By Gerry Visconti
As we all know, in recent years, the city of Revere has seen a staggering surge in residential development. While development is vital for economic growth, foreseeable adverse effects have left residents grappling with significant challenges.
The city’s transformation was looked upon as a symbol of progress, but the relentless pursuit of residential developer profits at the expense of Revere residents has left us bewildered, confused and angry.
Taxes have gone up.
Water bills have gone up.
The people of Revere have paid dearly for the previous administration’s preferential treatment of a handful of outside interests.
With the influx of new residents, Police, Fire, and Emergency Response Teams are faced with an unprecedented workload, battling to keep up with the increased demand, as the strain compromises their ability to effectively handle emergencies, putting the safety and well-being of residents at risk.
And the traffic…
Unsustainable.
Couldn’t we have seen this coming?
Without vision, without the proper planning, without responsible leadership…
Residential developers have had a free-for-all.
We cannot solve the same old problems with the same old “leaders.â€
We’ve had an overwhelming increase in the population that lives here, works from home, but spend their time and money elsewhere.
The right model for urban planning and development is Live, Work, Play.
And that’s the basis of our vision going forward.
Our administration’s approach has three components:
First, we will encourage and engage with neighborhood associations early in the planning stages. Residents will no longer take a back seat to the profits of developers.
Second, we will do better mitigating the effects of the projects in the community, which means negotiating funding from developers.
Third, we will incentivize and focus on responsible commercial development – adopting the Live Work Play model.
Our vision is about striking the right balance, ensuring our city thrives economically without overwhelming infrastructure and public services.
Incentives will be introduced to encourage developers to contribute to the improvement of the community. This could involve funding for local infrastructure projects, supporting education, or contributing to public safety services. Such concessions help ensure that developers are not solely driven by profit but also considerate of the community’s needs and long-term well-being.
To build a sustainable future for Revere, city officials and residents must collaborate on a comprehensive community driven, strategic development plan that prioritizes responsible growth.
As mayor, my administration will work together with residents to ensure that the city’s evolution aligns with their values and quality of life, NOT to serve the profit margins of outside developers.
Driving responsible growth, community involvement, and balanced development will pave the way for a vibrant and sustainable future that benefits all residents.
Gerry Visconti is a Councillor-at-Large for the City of Revere, as well as a candidate for Mayor in the upcoming election.
