Office of Outdoor Advertising
Public Meeting
May 8, 2014
11:00 AM
Ten Park Plaza
Conference Rm 5 & 6
Boston, MA 02116
Present:
Edward Farley, Executive Director
Chris Quinn, Esq., Counsel
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Office of Outdoor Advertising May 8, 2014
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P R O C E E D I N G S
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EDWARD FARLEY:
Good morning everyone.
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Welcome to the Office of Outdoor Advertising Public
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Meeting for May 8, 2014.
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Ed Farley.
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left is Chris Quinn our legal counsel.
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like to remind everyone, if you haven’t already done
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so, please sign in at the side of the room here.
It is 11:00 AM.
My name is
I am the Director for the office and to my
I would just
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There are also agendas and minutes from lasts months
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meeting.
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With that we will review the April 10,
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2014 minutes.
Are there any comments regarding these
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minutes?
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April 10, 2014 OOA Public Meeting are adopted.
Hearing no comments, the minutes from the
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First agenda item this morning is an
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application for a new license from Mall@Northshore
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LLC.
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reviewed.
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documentation.
For the record, this application has been
It is in order with the accompanying
Is the applicant present this morning?
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DREW HOFFMAN:
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ED FARLEY:
Drew Hoffman.
Okay, Mr. Hoffman, is there
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any additional information you would like to submit
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along with this application?
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DREW HOFFMAN:
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ED FARLEY:
Not at this time.
Okay.
Is there any comment
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regarding this application for license from
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Mall@Northshore.
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reviewed the application in advance, application for
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license for Mall@Northshore is approved.
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Hearing no comment and having
Moving onto agenda Item B, our first
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application is to convert static board to an
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electronic sign in the City of Cambridge.
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applicant present this morning?
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JOHN PELRINE:
Channel.
ED FARLEY:
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JOHN PELRINE:
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CHRIS QUINN:
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ED FARLEY:
You would like to withdraw?
Okay.
Okay.
JOHN PELRINE:
ED FARLEY:
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CHRIS QUINN:
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Just for
Indefinitely at this
time.
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Yes.
indefinitely or just this month or --
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Yes, John Pelrine, Clear
We would like to withdraw that application.
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Is the
Okay.
Let’s see if there is
anyone here from the City of Cambridge.
ED FARLEY:
Is there anyone present
from the City of Cambridge?
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ARTHUR GOLDBERG:
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ED FARLEY:
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ARTHUR GOLDBERG:
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Goldberg.
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City.
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Yes.
Okay, sir.
My name is Arthur
I am the Deputy City Solicitor for the
CHRIS QUINN:
Okay, I think given that
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it is withdrawn there is probably no need for comment
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on the matter because there is really nothing to talk
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about.
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We will just let it go at that, alright.
ARTHUR GOLDBERG:
That’s fine.
Thank
you.
ED FARLEY:
Okay. For the record,
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application 2014D016 proposed for Broadway and Galileo
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Galilei Way in Cambridge has been withdrawn.
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That moves us onto our second
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application for electronic permit from Lamar Whiteco.
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Is the applicant present this morning?
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LAWRENCE DI CARA:
Yes, for the record,
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Lawrence Di Cara, Nixon Peabody, representing Lamar.
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Chris Cockerill is here from Lamar and Greg Monistiero
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is here as the property owner.
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is in order and tab two indicates the local
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improvements which have been requested.
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ED FARLEY:
We believe everything
Okay, thank you Mr. Di Cara
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and I believe we have received some documentation that
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you would like included in the official minutes of the
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meeting.
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LYDIA QUIRK:
We did.
The applicant
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through their attorney did submit some additional
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information that they wanted considered with the
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application.
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That has been given to our stenographer.
ED FARLEY:
Very good.
Tammy, you have
the -- okay, so that paperwork will be included.
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Okay, is there anyone representing the municipality of
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Peabody here this morning?
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show that municipal notification was sent and received
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on March 18 of 2014.
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certified mail sent to abutters within 500-feet of the
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proposed location, at least 30 days to submittal of
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this application?
Okay, and let the record
May I ask the applicant was
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CHRIS COCKERILL:
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ED FARLEY:
Yes.
Are there any abutters
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present this morning?
May I ask, did you receive any
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written comments regarding the proposed sign location?
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CHRIS COCKERILL:
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ED FARLEY:
Okay.
No.
This application was
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it with the City of Peabody, was this received by
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special permit or a variance?
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CHRIS COCKERILL:
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ED FARLEY:
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CHRIS COCKERILL:
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ED FARLEY:
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Special permit?
Okay.
CHRIS COCKERILL:
my head.
