by Frank Schroth
The Granite Avenue Study Committee voted their final recommendations last night and at the same time learned that the parcel they had under review in anticipation the town might acquire it is likely to remain with the Department of Transportation. Bryan Furze, Chair of the committee, informed the group that he had been told the DOT would retain the property for equipment storage due to the expansion of the Convention Center.
In addition, the DOT plans to construct an office building, is reviewing taking Granite Avenue down from two lanes from four, as well as adding a bicycle lane and other street improvements. Apparently the DOT informed residents of this at a meeting which one member of the committee Brian Beane may have attended. He confirmed the points made by Mr Furze regarding the DOT’s intent. Furze noted that nothing at this point was final.
In their report the committee did not recommend a specific use. Rather, they identified several general uses and identified the benefits of each. These included retail, other residential (e.g. assisted living, nursing, hospice), multifamily, office, indoor athletic facility, storage facility, light manufacturing & industrial use. Using a grid they identified benefits of each. For example, one benefit any of those options could provide is a screen for noise, dirt, and visual impact of I-93. Other residential and multifamily options could help address affordable housing goals etc. They composed a similar grid identifying concerns associated with each use such as traffic impacts. Lastly, they identified specific uses they did not recommend. These included but were not limited to any municipal use, a hotel, single family housing and wind turbine. They provided a rationale for each.
The quorum of members present signed off on the recommendations with the understanding that minor edits recommended by Member Cindy Christiansen would be incorporated and the report done by Beals and Thomas would be added as an addendum.
The other members of the committee, in addition to Mr. Furze and Ms. Christiansen, were Ellen Anselone, Brian Beane, April Lamoureux, Nancy O’Sullivan and Jeanne Schmidt.
I want to clarify that one of my suggested and committee-approved changes was not minor – it was about the June 2014 FEMA map and the description of the lot.
What a shame that the state will not revert the DPW Yard to its rightful owners – the Town of Milton.
The DPW is sure a welcome site to those entering Milton from Granite Avenue: half ton trucks, corrugated steel storage garages and piles of salt and sand not to mention the fragrance of Diesel fumes wharfing from the exhausts of the DPW service trucks.
Yup, “Welcome To Milton” !
A little confused by this article.
I get that the State will not surplus this property at This time but a DOT Office building? Where ? When and where was the DOT informational meeting ? Who was invited ? Selectmen, planning board ?
A thank you to the GASC for their time and effort.
What I would like but may have missed was an analysis of the cost ( town services) and benefit ( tax revenue ) of the options discussed.
“Taking Granite Ave from 4 to 2 lanes”?? The back-up traffic through East Milton Square in the mornings will be excruciating…all one has to do now is look at it while the 2 north-board lanes on Granite are still in use…this would be a big mistake and I cannot believe that the Board of Selectmen will not address this a a negative move toward abating traffic.
I fully realize that traffic in and through Milton is not going to decrease; our location as a gateway to Boston will not allow this. But adding to congestion is not an answer.
Dick, the DOT informational meeting was set up by Rep Walter Timilty. He reached out to the neighbors who live across the street from the DOT lot. Rep Timilty wanted us to hear what the DOT plans were first hand. As it turns out the GASC seemed to be a waste of time because this property was never declared surplus and the committee debated a use of a lot that was never theirs to debate. The neighbors are happy to be included in the discussions. This lot currently serves as a small maintenance facility as well as a dumping ground of snow removal from Mass highways. We have watched melting sludge, floating shopping carts and mattresses floating across the parking lot for many years on end and have put up with night time noise from outside contractors who have used this lot for outside work. The future plans will no longer house snow removal and the huge salt shed will be gone. We look forward to working with corporate offices who will be more aware of their presence and recognize that they abut a residential neighborhood. We believe that this plan is an improvement over the current state of the Mass Highway lot.