Author Archives: ldna

April LDNA meeting, 4/28/14

The April 28th, 2014 meeting starts at 7 PM at LTC at 246 Market Street.  There will be two guest speakers:

Eric Eby, City of Lowell Transportation Engineer.  Eric will speak on the changes to traffic flow in the downtown area planned for August, 2014.   He will review the summer construction schedule needed to prepare the streets and crosswalks.

Eda Matchak, Director of Elections & Census.   Eda will speak on voter registration, absentee voting, polling locations and will give us an update on the latest legislation at the state level.

Please join us.

 

LDNA February 2014 Meeting

We meet at 7 PM on Monday, Feb. 24th, 2014 at LTC on Market Street.

LDNA Meeting 2/24/14 Agenda

  • Introductions

  • Elections of Officers

Co-Chairs: Susan Purdy/Jack Moynihan
Vice-Chair: Stephen Greene
Secretary: Corey Sciuto
Treasure: Carolyn Mooney

  • Secretary’s Report

(move to accept as published): Corey Sciuto

  • Treasure’s Report:  Carolyn Mooney

Change in LDNA bank/savings & loan
Bank Balance
Dues, due
Use of dues, LTC membership
Misc.

  • Intro Guest Speaker Superintendent William Taylor

Vision
Current state of LPD…
Questions & answers

  • Old Business:

Election change needed in City of Lowell
? Committee to recommend changes, etc
Chair (Craig H) ?

  • New Business

New Committee recommendations for LDNA
(social committee, re-cycle, safety, outreach to new residents ?)

  •   Adjournment (by 9 pm)

(all chairs to go back to stacks)

Short Board Meeting to follow

 

October Minutes

10/28 Lowell Downtown Neighborhood Assn. Meeting

6:55 Kathleen is resigning after 10 years to focus more heavily on work.

City Mgr. Bernie Lynch – State of the City

Finances – we are in very good shape; face challenges.

• Unfunded liabilities – retirement, etc.

• Negative cash-on-hand 2006. $14M in reserves today

• We are $12M below our legal Prop 2 ½ levy ceiling.

• Bond rating has been upgraded.

• We have invested $180M in infrastructure in the past 7 years.

o Met-Life’s $60M tax credit investment in Appleton Mills was credited

to our bond rating.

o $14M this year

o Target the same next year.

• Parks & Rec is the largest it has been in 13-14 years.

• Public Safety: We are largely on a downward trend but are experiencing a

spike.

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FLOOD INSURANCE

Announcement from Community Associations Institute

By a vote of 67 to 32, the U.S. Senate has approved S.1926, the “Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act,” legislation delaying substantial increases in flood insurance premiums. S.1926 now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for further legislative action.
“When Congress reformed the National Flood Insurance Program in 2012 it was with the best of intentions in mind,” said Thomas Skiba, CEO of Community Associations Institute. “Unfortunately these changes made flood insurance coverage too expensive not only for individual homeowners, but also many community associations.”
The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (Biggert-Waters Act) was intended to place the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on sound financial footing through increases in flood insurance premiums. As the Biggert-Waters Act was implemented, homeowners and community associations saw flood insurance premiums soar to unaffordable levels.
While some property owners qualified for a 5-year phase-in of higher premiums, many did not. Homeowners seeking to sell their property did not qualify for the premium phase-in, effectively lowering real estate values by thousands of dollars. Faulty federal flood maps also caused homeowners living in properties constructed above flood levels to see unaffordable increases in flood insurance premiums

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Please be advised that the Snow Emergency Parking Ban will be lifted effective today, Friday, January 3, 2014 at 4:00 PM

PARKING BAN BEGINS AT 2PM TODAY, JANUARY 2ND 

Free parking for city residents at the garages listed below. Cars must be removed within 2 hours after the parking ban has been lifted.

George Ayotte Parking Facility (Tsongas Arena)
11 Post Office Square
Lowell, MA 01852

Edward Early Jr. Garage
135 Middlesex Street
Lowell, MA 01852Edward Early Jr. Garage
135 Middlesex Street
Lowell, MA 01852

PRESCOTT STREET CLOSING

Please see update below on Prescott Street night work from Fred Faust of the Edge Group.

On the nights of Wednesday, December 11 and Thursday, December 12, work may be ongoing a water connect project on Prescott Street, which will include a full street closure as of 8 PM and re-opening no later than 6 AM. Because this work relies on suitable weather and restoration of the sidewalk is involved, there may also be a lane closing during this work. If necessary, completion of work may also include the night of Friday, December 13. We regret any inconvenience.

For additional information, please call Fred Faust at 978-458-8822 or 978-397-8086.

Prescott St Closing Friday Night

Nighttime work on Prescott Street next week will be done with full street closure.

DOWNTOWN
Prescott Street–Friday, November 29
Contractors will be digging a test pit on Prescott Street for the new UTEC property at 27 Prescott
Street.
• Work will start at 8 a.m.; one lane will be closed but the street will remain open
• Friday’s work will be followed by nighttime work (with full street closure) next week to make a water connection
• Traffic signs and a police detail will be used to minimize traffic issues
• For more information contact Fred Faust at (978) 458-8222

Lowell High School Photography Club

The students have some new photos posted here.  This one by Sevy Doung.

City of Lights ParadeSaturday, November 30, 2013
11 AM – 8 PM
downtown Lowell

FREE parking from 10 AM – 12 midnight at the John & Market Street Garages
View a map of garage locations and information on street closures.