Dear Governor Patrick,
This letter follows up on correspondence from Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone to Bernard Cohen, Secretary of Transportation dated December 9, 2008 that was copied to you, our legislative delegation and Congressman Capuano. The Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP) is communicating our support and concerns directly to you because of your strong commitment to this project and your leadership in supporting economic development and smart growth in the state.
We support Mayor Curtatone’s goal of ensuring that EOT’s proposed siting of the Green Line Maintenance Facility does not interfere with Somerville’s economic development goals for Inner Belt/Brickbottom or add to the environmental justice burden our city already endures. Inner Belt/Brickbottom is ideally situated for the expansion of green, health and other technological development that your administration has identified as critically important for the economic future of our state.
Before a sound decision can possibly be made that addresses these critical issues, we urgently need the state’s assistance in carrying out a master planning process for Inner Belt/Brickbottom that will enable successful mixed use transit oriented economic development while minimizing the impact of the Green Line maintenance facility on the community.
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