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whnaAt our November meeting we decided to send a letter to the Cohens with regard to the vacant lot on Sewall Street that the community has transformed into an active play space instead of a derelict vacant lot. I can't figure out how to attach a file here, but below is the text of the letter.
Dear Cohen Realty Group,
The Winter Hill Neighborhood Association is a group of neighbors that has come together over the last couple of years to protect and improve upon the things we love about Winter Hill and to be an active agent in its future development. As renters, homeowners, and business owners, long time residents and new transplants, we are a diverse group with diverse interests, but we are unified in our values and our commitment to each other and the place we call home.
We are frustrated by the contradiction facing Winter Hill--on the one side rising rents and home sale prices are forcing out long time residents and, on the other side, we are stuck with a massive vacant lot and shuttered grocery store as the center of our neighborhood. Your property is causing actual harm to our neighborhood, yet everyday that you let it sit vacant it increases in value because of the work, care and advocacy that neighbors like us do. We give vibrancy and value to the neighborhood, while absentee property owners wait for the right moment to cash in on us.
While causing no damage and with almost no monetary costs, we were able to transform the Sewall Street lot into a space that improved our neighborhood instead of degrading it. We will work to remove items from the lot this Saturday, but ask that you remove the chains and the no trespassing signs before then.
We are aware of the outstanding litigation over the property, but no matter when and what that leads to, we would like to be involved. We would like to invite you to our next meeting on December 4 at 7pm to meet with us and talk about the future of the property.
Sincerely,
The Winter Hill Neighborhood Association
https://whna.dreamwidth.org
winterhillneighbors@gmail.com
Dear Cohen Realty Group,
The Winter Hill Neighborhood Association is a group of neighbors that has come together over the last couple of years to protect and improve upon the things we love about Winter Hill and to be an active agent in its future development. As renters, homeowners, and business owners, long time residents and new transplants, we are a diverse group with diverse interests, but we are unified in our values and our commitment to each other and the place we call home.
We are frustrated by the contradiction facing Winter Hill--on the one side rising rents and home sale prices are forcing out long time residents and, on the other side, we are stuck with a massive vacant lot and shuttered grocery store as the center of our neighborhood. Your property is causing actual harm to our neighborhood, yet everyday that you let it sit vacant it increases in value because of the work, care and advocacy that neighbors like us do. We give vibrancy and value to the neighborhood, while absentee property owners wait for the right moment to cash in on us.
While causing no damage and with almost no monetary costs, we were able to transform the Sewall Street lot into a space that improved our neighborhood instead of degrading it. We will work to remove items from the lot this Saturday, but ask that you remove the chains and the no trespassing signs before then.
We are aware of the outstanding litigation over the property, but no matter when and what that leads to, we would like to be involved. We would like to invite you to our next meeting on December 4 at 7pm to meet with us and talk about the future of the property.
Sincerely,
The Winter Hill Neighborhood Association
https://whna.dreamwidth.org
winterhillneighbors@gmail.com
no subject
Date: 2017-11-03 01:51 pm (UTC)I'm involved in the tree planting on Saturday (see previous post), but if I'm done with that and not sore from tree hauling I'll walk over to help.