Watertown will be able to redevelop the municipal parking lot in Watertown Square without creating a Redevelopment Agency, City Manager George Proakis told the City Council this week.
On Tuesday, Proakis confirmed that the City Council has been given the powers of a Redevelopment Agency (sometimes called Authority) through a special act of the Legislature. He first brought up the potential at a meeting of the Economic Development and Planning Committee on Sept. 17.
Redevelopment Agencies (or Authorities) have powers that a municipal government would not normally have, including creating public-private partnerships. Members of Redevelopment Agencies are appointed, not elected.
The subject of Redevelopment Agencies arose in the discussions of transforming Watertown Square. It looked particularly at the municipal parking lot behind CVS and other businesses. The area includes a privately owned business block that includes Tresca’s Eating Place, Salon Sabrina, and Gray’s Laundromat. Some potential uses for the area mentioned during the Waterotwn Square hearings include a parking garage and multi-family housing.
At the Watertown Square Area Plan meetings over the summer, and since then, some members of the public have stated they wanted such decisions to be made by elected officials, not appointed members, City Council President Mark Sideris said at the meeting in September.
In September, Proakis said the City Council had the power of a Redevelopment Agency after the powers were transferred from the redevelopment authority that existed from 1966 to 1987. The redevelopment authority oversaw the reuse of the U.S. Army Arsenal. He told the Committee that he had to confirm with the City’s attorney’s that the Council still has the powers.
“The initial legal opinion was correct. There has not been any subsequent legislation or Home Rule petition that has undone Chapter 405 of the Acts of 1987 to change Council ability to engage in what I called at that meeting the redevelopment toolkit, the toolkit of the redevelopment authority that could be useful in an urban redevelopment circumstance,” Proakis said.
The Council cannot just use the toolkit wherever or whenever it wants, Proakis said.
“To unlock that tool kit you would have to have a plan document to define the boundary area to unlock that tool kit,” Proakis said. “In particular it allows you to do certain things regarding public private partnerships about certain lots and certain programs which I think would be helpful in the process of disposition of property.”
City Council President Mark Sideris recommended the City Council not create a redevelopment authority because it already has the powers of one. The Council approved the motion unanimously.
Proakis said the City staff would work with a consultant to come up with a draft plan for the area where the redevelopment agency’s powers would be used. He said he may be coming to the Council with a request for funding for the consultants.
The Council voted 9-0 to have the City staff prepare a draft of the urban renewal plan for further Council review.
Everyone on the Council, including the Manager, should have had foreknowledge of that fact. I am beginning to wonder what the Hell is going on!