Staff
Director
and City Planner
Denise Gaffey
dgaffey@cityofmelrose.org
Assistant Planner
Matthew Hennigan
mhennigan@cityofmelrose.org
Accounting Manager and
Financial Analyst
Jane Pitts
jpitts@cityofmelrose.org
Contact Information:
City Hall
562 Main Street
Second Floor
Melrose, MA 02176
Phone: 781-979-4190
Fax: 781-979-4290
OPCD@cityofmelrose.org
Hours of Operation:
The Office is open in
conjunction with City Hall
Hours:
8:30AM-4:00PM Monday-Thursday
8:30AM-12:30PM Fridays
Staff may also be reached by
phone on Friday afternoons.
Return to
top
It is the mission of the Office of
Planning and Community Development (OPCD) to protect and
enhance the quality of life in Melrose.
To accomplish this mission OPCD provides long range
planning, manages the capital improvement program, reviews
and recommends changes in zoning, applies for and
administers grants and community development programs and
implements special projects.
Additionally, OPCD supports the work of several
Boards and Commissions in the City and reviews all major
land use proposals, including subdivision plans and
significant residential and commercial development
proposals.
Return
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Melrose
is primarily a residential community, whose development
started in the mid 1800s as a result of the completion of
the Boston & Maine Railroad which made Melrose easily accessible from
Boston.
In the late 1800s many Victorian homes were built and the
1920s and 1930s saw construction of many homes as well.
Currently over 86% of developed land (and 56% of all land)
in Melrose is used for residential purposes.
Melrose has a central downtown business area and
three neighborhood commercial areas clustered around the
three commuter rail stations. There are two industrial and
service commercial areas in Melrose;
one on Route 99 and the other is an area on Tremont
Street. Commercial and industrial areas comprise 7% of developed
land (5% of all land).
Melrose is a short 13 minute commuter train ride
to Boston
and is only 7 miles from Logan
airport. Melrose
is a "Garden City" with a "greenbelt"
that separates it from other communities. This greenbelt
includes several recreation resources including the
Middlesex Fells Reservation, Pine
Banks
Park,
Mt.
Hood
Memorial
Park
and Golf Course, Bellevue Country Club, and the Conservation
areas around and including Towners and Swains Ponds. Open
space and recreation areas in the City comprise 27% of all
land in Melrose.
Although there is little available land
for new residential subdivisions the City continues to see
redevelopment activities in the downtown and other
commercial areas. In the past three years, the Planning Board
has reviewed and permitted two significant redevelopment
proposals: Oak
Grove
Village,
a mixed-use residential community to be built on 15 acres
located on the Melrose/Malden border and Station Crossing, a
48-unit Condominium building currently being built on Willow Street,
the former site of Melrose Bowl.
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The
Melrose Master Plan
(click here to
download the Master Plan)
The
City of Melrose
seeks to maintain its position as a family oriented community with a high quality of life for its
residents, a stable and diverse mix of commercial services,
and numerous cultural and recreational opportunities.
The Master Plan creates a framework through which the
community’s unique character will be promoted and
preserved.
–Vision
statement of the Melrose Master Plan.
The Melrose Master Plan is a tool to guide City officials and
residents as they work to anticipate and prepare for future
challenges, shape areas with the potential for change,
identify ways to improve the community, and protect and
enhance the unique character of Melrose.
The Master Plan focuses on physical aspects of the
city, takes a long-range perspective, and emphasizes
strategies and implementation.
The Master Plan is a living document, which should be
used as a springboard for dialogue, planning, and action and
should be revised and updated on a regular basis.
The Master Plan provides useful data on Melrose’s
demographic makeup, land use profile, economic situation,
and predicted future trends in these three areas.
It highlights the community’s goals for the future
and it provides specific strategies to reach these goals.
The Melrose Master Plan was most recently revised in 2004.
The Master Plan Advisory Committee wrote the Melrose
Master Plan 2004, adopted by the Planning
Board
in June of 2004, with assistance from Taintor Associates, a
consultant retained by OPCD through the state Executive
Order 418 program. The
Committee Members, who were appointed by the Mayor,
represent diverse sectors and interests of our community,
including the environment, historic resources, affordable
housing, schools, and the business community.
