7.23.25 Redevelopment Authority

Okay, welcome to the um Wednesday, January 23rd, 2025 meeting of the Fall River Redevelopment Authority.

First went through the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, MGL 3825940, CMR 29.03. Do I have to say that every week? I don't remember. I don't think I do. Um chapter 2 of the acts of 2025 and all other applicable laws. Notice here by giving a meeting by the forward government as well. Meeting is open to the public to attend in person at the above reference date. Time, location, recording. The open session can be

viewed at Fall River Government Television www.fr TV.

Person to the open meeting. I know you don't really need to know all that, but now you do. Person went to the open meeting law. Any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium. Attendees are therefore advised that such recording transmission are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are indeed acknowledged and

permissible.

Okay. First item is roll call. John Ericson, Ron Rousen, Chad Fleberg, Joan Medeiros, and Keane uh cannot be present tonight.

Um also joining us are John Coughlin Legal Council. Sar Page executive director and Ken Fiola should be joining us shortly. Uh first item on Karen and project manager.

Say that again.

And Karen Martin.

Oh, did I skip you?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. Karen Karen Martin keeps coming.

How did I forget that?

Uh first item is approval of the open session minutes from 20 25th of June. Uh if there's any comments on that. If not, I'll entertain a motion to approve those.

Motion to approve the June 25th, 2025 open session minutes.

Second.

Second.

John Ericen. Yes.

Ron Rousen. Yes.

Ben Fidleberg. Yes.

Joe Medeiros. Yes.

Thank you. Uh you guys got a copy of the warrant which totals 238,853.38.

I'll entertain a motion to approve that warrant.

Motion to vote to approve the JW warrant in amount of 238,853.38 cents.

Second.

John, yes.

Ron Rousen, yes.

Ben Fuleberg, yes.

Joan Medeiros, yes.

Thank you. Um, let's see.

Oh, Sarah. Um we also in your package you have the um I believe it's the Hutchkins um certificate of completion.

Yes. Do you want to uh say anything to that or Sure. This um certificate of completion for um the ice cube building that we had um approved the plans for probably a year ago. Uh that building has been completed for a while. They're now doing an addition and um they realized that they needed a certificate of completion uh for their bank financing and so um John has um written this one that you

have uh that's qualified by um a number of factors saying that uh there may still be um issues that we need to review for completion. But we're going ahead and giving this qualified and limited certificate now and will um review more items when they get to the point where they need a certificate certificate of completion for their addition.

And so it's qualified by uh MEPA requirements and a number of other items.

Did they get the MEO qualifications? I thought well there's still there's still um MEEPA requirements that uh need to be met and we've listed those and we will be reviewing those once they finish their addition. But from our perspective, they have completed their main building primarily um in all the ways that are expected.

Yeah. So if if you guys don't have any questions on that, I just need a motion to uh approve that certificate um that I signed for John and he can notoriize it.

Sure. A motion to approve the certificate of completion for the ice cube building located at 615 innovative innovation way forever and to authorize the chair John Everson to sign a certificate.

Second John Ericson. Yes.

Ron Ren. Yes.

Yes.

Abstain. Oh, okay. Um uh next item is uh Norton City Pier Cathotic Protection.

Karen. Yeah. So, cathotic protection is really mostly done. They've only got 10 anodess to complete and a little section on the southern wall um to finish with um the coating. Uh so, they are hoping to be done with that this week. The coating, they're just playing the tides because it's high up. So, when it's higher tide, they can reach it better.

Um so, they're hoping to get that all done this week. We have um a project meeting tomorrow on site and then we'll have the cathotic engineer come out hopefully next week and certify that everything's working. But the anodess are bubbling which usually indicates that it's working. And um and then we'll have um uh the diver that did the initial um underwater um inspection go out and check all the anodes and

everything. But um it looks like they've done a they've done decent work and end up with a pretty good setup. So, um, we are pretty much almost done.

Karen, did Andrew say something the other day about, um, they needed to get more or No, we verified when I came back to the office, I counted it up and I talked to him and everything was all right.

It matched. Okay.

