Judy Locchi Jacobs says:
Why did the junior high schools in Somerville close? Was it because the buildings were in bad repair?
They were left in disrepair so they could be sold off to developers— also we now have more childless couples and single transients who dominate the population of our city.
The junior high in union square is that southern or northeastern?…was made into condos. Not sure of the other.
Western Junior High is dominated by Tufts with their administrative offices. They will soon own it outright due to timeframe of deed by the city which rumors have suggested it will be converted to condos.
I believe that is going to be the case since Powderhouse Community School and former playground is now being converted to house the following which is said to be for the community but I believe it will be used by Tufts students mostly and when the condos are built at former WJHS site.
Tufts will have formed a tiny little community for themselves—outrageous given the fact they own 90 homes in Ward 7, and Our Revolution wayward children with alleged trust funds are screaming for affordable housing.
The city has given Tufts permission to convert 30 of those homes purchased for student housing. And they don’t pay taxes on any of this property.
Proposed projects at PHCS:
Condos, start ups, young adult performance theatre, outdoor movie screen, open barbecue pit, bike school, outdoor adult gym and child playground (Tufts run a daycare inside TAB/WJHS), rock climbing wall.
Does this sound like it’s for the community? I will also go so far as to say the developer of PHCS who admits to have worked for the mayor at city hall some years ago, in my opinion is a straw man for Tufts.
Our neighborhood meetings with them were heated and it took over a year for them to finally withdraw from the project only to put someone else in place to finish what they started.
Tufts already spent thousands on planning hired architects and engineers— they insult our intelligence by telling us the mayor withdrew their application while keeping their $10k filing fee. Reason cited was they wanted to sit on the property for another 15 years.
This is our city today— catering to young adults who wasted their college education on liberal arts education instead of forming careers that expect structure and discipline now saddled with college debt look to our politicians and bully us into forking over more tax money (sale of homes- tax transfer), and ROFR (have to sell your home to tenants who quality). Both of these bills are going to be voted on by BOA and state house. If you own a home this could effect you. Please get involved. Our city is now being taken over and occupied by special interests and corporate run higher ed within a 5 mike radius of our city.
Coupled with the fact, the liberal politicians have given our properties away to developers at a huge discount without forcing them to pay for infrastructure- sewer, streets and affordable housing for our local seniors, disabled, families and singles.
Surrounding colleges are turning our city into a playground and bedroom community for their students because they realize our political establishment is only too happy to accommodate.
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Somerville Speakup Line:Where Do We Go From Here?
Ann says:
The text of the transfer tax memo. Don’t trust the 1%. Ill defined also allows room to expand. Also mentioned potential assistance to businesses. Rumor has it that BOA have promised their votes to Revolution.
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Somerville Speakup Line:FRIT Dodged the Bullet But Taxpayers Took The Hit Again
Ann says:
That’s a good number of signatures considering the lack of exposure and notification about the transfer tax. The city just did two city wide mailings of quarterly tax bills and water bills. If the BOA were responsible to their constituents, rather than keeping this proposal under the radar, they could have mailed notification to every single property owner at zero cost. I attended the closed BOA meeting where the transfer tax was discussed. It was clear to anyone in the room that most of our elected officials were already in support of implementing this new tax – and this was before public testimony. Time to elect people who will represent all of us.
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Somerville Speakup Line:FRIT Dodged the Bullet But Taxpayers Took The Hit Again
Judy Locchi Jacobs says:
Excellent points, Ann. Based on my personal experience as a homeowner and professional experience, my theory is this:The administration is going to continue to create financial hardships for homeowners who refuse to sell as they keep building luxury condos.
Those condos will be made for students, bought by parents as investments while neighboring colleges don’t have to provide campus housing. Some proponents at the meeting complained we would otherwise become a city of only wealthy inhabitants— rich and poor maybe, not just wealthy. I don’t believe section 8 housing would only go to those qualified.