Melrose Master Plan Committee
Membership:
Community
Representatives
Peter Bowman, Chair
Alderman Gail Infurna
Charlene Weekley
Anne DeSouza-Ward
Steve Gould
Joan Cassidy
Dr. Jane Desforges
Philip Kukura
Andrew Gallup
Mike Henry
City
Representatives
Mayor Robert J. Dolan
Denise Gaffey, Director, OPCD
Jack Beckley, Director, Council on Aging
Holly Killmer Regan, Assistant Planner
The Mayor strongly endorses the Master Plan and work toward
implementing the strategies identified in the plan is
underway. Planning
for Melrose’s
future is an important and rewarding task in which all
members of the community have a role.
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Previous
Planning Efforts
In
2000, OPCD updated the City’s Open Space and Recreation
Plan. This effort provided a five-year plan for improvements
to the City's park system and was incorporated into the new
Master Plan. The
previous version of the open space plan resulted in a new
successful model for the management and operation of the
Mt.
Hood
Memorial
Park and Golf Course as well as an overall Master Plan for
improvements at Mt.
Hood.
The Mt. Hood Master Plan was the impetus for a $2 million
improvement project completed in the mid-90’s, which
included $1 million in funding from the State’s Urban Self
Help Grant program. An
effort was recently initiated to update the Melrose Open
Space and Recreation Plan.
A revised Plan is expected to be submitted to the
state in 2005.
In
late 1997, OPCD took on the responsibility for the School
Building Program and for implementing the School
Facilities Master Plan, which was originally approved in
1997. OPCD
managed design and construction of the new Lincoln
School , which opened in September 2000 and
the new Roosevelt
School , which opened in September 2002.
Each of these projects will receive state
reimbursement of 67% of the costs including interest on the
bonds being used to pay for the project.
OPCD is currently coordinating design and
construction of the new Middle School.
In
1996, OPCD completed a Police and Fire Station Facilities
Plan and assisted in the development of a MIS/GIS plan for
the networking of the City’s computers. OPCD also assisted
in the Schools Technology Plan, which was completed and
approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of
Education in spring 1996.
Based on the Technology Plan the Schools received
grant funding from the state in spring 1997.
The Technology Plan efforts are being guided by the
School’s Technology Council.
In
1995, OPCD completed master plans for Memorial Hall and Ell
Pond and was responsible for the design and construction of
the Milano Senior
Center.
OPCD has been responsible for implementing the Memorial Hall
Master Plan and oversaw the construction of four phases of
preservation work, totaling 1.2 million.
In
1993, OPCD prepared the Blueprint for Melrose
1993-1995. The Blueprint for
Melrose was a working plan for the management and operation of the
City of Melrose.
It was based on input from all of the City departments. Much
of this plan was implemented including an array of new
management approaches that make City services more
efficient, development of a five year Capital Improvement
Program (CIP) several projects of which are well underway,
implementation of a sewer and water enterprise fund, and
several privatization initiatives.
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Zoning
(click
here to download the Melrose Zoning Ordinance and Map)
In 1926, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of zoning, ruling it
appropriate to limit an individual’s property rights in
the best interest of the general public.
In Massachusetts,
zoning is authorized through the Mass General Laws, Chapter
40A. In Melrose,
the Zoning Ordinance describes the rules and regulations
regarding how land is developed locally.
Parties building or renovating a structure or changing an element of
a lot should consult the Zoning Ordinance to ensure that the
project complies with the City’s rules and regulations.
When a proposed project does not comply with the
Zoning Ordinance, the party has the option to seek a
variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals that would allow
the petitioner to build out of compliance with the Zoning
Ordinance. Some
types of building projects require a special permit from the
Zoning Board of Appeals or Planning
Board .
The Zoning Ordinance explains in what cases a special
permit is required, what requirements must be met to be
eligible for a special permit, and the process of applying
for a special permit.
The recently revised Master Plan, approved in June of 2004,
recommends several changes and additions to the Melrose
Zoning Ordinance in order to provide the City with more
tools to guide development in a manner that protects and
enhances the resources of Melrose.
Recent zoning amendment actions include the
following:
Affordable Housing Incentive Zoning
Special Permit—Residential developments of five or more units are required to
provide 10% of the total number of units as affordable.
In return, developers are allowed to increase the
density of the development by the number of affordable units
required as appropriate.
The purpose of this ordinance is to help develop
affordable housing options to meet the diverse housing needs
of Melrose’s
community members.