ED FARLEY:
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LAWRENCE DI CARA:
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Do you know the date
I don’t on the top of
Several months ago though.
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Yes.
on that special permit?
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Yes.
Okay.
December 16, was the
vote of the City Council as evidence to tab 2.
ED FARLEY:
Very good.
Thank you.
Okay, may I ask who conducted the inspection?
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CHRIS CHAVES:
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ED FARLEY:
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you run us through the field inspection.
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I did.
All right, Mr. Chaves, can
CHRIS CHAVES:
Sure.
This is a
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proposed new build, electronic board located at the
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Sonic Restaurant facing North and South on Route One
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Newbury Street in Peabody.
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have -- there is a board just north or Sonic located
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at Santarpios parking lot.
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The proposed location does
The measurement that we got doing
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multiple measurements is approximately 1,044-feet
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which will have this site in compliance.
There are no
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other signs -- electronic signs on either side of the
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roadway besides that one.
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the opposite side of the roadway but well over 500-
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feet away.
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No parks or anything of that nature.
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compliance.
So there are no other issues on this site.
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There is a static sign on
ED FARLEY:
Okay.
It is in
Is there anyone here
from our District 4 or Traffic Operations Department?
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TED MASSE:
Right here from
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ED FARLEY:
Your name please.
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TED MASSE:
Ted Masse, I work in the
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headquarters.
Traffic and Safety Engineering Section.
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ED FARLEY:
All right, Mr. Masse, any
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further comment relative to the proposed location of
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this sign.
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TED MASSE:
No there isn’t.
We found
ED FARLEY:
All right, is there any
no issues.
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other discussion or public comment this morning
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relative to this application?
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application Lamar Whiteco Outdoor application 2014D019
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and application 2014D020 will be taken under
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advisement.
Hearing no comment,
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Okay, moving onto agenda item B(3)
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Total Outdoor.
We have an application to construct a
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new electronic billboard proposed for One Newbury
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Street.
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here.
I believe we have Mr. Hoffman, the applicant
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DREW HOFFMAN:
Yes, Drew Hoffman.
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ED FARLEY:
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the City of Peabody present this morning.
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the record show that notification was received by the
Okay, is there anyone from
Okay, let
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City of Peabody on April 4, 2014.
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Hoffman, was certified mail sent to abutters within
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500-feet of this proposed sign?
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DREW HOFFMAN:
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ED FARLEY:
Can I ask, Mr.
Yes.
Are there any abutters
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present this morning?
Mr. Hoffman, did you receive
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anything in writing from the letter that was sent out
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or any word?
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DREW HOFFMAN:
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ED FARLEY:
None.
Mr. Hoffman, this permit
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from the City of Peabody, was it issued via variance
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or special permit?
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DREW HOFFMAN:
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ED FARLEY:
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Special permit.
Okay.
Do you happen to
know the date on that?
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DREW HOFFMAN:
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ED FARLEY:
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Okay.
Who did the
inspection, please?
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MARC PLANTE:
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ED FARLEY:
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I don’t.
I did.
Okay, Mr. Plante, can you
take us through the field inspection please.
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MARC PLANTE:
Yes Mr. Director.
This
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will be a new build, proposed for an electronic, two-
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faced.
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actual sign will be facing I-95.
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The address will be Route 1 rear but the
ED FARLEY:
Can you point out where the
location of this sign is to me?
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MARC PLANTE:
Sure.
It will be in the
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parking lot of one of the businesses right here.
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will be facing 95.
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ED FARLEY:
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MARC PLANTE:
It
Okay.
It is a business
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character and there are no spacing issues with other
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signs.
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So it is in compliance.
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No park or recreational areas within 300-feet.
ED FARLEY:
Okay. Do we have anyone
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from our District 4 Traffic Operations?
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you have any further comment?
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TED MASSE:
No.
Mr. Masse, do
We found there were no
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concerns.
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ED FARLEY:
Okay, is there any public
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comment about this application?
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comment application 2014D021 and 2014D022 are under
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advisement.
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application.
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build a bus shelter in the City of Cambridge.
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have a representative present from CEMUSA?
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BRIAN ROWE:
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ED FARLEY:
That moves us along to our last
This applicant is CEMUSA proposing to
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application is in order.
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conducted.
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through.
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Hearing no public
Do we
Right here, Brian Rowe.
Okay, Mr. Rowe, the
A field inspection was
Jason, okay, can you give me a run
JASON BEAN:
Sure.
It is 1740 Mass
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Ave.
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only sort of comment that we made is it a little tight
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on the sidewalk but it is not going to block the
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public.
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think so as well.
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going to be a wrap.
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standard.
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character and that’s it.
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It is a bus shelter facing North and South.
