Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge peer review of Medicomit public-safety study; council hears park and crosswalk safety complaints
Summary
Public speakers urged the Waterfront Commission and council to require a peer-reviewed public-safety impact study for the Medicomit (MET) redevelopment, citing projected traffic increases; council also heard a Sabin Point Park resident describe a large local goose population and a council member press for expedited crosswalk repairs in heavy-pedestrian areas.
Candice Seal (Keep Medicomit Green) read two emails into the record requesting that the Waterfront Commission require an updated public-safety impact report for the Medicomit ("MET") project and that the study be peer reviewed. Seal told the council the original public-safety author described his work as rushed and incomplete and recommended a fuller study; she said the commission had previously voted that impact studies should be peer reviewed. Seal cited projected traffic impacts discussed in her submission—an increase of about 11,000 annual daily vehicle trips, the addition of dozens of daily delivery truck trips for commercial space she described as roughly 153,000 square feet (including a 95,000-square-foot grocery component) and 890 residential units—and urged the council to place the matter on a future docket for public discussion and official review.
Council members said they would monitor the issue and the mayor’s office said it would meet with police and fire chiefs to ensure public-safety officials remain aware of project developments. The chief of staff stated the council had previously delegated oversight of the project to the Waterfront Commission but that any required peer-review processes and the commission’s obligations should be respected and followed.
Separately, John Peters, a resident who lives near Sabin Point Park, reported a flock of roughly 25–36 geese in park areas, warned that droppings raise E. coli concerns around play areas, and proposed (subject to state permission) harvesting the birds; Peters said the plan would involve trained hunters and nonlethal logistics to reduce hazards. The council accepted the public comment for the record but did not take immediate action on the proposal.
Councilwoman Sousa raised safety concerns about two long‑outstanding crosswalk repairs—one at Reynolds and Broadway in front of the public safety building and one on Warren Ave near 7th Street—and asked the DPW to provide proof that parts have been ordered or to expedite full replacement rather than continue a prolonged partial repair cycle. Members emphasized the risk to pedestrians, especially schoolchildren, and asked the administration for specific status updates to share with residents.
No formal decisions were made at this meeting; council members asked administration staff to follow up and to place the Medicomit peer-review request on a future docket for discussion.