Site Plan Review—All
new industrial or commercial uses, new residential
developments of four or more, extensions in excess of 2,500
sq. ft. of an existing industrial, commercial, or
multi-family use, or the construction or expansion of a
parking lot for a municipal, institutional, commercial,
industrial, or multi-family structure or purpose requires a
review by the Planning Board
to ensure that the proposal meets the City’s standards and
character.
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Amendment
to Pavement Zoning
Subdivision
Regulations
The Planning Board
is the body responsible for administering the subdivision
regulations. Any
party considering subdividing land into lots which do not
have adequate frontage must apply to the Planning
Board
for approval. The
Planning
Board,
with assistance from OPCD staff, review subdivision
proposals to ensure they meet the City and State
requirements and fit well with the character of Melrose.
A copy of the Subdivision Regulations may be
purchased at the Office of Planning and Community
Development in City Hall.
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School
Building Program
In December 1997, OPCD took on the responsibility for the School
Building Program and implementing the Melrose Schools
Facilities Master Plan.
New school building projects include the Lincoln Elementary
School, which opened in 2000 and the new Roosevelt
Elementary
School, which opened in 2002.
and the new
Veterans
Memorial
Middle
School, which opened
in in 2007.
The Melrose School Building Committee oversees the design and
construction of the new Middle School.
The Committee consists of volunteer community members
and City officials, including the following members:
John McLaughlin, Jr., Chair, McLaughlin
Insurance
Mayor Robert J. Dolan
Ira Baline, Architect, Bergmeyer
Tom Brow, Principal, Melrose
Veterans
Memorial
Middle
School
Mike Cassavoy, Engineer, Edwards & Kelcey
Katherine Clark, School Committee
Trudy Dooner, Principal, Lincoln
School
George Doyle, Alderman
Denise Gaffey,
OPCD Director
Joe Huggins, School Facilities Director
Gail Infurna,
Alderman
Dr. Rosemary Leblanc-Considine, Superintendent
Bill Mack, Shawmut Construction
Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis, School Committee
Joe Nevin, Architect, Bergmeyer
Paul Ormond, Engineer, Haley & Aldrich
Helen Overlan, Principal, Roosevelt
Michael Santos, Alderman
Middle
School Slide Show
The new Middle School opened in September 2007. Design for the new Middle School began in earnest in March of 2004
following a successful debt exclusion vote the proceeding
fall. Tappe
Associates, the Architect for the Roosevelt
School
and for earlier design work on the Middle School, was
selected to design the new building. The new building
is 220,000 square feet and four
stories to accommodate three teams in the 6th, 7th,
and 8th grades.
This new facility also contains state-of-the-art smart board
technology in every classroom, a 900 seat auditorium and a
multi-court gymnasium.
Middle
School Solar Panel Grant from Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative.
The City of Melrose received a $340,000 grant to design and
construct a30-kilowatt solar array on the Melrose Veterans
Memorial Middle School. Click the link below for live
monitoring status of the system.
http://view2.fatspaniel.net/PV2Web/merge?&view=PV/standard/Simple&eid=225358
image
1
image 2
image 3
Roosevelt
School
The new Roosevelt School
opened in September 2002. The complete demolition of
the old structure and construction of a 69,500 square foot
building was completed over an 18-month period. The
new facility contains state-of-the-art education technology
available to all students, including computers and
television monitors in each classroom with cable TV and
Internet access. This $11.8 million project also
contains additional classrooms for music, art, and
physical/occupational therapy, and a regulation, full sized,
7,000 square foot gymnasium.
Lincoln
School
The new Lincoln School
facility was completed in September 2000.
The facility is a combination of a complete
renovation of the 21,000 square foot original building built
in 1896 and a new 44,000 square foot addition to the rear.
This $10.3 million project includes 18 classrooms,
gymnasium, cafetorium with a stage, library media center,
computer lab, art room, and a music room.
State of the art educational technology was included
as part of the project.
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Community
Development
· Sign
and Façade Grant Program
–
OPCD provides grants to business applicants for up to 50% of the
cost of attractive business signs and façade improvement.
The maximum grant is $1,000 for a sign and $500 for a
façade improvement. In
fiscal year 2004, OPCD approved 14 sign and façade grants.
Applications for a sign and façade improvement grant
can be picked-up at OPCD.
Applications must be received and approved before any
work on the project begins.
Sign
Application
Facade
Application
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Affordable
Housing
The
City of Melrose is committed to encouraging the
development of affordable
housing opportunities in the
City of Melrose.