Yeah. He was just he was just I think confused because there's a strip along that cell wall that's never really underwater.

Oh, right.

Yeah. So he had he just had to start lay out the anode just after station one and a half I think.

And um storm damage.

Uh yeah. The only thing I just wanted to let everyone know so that July 3rd storm that blew through Fall River literally um uh well it did damage to the stuff that we had on the pier for the Fourth of July celebration. Stage got destroyed. The port toilets and barrels are all over the place. Um that all got rectified with some coordination with the city.

But our tree line that um that kind of does an L-shape at the corner of the property from Deval down that pathway from Deval towards Point Gloria that got pretty um creamed from the storm. I think it was all the vines that we had hanging in there pulled down a lot of the trees. A couple of trees actually fell across to Ball Street and had to get chopped up and threw back on our

property. So, um, I spoke to Tim Dilva.

He had already given us a quote to clean out kind of that middle, all the dead stuff that was in there, but I had him go out and, um, clean up all the storm damage stuff, too. So, you'll be seeing that, um, in the warrant next month, but I just figured I'd let you know that, um, we did a pretty good cleanup of that tree line, actually, from between the storm damage and what he was already

going to do. So, it's um it's all done and um um so hopefully it'll be safe for future storms.

Good.

Looks good. Actually, looks really good.

Yeah.

Um Northfield Point, uh Northfield Point. So, um follow up from our last meeting. So, the invasive plant management um work um bid package that we had um our pre-bid meeting on site today and there was probably five legit companies out there looking at it and looking like they're going to um you know proceed with with work and there's been some questions came up so we'll be issuing an addendum probably the end of

this week Friday if not Monday and then the bids are due next Thursday the 31st.

So, we'll see where they come in and we'll proceed from there. Um, we already voted last meeting that, um, based on the bid, we talked to Johnny and um, as long as it's within budget, we will proceed. Um, and then the reventment work, we um are in the process of finalizing the bid package that's being advertised now. It'll be out in the legal notices Sunday and central register and combis and everything um

early next week and then um the bid package itself will be ready for um people to pick up starting July 31st. We have a um pre-bid site meeting on August 6th and the bids for that are due August 21st. And um the hopes is is that we'll be bringing the bid results to our meeting on um August 27th and hopefully we can it'll all be within budget and we can make a decision to move forward with

that work. So, that's where we're at.

And then the plan will be um the remaining final improvements on Northfield Point. We're going to hopefully apply for the C4 grant, which is still saying it's going to be open in the fall. And then if we get awarded that, we'll do the work in the spring.

The author didn't do the work in the spring. Karen, I know it's preliminary, but for the invasive species um that project, what's what's the you had mentioned that there are five companies that are bidding it? Is there a difference?

Five people out there today. We don't know who's actually going to submit a bid, but um so we'd have to wait and see bid day who actually comes forward with a bid, but I'm hoping everybody who's there today will do it.

Why five? Is there a difference in how they remove the species? I I would think it's kind of a well it's just other people interested in the work and they don't take a look and then they submit a bid and the lowest most responsible bidder will win.

So yeah, we probably five people showed up. It could have been 12. We didn't we don't say how many it is.

Yeah, there's there's probably I think there's 20 companies that pulled plans, but a bunch of them are not legitimate contractors. They're just like dodge reports and stuff like that. So, um there's probably on that list maybe 10 legitimate companies um who would submit a bid. And like I say, half of them showed up at the pre- bid today. So, we'll see who actually submits a bid.

I thought you meant why are there only five invasive species?

Yeah, we say I was curious if there's a different way if one company has a different way of removing the species than others. You know, it seems I don't know to me pretty straightforward. You just got to get it out of there. But obviously cost is a factor. No, there was a lot of, you know, a lot of questions and discussion out there about um there are options to remove it and to use chem chemical um

uh you know chemical methods that would kill it. And so we're assuming there's a combination of the two. they have to include a um uh an invasive species management expert on their team. And so there are some, you know, differences that we expect we may see in the um bids that come back.

And also often not everyone comes to the bid um the pre-bid meeting. It's really optional. So, we'll see who, you know, who actually puts in a bid.

