His comments and responses go unchecked by most people
On April 15, 2018, Mayor Rivera responded to a newspaper report that the housing build-up in the city was taxing the public schools by stating that “…..believed that most of the new housing being built in the mills will be rented by people already living in Lawrence, mostly in overcrowded conditions, not by outsiders.” Rumbo finds that statement to be inaccurate and misleading.
Let’s analyze why residents live in overcrowded conditions. They live in those conditions because Lawrence does not offer enough affordable housing. The housing stock in Lawrence is the most expensive to live in the Merrimack Valley. Put some effort on that mayor. Today, I checked the rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Royal Crest Estates in North Andover for $1669. In Riverside Dr. in Methuen I found one for $1,300. According to Zillow.com, if I want to live in Lawrence in Hawthorne Way I would have to pay $1,799. That’s the problem Mr. Mayor; people in Lawrence are creating the overcrowdings because the only way they can pay this rent is by living two or three families together.
The housing build-up, announced in April 2018, has 691 new units being built between three mills (Van Brodie Mill, Worsted Mill, and Pacific Mills).
These 691 new units will convert into a possible 2,764 people coming to live there, mostly young people. If we average a regular nuclear family of a father, mother and two children. We know that the situation of a single mother living with four children is very real in this city. But let’s say that we the taxpayers get lucky and we only inherit 800 new kids in the school system. What is the plan to address that? How are we going to accommodate these children? How we going to pay for it?
Rumbo requested public records of the city’s census and voter registration list and analyzed the data. Additionally, LPS school data, which has even better detailed and accurate numbers, has shown that most of the new increases in the Lawrence Public Schools are from students coming from outside the school district. People are always on the move and we have inherited people from disaster areas like Puerto Rico and Florida that have made Lawrence their new home.
So we have found that Mayor Rivera is either not intelligent or is totally oblivious to the concerns of the impact new housing is creating in Lawrence. Our position is not that new housing is being created, but that along with new housing should be new schools as well. And, while he states that, “I don’t think there’s an alarm to be rung here,” schools libraries and other rooms are being eliminated to create spaces for new classrooms or programs. Soon, the LPS teachers will most likely see increases in class sizes (which is usually more difficult for teachers to effectively teach students). These teacher/student ratio will devalue our children’s education.
What mayors do and think is obviously an important influence on urban development in many urban centers, including Lawrence. But what councilors do by vote is even more important.
During an interview Councilor Laplante stated that, “the developers make very persuasive arguments as to why we should…” approve these new units. But his comments is a slap to the faces of Lawrence residents by basically stating boards don’t typically hear from residents when new developments are proposed, so basically there is no one available to debate the development. Therefore if no one objects, then he approves. News flash! That’s your job Mr. Councilor. Your job is to ensure to make policy decisions and enact laws on our behalf. Your job and to ensure there is a balance between all the development taking place and the need for schools, public safety, health agencies, and ensure displacement or gentrification does not take place.
What are we going to do with that way of thinking? It’s almost as the need for money trumps the need for efficiency and proper development.
I would like to propose a new way of thinking to our current councilors, treat the city purse like it’s your own, make sound decision thinking is your money. Would you add an extension in your home without thinking what would be the long range effect on your finances? Stop, Think, Analyzed and when you vote, vote thinking that you also are paying for your decisions.
Money for the poor?
This home located at 12 Ridge Rd. in Prospect Hill belongs to Franklin Miguel, the former councilor at-Large candidate who is now the Capital Asset Director earning $95,000 for salary. Before coming to this position, he was working for the Commonwealth so it is safe to assume that he was not in need.
He is now putting vinyl siding, new windows and deleading at a cost of $49,000 thanks to a grant from Community Development.