There are others involved who I suspect are manipulating the process to their own advantage. If a person has a trust fund for instance, should they qualify for subsidized housing? That’s a theory floating around. Some people think they are clever and “know how to work the system”, as it’s referred to.
None other than the non-profits who are experts. Just take a look at those who have in healthcare, academia and religious groups.There gain is our loss. Let’s have some much needed transparency shall we?
Student loan debt has reach over $1 Trillion Dollars. Those who defaulted on loans have settled in Europe, leaving parents as co-signers to pay their obligations. I’m wondering if that’s why we see so many young adults looking for subsidized housing? Maybe instead of electing a disciple that does not produces a paycheck, pick one that does? Not everyone can be Andy Warhol or Sylvia Plath.
The colleges discovered it’s too expensive and avoid projects entirely, so the condo associations and city can deal with any future liabilities student housing would bring.
I’m sure there will be multilayered third parties to manage any issues that arise so those who created the mess won’t have to.
Other categories of condo owners will be faculty and administrators, maybe the very people responsible for creating the redevelopment projects. I recall a post I read about the former mayor of Boston giving away luxury condos to developers. It would not surprise me to know others in the construction field getting a few free condos or other gifts.
Like our properties, they will be the gift that keeps on giving, at the sacrifice of working class families who earned the homes and should never have to deal with this nightmare some refer to as progress.
Let’s ask the wealthy suburbanites of Belmont, Newton, Wellesley and Brookline to give up their homes because we need a change. How do you think they would react?
Since when has our town been made the capital of wayward college grads with enormous student debt who need rent controlled housing? That’s exactly what affordable housing is in this case and worse, it’s subsidized by federal and state funding which again is paid by taxpayers. Just because they refer to it as affordable housing does mean it’s created to help those who cannot afford.
Does everyone understand that because what looks shiny and bright on the outside, doesn’t mean it’s great on the inside? Ask city officials how many of the development projects were later found to have cracked and unstable foundations, faulty wiring and plumbing, leaks, mold and later uninhabitable, costing condo owners thousands in legal fees to find the contractors skipped town. Where does this fall? On our city taxpayers.
By then, money grabbers will be long gone, so will the politicians who allowed it.
Also ask the aldermen which colleges they work and are affiliated. That’s not by coincidence.
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Somerville Speakup Line:FRIT Dodged the Bullet But Taxpayers Took The Hit Again
Ann says:
Agreed. No matter if or how more revenue is directed towards Affordable Housing, why would anyone feel confident in giving the city control over those funds? I know I don’t given the track record, and their current intentions to stimey property owners with various proposals that will damage our property values. Namely the rezoning – or I should be more accurate… DOWNzoning of our RB properties to NR. For anyone unfamiliar with this rezoning, NR is restricting creation of more rental housing in Somerville’s densest neighyborhoods. RB allows 3 units versus 2 units. Affordability and demand for rental units being a constant issue, with many multis being reclassified downwards as NR, the potential to build a 3rd unit is eliminated. This rezoning HURTS renters and owners alike!! This proposal damages: 1) the prperty owner’s right to add a 3rd unit which devalues his property by hundreds of thousands of dollars 2) Encourages illegal units, which are unsafe 3) prevents creation of additional rental units which could ease the affordability problem by some measure 4) reduces additional property taxes for the City (this would be forfeiture of permanent tax dollars for the City) 5) permitting for 3rd units would bring in additional revenue for the City. Our residential neighbors are already a mix of 2 and 3 families – there is no issue of ‘changing the character’ of the neighborhood. There is not a single reason DOWNzoning makes sense.