Please click on the links
below to learn more about the
City’s Programs.

ã
Currently
Available Affordable Housing Units
-
Current
Lotteries within the City of
-
Waiting
Lists for Affordable Rental Units within
Melrose
-
Current
Lotteries in Surrounding
Communities
-
Previous
Lotteries within the City of Melrose
ã
Workshops
and Financial Assistance for
First Time Homebuyers
ã
Creating
Affordable Housing Opportunities
Currently
Available Affordable Housing
Units
Current
Lotteries within the City of :
1. To receive
information about upcoming lotteries sponsored by the City
of Melrose, please e-mail us at OPCD@cityofmelrose.org
with your name, address, and telephone number and with the
subject line “affordable housing list.”
2.
This is where the City will list current affordable housing
lotteries (including ownership and rental opportunities)
being administered by the City.
At this time, the City of Melrose
is not administering an
affordable housing lottery.
Waiting
Lists for Affordable Rental Units within
Melrose:
1. Melrose
Affordable Housing Corporation owns and manages affordable
rentals within the City of Melrose. To learn about the
availability of their units contact the Melrose Affordable
Housing Corporation at 781-662-8479 or email
MAHC@melroseha.com
2. Oak
Grove Village. The lottery for the 14
affordable rentals available at Oak
Grove Village was held in March of 2007.
Applications are
currently being received for a
waiting list.
When affordable units
become available the management
company will contact the waiting
list in the order applications
are received.
To obtain an application
and learn more about the units
available contact Oak Grove
Village at 781.662.3900.
Current
Lotteries in Surrounding
Communities:
To
learn more about lotteries
occurring in surrounding
communities call a community
directly or visit the following
websites:
ã
The
Citizens Housing and Planning
Association’s website:
www.chapa.org/housing_lotteries.htm
ã
The
State’s website:
www.massdhcd.com/HOP/MainMenu.aspx
ã
The North
Suburban Consortium's website:
www.northsuburbanconsortium.org
ã
The
Massachusetts Affordable Housing
Alliance's website:
www.massaffordablehomes.org
Previous
Lotteries within the City of Melrose:
1. Webster Willows -
A lottery including 3 condominiums
in the newly constructed 26 unit
condominium building on Pleasant
Street located close to mass
transit. The lottery was held in
November 2007
2. Oak
Grove Village
- 14
affordable apartments within the
Oak
Grove
Village mix-use development located next
to mass transit and parks were
available through a lottery.
The lottery was held in
March of 2007.
3. Station
Crossing - A lottery including 5
condominiums in the newly
constructed 48 unit condominium
building located close to mass
transit and downtown
Melrose.
The lottery was held in January of 2006.
(Return
to Affordable Housing)
Workshop
and Financial Assistance for
First Time Homebuyers
First
Time Home Buyers Workshops
The
First Time Home Buyers workshop
provides helpful information
about the process of purchasing
a home, including how to finance
a home, understanding your credit history, and learning
about financial assistance available.
The workshop is an excellent resource and we strongly
encourage people interested in purchasing a home to take the
workshop. Melrose
offers the workshop through
the North Suburban Consortium. To find out when the next
workshop will be offered, please contact The North Suburban
Consortium at 781.324.5720.
Accredited First Time Home Buyer’s workshops are
also offered throughout the state.
For a list of the dates and location of upcoming
workshops visit the Citizen’s Housing and Planning
Association’s (CHAPA) website: www.chapa.org/housing_workshops2005.htm
Financial
Assistance
To
qualify for the following programs, applicants must have
taken a CHAPA certified first time homebuyers workshop (see
above for listing).
Down
payment and Closing Cost Assistance.
The City of Melrose
offers down payment and closing cost assistance through the
North Suburban Consortium (NSC). To be eligible for
this assistance household income must not exceed 80% of the
medium in the Boston metropolitan area as defined by HUD and
the property to be purchased must not exceed the maximum
sale price for the particular community in which the house
is located. Additionally, eligible applicants must
either use the Soft Second mortgage package or a Mass
Housing Finance mortgage package (described below); however,
some exceptions do apply.
