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Too
Much Grafitti
Metuen
Councilor Ken Willette
 This column is dedicated
to both state and local issues, which should immediately
be addressed by our respective leaders at the State House
and Methuen City Hall.
I have witnessed a disturbing proliferation of graffiti
on state bridges throughout the Merrimack Valley. I am
not entirely sure if the unsightly graffiti is the direct
result of “tagging” by local gangs, but a rapid
response by the MassHighway department is definitely in
order. I will submit my concerns directly to Senator
Steve Baddour regarding the urgency to eradicate
extensive graffiti on state bridges and structures.
My main recommendation will be to establish a 1-800
Hot-Line to enable motorists to report existing graffiti
and suspicious activity. A process is already in place
for motorists to report debris fields of garbage near our
state roadways, so a similar process identified on
highway signs and through the Internet can and should be
utilized to prioritize trouble spots for graffiti
tagging.
The official state web site can also be geared for this
important mission. By expeditiously removing graffiti on
state bridges and other structures, we will be
implementing the “broken windows” theory of
policing, which directly calls for the removal of
graffiti on public facilities to deter further acts of
criminal activity. New York City and Washington, D.C.
have been highly successful in devoting constant manpower
and resources aimed at removing graffiti on subway cars
and throughout subway stations.
Commuters appreciated the cleanup efforts and directly
witnessed a reduction of such blatant gang activity and
criminality as a result. The appearance of lawlessness,
whether it is graffiti or broken windows, must be
addressed head on as it will pay positive dividends to
the commonwealth. The first visual impression that
motorists witness while traveling through our
commonwealth is the current presence of graffiti on state
bridges, which rapid response teams can purge in a
heartbeat.
Finally, at the local level, neighbors on Forest Street
have expressed legitimate concerns about a proposed
housing development in their vicinity.
The rumor mill has run rampant, with discussion of the
possible creation of a Chapter 40R district on that
parcel of land. I have stated my official opposition to
such a district because of the following reasons. First
of all, a Chapter 40R is normally slated for a downtown
area, near a transit rail and/or on an underdeveloped
industrial parcel of land.
None of the aforementioned criteria would be abided by if
such a district is authorized on Forest Street. Secondly,
I do not believe that the forthcoming master plan would
promote suburban sprawl and the over-saturation of
approximately 35-40 homes on a mere six acres of land.
The residents have already complained about the poor
water pressure in the area, which would merely be
compounded with the unwarranted and intolerable approval
of so many homes side by side.
I have suggested to Methuen City Council Chairman Zanni
that we conduct a public meeting on this matter to ensure
that all neighbors and councilors alike will be allowed
to express their opinions on the record to the developer,
as opposed to outside meetings which, by law, could not
include a majority of the council (the three at-large
councilors plus the West End councilors). A public
meeting will clear the air, compel the developer to
render a formal presentation and allow the neighbors to
mobilize their opposition. To be continued!
Ken Willette is an at-large city
councilor in Methuen. You can email him at kennethwillette@comcast.net
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The December, 2006
Edition of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
We publish 10,000 newspapers and distribute in Andover,
North Andover,
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