The
The City signed off on it so they didn’t
It is just a standard; it is not
It is just going to be a
There are no park issues.
ED FARLEY:
Okay.
Business
I am sure these are
standard ADA compliant structures.
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BRIAN ROWE:
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Cambridge to install them.
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ED FARLEY:
Yes.
Okay.
We were asked by
Are there any
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comments this morning about this bus shelter?
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none, application 2014003 is taken under advisement.
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For the record items for your review.
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public comment this morning?
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CAROL O’HARE:
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I live in Cambridge.
Hearing
Is there any
Yes ma’am.
My name is Carol O’Hare.
I was too late to comment on the
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Cambridge sign because we got stuck in traffic.
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comment on that?
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ED FARLEY:
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CAROL O’HARE:
May I
You may -It’s not actually
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specifically about Cambridge signs; it’s about all
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electronic signs.
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ED FARLEY:
You are welcome to make a
public comment, sure.
CAROL O’HARE:
Thank you.
I would have
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attended one of your earlier public hearings but I had
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babysitting duties until now, so because they are held
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at eleven in the morning that was impossible.
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please consider these comments being generic, as well
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as Cambridge related.
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So
I have written before about electronic
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signs because I object to this Boards Office’s
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portfolio.
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landscape and our roadways for the benefit of
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commercial advertisers.
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bolstering for short term bucks, losing us long-term
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landscape and night sky views.
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their eyes on the road not just young drivers but all
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drivers.
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It further blights our urban and suburban
It is a short term budget
Focused drivers need
I have been a highest rated driver
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since I started driving with only one slip accident
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more than thirty-five years ago on black ice.
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despite the ten second delay in these signs I have to
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command myself not to watch what is coming next.
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have just returned from Las Vegas were I had a blast
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watching all of their incredible, exciting electronic
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signs that also show movies and that is where they
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belong.
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our scenic roadways.
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Yet,
I
They don’t belong on our city roadways or on
I realize that’s your portfolio but I
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think it is outrageous for short-term bucks to muck up
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our environment with these.
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projecting noise and music from those signs.
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advertisers will say it is a First Amendment speech
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right.
Pretty soon you will be
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Office of Outdoor Advertising May 8, 2014
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I want to compliment you on parts of
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your website.
In particular your interactive map
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which is incredibly informative to the extent that it
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shows things.
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one designated sign-free area apparently, Bunker Hill
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Monument Park.
I notice on that map that there is only
I wonder how that could possibly be.
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Then, so that I don’t waste your time
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or delay people further, I want to say that the rest
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of your website and the communication to the public is
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really embarrassing for a body that is so technically
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capable as your body apparently is.
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some examples.
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these proceedings five minutes before five o’clock of
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the Friday morning before your Thursday hearings.
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municipalities in which these signs are proposed gets
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public notice a month before.
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I will give you
We the public get emailed notices of
The
Why is that?
I understand that there may be changes
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to the agenda between those two periods.
Things may
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be withdrawn.
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original agenda that was sent to the municipalities
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with copies to your list that the agenda may be
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changed up to whatever date, and then people need to
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check your website for agenda changes.
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give people notice at the same time as the
All you need to do is note on the
Then you could
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municipalities receive notice.
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eleven AM meeting on a Thursday morning takes some
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planning if you really want public comment.
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Because coming to an
Then there is the matter of the minutes
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on your meetings.
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There is a Linda, Lydia Quirk, Lydia Quirk has been
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very helpful and responsive and she has offered to
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send me the full minutes of any matter that comes
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before you, if I request the particular matter.
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You have abbreviated minutes.
Well, if you don’t post them, you are
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very sophisticated which gets us back to your
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interactive map.
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online?
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put a word document up with minutes in it.
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don’t have to make specific requests and people can
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see what happened during the proceedings.
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Why are the minutes not posted
If you can put a map up, you can certainly
So people
As to the abbreviated minutes we are
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talking one word abbreviations.
The only words I see
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on your abbreviated minutes are approved, taken under
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advisement, or remain under advisement.
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really, I would say, abbreviated short-hand.
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kind of not informative at all.
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respectfully suggest that you post the minutes.
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the March minutes aren’t up yet.
That’s
That’s
So I would
And
So, if someone were
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here to talk about the March minutes, or what happened
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at the March proceeding that could not attend the
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March meeting, they would have no way of knowing.
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So the question is, do you really want
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public input into this process?
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running since I don’t know when, maybe last summer.
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don’t know how much public comment you have received
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but the system is set up so that it is very difficult
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for the public.
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You have been up and
You get the jest of what I am saying.
I oppose these.
