Left In Lowell

Michael, this one is for you!

I do not know why we have public hearings when the members of board seem to have their minds made up before the discussion begins.

The Planning Board tonight allowed Mill View Estates, LLC to demolish the brick building on the property they are currently developing at 1975-1995 Middlesex Street.

This same Planning Board had approved in July 2005 a plan that would convert the existing mill building into 54 residential units; this along with a 50-unit multi-family building and 38 townhouse style units on site.

So tonight by a vote of 4-1, they allowed the developers to redesign the original plan and now they will built 74 townhouse-style units. So originally, there would have been 132 units and now there would be only 74. If you are one that is concerned about density and the proliferation of condo-style housing which has diminish the character of our neighborhoods and in some area totally destroyed them, you would say this is good.

Wrong! As one my favorite “neighborhood activists” said, there are too many of these approved plans under Zoning Code 8.1 which later on get modified. This is the zoning rule that governs rehabbing old buildings. The City allows you to put in more people in that space if you rehab an old building. (more…)

This is totally, completely disgusting. I did catch soime of the Snickers Superbowl ad this morning (they played part of it on one of the morning fluff news shows) and did think it strange and vaguely homophobic, but it gets worse. Much worse. Snickers has a whole website devoted to the ad, complete with three alternate-ending versions that viewers can vote on for display during the Daytona 500. One of the three has the “accidental kissers” beating the crap out of each other (one with a wrench, one with the hood of the car) in order to feel “manly” again. Of course, they both “consent” to the violence done each other, but it’s not hard to imagine what sort of message this sends.

In what universe was this a good idea? Give me back the mooninites. And count me in whatever call for a boycott is necessary. This is outrageous.