pay admission after 6 p.m. Private Parties Private Parties 4-11 p.m. Saturday 12-11 p.m. $9.00 $9.00 Everyone must pay admission after 6 p.m. Sorry No Checks - ATM on site Roller skate rentals included in all prices Inline Skate Rentals $3.00 additional BIRTHDAY & PRIVATE PARTIES AVAILABLE www.roller-world.com out cost estimates on modular classrooms, as well as the possible use of the Pope John site and the former high school along Broadway. Ward 1 School Committee member Millie Cardello asked Supt. of Schools Priya Tahiliani when the modular classrooms could be ready. Tahiliani said that she anticipates they’d be likely ready by the next academic year. “Don’t anyone knock down modulars,” Cardello said. “The ones at the Webster – nobody ever thought they’d be around that long, and they’re fine.” Tahiliani said there’s been a lot of planning, but that they need an action plan soon. “We do need to get moving,” Tahiliani said. “Our schools are over capacity, and I anticipate it getting worse over time.” Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith said she doesn’t want to put her young children in a classroom with 30 kids. “I came back on the council for my kids,” Smith said. “What I’m saying is Everett kids are not Everett’s pride – it’s really upsetting to me.” Smith added that the city needs school space and affordable housing now, not tomorrow. Ward 2 School Committee member Jason Marcus asked if they could put temporary curtains in the school auditoriums. Tahiliani replied that they’re looking into how to create soundproof barriers, adding that they have partitioned off the libraries and stages for classroom space. School Committee member At-Large Samantha Lambert said this becomes a civil rights issue. “If Pope John was to go forward as affordable housing, it would be four to five years before they open the doors,” Lambert said. “If we’re invited into the Mass. School Building Authority, it’s at least eight years away – a generation away of young people who got less than what they deserve.” The City Council will meet again for further discussion on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at City Hall. ver the past weeks, I have been approached by many Everett residents. They each made a point of telling me that they appreciate the details of The Neighborhood Developers’ (TND) proposal to build affordable homes at the closed Pope John School, but that it just isn’t the right time or place for it. Overcrowded classrooms call for a school to remain a school. And while it unfortunately may not be as easy as opening the doors and letting the students in, we at TND appreciate the call for the Pope John School to be renovated so that it can service public school students in Everett. In 2019, the City Council and administration saw the closed Pope John School site as an opportunity to address another crisis Everett is facing, the desperate need for affordable homes. When in the Fall of 2020 the City issued a request for proposals to convert the Pope John School into affordable housing, we responded. We were the only team that did. No one else wanted to take on the challenge. Our proposal included affordable rental homes for seniors, veterans, and families with the strongest possible preference for Everett residents. We proposed a new building that would provide an attractive buffer for neighbors on Cameron, Lafayette, and Shute Streets and be better connected with Broadway and Wehner Park. Putting together a financially viable proposal was not an easy thing to do at a time when construction costs alone are too expensive to make any new home affordable without some type of subsidy. In June 2021, we were selected as the developer for the site. While the pandemic may have pulled all of us in different directions, our team at TND continued to refine the concept. When in June 2022 the City Council considered the next step, the land disposition from the City to TND, the City Councilors astutely observed that the circumstances may have changed over the last few years. I admit, it was painful for us to watch after all the work we had invested and with the knowledge that the need for affordable homes in Everett has only escalated, but it was reasonable. The City Council therefore asked us to convene a community meeting to get feedback on the proposal; so we organized three events to make sure as many of the neighbors and other residents of the city could make it. What we learned, in part, was that another problem, the shortage of classrooms, was more pressing. While Pope John may not solve the whole space problem for Everett Public Schools, it could be one of the quicker ways to alleviate some of the pressure. We are honored to unwittingly have played a catalyst role to make that happen. To be clear, we are no longer working on the vision to transform the closed Pope John School into affordable homes. Why, you ask. TND, despite the D in our name standing for “developers,” isn’t really a developer in the common sense of the word. As the N for “neighborhood” in our name suggests, our focus is broader. We develop affordable homes in Chelsea, Revere, and Everett so that residents can stay in their communities. We are a nonprofit, mission-based organization. We do more than build real estate. Our goal is to counter displacement, to create beautiful homes for residents of our communities and to support them after they move in. Our mission is to create strong neighborhoods enabling community members to secure a stable home, achieve economic mobility, and determine their own future. I encourage you to check out our website (www.theneighborhooddevelopers.org). As to the other challenge, there undoubtedly is still a housing crisis in Everett. Did you know that according to the 2020 Census over 50% of Everett residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing? Were you aware over 27% spend more than 50% of their income to have a roof over their head? That’s not sustainable. Eleven percent of Everett’s residents are 65 or older and almost 2.3% are veterans. There is a real risk of displacement for many Everett residents. TND remains ready to work with the City, residents, and non-profit partners to counter displacement, including through the creation of affordable homes. Feel free to email me with ideas, I’m all ears. Rafael Mares Executive Director The Neighborhood Developers (TND)
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