Is that live?

July 31st, 2 p.m.

So, it's coming right up next week. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yep.

You want to talk about Flint Street, Pleasant Street?

Yes.

So I think you know that what we have been waiting for is for um Tori Kim, the director of MEPA to propose um a administrative fix was kind of how it was framed to try to simplify the effort to approve urban renewal plans. And so a team of us who are part of the Gateway Cities network have been advocating for um a revision that either eliminates urban renewal plans from this MEPA extensive MEPA

review process which changed uh a year ago. Um, and we had a meeting with uh Tori Kim, lawyers for MEPA um, and the agency that oversees MEPA. and she proposed using a special review procedure which is the process we've been talking about um expecting may be used for the master plan um for the the 19 acres on the waterfront. And so it's a whole new concept to use for um a review of many different plans. and

they showed us a model that they had recently approved for shellfish um shellfish farms basically. And instead of reviewing every single one in a separate way, they're using a special review procedure for that whole type of project. And so similarly they're saying they could use the special review procedure for all urban renewal plans.

So our question now is do we wait for that special review procedure to be launched which may be a couple of months maybe a few months. It has to go through a public review process and then it would get applied to the urban renewal plans. We in Fall River like New Bedford already have a whole process that is in midstream with MEPA.

So, I asked on the call, could we um could we basically uh stop that process and now move to the special review procedure? And she seemed surprised by that question. New Bedford immediately followed up my question and said, "Yes, you know, we both have stopped our process waiting to see if a new process would be in place." and she said, "Well, you could um you know, remove or resend your process and start

a new with the special review procedure.

It's possible to do that, but it wouldn't necessarily be what they would envision." And so, we have a meeting. Um Karen and I are going to meet with Ty and Bond, our engineers that have been working with Emily Inis of Inis Associates on our um present process through MEPA. And we've also asked Maggie Schmidt at um the housing department to join us for a conversation to talk about the pros and cons of pulling our

present um process and waiting to go through this special review procedure or whether it would be better to just keep going where we are. And um Tyen Bond is now going to look at the changes that we made to simplify our urban renewal plan and see what they believe it will cost if we go ahead with the environmental impact to report and just proceed for the rest of our process. I think Karen

and I both feel we should just bite the bullet and finish the process we're in and go ahead with this EIR and try to be done with this as fast as we can because we're we are not feeling as though the administrative effects that we hoped might occur is what we had expected. This seems, you know, it may be a good resolution for urban renewal plans going forward, but

given where we are and how long it may take for this new process to be put in place, we think our better bet is to just finally accept we have to do this EIR, try to simplify it with MEPA as much as we can and just get it done as fast as we can and just be done because we've waited a long time and we need to get this done.

What do you think?

Do we know how far we are through that process?

Yeah. So, we've gone through our um uh our extended environmental notification form process. we've gotten the direction from MEPA about what we need to do to do the environmental impact report. And so it was really a certificate from MEEPA saying here's your next step. And we then waited because we knew that the um administration has been saying we can't keep holding up housing projects

and urban renewal plans for such an extensive process. So um so basically we know exactly what we need to do. We and then Emily rewrote and changed the urban renewal plan to address some of the questions that we felt were raised by how we wrote it that then required information that didn't make sense. So basically we've changed our urban renewal plan. That's part of what we want to talk about with Maggie at the

housing department.

um uh because we think we've made it simpler. So when we go back with an environmental impact report, we'll be saying in a lot of areas, no longer applicable, no longer applicable, never was applicable. and you know just try to send something back that's acceptable but that's much simpler than what we might have had to do before.

And um we're going to ask Maggie what she thinks. Um there's been a lot of discussion between the MEPA office and the housing department about streamlining this so housing projects can go forward because you know the urban renewal plans hold up if they're not done they're holding up housing projects. So so that's where we are. Um, if it looks as though we can get our impact to report into MEEPA in a couple

of months, which is what I think Ken thinks it's going to be a lot longer.

Um, but if we find out that we can tear ahead within a few months, then I think we should just go ahead.

