Letters to the Editor

Supports Boncore for Council President

Dear Editor,

I am avidly supporting current Town Council President Philip Boncore, who is running for a second term on election day, November 2.  I support President Boncore because of his leadership during a once-in-a-century pandemic.  He also promoted a very safe infrastructure of water, sewer, and drainage repair during a raging virus, when I had reservations.  Phil answered my concerns about this very important project that will prevent Center flooding like that of 2017-18.

In addition, Boncore supported creation of a human rights body (Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations) that upholds tolerance and respect for residents of ALL races, nationalities, religions, abilities, and personal persuasions. 

However, it’s the area of responsible Center redevelopment that spurs me to vote for and encourage others to vote for Council President Boncore for a second term.  You see, after the Center Business District (CBD) rezoning of 2014, some planners had crayon lines drawn around 4 of our homes on Cottage Park Road.  In addition, residents in homes on Bartlett Road, Burrill Terrace, Fremont Street, and Winthrop Street had been drawn into various CBD maps.  This left 12 home owners vulnerable to potential absorption into the CBD.

It was Philip Boncore, however, who noted publicly, “When we changed the CBD zoning in 2014, we never meant to include people’s houses.”  Phil delivered on his word, and, as then Chair of the Rules & Ordinances Committee, called for the Planning Board to define what’s truly in and what’s out of the CBD.  Then the Rules and Ordinances Committee met, and under Chair Boncore’s direction, reviewed each and every property listed on the above-mentioned streets.

After this R&O meeting, the Council met jointly with the Planning Board, and as of 10-15-2019, the Town has an official CBD map.  Now we residents feel secure in our homes, and prospective developers know exactly where they can build.

It was Council President Phil Boncore who led this fight for clarity and security by pushing for a concrete CBD map.  I certainly will vote for Phil Boncore again on Novermber 2nd.  I encourage you to do the same.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Donna Segreti Reilly

Recreating a Winthrop Center for People

Dear Editor:

I took a walk through the Center last week and it was magical. Yes, there was heavy machinery blocking access to roads and parking, construction workers crowding sidewalks, and excessive noise making clear thoughts muddled, but what was happening before my eyes and ears was beautiful- and exactly what I and so many in this community have been waiting for- the restoration of Winthrop Center as a place for people. 

Let’s face it, the last couple of years “down the Center” have been miserable. Constantly rotating detours, unsightly staging of construction materials and pipes, and below grade digging and drilling that made accessing businesses challenging at best. Many have probably avoided the Center all together. The promise of a vibrant pedestrian plaza connected by shiny new sidewalks felt worlds away from the dearth of asphalt and crumbling concrete that has dominated our town center for years, but now, it seem feasible and even tangible…everywhere you look, curbs are being brought out to expand the amount of sidewalk space, including spots for new trees, street furniture and lighting, and the massive parking lot occupying French Square- a temporary construction mitigation feature- has been reclaimed for what every town center should be: a place for people. 

Imagine going to the Center, whether by car, bus, bike or foot, and wanting to stay not just the errands or appointments you came to conduct, but the whole afternoon or evening; just wandering, lingering with a book on a nice bench under a tree, browsing stores not even on your to-do list, and running into friends, perhaps grabbing coffee or takeout to eat al fresco because there is live music setting up in the square or simply because it is a lovely place to be. Imagine bringing your children or your out of town guests to the Center as part of the day’s entertainment and a way to truly get to know the character of the town (in addition to visiting the beaches of course!). Imagine the Center as a place where people of all ages, all backgrounds, all abilities, come to gather, to dine, to shop, to live and to play. That is the Center that’s unfolding before our eyes today. 

Combined with the pandemic, the last couple of years have been nothing short of devastating for Winthrop Center. We lost our French Square park to a parking lot, missed our beloved annual tree lighting, lost several mature shade trees, and watched our local businesses struggle to survive (shop local!!). But there’s light at the end of the tunnel now (in addition to the vaccine!). That vision we were shown in public meetings with the landscape architects back in 2017 is finally feeling feasible, even tangible. We’ve done the necessary grunt work of digging up the streets, replacing the below grade critical infrastructure, and inconveniencing everywhere who comes to and through the Center. Now it’s time for the fun stuff! The stuff that brings people back to the Center, that makes people want to stay in the Center, and that gives us all reason to feel proud. That’s what I’m looking forward to watching over these next few months before the end of the construction season, and again with what will hopefully be the finishing touches this spring. 

Yes, the Winthrop Center we see coming to life this (and next) year will be different from the one we’ve known since it’s last redesign in the early 1980s. But so, too, is our community, our region, our country and our world. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life so far it’s that change is the only constant. And the changes we are seeing now in our center are reflective of both the priorities set forth by hundreds of residents during the CBD master planning process, and of a vision for Winthrop Center as the thriving heart of our community. I can’t wait to see this magic extend to the vacant middle school property just down the street…

Julia Wallerce

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