Assistance
amounts:
$5,000 for single family
homes and condominiums
$6,000 for two-family
homes
$6,500 for three-family
homes
Purchase
Price Limits for Homes
Purchased in Melrose:
$312,895 for condominiums
$399,000 for single
family homes
$501,125 for two-family
homes
$560,231 for three-family
homes
To
obtain an application contact the North Suburban Consortium
at 781.324.5720. If you are applying for an affordable
housing ownership unit in Melrose through a City
administered lottery you do not need to fill out an
additional application to apply. However, you must
indicate your interest in participating in this program to
OPCD.
Second
Soft Loan Program.
The
Soft Second Loan Program offers
reduced cost mortgage financing.
Borrowers must be
creditworthy and meet standard
underwriting criteria.
To qualify household
income must not exceed 100% of
the median income for the Boston
Metropolitan Area as defined by
HUD.
Through the “Soft
Second” program borrowers get
two mortgages through a
participating lender.
The second mortgage is
subsidized by the North Suburban
Consortium through a Mass
Housing Partnership Loan.
Borrowers pay less than
the standard mortgage and
interest payments on the second
mortgage and avoid having to pay
private mortgage insurance.
For more information about the
Soft Second Loan Program visit the Massachusetts Housing
Partnership’s website: www.mhp.net/homeownership/homebuyer/index.php
or call the North Suburban
Consortium at 781.324.5720.
For
a list of participating lenders visit:
www.mhp.net/homeownership/banks.php
Mass
Housing Finance Agency.
The
Mass
Housing Finance Agency offers
several programs including
subsidized mortgage packages.
To learn about these
programs visit their website at
www.masshousing.com or call them
at 617.854.1000.
(Return
to Affordable Housing)
Creating
Affordable Housing Opportunities
Grants
and Loans for Creating Affordable Housing:
The
City of Melrose
is
a member of the North Suburban
Consortium, which administers
federal HOME funds.
With these funds, the
City has been able to
financially support the
development of affordable rental
and home ownership opportunities
within Melrose.
HOME funds are available
in the form of grants and loans
and are administered on a
rolling basis.
Applications for HOME
funds can be obtained through
the City’s Office of Planning
and Community Development, OPCD@cityofmelrose.org
or 781-979-4190 or download the
application at the North Suburban Consortium's website: www.northsuburbanconsortium.org/index.php?page=developers
.
Recent
HOME Loans and Grants:
Melrose
Affordable Housing Corporation
(MAHC)
Fall
2006—MAHC
received a grant from the North
Suburban Consortium to purchase
a six unit rental building.
The three units, for
which the Home funds were
earmarked, have rents that
are affordable to households
making 60% of area median income
as determined by
HUD.
The remaining three units
have rents affordable to
households making 80% of median
income.
Spring
2004—MAHC
received a grant from the North
Suburban Consortium to purchase
a three unit rental building.
The two HOME funded unites have
rents affordable to households
making 60% of area median income
as determined by HUD.
Station
Crossing
Winter
2006—Five
units affordable to households
making 80% of median income was
a condition of the Special
Permit granted by the Planning
Board . Home
funds were used to further
reduce the sale price of the
units to be affordable to
households making 60% of median
income. The developer also
received a construction loan
through the NSC to secure the
completion of the project.
Webster
Willows
Winter/Spring
2008—Three
affordable units within a 26 unit condominium building were
made available through a collaboration between the developer
and the City. The City used HOME Funds to subsidize
the three units to make them affordable to households
making 80% of median income.
Affordable
Housing Zoning Change: In
the summer of 2004 the City of Melrose adopted
the Affordable Housing Incentive
Zoning Program Special Permit.
This special permit
requires that residential and
mix-use developments with five
or more residential units
include 10% of the units as
affordable to household making
50% to 80% of median income in
the Boston
metropolitan areas as defined by
HUD.
OPCD anticipates new affordable
housing units becoming available
in 2009.
(Return
to Affordable Housing)
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Capital
Improvement Program
OPCD is responsible for managing the Capital Improvement Program
(CIP) process. Each
year department heads are asked to submit capital
improvement requests to the Capital Improvement Committee.
