Motorists,
bikers and pedestrians shared the roadways via clearly delineated
pathways. No longer was the view looking down Washington Street marred
by the McGrath Highway overpass, as that had been leveled as part of
the Green Line Extension and landscape improvement project.

Sounds
pretty nice, eh? Well, that's what the group of 30 or so residents
thought when they gathered at the Holiday Inn last Wednesday night
during the fifth of six interactive community meetings to talk about
the six new Green Line stops in Somerville.

This meeting was
for the Innerbelt/Brickbottom T-Stop along the Green Line Extension,
which is planned for the Joy Street area leading out of the Brickbottom
Gallery. Most people who appeared lived and/or worked in the
Brickbottom complex at 1 Fitchburg Street, while others reside on
neighboring streets. Most residents were long-timers, claiming an
average of 15 years and more, with the range running from three to 54
years.

Lisa Gimbel, the special projects assistant for the
Somerville Community Corporation kicked off the meeting by asking
people to close their eyes and envision the Joy Street area in 2019,
five years after the Green Line project is complete.

People
could really see the landscaping and focus on green areas that would
encourage more diversity in nature, such as bird life. One resident
said it will be very important for businesses to maximize their
properties, such as how the Neighborhood Restaurant in Union Square
turned its driveway into an outdoor seating area.

People
envisioned "mom and pop" restaurants that celebrate the rich diversity
of Somerville residents, as well as the nostalgic return to soda shops.
One person hopes that there will be a zoning change for office
buildings in the Innerbelt area to encourage new business. Currently
that area is industrially zoned, but is an underutilized area that
could bring in tax revenues.

As Somerville is one of the most
congested cities around, a lot of emphasis was placed upon bike paths,
such as one leading from the Brickbottom area to the new T stop, as
well as connecting around the rest of the Green Line stops. People
optimistically saw themselves living in a world where the pedestrian
has the priority to cross streets and weed through traffic.

It
was important for people to clean up the view that they currently have
on Washington Street and to do away with the unsightly McGrath Highway
overpass.

More greener pastures come with a price tag,
however. People also realistically predict that real estate values will
go up, with median prices of homes going from $450,000 to $600,000 and
three bedroom apartments starting at around $2,200.

And with a
more expensive city to live in, people feared that the immigrant
population may be forced out, especially in the East Somerville area
where this meeting took place. Many people raised their
hands-immigrants themselves-and said that they want to ensure the city
puts plans in place to allow them and their children to stay here.

Other
fears ranged from increased traffic, to the need for more parking
(though putting in the Green Line will hopefully move people away from
using cars).

"We hope to see redevelopment as a good thing," one resident said. "But what we don't want is over development."

After
batting around their visions, people came up with a list of principles
to keep in mind moving forward. Seeing as this is a community forum,
Gimbel stressed that holding community meetings like this allow for
peoples' voices to be heard during this critical time of planning. The
principles include the following:

o Create more amenities-Planning should include building stores, a movie theater, well lit streets and landscaping.

o
Create fluid access-Getting from one neighborhood to another should be
streamlined via pedestrian crossings and improved road plans to ease
the current choppy flow of traffic. A convenient, multi-modal transport
will be a priority, which includes bikes, pedestrians, wheelchairs and
cars.

o Restore, enhance and preserve the natural green
space-Ask builders to capitalize on any available open space. People
should keep in mind the adaptive reuse of properties.

o
Include the voice of the community-Planning should preserve and
encourage the diversity of residents and businesses. People should
consider affordable housing and rent control.

Somerville
Transportation Equity Partnership has joined forced with Groundwork
Somerville, the Somerville Community Corporation, and the Somerville
Community Health Agenda to form the CCP. The CCP is providing the
opportunity for continued community involvement in the planning stages
by organizing these six meetings in Somerville neighborhoods with stops
on the Green Line Extension.