<br />As a property owner who rents to my tenants at 60-70% of market value, and my property is not mortgage free, I suggest that all who think affordable housing is worthy of funding, also be contributors. Investors who collect highend rents, persons who run their property as air bnbs, should be taxed (not just short term investors who are flipping). Some investors hold and collect rents, other people use their ‘residential’ property as a business (air bnb). Air BNB should be permitted, inspected and taxed different from strictly long-term residential rental use. Renters who rent one bedrooms at $2000 or 2-3 bedrooms at $3000, can equally afford to pay a ‘luxury tax’ of 1% of a 12-month rental. These renters typically are passing through in a year or two and have a strong desire to live in porter davis. 1% of a 3000/month rental is $3,600 which could be split between owner and tenant. While surely there are low income folks in Somerville, there is also great wealth to tap into and some renters fit that profile. There are more affordable rentals outside the city, so it’s a choice not a necessity to pay these luxury prices. Do not expect long term property owners who invested and live here, who bought when Somerville was a risky proposition (known as Slummerville), to pay the carrying costs without participation by everyone who came here when Somerville became the hot destination. If affordable housing is a worthy endeavor, then everyone needs to contribute to the pot in a more equitable fashion, and should be willing to.
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Somerville Speakup Line:Where Do We Go From Here?
Cathy Collins says:
FYI check out the finance committee’s agenda for their next meeting. They’re bonding $6,000,000. for affordable housing to be paid through cpa funds. How do you trust your alderman when they don’t provide the full picture and they take so long to do what they said they would do with the CPA funds? Are you willing to trust them on the transfer tax?
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Somerville Speakup Line:Where Do We Go From Here?
Courtney O’Keefe says:
I have written in opposition, as well. The lack of details makes me uncomfortable supporting this initiative.
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Somerville Speakup Line:Where Do We Go From Here?
Jennine Hickey says:
7 alderman and four at Large are going to tell the home ownes what is good for us. Put it on the ballot and let the home ownes vote.
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Somerville Speakup Line:Where Do We Go From Here?
A Moore says:
The only problem I see here is that how many of our alderpersons are going to oppose Joe?
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Somerville Speakup Line:Where Do We Go From Here?
John L Sullivan says:
The other important aspect of this home rule petition it also includes commercial properties. Unfortunately that also trickles down to the residents that do business in the city.
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Somerville Speakup Line:Where Do We Go From Here?
Judy Locchi Jacobs says:
Thank you, John for the work you are doing to raise awareness of the deceptive motives behind the transfer tax.
Former Alderman and State Rep, Vinny Ciampa’s comments at last night’s meeting proved questionable tactics involved of trying to rush this bill through to the state house legislators.
Equally as evident, is the intentions of the board to keep our local community uniformed about the transfer tax, it’s implications and their negligence of announcing important timely meetings including those to include public commentary and board only discussions.
In this case— what we don’t know can and will absolutely hurt us!
As Vinny pointed out— Section 5 could be changed at anytime. It would suggest that the percentage rate of their proposed 1%, ($10k per million), could be subject to increase at anytime.
I encourage anyone reading this to please check on the city’s website for meetings about the transfer tax and right of first refusal. Both will hurt long time home and commercial property owners.
Also contact and write your aldermen and local representatives.
Thank you
Judy
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Somerville Transfer Tax Meeting
Andrew Kasparian says:
Because of a medical issue I could not be at the meeting tonight. I am against the transfer tax. I am against changes to the Zoning laws for the benefit of contractors and developers and the city. Genocide of seniors being squeezed out like me is illegal. If the city really cared about affordable housing developers should not get wavers to affordable housing laws. As I understand it Assembly Row has 6% affordable housing not the legal 20%. I am a senior and lately have been feeling very stressed out because I feel the zoning laws WILL make me and other seniors move with a contractor stealing my house.
<br />Home home owners like many of us are not wealthy contrary to what renters believe. In 2017 my tax went up $100 a month and in 2018 it went up another $100 a month. My home owners insurance goes up every year and my water bill for the house goes up up up. Then if an appliance breaks down I have buy a replacement. I like many caring owners have the responsibility of keeping their property in a safe livable condition. I have not raised my rents for about 2 years. Renters do not have to worry about repairs and maintenance. I am against rent control by any deceptive name, 100% against it.
