Author Archives: ldna

Kearney Square Bridge replacement

Kearney Square Bridge replacement

Beginning Tuesday, March 5 work will begin with installation of traffic control devices and other activity in preparation for reconstruction

This project is expected to take 6 months and be completed by the end of August

Construction will be done in two phases with two lanes of traffic and a sidewalk maintained throughout

Traffic lanes will be narrow (9’ in each direction) but passable; care should be exercised when traveling through this area

This project is being done by Boott Hydropower, Inc., a subsidiary of Enel Green Power North America, Inc.

A construction informational meeting will be held on March 11, 2013 at 7 PM at Middlesex Community College

For questions/comments please contact KearneySquareBridge@Enel.com

February meeting minutes

Meeting opened at 7:00 PM on Monday, February 25th


Captain Sullivan, LPD

Discussed parking issues with the kiosks. Reminder: There is an appeal process for parking tickets.

Violent crime is down however, street robberies of tech devices are up 15%. LPD asks that people are aware of their surroundings when using smartphones, etc.

Winterfest went well – Saturday was quiet due to storm

An individual named Ryan Parrot broke 20 cars, 8-9 businesses, and 10 houses in the downtown area recently. He was caught and remains in jail. Somewhat typical for a one person spree to go this way.

Will look at Handicapped Loading Zone signs. May not be large enough.

Traffic calming: Two-way street conversion pending. Raised Crosswalks? Eric Eby (Transit Engineer) to coordinate w/ Corey Sciuto (LDNA secretary). More information at end of minutes.

Associate planner Aaron Clausen

Flood Insurance – FEMA redrew maps, putting many downtown buildings against canals into an A zone, which is expensive to insure. Surveyors cannot help because there is no base flood elevation with canals, so buildings cannot get a map modification (LOMA).

Options for people downtown: Properties that are in Historic Districts do not get treated like they are in a flood plain. Contact Steve Stowell @ Lowell Historic Board for more information. There is also a grandfathering process for buildings that weren’t in flood plains when built/substantially modified. This is not a LOMA, but an insurance modification. New buildings in historic districts may not be able to get special rates in flood areas.

Due to their historic building status, Canal Place I and III just got put in an X again.

We discussed that on Thursday, March 7th at 6 PM, City Councilor Marty Lorrey will be holding a meeting with representatives from Army Corp of Engineers and FEMA. The meeting will be in City Council Chamber.

John Nappi – There is a new FEMA form for arbitration:

Now available! FEMA has launched their new web application – the Online LOMC!
Visit www.fema.gov/online-lomc to learn more about the new Online Letter of Map Change (LOMC) application and to see the new live site. Applicants can use this new website to electronically request a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) instead of applying for a LOMA using the MT-1 or MT-EZ paper forms. A LOMA is a letter from FEMA stating that an existing structure or parcel of land will not be inundated by the base flood. LOMA-eligible requests must be concerning properties on naturally high ground, which have not been elevated by fill.

Are there any other condo associations trying to get voluntary flood/earthquake insurance? How was it priced? How do we need to know how much to buy? Ayer Lofts is wondering… Kathleen Marcin suggests we talk to a local insurance provider to talk to different associations.

Meeting ended at 8:15.
Adam Baacke – Assistant City Manager

The two-way conversion work is being designed now. We anticipate holding a public meeting at some point in the coming months to discuss it once we have the traffic analysis complete and know what is and isn’t possible. Construction could occur as early as the Fall, provided the Council ultimately approves the funding for the project in the Capital Plan, which will be presented to them in the early Spring.

With respect to the crosswalk, we agree with some of your concerns about it and also agree that the present location is not ideal. I believe it was located there by either the National Park and/or the former State Heritage Park. Nelson Nygaard and TEC, the design engineers working on the two-way conversion project, are looking at improving its location and associated sight lines for drivers in conjunction with the larger project.