The CIP Committee members are as follows:
Denise
Gaffey, Chair, OPCD
Director
Brigid Alverson, Citizen
Member
Steve Cefalo, Election Administrator
Patrick Dello Russo, CFO/City Auditor
Joseph Huggins, School Facilities Manager
Holly Killmer, Assistant Planner
Jean MacDonnell, City Treasurer & Collector
Marybeth McAteer-Margolis, School Committee Member
Barbara Quinlan, Schools
Business Manager
|
FY 95
|
$368,894
|
|
FY 96
|
$1,000,000
|
|
FY 97
|
$2,300,000
|
|
FY 98
|
$ 491,000
|
|
FY 99
|
$12,800,000 (including Lincoln
School)
|
|
FY 00
|
$170,000
|
|
FY 01
|
$12,010,700 (including Roosevelt
School)
|
|
FY 02
|
$200,000
|
|
FY 04
|
$39,170,000 (Melrose
Middle
School)
|
|
FY 05
|
$11,700,000 (Melrose
Middle
School)
|
FY
2006 CIP COMMITTEE REPORT
(click
here to download the plan)
In
Fiscal Year 2006 the CIP Committee received applications for
forty projects from seven different departments.
The CIP Committee designated four of the projects as
Priority Group A. Thirteen
projects received a Priority Group B ranking and
twenty-three projects received a Priority Group C ranking.
No projects received a Priority Group D or E ranking,
which means that the CIP Committee determined that all of
the projects were worthwhile, as funding becomes available.
The
Priority Group A projects listed in ranked order are as
follows:
| Storm Water Floor
Mitigation |
$1,000,000 |
| High School Generator |
$35,000 |
| City Hall Generator |
$77,000 |
| New Police Building |
$4,528,000 |
FY 2008
CIP COMMITTEE REPORT
(click
here to download the plan)
For
FY 2008 the CIP Committee received new requests for CIP
funding from four departments. These requests were
consolidated with the projects submitted for consideration
form the preceding years, which have not yet been
funded. The CIP Committee met to consider the new
requests and to rank them according to priority within the
existing list of projects. The final list included
three projects in Priority Group A, twelve projects in
Priority Group B and twenty-three projects in Priority Group
C. No projects received a Priority Group D or E
ranking, which means that the CIP Committee determined that
all of the projects were worthwhile, as funding becomes
available. Seven projects were taken off the list because
they were funded in the past year.
The
CIP Committee recommends fifteen of the projects for funding
in FY 2008. These include the following three Priority
Group A projects listed in ranked order:
| City Hall Generator |
$77,000
|
| School Roof Replacement |
$960,000 |
| New Public Safety
Facility |
$4,528,000 |
FY 2009
CIP COMMITTEE REPORT
(click
here to download the plan)
For
FY 2009, the active CIP list of projects has been updated to
reflect projects that were funded in FY2008 and a new
project added by the Mayor and School Department involving
capital improvements to the High School.
This request was consolidated with the projects
submitted for consideration from the preceding years, which
have not yet been funded.
The final list includes three projects in Priority
Group A, eight projects in Priority Group B and twenty-two
projects in Priority Group C.
No projects received a Priority Group D or E ranking,
which means that the CIP Committee determined that all of
the projects were worthwhile, as funding becomes available.
Four projects were taken off of the list because they
were funded in the past year and two school projects were
taken off the list and consolidated under the High School
Upgrades Project.
The
CIP Report recommends eleven projects for funding in FY
2009. These include the following three Priority Group A
projects listed in ranked order:
| High
School Upgrades Phase II – Roof |
$770,000 |
| School Roof Replacement |
$460,000 |
| New Public Safety Facility |
$4,528,000 |
Return
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Preliminary
Flood Insurance Rate Maps
Available for Viewing
The
Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Flood Hazard
Management Program has partnered with Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) to assist with the administration
and management of FEMA’s flood hazard mapping program in
Massachusetts.
New preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) for
the City of Melrose
have been
issued by FEMA. FEMA
has released these new maps as part of an initiative to
modernize the City’s flood hazard maps that were last
published in 1986. The
final maps will be produced in a digital format that will
incorporate base data obtained from MassGIS.
No new flood modeling or updates to actual flood
hazard data for the City of Melrose
have
taken place and there are no changes to existing flood zone
designations.
The
newly digitized flood maps are available for viewing at the
Office of Planning and Community Development and may be
accessed electronically by clicking on the links below.
Notification of the start of the official 90-day
public appeal period is anticipated to begin in January
2008. If you
have any comments in the meantime, please contact the City
of Melrose Emergency Management Department at (781) 979-4111
or mema@cityofmelrose.org
Melrose
Map NW
Melrose
Map NE
Melrose
Map SW
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Staff
Support to Boards and
Commissions
OPCD provides staff support to the following Boards and Commissions:
The
Melrose Planning
Board
The Planning Board
is made up of nine volunteer members, who are appointed by
the Mayor and approved by the Board of Aldermen.