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Somerville Transfer Tax Meeting
JPM says:
I am against the transfer tax. I own a condo,
When you buy property in an area, you take a risk. Mark N. might not recognize this. Yes, Somerville has done well. But it could easily have gone the other way. I know, my relatives have lived here since 1970. Even in the late 1980s and early 1990s Somerville was on shaky ground. Crime was on the rise, house prices were stagnant, they wanted to bulldoze the Somerville theater, there were bad dudes hanging around on Central between Highland and Broadway all the time. If Somerville had gone down the plughole and property values had plunged, would any of the powers that be have come in to bail out the homeowners? Of course not. Thus on the flip side, if it does well, the homeowners benefit.
As to the renter complaining. This also applies to your comment. If an area goes down, all a renter has to do is give his notice and he is out of the mess in 30 days. A homeowner does not have that luxury – they have to sell, and maybe at a large loss. There certainly are disadvantages to renting, but there are also major advantages as well. Flexibility being one of them. If it bothers you that much, then move to a place where you can afford to buy. Guess what? That might be the next Somerville.
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Somerville Transfer Tax Fee Meeting
Towne says:
We aren’t really all in this together. I rent, which means I pay someone else’s mortgage. They gain equity and I gain nothing. They will get an ENORMOUS amount of profit when this crumbling old building is sold and I will get nothing.
Like many renters, I fear complaining about maintenance because the rent could easily go way up and someone would still pay, but this leaves many of us paying exorbitant prices for living conditions that aren’t even up to code, much less worth a luxury price tag. The fact that many of us leave for better opportunity and lower cost is not a justification we are less a part of the community and have less right to be informed. It is a symptom of the problem that we have no voice, no leverage, no recourse and are ultimately left with no options.
I don’t support longtime residents being gouged or priced out and it definitely is not ok to intentionally not inform homeowners. (Although I don’t believe tenants were any more informed about this. I have not been “rounded up by progressive aldermen.”) But when a cheaply renovated condo (half of which is in a basement) sells for $800,000, is a 1% tax on a giant profit margin really a meaningful loss? These days, only people who are very rich or who bought property in the 70’s can afford to live in Somerville.
We need policies that will enable middle and low income people to continue to live in Somerville. I do not know if this tax is the answer, but I would like to see more fact-based analysis of the potential ramifications for everyone in town. (Also, tenants are people too!)
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Jack Connlley’s Letter to Somerville BOA on Transfer Fee
Bob Trane says:
Very well put Jack, as a former member of the board that served with you i have to say i have heard numerous people comment on how they are just hearing about this proposal, and i have to admit as a person that keeps up on various items in the city i was shocked at the compressed schedule for something with such a huge impact on peoples lives,
A a group that ran on open and inclusive government it is mind boggling that they want to push this forward as fast as possible, from what i have seen it is poorly written and does not take into accountant how fast things can change in a persons life.
Many of us have lived long enough to know that the economy can turn on a dime, a job can be lost, a medical issue can put a strain on a families finances , and in times like that the only well they have to draw from is the biggest investment they have, there home.
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Jack Connlley’s Letter to Somerville BOA on Transfer Fee
Glenn’s says:
I also do not believe that hard working homeowners that have worked all these years paying a mortgage and taxes should be penalized that if they should ever sell The city will make them pay a transfer tax fee. Look to developers for affordable housing or people may just need to live where they can afford, but don’t put yet another burden on homeowners.
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Jack Connlley’s Letter to Somerville BOA on Transfer Fee
Lynne says:
Thank you Jack. I invested in Somerville long before it became the place to be. I have been personally providing my tenants with affordable housing for over 20 years, now the City intends to capitalize on my investment. I oppose this tax, and oppose putting more money in the hands of the City to mismanage and misappropriate. If affordable housing is an ideology that people agree should be funded, then all people should be willing to contribute to it. Affordable housing cannot be funded by OPM (other peoples money).