Shame on Me

I've largely ignored the arguments over renewing the license of the Seabrook Power Plant. It wasn't an conscious decision; I guess apathy never is. I must have just assumed the complaints were coming from some leftover opponents of the construction of Seabrook in the 1970s and 1980s.

I'm paying closer attention from now on.

About a dozen opponents to the relicensing spoke eloquently before the City Council last night, raising what struck me as legitimate concerns about the state of the plant, specifically the degrading concrete in some of the tunnels that come into contact with sea water.

I didn't take notes but you should take some time to listen to their testimony. The meeting should be available on the council's Web site sometime soon.

The sentiments expressed by the opponents were strong enough to convince City Councilors to unanimously approve a resolution demanding a halt to the relicensing process until further studies can be done on the safety of the plant. Their comments are worth listening to as well with Councilors Tom Jones, Barry Connell and Katy Ives speaking to the issue.

Ives says she hoped the concerns and the resolution would shake the apathy off the the majority of voters who simply aren't paying close enough attention.

Well, you woke me up.

Yum

Why I signed the Pro-LHD Petition

Interesting bit of juxtaposition in today's blogs by Mary Baker Eaton and the P. Preservationist.

Mary writes of the successful campaign she and others helped waged a decade ago to stave off the gutting of High Street. (I still shudder at the thought.) And tells how difficult it was to get people behind a cause as EPIC as that one.

Meanwhile, the P. Preservationist reveals what appears to be the loss of another historic home.

The timing of the two posts is telling. Arguments against the idea of a Local Historic District seem to be settling around two points

• Private home owners can do as good or better job of preserving our cities inventory of homes without the restrictions provided in an LHD.
• The "people" will rise up again to oppose significant historical affronts as they did with High Street.

To the first point, the argument of property rights is easy to understand. However, I feel those rights end when they begin to impact the community as a whole. And I could see that happening here. If you look at communities with tonier ZIP codes than our's - like Wellesley - builders preferred to tear down older homes to make space for newer ones.

This means the fight to save Newburyport's historic character won't be one epic battle that we can all rally behind and summarize on a bumper sticker. Instead, it'll be a series of draining skirmishes fought house-by-house, neighborhood by neighborhood. I'm not sure we have the will to win such a fight.

In short, I support the concept of a LHD. Here's why ...

If I look 20 years into the future and imagine each nightmare scenario with either an LHD or Developers run amuck, I find the former - a strong LHD - more appealing. Historic homes will still be in place. The city's character will be intact. 

Furthermore, I know residents will be able to keep the LHD from becoming the monster some folks fear. I see no way of preventing developers from buying and bulldozing old homes in favor of new.

I invite you to sign the petition here.  

If it ain't broke

This article in the Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror got me thinking about Fowle's on State Street, which Newburyport Development owns and may change if it can find a different tenant.

(Jan. 26, 2012 ) Turnover in the island restaurant industry happens nearly every year, but in the span of a few short months, three downtown Nantucket eateries have recently closed and face uncertain futures.
Following Marshall Thompson’s decision not to renew his lease for the Even Keel Cafe on Main Street last September, Chris Morris, the tenant at Arno’s at 41 Main Street similarly decided not to renew his lease for 2012, and Cy’s restaurant on South Water Street closed down earlier this month.
Steve Karp’s Nantucket Island Resorts owns both the former Even Keel building on Main Street and the Cy’s restaurant space on South Water Street, both considered downtown real estate anchors. With the impending opening of the Dreamland Theater this spring, just steps away from the South Water Street restaurant space, NIR is feeling the urgency to find a tenant there, as well as the Main Street property which had been a year-round gathering spot for decades as a bowling alley, a five and dime, a candy shop and a modestly-priced cafe and restaurant known as the Espresso Cafe before it became the Even Keel.

To be clear, I don't know all the particulars. The Evan Keel Cafe appeared to be fairly modest itself, according to its web site. But the paper's description of the space just reminded me of Fowle's, a local, year-round gather spot that locals knew and mostly loved.

It'd be a shame to lose that.

Charter Commission, Part II?

This one's in Pepperell where former mayor John Moak is now Town Administrator.

Oh Dear

Mary Baker Eaton is talking to George again. I guess it's high time I start blogging again.

Apologies for the extended absence. I don't have any one good reason for not blogging other than life's been crazy hectic with travel (San Francisco, the North Pole by train - took only an hour), the holidays (got not two but THREE books on Newburyport history for Christmas), and, oh yeah, work. You know, the place the pays me to put words to computer.

I suppose the principal reason for my silence is this: I didn't really feel it. And when I don't feel it, I don't force it.

But I'm feeling it again, especially after today's troubling account of the fate of 1 Little's Lane in Newbury. My fellow bloggers have it covered.

I also wanted to alert you all to tonight's meeting of the Council's Planning and Development Committee where the zoning change of Storey Avenue will be discussed. Starts at 6:30 pm.

Anyway, a belated Happy New Year.

Hey!

The anonymous name caller thinks you all behaved well last night. Way to go!

Sorry I missed it.