Page 2 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2021 Two for one: National Grid’s tree removal policy angers City Council By Adam Swift T he City Council is looking to have National Grid take more proactive steps to replace the trees it is taking down as part of a conduit project along Winthrop Avenue. In the latest chapter of the rocky relationship between the utility company and the council, the council approved an order by Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna asking the mayor to have the city solicitor draft an agreement with National Grid to have them plant two trees for every one tree removed on city property. “When National Grid came to us two months ago and presented their plans to redo the conduits, taking down trees was not in their vocabulary,” said McKenna. “They never said they were going to take down at least 50 trees along Winthrop Avenue, mature trees that are worth at least $7,000 to $10,000 that have been in the ground for 50 years. They are going to remove it and give us one small tree to have the money to plant more than one tree for each one it removes. Ward 2 Councillor Ira NovoselJOANNE MCKENNA Ward 1 Councillor replace that tree.” McKenna said National Grid should be planting at least two trees for every tree it removes, noting that the trees are vital for the health of Beachmont residents. “The trees act as barriers; they take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, which is necessary in this area,” she said. The councillor said she spoke with National Grid representatives and they said they did not sky said the tree removal is just the latest example of National Grid taking advantage of the city. “They are sticking it to us, and all we do is give and give and give and they give us nothing,” said Novoselsky. Ward 3 Councillor Arthur Guinasso agreed that National Grid and other utility companies haven’t always acted in the best interests of the city and its residents. “Do we sound like sticklers when we go against National Grid?” Guinasso said. “They are not good neighbors.” Councillor-at-Large Jessica Ann Giannino said the mature trees are not easily replaceable. “These trees have been part of our community for years, and [the new plantings] are going to take years to mature and to give the benefi ts that they off er to our residents,” she said. “Something is better than nothing, so even though we are losing so many mature trees, at least two in each one’s place is a small ask.” City Council President Anthony Zambuto said he wants the council to demand better plans from National Grid and other utilities when they come before the council with big projects. “We all went through the presentation of what was going to happen down there, and I think we have to demand better plans in the future on projects this big so we can see something like this that was hidden behind the curtain – that the trees were going to be removed,” said Zambuto. Broadway business recovery plan kicks off with small business survey John Festa of the City’s Small Business Team distributes a survey to Juan Jaramillo of Sofi sTech, Inc. O n April 5, Mayor Brian Arrigo announced the kickoff of the Rapid Recovery Planning Process for the Broadway Business District, beginning with a survey of small businesses and nonprofits located along the city’s central business district. This survey, which can be completed online or on paper and will be available in six languages, represents the fi rst phase of a planning process that will be facilitated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the City’s Small Business Response Team, with additional outreach support from the City’s COVID Ambassadors. In this fi rst phase, businesses and organizations located on and near Broadway are invited to participate in the survey, which closes on April 14. The survey, which takes an estimated fi ve to 10 minutes to complete, asks questions about business characteristics, impacts of COVID and opinions on strategies to support businesses and improve the district. Over the next 10 days, the City of Revere’s Small Business Team and COVID Ambassadors will be contacting and visiting businesses to support the district’s survey response rate. Staff will be providing survey information, technology support, interpretation or assistance completing the survey if needed. Response options include: • Online: Surveys can be completed by businesses online in English at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LRRPBiz or in Spanish at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LRRPBiz?lang=es; • On paper: Surveys will be available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Khmer; and/or • With individual support: Businesses can also request individual assistance from City staff in completing a paper or online version. City and MAPC staff will review responses and conduct follow-up engagement during the spring and early summer, activities that will guide the business recovery and district improvement goals to be included in a Broadway District Rapid Recovery Plan. This project is funded entirely through a technical assistance grant awarded through the Local Rapid Recovery Program (LRRP) of the Commonwealth’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). LRRP focuses on the revitalization of downtown commercial districts. To learn more about this program, visit https://www.mass. gov/info-details/rapid-recoverycommunities.
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