Raised crosswalks have in the past been opposed by the Fire Department and DPW because of their impact on emergency response and snow operations. It is not immediately clear the extent of those concerns on Market Street if the overall two-way conversion plan is implemented and includes Merrimack Street. The two-way conversion will however have two significant benefits for pedestrian safety even if raised crosswalks are not ultimately feasible. First, two-way conversions have been proven to slow traffic speeds and in many cases eliminate speeding. Second, two-way traffic on streets with multiple signalized intersections discourages jay walking by eliminating the long gaps in traffic caused by red lights on one-way streets.

Kearney Sq Bridge Work

Public Road/Construction Projects Update: Week of March 3 – March 9 March 1, 2013
Note:  All work is subject to weather conditions.Information provided by project managers and current as of distribution date.

Kearney Square Bridge replacement

• Beginning Tuesday, March 5 work will begin with installation of traffic control devices and other activity in preparation for reconstruction

• This project is expected to take 6 months and be completed by the end of August

• Construction will be done in two phases with two lanes of traffic and a sidewalk maintained throughout

• Traffic lanes will be narrow (9’ in each direction) but passable; care should be exercised when traveling through this area

• This project is being done by Boott Hydropower, Inc., a subsidiary of Enel Green Power North America, Inc.

• A construction informational meeting will be held on March 11, 2013 at 7 PM at Middlesex Community College

• For questions/comments please contact KearneySquareBridge@Enel.com

The Census Form is on the way

The city census will soon arrive in your mail.  Last year 50,000 people in the city were moved to “inactive” voting status.  According to the election office at the time it was because a census form was not returned.  In addition to maintaining your voter status, as stated below this information is vital when the city is determining what/how to fund everything from streets to public safety staffing.
Please complete and return your census form!

By Lower Highlands Neighborhood Group

The City Census will be arriving at your door shortly. Please fill out and return this very important piece of paper. Knowing how many people live in our City is critical for the City to secure funding for many improvements to our neighborhoods
 

Agenda for License Commission on February 28, 2013, 06:30 PM

Downtown related items:

  1. Application by Worthen House Café, Inc., all alcoholic beverages Restaurant licensee at 141-145-147 Worthen Street, for change of manager from Nikolaos Hamourgas to Penny Hamourgas of Dracut.

 

  1. Hearing on the allegation of misconduct as charged by Kenneth E. Lavallee, Superintendent of Police, against BEKS, Inc., 74 Merrimack St., Kevin Hayhurst, Manager, all alcoholic beverages Restaurant licensee, alleged that Lowell police were not notified of the assault on the licensed premises of a patron the morning of January 1, 2013.

 

  1. Hearing on the allegation of misconduct as charged by Kenneth E. Lavallee, Superintendent of Police, against BEKS, Inc., 74 Merrimack St., Kevin Hayhurst, Manager, all alcoholic beverages Restaurant licensee, alleged report of disturbance that occurred on the licensed premises December 21, 2012, and of Lowell police having to respond 16 times in 2012 for fights or disturbances, and 6 calls were answered for loud music complaints.

 

11.                Communication:

·         From Kenneth E. Lavallee, Superintendent of Police, dated January 29, 2013, re: allegation of violations on December 31, 2012 [regulation 204 CMR 4.03 re: licensee offering unlimited number of drinks] by The Middle Street Village, Inc., dba The Village Smokehouse, Alan F. Kaplan, Manager, all alcoholic beverages Restaurant licensee at 92-98 Middle St.

 

And there is what appears to be some housekeeping  items from Winterfest at the end.

Lowell Police Courses

You asked – they listened. 
Lowell Police Department will hold a Women’s Self-Defense Course at Lowell High School Cafe 6:30 – 8:30 PM on the following dates:
Tuesday, February 26th
Tuesday, March 5th
Registration is limited to 20 participants.
Participants must be 18 and older. Instructors will be Sgt. Tom Fleming and Officer Marisol Nobrega. Participants are asked to wear athletic clothing. To register, please contact Sharon Callery at 978-674-1969 or scallery@lowellma.gov


The LPD will be conducting a Citizen’s Police Academy starting Wednesday, March 13, 2013. The Academy will be held for 8 weeks, every Wednesday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lowell Police Training Institute located at 115 Middlesex Street. Call Sharon Callery at 978-674-1969 for more information or check out www.lowellpolice.com/blog for the application.

