Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2022 ASKS | FROM PAGE 3 public art. I also would like to work with the Town Manager to see if supplemental funding is required to ensure the $98,000 Shared Streets and Spaces grant we were awarded by the Commonwealth last July can be successfully completed. That means any police detail, DPW staff and other entities are funded to complete this important work. Q: What about the zoning? A: As far as zoning goes, I strongly believe this should be facilitated through the MAPC [Metropolitan Area Planning Council] or other planning agency to formalize as a draft zoning article as was the process for the BHSD [Business Highway Sustainable Development Zoning District], Mill District and Waterfront District as laid out in detail in the report. I will be strongly advocating for the hiring of an agency to complete this work and am strongly considering submitting an article to complete that work this year for adoption at a Special Town Meeting later in the year or early 2023. If I can’t get anywhere with that effort, as a last resort I would draft a formal zoning overlay myself using the guidance available in the report, which is certainly not ideal, but I feel the appetite is there to make significant changes in Cliftondale. Q: With the pending adoption of this report, are you optimistic that more will get accomplished this time than in the past? Do you expect the Master Plan to put a lot of focus on Cliftondale revitalization, and essentially increase momentum for revitalization? A: I am very optimistic that more will be accomplished this time around, and from what I’m told by some members of the Saugus United 2035 advisory committee, Cliftondale is certainly a focus in terms of identifying areas of potential economic development and revitalization. I think – between the two reports – all of the information needed to proceed towards meaningful revitalization is out there. The biggest challenge will be, given the way our town’s government is structured, is to have our executive branch of government on board and truly committed and invested in Cliftondale; and when I say invest, I mean more than simply financial investment. While press releases elaborate on the importance of revitalizing Cliftondale, I judge by acTHE FIRST OF MANY GOOD THINGS TO COME? Before the holidays, the town did a little sprucing up of the rotary at Cliftondale Square, planting this Christmas tree to replace an old and dying evergreen tree. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) tions, and I think 2022 is going to be an interesting year to see what unfolds with both the committee’s report and the Master Plan published. Q: Any word on when the Master Plan is coming out? A: I’m told the Master Plan should be released in this quarter of the year. I have not seen a draft yet and that report will eventually go before the Planning Board to adopt. Q: In the short term, what do you see coming out of the report? A: I think a few steps that can be taken this year is to onboard a planning agency to draft the zoning overlay using the committee’s report as a guideline, completing the work for the Shared Streets and Spaces grant we received last July, releasing the Cliftondale parking and traffic study that was drafted last spring, reconnect with local property owners to begin a parking management plan, put together a signage package, plan an Appreciation Day and achieve many of the shortterm goals laid out in the report. This may seem like a lot but with proper delegation and a firm understanding of the urgency required, and actual collaboration with the many bright minds in Town government, these initiatives are all certainly achievable. Q: Anything else that you would like to share? A: I know as long as I’m a Town Meeting member, I’ll be applying as much pressure as possible to forward the initiatives this committee developed over the past year, and when I originally ran in 2019, revitalizing Cliftondale was a top priority of mine, and that priority has become even more urgent since the onset of the pandemic that has expedited the deterioration in this business and housing district. And I’m sure I won’t be alone in this effort. Cliftondale in its current condition is a big black eye for the Town. I’ll go as far as saying it’s embarrassing how much we’ve let it go. I know there may be things the Town Manager disagrees with in the report, but it’s important to understand that this report is a collection of professional analysis, committee discussion, public input and local precedent. Like anyone else who reads the report, there are things that even I may not agree with in the report, and the same goes for the entire committee. There is no solution where 100% of constituents will agree with. In fact, there are likely to be some that harshly disagree with some of the things in the report or conclude without even reading the report that “nothing can be done” in Cliftondale, and that’s OK. That’s civic discourse. The wrong answer would be to take no action or worse, intentionally obstruct. We all have different opinions but, as a committee, I believe we found a great balance that will certainly move Cliftondale in the right direction and over time, become a thriving downtown that Saugus lacks and has lacked for many decades. I just urge everyone from the top down to keep an open mind, maintain an attitude that there is plenty we can do here and work with rather than at odds with one another to make it happen. That’s the key to success in Cliftondale. It’s certainly been difficult challenging the way people think about Cliftondale, getting people out of their comfort zones and traditional mindsets, urging people to leave the Saugus “bubble” to see what’s been successful in the communities around us, and realizing the many possibilities this district presents, but I will continue to be up to the challenge until meaningful progress is made in this important and historic part of Saugus. The question should be “What can we do?" rather than “What can’t we do?”
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