CENTER CITY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
July 1, 2003

Present: Fr.John Cox, Eileen Donoghue, Larry Field, Marshall Field, Steve Joncas, Meghan Kriegel, Kathy Lantagne, Bill Lipchitz, and Molly Sheehy.

The meeting opened at 8:35 AM.

Today's meeting was held at The Higher Ground.

Steve Joncas, a local developer who is working with the Community Teamwork, Inc. subsidiary Common Ground Development Corporation (CGDC) to develop affordable housing in the greater Lowell area, talked about the building at 205 Worthen Street and its potential development. Currently in use as a 13 unit SRO, it is slated in the Acre Plan to be converted into a 3 family or other use. Although CGDC does not own it at this time, it is committed to redevelop it in some manner. Economically, it is not feasible to convert it to a three family without a lot of subsidy. One proposal is to make it into a congregate living artist live/work space with a gallery for display and sale of artwork. Other possibilities include perhaps just one residential space and several workspaces. Molly Sheehy cited the Sarris Building at 28 Bridge Street as an example of congregate living, and Kathy Lantagne mentioned a program in Providence where artists used a building for congregate living and workspace.

Councilor Donoghue discussed the city budget issue in regard to the downtown police horses. The cost to maintain the horses is approximately $20,000 per year out of a total police department budget of $20,000,000, or about 0.1%. There are no layoffs in this year’s police budget in spite of the cuts the city has had to absorb. The horses and their police riders have been very useful in maintaining order in the downtown, especially when the High School students flood into the downtown around 2:00 PM every school day; they have been used to disperse crowds quickly when called upon; they enhance the perception of safety by being much more visible than foot patrol officers or cruiser based personnel, they have a traffic calming effect in the downtown; and they fit in well with the historic character of Lowell. Several members talked about their value and all agreed that the safer downtown is and feels, the better off it will be for residents and business owners.

It was the consensus of the members in attendance to support the move to keep the police horses in the downtown.

The focus group of the downtown residents was discussed. Meghan Kriegel had talked with Stephanie McCarthy of COOL about using the Smith Baker Center for the meeting but found that there would be a cost. Father Cox offered the use of Saint Joseph’s Shrine free and will provide light refreshments as well. The meeting will be on Tuesday evening; July 22nd at 5:30 PM. Russ Smith has done a flyer that can be distributed to the various residences. CTI will send out the invitation based on the mail list being developed by Kathy Muldoon and others. Members of the Committee live who live in the downtown will be asked to spread the word in their respective buildings and encourage attendance.

The next meeting of the Committee will be on July 22nd at the focus group. There also will only be one meeting in August, tentatively scheduled for the 19th.

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 AM.

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