News: Recent Coverage

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Revere is banding together with Winthrop and Chelsea to pool resources and save money at a time when communities and state government are cutting back spending for the second year in a row. Under the plan, the three communities will work with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to identify ways to cut costs in all three communities by sharing services.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D – Winthrop) announced Monday that the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) will use District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) Funds to plan for the regionalization of municipal services in Winthrop, Revere and Chelsea in an effort to cut costs and improve services.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The “new” Weymouth Landing envisioned by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council has outdoor dining, better storefronts and more public waterfront space. The council, which studied the Landing for nine months, presented its recommendations during a meeting Tuesday night at Braintree Town Hall.

 

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The City Council last week discussed the possibility of adding bike only lanes to city streets, as a way to encourage bicycle travel and make it safer for cyclists to ride in the area. The resolution, brought up by Councilor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and unanimously approved by the board, was amended to create a bicycle advisory committee to further look at what possibilities Medford has in promoting cycling while dealing with the issue of bike safety.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Supporters of electronic voting at town meeting in Wayland have received a boost recently with the discovery that the nearby municipality of Westwood is also considering adopting the technology.

According to Westwood Town Administrator Michael Gillette, "We’re not absolutely certain about this yet, but we’d certainly like to explore the option." Gillette became aware of electronic voting several years ago when he participated in programs sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and actually used the system.

 

Friday, March 19, 2010

Representatives from major Chinatown-based initiatives attended the March meeting of The Chinatown Coalition (TCC). Discussion topics included the Daybreak Pregnancy Resource Center, the Chinatown Master Plan, the Friends of the Chinatown Library campaign, a trip to the Boston Harbor Islands and Participatory Chinatown's 3-D interactive map.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

School departments across the North Shore are exploring the principle of strength in numbers. The first-ever North Shore Job Fair scheduled May 12 at Collins Middle School in Salem will be their first test. The event is the first of four projects designed to help neighboring communities regionalize their efforts and save cash, said Joseph Domelowicz Jr. of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

A new Braintree-Weymouth Landing zoning district -- that encourages three to four story, mixed use development with reduced parking requirements -- is one of the recommendations contained in a 42-page report prepared by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the regional planning agency for Greater Boston, for both Braintree and Weymouth.

Friday, March 12, 2010

A final version of a plan to revitalize the Weymouth Landing commercial district will be presented during a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, at Braintree Town Hall, 1 John F. Kennedy Memorial Drive. A study of the district was conducted by MAPC during the past several months. The plan addresses strategies for revitalizing the area, including encouraging development, making better use of existing parking, strengthening the business mix, making the area more pedestrian-friendly, and connecting the area with the nearby riverfront.

 

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

MAPC recently completed a study of Weymouth Landing that addresses six new strategies for revitalization: encouraging new development; making better use of existing parking; strengthening the business mix; improving the walking experience; enhancing the sense of place; and strengthening waterfront connections. With the assistance of the MAPC, Braintree and Weymouth are now working to implement this plan.

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