The following is a list of current members:
Mike Cassavoy, Chairman
Richard Connolly,
Vice-Chairman
Anne DeSouza-Ward, Clerk
Edward
Cassidy
Tom Pawlina
John
Sadowski
Robert Mercado
Gerry
Marcus
Carla
Francazio
The Planning Board
has several different responsibilities, including the
following six major ones.
The Planning
Board
administers the Subdivision Regulations, meaning the Board
reviews and makes a decision as to whether a subdivision
proposal is approved, approved with conditions, or denied.
The Board is the special permit granting authority
for particular special permits as described in section
235.61 of the Melrose Zoning Ordinance, meaning that the
Board reviews and makes a decision on applications for these
special permits. The
Board reviews all Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) cases
(applications for a variance or a special permit from the
Melrose Zoning Ordinance) and provides a non-binding
recommendation to the ZBA regarding the case.
The Board proposes zoning amendments to the Board of
Aldermen and plays a role in reviewing proposed amendments
received by the Board of Aldermen.
This role involves holding a public hearing and
submitting a written report to the Board of Aldermen before
they vote. The Planning
Board
has the authority to officially approve a Master Plan.
The Board most recently approved the latest revision
of the Master Plan in June of 2004 (click on Master Plan at
the top of the page to view it online).
And lastly, with the recent adoption of Site Plan
Review, the Planning
Board
is charged with evaluating the impact on the community of
residential, commercial, and industrial projects that meet
the threshold for review.
When appropriate, the Site Plan Review Committee of
the Planning Board
will require alterations in the projects to mitigate
impacts.
The Planning Board
is supported by the staff of the Office of Planning and
Community Development who offers administrative assistance
as well as guidance on the technical and theoretical aspects
of planning.
The Planning Board
meets the fourth Monday of every Month, unless otherwise
posted, and schedules Design Review and Zoning Sub-Committee
meetings as well as special full board meetings and public
hearings on an as-needed basis.
Planning
Board Minutes and Agenda
(click
here to download minutes and agendas from
Planning
Board
Meetings starting from January 2006)
The
Melrose Historic District Commission
The Historic District Commission is made up of seven volunteer
members and three alternates, who are appointed by the Mayor
and approved by the Board of Aldermen.
The City ordinance establishing the Historic District
enumerates that the membership of the Commission shall
include: one member nominated by the local historical
societies, one member nominated by the Massachusetts society
of the American Institute of Architects, one member
nominated by the Boston Society of Landscape Architect, one
member nominated by the Eastern Middlesex Board of Realtors,
a lawyer, and one or more residents, owners or renters of
property in the historic district to be administered by the
Commission. The
following is a list of current members:
L. Bradley Hutchinson, Chairman
Philip F. Kukura, Vice Chairman
Stephen E. Casey
Charlene A. Marinelli
Robert E. Sherman
Judith Q. Sullivan
Michael D. Coleman
David Gerson, Alternate
Certificate
of Appropriateness Application
The Commission aims to restore and maintain the high quality
historic features of the downtown area, which enhances the
village-feel and sense of place within the City’s center.
An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness
must be completed for all construction or alteration of
exterior features within the Downtown Melrose Historic
District, located along Main
Street between Foster and Emerson Streets.
The Commission, which meets on an as-needed basis,
reviews all applications and votes to grant, grant with
conditions, or deny the application.
A Certificate must be obtained before a building
permit will be issued for projects within the Historic
District.
The Historic District Commission is supported by the staff of the
Office of Planning and Community Development.
Community
Development Council
The Community Development Council (CDC) is a volunteer group of
residents appointed by the Mayor to ensure broad-based
citizen participation in community planning.
The CDC meets quarterly, to consult with OPCD about
grant programs and other community development issues.
The following is a list of current members:
Steve Gould, Chair (Ward 1 appointment)
Kathleen Rossi-Roh, Vice Chair (Alderman-At-Large
appointment)
Leslie Brown (Mayoral appointment)
Eileen Hamblin (Alderman-At-Large appointment)
Robert Lucien (Alderman-At-Large appointment)
Julie Ventola (Ward 4 appointment)
Randy Ventura (Ward 5 Alderman Appointment)
Vacant (Ward 2,3,6, & 7 Appointment)
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