History of Market Street formerly known as Meadow

History of Market Street formerly known as Meadow. Walk Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 1

2006 • Summer – Town and National Development announce the purchase of the Colonial Golf Course. Plans are unclear but will include retail and housing • Town place working with the developer under the control of the Economic Development and Housing Advisory Committee (EDHAC) • EDHAC starts morning meetings where National Development makes presentations and EDHAC asks questions; limited citizen involvement • Initial plans for the development were a “lifestyle village” which would have 600, 000 sq ft of retail space, including a 16 screen multiplex, 40 B apartments and apts for LIFE. • The Concerned Citizens of Lynnfield is formed to address issues that will effect the entire town. The issues include: – Traffic, Economic, Environmental, Legal, Retail Component, Residential Component, Overall Development in Lynnfield, Buffers, Police, Fire, DPW, existing golf course, Proposed Community Center Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 2

2006 continued • In Nov of 2006 National Development said the development would be “ 180 degrees different from a mall” Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 3

2007 • In Jan of 2007 Spagnolo Associates said the retail buildings would be about the height of the center post office they are one story and the height of the middle school if they re two stories, parallel parking would exist along street with sidewalks, trees and other features. • They had visited a number of town centers such as those of Andover, Newburyport and Nantucket for ideas. • In Feb 2007 Planning Board starts review of traffic study • In Feb the berm proposal call for the placement of an earthen berm 10 ft about the grade of walnut Street that would act as a sound and visual barrier. There berm would actually consist of two separate, overlapping sections to allow for drainage and would extend from an area near the main entrance on Walnut Street to an area just south of the proposed elderly housing site. Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 4

2007 Continued • Feb – National Development drops the idea of a cinema completely, along with reducing the size from 600, 000 sq ft to 450, 000 sq ft, extending the proposed buffer and including a 3, 500 community cultural space • Jan and Feb – workshops on design standards are held to receive input on what buildings should look like, how the lighting will not be visible, effect of the berm, parking and traffic. • March and early April • Traffic study issues continue • Planning Board works on design standards • Selectmen negotiate a development agreement Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 5

2007 continued • Agreement with some neighbors reached to reduce retail by 55, 000 sq ft to 395, 000 and increase office space from 50, 000 to 80, 000. Wins significant number of people. • Passes on April 30, 2007 by a vote of 1592 -391 Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 6

2008 –Oct • A mere 510 days after approval National Development comes back asking for a cinema that would be: – “Cinema, except that, notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Section 9. 5, a boutique theater/restaurant shall be allowed in the Traditional Neighborhood Village Sub-District as a Recreational Use, Principal, provided that such boutique theater/restaurant is limited as follows: (a) the size shall not exceed 38, 000 square feet of gross leasable floor area; and (b) there shall be no more than 360 seats, in total, in the film viewing areas” – Town Meeting Rejects the proposal Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 7

2008 Economy delays project Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 8

2009 National Development receives federal money • National Development / State receives 5. 8 million dollars for traffic improvements that National was originally going to pay. Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 9

2011 Widening of Streets 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Feb 15, 2011 Planning Board meeting Planning board allows change at National Development request Widen the road. Narrow roads are old fashioned Parking outside to inside. 9. 5. 1. 15. Minor adjustment section. More than required parking Increased width from 42 to 127 feet. Planning Board and National asked for comments. W. Mc. Kenzie asked. “Is there another street in Lynnfield 127 feet wide. Seems out of scale to design”. Width was approved. Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 10

2011 Lights at Walnut / Salem Street interchange • Lights at interchange requested to be turned on. Senators Clark and Mc. Gee had to be involved • Town said they had nothing to do with the lights • Turns out they did. Holding up a permit at Salem and walnut Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 11

2012 • Feb – National Development announces plans for 1, 000 to 1, 200 seat movie theater • At a public hearing with 3 days notice over 75 people voice opposition. • National Developoment signed an agreement not to build a theater. • Ted Tye says it was always part of his idea. • Selectman Dave Nelson says “We must to everything to make the mall successful” • Chairman Bob Mac. Kendrick says “Movie theater would tear the town apart” • National Development decides not to submit article for the annual town meeting. Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 12