They are an assault
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and a permanent blight on our landscape that scenic
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Massachusetts and Governor Dukakis and Lady Bird
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Johnson would just be appalled at.
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ED FARLEY:
Thank you for your
comments.
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CAROL O’HARE:
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ED FARLEY:
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I
comments this morning?
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Thank you for your time.
Is there any other public
Miss Thurlow.
RACHEL THURLOW:
Just to second that.
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It is over two years now that we have requested you
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look at the agenda items on the website.
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wonderful website.
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have all these great and easy ways to provide to the
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public.
It is a
The Twitter use is great.
You
The fact that the agenda items are only sent
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to your insider email lists.
It is arguable whether
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you are giving proper notice.
So it would be really
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nice.
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the website please.
It is a legitimate request and just post it on
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Thanks.
CAROL O’HARE:
There is one more
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comment, I forgot one more comment if you will.
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don’t understand what the notices are.
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notices.
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just announces the meeting.
I
I get two
One notice is a barebones empty notice that
At the same --
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simultaneously at five of five on the Friday before
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the meeting 4:55, I get another notice that has your
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agenda attached.
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getting the barebones notice because --
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Are there some people who are only
ED FARLEY:
I’m not sure about that.
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You are supposed to get the attachment along with the
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notification.
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CAROL O’HARE:
Okay, so I’m wondering
if anybody knows what the agenda is.
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ED FARLEY:
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so that I can see the agenda as well too.
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I get it emailed to myself
CAROL O’HARE:
Okay, so why isn’t the
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agenda and why aren’t the minutes posted on your
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website?
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ED FARLEY:
We can take a look at that
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request.
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CAROL O’HARE:
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ED FARLEY:
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Okay.
Thank you.
Yes ma’am,
what’s your name?
5
HEATHER HOFFMAN:
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Hoffman and I apologize I was late because of a
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disabled MBTA train.
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where we are in the meeting and whether you are taking
9
public comment on everything before you or just a
10
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My name is Heather
So I am just asking procedurally
specific item.
ED FARLEY:
You are welcome to give
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public comment on any of the items that we have
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addressed today or if you have a specific issue that
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you would like to go in the record.
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HEATHER HOFFMAN:
I am here to comment
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on item 3B (1)(A), the proposed change of the
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billboard at Broadway and Galileo Galilei Way to an
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electronic billboard.
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ED FARLEY:
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CHRIS QUINN:
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HEATHER HOFFMAN:
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appropriate to comment now.
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CHRIS QUINN:
Yes.
24
Yup.
So if it is
You may but the
application was withdraw.
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HEATHER HOFFMAN:
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CHRIS QUINN:
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Oh, it was.
Okay.
But if you still want to
comment that is fine.
4
RACHEL THURLOW:
5
HEATHER HOFFMAN:
Comment anyway.
I am happy to
6
comment.
As I understand it the regulations forbid
7
such billboards within 300-feet of a public park and a
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public park is about my height away from that
9
billboard.
So it is not a fully public park right now
10
but it has been open space for decades.
11
the neighborhood for thirty years and it was open
12
space long before that.
13
Team has been talking about making that a dog park for
14
many years and very recently within the last couple of
15
years the owner, the Cambridge Redevelopment
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Authority, conveyed it to the City of Cambridge for
17
the purposes of being a public park.
18
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The East Cambridge Planning
So I hope that that qualifies as enough
of a public park to keep that withdrawn.
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21
I’ve lived in
CHRIS QUINN:
use as a park?
Well, is it actually in
Does it have a name?
HEATHER HOFFMAN:
It does not have a
23
name but it has been used as a park for decades.
24
is grassy open space.
It
It has at the other end of it
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there is a marvelous cottonwood tree that was sort of
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our introduction to that park because my husband heard
3
it rustling before we even saw it.
4
there and use it as a park.
5
CHRIS QUINN:
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Do you know how big it
is?
7
8
People hang out
HEATHER HOFFMAN:
Oh God, more than an
acre.
9
CHRIS QUINN:
All right, well again, it
10
is a moot point because the application but if and
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when the application comes back we will take a look at
12
that issue.
13
HEATHER HOFFMAN:
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ED FARLEY:
15
morning?
16
this meeting is adjourned.
Okay, thank you.
Any other comments this
Okay hearing no comment, it is 11:24 and
Thank you.
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(Whereupon, the proceedings were
concluded on May 8, 2014 at 11:24 a.m.)
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C E R T I F I C A T E
I, Tammy A. Hillery, do hereby certify that the
foregoing record is a true and accurate transcription of
the proceedings in the above-captioned matter to the best
of my skill and ability.
_________________________________________
Tammy A. Hillery
**All names not provided were spelled phonetically to
the best of my ability.
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