And once you meet with Kai and Bond and Emily Inis, they should be able to give you a better handle on that timeline.

Yeah, they're now, you know, we said, "All right, so we're not necessarily going to want to go through the special review procedure now. Give us a price with the new simplified urban renewal plan." And they're doing that and we'll be talking about it Monday.

Okay.

Do you have to go through another public hearing plan?

We don't think so.

Well, but the the I think you're changing it. So, you're going to have to go through another public hearing.

Who's changing what?

You're taking a lot of things in the previously approved.

Staff and Square and the other one.

There's two of you.

Presented. You had a public hearing on your plan.

Yes.

Yes.

If you're going to be modifying that plan, that's going to necessitate more public hearings.

And did we bring it to the council?

No, we haven't. We're waiting to get through a minimum of an additional public hearing.

I don't think another I mean the public hearing that Meepa requires is this Zoom meeting through PHC.

Oh, all right.

Ah, okay. So, we'll talk with Maggie about that.

Um, and then the other thing I just mentioned, Sarah, is you don't know what you're gonna come out with with an EI as opposed and you don't you're going to come out with a special procedure. One could be more stringent than the other.

It's a it's a six of one, half a dozen.

So, what are you thinking could come out once we send in the EIR?

I think you could have much more stringent a much more stringent NEPA certificate.

as opposed to a special review procedure which typically are less strict.

Well, but they already gave us all the EIR requirements and you're and they're under pressure to simplify it. So, they said they're under the pressure to simplify a special review for Well, they're they're under pressure to get urban renewal plans approved. So I would find it surprising if they then made it more difficult.

Yeah. I think it's just unknowingness and that's the frustrating part.

Both are totally unknown.

So I would, you know, maybe see what the extra cost is going to be and calculate that into the evaluation.

Yeah. And then like I said before, I would, if I were you, just to try to close the loop with the lieutenant governor's office to make sure that they got you to the table to be meeting with me, but that you also give them an update as to where you are and what some of your concerns are moving forward to see if those can't be checked y now as opposed to later. Right.

you know, at this point you could proceed on a twoprong, you know, format, but special typically special review procedures are less stringent than Yeah. But there you usually know what they are going in and we don't we can't even begin to know what it is until they actually create the procedure they're going to use for all urban renewal plans. So, it's much more of an unknown until we get there.

So, no easy answer and we'll let you know in August.

Okay.

Okay.

Um, NMA NMA.

So I think we told you at the last meeting that um we were not successful in getting the uh TDI district extended and so we're not um going to be keeping our fellow beyond the end of October.

And so the group has been, you know, that wasn't a huge surprise. We've had it extended a lot for Fall River. And so, um, at 5:30 on Monday, we're having another meeting that we're hosting, not during the day the way they usually are, but at 5:30 at um, uh, the Belmont Club like we did in December and asking more people to come. And we're going to really talk about how we're moving

forward. And so, I'll just give you some updates on that.

Um we're having discussions. Um we have kind of a draft of a strategic plan and suggestion that we create a committee of six pe six entities, six people that meets monthly and brings proposals to the larger group that's been meeting monthly at different restaurants in the morning. um each month and um that those might go to every other month and that the kind of executive committee or core

team would come up with proposals and priorities that we would then bring to the larger group. Um and the um plan going forward is um so also Viva Fall River and Patty Rigo's work comes to an end uh in October and the Viva shop will close and Joseph uh Holddeman who owns the building is looking for another um company ideally really kind of a retail um company that fills a niche in downtown uh to go in

there. And he's planning a whole lot of activities for that plaza that has plants and lights and a stage and all kinds of outdoor furniture. It's really a wonderful space now and it was used at a recent event that I'll tell you about.

But he's basically planning to have vintage TV on a huge blowup screen he has that will be something like once a week and encourage people to go to Tequila Lime and the St. James. And um there would be probably um a food truck and um potentially uh canned heat will be there and um that that will just kind of be a fun thing for people to go to once a week during

the rest of the summer. And um then uh that I think is in conjunction with a continuation of the Thursday night market that's there that I've been going to. It's you know got a certain amount of food and a um uh a food truck and music and um then he's got a video game tournament coming in September.