2012 • May - Site work starts • National Development illegally removes trees from State Land on Walnut Street. • When asked if the town will assist residents, the response is “It is a state matter, can’t help” • Residents have to file Freedom of Information (FOI) requests with state for information. • After multiple (FOI) requests and meetings, National and MA DOT resolve issue with limited plantings Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 13

What Walnut St used to look like Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 14

2012 (cont. ) • Dec National contacts MA Dept of Transportation about additional signage on 128/95, even though the “life style village” is not open • See email from state on next slide Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 15

Email from MA DOT on signage discussion Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 16

2013 • Market Street opens in August/Sept Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 17

2014 • National Development presents article to Town Meeting to accept part of street so MA DOT can add signage to 128/95 • Town Meeting rejects the article • 9 Days later, Selectman Dave Nelson and Phil Crawford override Town Meeting vote and allow the signage • Town gave Market Street highway signage for nothing. Market street had approached the state before development opened. Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 18

Boston Globe article Article and comments can be found here http: //www. bostonglobe. com/metro/regionals/north/2014/05/28/lynnfield-board-overrules-town-meeting-gives-name-road-into-marketstreetdevelopment/WEJNHJhytyv. Ubcndm 0 z. ICL/story. html Text is: The Lynnfield Board of Selectmen is facing sharp criticism after its decision to name a short road leading into the Market. Street Lynnfield mixed-use development, just weeks after Town Meeting said no. On May 19, the board named the state-owned road Market Street. By naming the road, the town fulfilled a state Department of Transportation requirement that will allow signs on Route 128/Interstate 95 directing motorists to the street — and the businesses, restaurants, golf course, and residences within the development. Proponents say the signs will improve safety by providing better directions to the development. However, critics say the vote circumvents the will of town residents: At the April 28 annual Town Meeting, voters defeated an article asking the town to accept the road leading into the development as a public way. “You can’t just override that vote, and that’s what I felt they did, ” said Selectman Tom Terranova, the dissenting vote in the board’s 2 -to-1 decision. “It was like they were thumbing their nose [at citizens], and just doing what they thought was right. I could not agree with that. ” “It’s a slap in the face to the people who voted at Town Meeting, ” said resident Wally Mac. Kenzie. “People who have lived [in Lynnfield] all their lives have told me they’ve never seen anything like this. ” But Selectman Phil Crawford said the move addresses the traffic concerns as well as the major objections raised at Town Meeting. Specifically, residents were concerned the town would still have liability issues, despite an agreement that the development would accept maintenance and liability. There were also other concerns, including that the town was accepting a road it had little role in designing. “This gets rid of all those objections and still protects the town of Lynnfield, ” said Crawford. Some of those who opposed the vote criticized the swiftness of the action. Selectmen were asked to delay their vote for two weeks. “I don’t know why it had to be done then and there, ” said Katy Shea, a resident. “I don’t object to what they did; I object to the process, ” said Frank Sawin, a neighbor of the development. But Board of Selectmen chairman David Nelson said it was necessary to move quickly for public safety. Police Chief David Breen “stood up at both meetings and said it was a public safety issue, ” Nelson said. “When there’s a public safety issue, our responsibility is to react. “We don’t want to circumvent Town Meeting — Town Meeting is sacred, ” Nelson said. “I wish people would just get the right information before they shoot negative e-mails all over the place. ” National Development’s Ted Tye, a Market. Street partner with WD Development, has requested that state highway officials install four signs — on both northbound and southbound lanes of the highway and on both ramps at Exit 43 — to help direct drivers to the development. The transportation department won’t put up signs for businesses, but it commonly puts up signs to streets that major developments are located on. Town officials say that as a result of delivery truck drivers and shoppers losing their way, there have been accidents as well as reports of drivers turning around in residential neighborhoods, and in some cases knocking on doors to ask for directions. Mc. Kenzie noted that the signs will provide more than a public safety benefit for the development. “ Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 19

