Page 6 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 Meet Tom Skwierawski, the City’s New Chief of Planning and Community Development M onday, October 17 marked Tom Skwierawski’s fi rst day as the City of Revere’s new Chief of Planning & Community Development. Tom worked in the City of Fitchburg for the last eight years, where he was Executive Director of Community Development and Planning. During his tenure in Fitchburg, Skwierawski worked with city offi - cials, Fitchburg State University and other local organizations to revitalize the city’s struggling downtown. Chief Skwierawski graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Political Science in 2008. Skwierawski continued his education at Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he received his Master’s in Urban Planning, with concentrations in Housing and Neighborhood Development and International Planning. “Tom’s experience and willingwww.eight10barandgrille.com We Have Reopened for Dine-In and Outside Seating every day beginning at 4 PM ness to roll up his sleeves and get to work in our community has me excited about the upcoming opportunities in the Revere Department of Planning and Community Development,” said Mayor Brian Arrigo. “Right now, we’re at a time in which aff ordable housing, climate change, and accessibility is at the forefront of discussion – and rightfully so. Tom’s experience in Fitchburg has prepared him adequately for this role, and we are incredibly lucky to have him in the City of Revere.” Building on the work outlined in the Revere Master Plan, aff ordable housing, climate resiliency projects, small business support and accessible city programs are Mayor Arrigo’s priorities for the Revere Department of Planning & Community Development. With the future of Suff olk Downs and impeding development opportunities, the mission of the Department of Planning & Development is to create an environment in Revere that is conducive to retaining, growing and attracting businesses and residents, thereby strengthening and revitalizing our neighborhoods and stabilizing and transforming the physical, social, civic and economic environment of our community. Currently Skwierawski lives in WE'RE OPEN! 8 Norwood Street, Everett (617) 387-9810 STAY SAFE! Melrose with his wife, Lauren, and his three children: Lucia, Camila and Oscar. The Mayor’s Offi ce recently sat down with Tom to discuss his priorities for the fi rst 100 days, as well as lessons he’s bringing over to his new position. Question: What do you see as your priorities for the fi rst 100 days as Chief? Skwierawski: As a planner, one of my biggest pet peeves in the profession is when you have folks coming in from the outside who claim to have all the answers and tell you exactly what you need to do – in almost all cases they’re wrong. Although I live close by in Melrose and have some familiarity with Revere, I still have a lot to learn. I think my fi rst 100 days is really going to be about working with my team, working with my colleagues in City Hall – and meeting folks in the private sector and nonprofi t groups to gain a better understanding of the lay of the land and what those local priorities actually are; at the same time digging into a lot of the planning work that has taken place before me. My predecessor [Tech Leng] did a great job putting the Master Plan together and driving that community-wide process. It’s really about merging together the plans on the shelf with what people are saying on the ground, and from there we can develop a strategic plan. Question: Are there other cities or projects across the country you take inspiration from? Skwierawski: Being in Massachusetts – I have also been in Houston, Texas; before that I was in Charleston, South Carolina. I grew up in Milwaukee and I’m an avid traveler… I try to absorb it all and identify what works, what doesn’t. I know Revere has this aspiration to become a destination city – and a destination beyond the summer, but one that extends year-round. In that respect, I think of other communities that are urban areas that have a beach right beside them – the critical component there is making things feel walkable, making things feel safe and green and a place where people aren’t just coming for the beach, but they’re moving upward to the city. In that area in particular it will be really important to create kind of a family-friendly atmosphere and a place where people feel safe to walk and grow. With Suff olk Downs, and even looking ahead to upcoming development opportunities, looking at things like Assembly Row in Somerville and Arsenal Yards in Watertown is important because there were previous proposals for what was going to happen there. In Assembly Row, for example, there was a proposal to open an Ikea. The community really dug their heels in the sense that they knew they could have something better in their city. We have already broken ground in Suff olk Downs, but we have a several key sites where we can take time and be deliberate and fi gure out what we want to have there that fi ts with the surrounding neighborhoods and our community. Question: Are there certain policy areas you will be focused on during your time as Chief? Skwierawski: At some point in time – probably not in my fi rst 100 days – I would love to take a more holistic look at our zoning ordinance and see what improvements we can make to modernize that document, which has not been revised in quite some time. This was something I did in Fitchburg: We spent about 18 months doing a full-scale rezoning process. Usually this is what happens after the Master Plan, because you need to make sure your zoning falls in line with that. 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