License Commission Ruels & Regulations

The License Commssion will continue discussion of proposed changes to rules & regulations at 5 PM, Thursday, February 28th in te City Council Chamber.

Agenda for License Commission on February 14, 2013, 06:30 PM

Downtown related items;

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

5. (this was Mr. Jalepeno) application by Mariachi Foods, Inc., d/b/a El Potro Mexican Grill, Joseph M. Carreiro Jr., a corporate Director, for an all alcoholic beverages Restaurant license for premises at 124 Merrimack Street, unnumbered door south side of building; first floor-one room for restaurant, kitchen; a storage area in basement.

• It is requested that Joseph M. Carreiro Jr. be approved as manager of record for Mariachi Foods, Inc.

• Mariachi Foods, Inc. filed applications for the following licenses for premises at 124 Merrimack Street: common victualler; entertainment in a licensed restaurant for live music, disc jockey, juke box.

• Hearing on the matter of Vannak Kann, dba Khmer Sports Club, all alcoholic beverages Restaurant licensee for premises at 74 Middlesex St. regarding compliance with law for renewal of liquor license for 2013, and for entertainment license in a restaurant for live music, disc jockey, juke box.

• Hearing on the revocation of the all alcoholic beverages Club license for Lowell Sports Club, Inc., 490 Central St. 2013 Renewal application filed in November 2012 but Lowell Sports Club has not complied with Massachusetts laws that require certificate of inspection to be issued, and certificate of liquor liability insurance to be issued, in order that the annual liquor license be issued.

11. Hearing on the revocation of the all alcoholic beverages Restaurant license for WKA Investments LLC, 201 Cabot St. 2013 Renewal application filed in November 2012 but WKA Investments has not complied with Massachusetts laws that require certificate of inspection to be issued, and certificate of liquor liability insurance to be issued, in order that the annual liquor license be issued.

12. Hearing on the revocation of the all alcoholic beverages Restaurant license for Brazilian Tropic, Inc., 26 Andover St. 2013 Renewal application filed in November 2012 but Brazilian Tropic has not complied with Massachusetts laws that require certificate of inspection to be issued, and certificate of liquor liability insurance to be issued, in order that the annual liquor license be issued.
13. Review proposal of a revision of the rules and regulations of the Lowell License Commission beginning with the July 19, 2012 draft as proposed by the License Commission on January 31, 2013; License Commission will review amendment(s) thereto.

14. From Commissioner Cliff Krieger: Request the City Manager request DPD provide the License Commission, before the subsequent meeting, a memo giving us a QUALITATIVE (vice quantitative) review of business in both the down town area and across the rest of the city with regard to establishments that serve alcohol and the other businesses and activities that could be directly or indirectly influenced by businesses we license.

15. From Commissioner Cliff Krieger: Propose that the License Commission, once it approves revised rules, schedule a hearing at a regular meeting, eight months hence, to allow Residents and City Officials to provide input on the success, effectiveness and value of the revised rules.

16. City Council motion per Councilor Mercier on January 29, 2013: City Manager request License Commission revisit and place on their agenda for discussion reducing annual license fees for alcoholic beverages for Veteran Clubs/Members/Guests to equal the amount of restaurant license fees.

City Council Public Safety Sub/Committee

Agenda: Zoning – Definition of Multi Family Housing

February 12, 5:30 PM

City Council Chambers, Lowell City Hall

375 Merrimack St, Lowell, MA 01852

Snow Emergency Parking Ban has been lifted 2/11/2013 @ 11:00AM