Globe Continued “Public safety may play a small part of it, but for somebody to say it’s purely for public safety is kind of Orwellian, ” he said. “It’s a piece, but not the whole thing. ” As Mc. Kenzie and Sawin see it, the town could have used the marketing value of the signs to negotiate with Market. Street Lynnfield. “We gave them something for nothing, ” Mc. Kenzie said. “My take is that we want Market. Street to succeed, ” said Nelson. “We want our businesses to be healthy and financially secure, because that will help Lynnfield be healthy and financially secure. There’s a lot of revenue coming to Lynnfield from Market. Street. ” Crawford agreed. “We want Market. Street to be as successful as possible, ” he said. “We don’t want to do anything that will be detrimental to the town, but putting a sign on the highway? How is that detrimental to the town? ” Currently in its second building phase, Market. Street Lynnfield opened in August 2013, mixing retail, restaurants, community activities, office space, and residences. Located at the former Colonial Golf Course, the project includes 180 apartments, and (on land donated by the developer) a public nine-hole golf course and a 48 -unit residential building for people age 60 or older. The town has estimated that annual real estate taxes, the local meals tax, and other revenues generated by Market. Street will total $2. 5 million to $3 million, said Crawford, a former vice chairman of the Lynnfield Finance Committee. Factoring in the costs of additional police and fire coverage, and anticipated schooling costs from those in the apartment buildings, he said the town anticipates netting $2 million in annual tax revenue. Nelson said that amount could be even greater. As Crawford sees it, the people who oppose the street name seem to be a group opposed to anything the town does to accommodate the development. “They’re just dead set against anything that would benefit Market. Street, ” he said. Sawin, a Market. Street neighbor, said that’s not an accurate depiction. While he has opposed the development in the past, he said, he now frequents it regularly, purchasing food from Whole Foods Market and dining at the development’s restaurants. “I want it to thrive, ” said Sawin, who said that with the exception of some “growing pains” including an occasional noise issue, the development has been a good neighbor. He is still concerned that traffic will increase as the development is completed, Sawin said. And Shea noted that she had concerns about pedestrian access. Tye said Market. Street has tried to be responsive to neighbors’ concerns. “It’s in our best interest to be sure we work well with neighbors, that our customers get to the site whether they’re driving or walking in the safest and easiest possible way, ’” he said. “And if there any continued issues along those lines, we’ll be right out in front of them Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 20

2014(cont) • Two meetings are held in the summer about traffic issues on Walnut and Salem Street – Concerns are that 43% of Market Street remains to be developed • Phase 2 construction begins. • At fall town meeting, Sparhawk area residents find out that procedures that the town has told them to follow for traffic issues are not valid. • Nov 2014 – Selectmen call another Traffic meeting, send out mailing, then cancel with two days notice • Selectman Tom Terranova holds informal meeting with residents to gain ideas • Selectmen and Chief of Police will be asking for additional officers in Spring Town Meeting • Town engages engineering firm to evaluate if interseciton is a C level and if it will be at full build out. Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 21

2015 Traffic issues continue From resident on Walnut Joe Yurkus Apr 22 (2 days ago) to me, jyurkus Wally, It's the going to be the good ol' boy club all over again. Wally you would not believe how bad things are on Walnut Street. After all those meetings and suggestions and promises nothing has changed and seems to have gotten worse. Heavy (illegal) trucks start passing through as early as 3: 30 am and continue all day after promises of enforcement. Motorist continue running red lights at Walnut and Salem after promises of enforcement. When cars aren't backed up in the traffic they speed up and down Walnut after promises of enforcement. Accidents are common on Walnut. I went in to the DPW office back in November to report the catch basin in front of my house sinking. Four months later I called pothole hot line to report it again. Third week in April the pot hole keeps growing. When trucks and cars hit the growing hole it shakes our house. To date nothing has been done. Someone is going to have an accident or severely damage their car when the catch basin cover falls in, never mind the fact how annoying the constant banging noise is. Much of Lynnfield have had their streets cleaned, not Walnut! The neighbors and I feel we are being punished for speaking out. Maybe it is time to cave and put our house on the market while it still has some value! Joe Yurkus Committee to Preserve Lynnfield 22

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