Author Archives: ldna

Posted on January 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

Dowtown related items on License Commission agenda. There are several locations that will not be renewing licenses for 2013.

License Commission of the City of Lowell is scheduled to take place in the Council Chamber, second floor, City Hall, 375 Merrimack St. on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.

1. Public Amusement applications

 Thomas McKay – Mill City Management, Inc., Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack Street

 Various

2. Special events permit for amplified outdoor public entertainment applications

 Christopher Samaras of the City of Lowell, 375 Merrimack Street, has filed applications for Winterfest 2013

 Outdoor venues: Arcand Drive, enclosed tent, bands, sound system, outdoor sled track, Fri., February 8, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Sat., February 9, 2013, 12 noon to 12 a.m.

 Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union parking lot, 1 Tremont Place, an enclosed tent, Fri., February 8, from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., and Sat., February 9, 2013, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

3. Citywide Neighborhood Council representative Anne Marie Page and other members to welcome new member to the License Commission, and to introduce CNC to the License Commission.

4. Communication from Atty. Brad M. Pacheco, dated 12/29/2012, re: Lowell Sports Club, Inc. will not seek to renew for 2013 the all alcoholic beverages Club license and any other license and or permit with the City of Lowell, Massachusetts for premises at 490 Central Street.

5. Five licensees have not complied with inspections; liquor licenses have not been issued for 2013:

 El Rincon, 135 Central Street

 Senmonorom, 1671 Middlesex Street

 Brazilian Tropic, 26 Andover Street

 Reservations, 179 Central Street

 Khmer Sports Club, 74 Middlesex Street

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Posted on December 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

The city’s Department of Planning and Development recently released a draft of the Comprehensive Master Plan, outlining a vision for the city through 2025 with a particular emphasis on economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Two public meetings will be held earlty next month to review the plan and collect comments from the public.

Monday January 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Alumni Hall (84 University Ave.) on UMass Lowell’s North Campus.

Wednesday, January 9th at Lowell Senior Center (276 Broadway St.) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Comments can also be submitted by phone or online to Allegra Williams, Neighborhood Planner at (978) 674-4252 or awilliams@lowellma.gov through January 15.
Comments will be incorporated into a final plan, which will be presented for adoption and endorsement in the Winter of 2013.

The full plan can be found at:
http:// www.lowellma.gov/depts/dpd/master_plan/complete_masterplan/master-plan-update/draftplan

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Posted in Planning and Development

Here we go again

Posted on December 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m so sick and tired of this subject I could just scream out loud…I might just try that to see if it helps (neighbors don’t call the police I’m just losing it) . We live in one of the most totally fabulous neighborhoods I have ever had the chance to live in or visit. Across the country or across the globe there are not many places that are more livable than downtown Lowell.

Just my opinion about the SUN article regarding incident at Brian’s Ivy Hall because if you are going to write a story try to at least hit the highlights…don’t worry I’ll do it for you:

I’ll try to categorize some of what is missing from this article:

Residents vs. Bars – prior to the opening of BIH residents and bar owners had spent a considerable number of years bickering. Chief Lavallee, apparently tired of the whole thing, put us all together in a room regularly and low-and-behold we got to know each other, like each other, and found a common ground (not to mention bar owners realized that residents are their most loyal customers). The SUN stopped covering our meetings because they were getting pretty boring; peace and harmony does not sell papers. Enter Brian’s Ivy Hall, or should I say, Kevin Hayhurst, who appears to be the spokesman for whatever cartel actually has a stake in this establishment, showing complete disdain for residents and neighboring business owners. Spending most of his time as a Paris Hilton wanna-be…famous for being nothing but an egomaniac and treating his peers to all sorts of jeers and nasty comments on facebook. The SUN should be ashamed for the headline of this story…get over this tired old headline. Bars and residents were doing fine before this place opened.

City Taxpayers – not a single mention of the tens-of-thousands of taxpayer dollars that have been spent directly outside BIH since it’s opening due to all of the mayhem at the corner of Merrimack and John streets. I think the SUN should have interviewed at least one taxpayer from Pawtucketville and asked how they feel about this business siphoning tax dollars to babysit their patrons. BIH no longer pays for police details like other bars do; they just rely on the 4-officer downtown detail. Sweet!

I think the SUN should do a little actual reporting work and find out the exact amount being paid in city taxes by this establishment. Mr. Hayhurst does not live in Lowell any longer and as a tenant wasn’t paying property taxes anyway and BIH does not own the building so they are not paying property taxes. Please tell me what they are contributing?

