CENTER CITY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
May 2, 2006

Present: Mehmed Ali, Larry Field, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sara Khun, Ted Lavash, Bill Lipchitz, Jeanne Osborn, and Steve Syverson.

The meeting opened at 8:35 AM.

At the Monthly meeting of Stakeholder Representatives several goals were discussed and categorized as A) one-year, B) ongoing, and C) long range.

The one-year goals are to make downtown more pedestrian friendly with a focus on crosswalks but also to include traffic flow, signage and shuttle bus routes; and to find ways to encourage new residents at Lawrence Mills to come into the central business district.

The ongoing goal is to integrate new residents into downtown by continuing to sponsor Newcomers Night, increase activities and incentives to use the businesses, residents and cultural venues (create a welcome package available at move-in), and increase participation in Destination World.

The long-range goals are to develop the Paige Street area and to plan for the expansion of the downtown due to the development of the Hamilton Canal Area.

The next steps in the process of developing a work plan would be to meet with DPD regarding (A) and (C), and to work with COOL, the DNA, the DLBA and others on (B). Suggestions include establishing sub-committees for each goal and developing a set of activities to accomplish each of the goals. It is hoped that the work plan document can be brought to the monthly meeting at the end of May.

Ted Lavash reported that the DNA will be participating in the Keep Lowell Beautiful Clean Up day on Saturday, May 6th, and that they see ongoing maintenance as a big issue (not to be confused with the excellent daily cleaning activities provided by the City).

Steve Syverson reported on the Cultural Roundtable meeting with the Mayor’s Cultural Task Force. Councilor Eileen Donohoe, the Task Force Chairman, will bring a motion into the Council to establish a subcommittee to work on an update of the Cultural Plan first approved in 1986 and redone in 1994. The Lowell Plan has agreed to sponsor the hiring of consultants to help with this at a cost of $85,000 - $100,000.

The next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, May 30th in spite of the long standing tradition of not meeting the day after a holiday.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 AM.