Um, the city is talking about moving the uh trunken treat activity that the city puts on over to Purchase Street and doing what they did last year where they had a Halloween bar crawl that was a lot of fun moving from restaurant to restaurant.

And then he's planning um first night uh on Purchase Street and then there will be a winter hiatus and it will all start up again in April. So even though Viva won't be there, there's a real commitment to keep activities going and keep this idea of Purchase Street and its restaurants being uh real downtown activity space.

And so, uh, Patty and, uh, the group planned the party on Purchase Street that happened last week, and it was including a Coney Island hot dog eating contest, which uh, was successful. It had four teams of five people each and then four individuals. So, there were two categories. teams. They had to eat 50 hot dogs. I guess that Well, the team the team as a group had to eat 50 hot

dogs, which was challenging. And you ca and it sounds awful. You know, you could put the buns into water to make them more more easy to eat. And but it happened.

Um, the teams included one from the fire station, the fire department, one from St. James, and I think one from Canat and um but and there was one other and so that was fun. Uh, it was a very hot night and so, you know, it started at 5. It was really in, you know, full swing at 5. There were lots of things for kids to do. Sam uh the event planner

from the mayor's office was in the kids area which is in was in the mechanics bank parking lot and um uh she was really excited. She thought it went really well. It was much better than being on Old Second Street where a lot of similar activities have happened.

They had big blow up things for kids.

people. Um the staff of the community foundation came to support it. Um the sense was the mayor was happy about it and seemed impressed. Fundraising was being done by um the United Way for the Gabriel House um fundraising effort. And um uh Carl Pelleter was there with Can Heat and he was really um from what I understand he was impressed and wants to be involved in the activities like this

next year. So that was all really encouraging and the thinking is we'll have one of those big parties again next year, next summer, but in the meantime we'll have these smaller events based on kind of what's been happening and what seems to be working.

So the good news is that even though we were all disappointed that Viva's work and the TDI fellow's work would come to an end in October, people are stepping up and um going to be engaged and we're going to continue these kinds of activities.

And as a normal meeting 7:20 at 5:30 at the Belmont Club.

Yep.

I got that email today just so you know.

Uh Nicholas Alberta. So, I was going to ask you if you were able to come and Johnny, you're planning on it, right?

Yeah. I think we had one there before, didn't we?

Yeah, we did. We had one in December and it a lot of people came and it was kind of a kickoff of this new north downtown group and um because we kind of moved from a TDI partnership that had been focused on the south south Main Street and that had kind of petered out and we had had that whole effort looking at would we want to create a bid and that

got complicated and So this was kind of a new start of the restaurants who are really into it. Um both uh Jamie Karum and um folks at um Bank Five feel that their staff kind of come to work and then leave. and there had been more uh more people were going to the restaurants and then pulled back a bit and they wanted a safer north main street. The city has at a lot of

advocacy. The city has um put in a traffic calming um effort and uh there's um uh crosswalks being painted and changes being made uh on North Main that are making people feel safer. and um they are interested in are having things kind of the end of the workday that attract people to stay in the neighborhood and come over to Purchase Street. So the fact that music has been happening every

Thursday night has been attracting people to come over which is good and the DJ was really good at this event last Thursday and that attracted people.

So um you know it's a nent effort but I think progress is being made and there are people who are committed and b and both restaurants and um a number of other businesses like bank five and businesses in Jamie Karum's building are expressing interest in being involved.

So that's the update on that.

Okay. Uh excuse me. If there's no further matters for the open session, the chair makes a finding that open session would have detrimental effect on negotiating position of the public body.

Purpose of the executive session is to approve the executive session minutes from June 20 25 and discuss strategy with respect to potential real estate transactions for property located at 45 Anowan Street, Fall River and the Deval Street Corridor Fall River. I'll entertain a motion to enter into executive session and we will not return to open session.

Okay. Motion to enter into executive session and we will not return to open session.

Second.

Second.

John Ericson. Yes.

Ron Ren. Yes. Ben Pleber. Yes. John Medeiros. Yes.

Thank you.