Police – the most obvious is less than accurate testimony by police officers at License Commission hearings regarding BIH. I wrote about this issue back in when the License Commission was trying to address the noise issues and somehow the 20+ noise complaints about BIH did not exist (note to Chief: one of your officers entered a woman’s home after 10PM to investigate a noise complaint and did not file a report). This same situation happened again just hours before the most recent incident when there were allegations that BIH had not called police about an assault that occurred (mind please…Mr. Hayhurst’s assertion that this happened in the “common hallway” leading to BIH, not actually inside. My assertion; when you are using that street level door as your entrance, there is nothing “common” about it; it is being used as part of your business) police officers told Commissioner’s there has never been any problems associated in or around BIH. Please explain those tens-of-thousands of dollars. I completely understand loyalty and these guys are only human (one of the BIH owners Mr. Finns’ brother is a police officer and frequently is seen working the downtown weekend detail outside his brothers bar) I’m sure other officers do not want to be seen as saying anything against a fellow police officers family member. The police dept. does not seem to be able/willing to address this issue.

License Commission – there is just too much to say about this group; so most recently the Commission granted a new liquor license to BIH owners for Finn’s Pub (hence it is named after one of the owners you don’t hear about and/or his brother the police officer) despite the fact the owners did not have all of the required items in place such as a floor plan for the 2^nd floor and despite requests from residents (same residents spoke in favor of the license sans the entertainment) that they not be issued another “all entertainment” license which has led to an entire 2^nd floor with no tables, no chairs…just an extension of BIH. You can party on the 3^rdfloor and bring your drinks down to the 1^st and 2^nd floor as if you are within the same licensed premises. Again…Sweet!

If the SUN is going to write a story about what goes on downtown would you please at least “pretend” to have done some investigation into the reality of the situation.

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Posted in Bars, Community Issues, Downtown, License Commission, Lowell Police Department

WARNING

Posted on December 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

It may look like a nice little snow fall but I just watched cars going sideways down Gorham St. in front of Rosenbloom’s toward spaghetti bridge.

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Vigil in Lowell Sunday night

Posted on December 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

From SUN
A candlelight vigil for those slain in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting will be held Sunday at 6 p.m. at Tyler Park, off Westford Street (Route 3A). Organizer Gail Hovey Cassidy asks that those attending bring candles and cups, extras if you have them.

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Mayor’s Annual Holiday Reception today 5:00pm until 7:00pm

Posted on December 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Mayor’s Reception Room, City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street, Lowell, Massachusetts 01852

Food Drive for Pats Tickets!
In cooperation with the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Mayor Murphy is encouraging attendees to bring non-perishable food items to City Hall. Every pound of food donated through the Mayor’s office will earn one raffle ticket to a drawing for two tickets to the New England Patriots/ Miami Dolphins game on December 30th at 1pm.

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Posted on November 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Kick off the holidays in historic Lowell at the 2012 City of Lights Parade Holiday Celebration!

Saturday, November 24th, 11AM – 8PM
Museum Gallery Shopping Tours on the COOL Bus, 5th Annual Hot Chocolate Competition, Photos with Santa, 4th Annual Festival of Wreaths, Live Performances, Kids Magic Shows, Downtown Dining and Shopping, PLUS the Merrimack Valley’s largest Nighttime Holiday Parade!

Free parking 12 noon – Midnight! See the full schedule of events at LowellCityofLights.org

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Kearney Square Bridge Replacement

Posted on November 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

The second meeting to discuss the replacement of the 170-year-old Kearney Square Bridge (between Blue Taleh and Middlesex Community College) was held tonight. Enel has been able to rework the plans so that the bridge will remain open in both directions during the entire construction project. Once completed, the new bridge will be able to handle 36 tons as opposed to the current posted limit of six tons and feature pedestrian barriers along the sidewalks, like the reworked Central Street Bridge does today.

The plan will now involve three phases, running from February of 2013 to October. The first phase (until June) will replace the south side of the bridge (the Blue Taleh side) with pedestrians using the north sidewalk.

The second phase (June-September) will shift the traffic to the south side of the bridge and shrink the lanes down to nine feet each with no separation between the two (many emergency vehicles are over nine feet wide). The north sidewalk will remain open.

The third and final phase will again shift traffic to the north side of the bridge and the north sidewalk will remain open while the new south side sidewalk is constructed.

Deliveries and pedestrian access to the alleyways along both the old Sun building and the Fairburn building will be maintained throughout the entire project. Parking and deliveries in the area will be limited at various times as travel lanes will be needed.

Please contact Enel Green Power North America at 978-681-1900 ext 852 or 817 with any questions or concerns. They may also be reached via email at KearneySquareBridge@enel.com

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Posted in Street Construction