Brooksby Area Rezoning? BAD IDEA!

From the Salem News: --click here for complete article--

"Of the 237 affected parcels, 11 parcels (4 percent) could potentially be subdivided under existing zoning, Haney said. After the change, nine of those parcels could still qualify to subdivide, which means only two lots would be legally prevented from subdividing, he said.

Haney also said that the change would make 48 parcels (20 percent) "existing nonconforming," a designation that would require those property owners to get a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals if they were to expand their homes."

click for larger image

I fail to see where the possible developments are even buildable. To make 48 families properties become Existing Non-Conforming all to prevent TWO parcels from being subdivided is STUPID!

--Click for a larger image--

This is a zoning map of the area (As requested)

Bottleneck or Danger Zone??

Here is an overlaid GoogleMaps image of greater Downtown Peabody, Ma.

I have draw BY MEMORY ** where the roads are one land (red) or two lanes (green) in each direction.

Someone pointed out on Old Fred's Blog that if Main Street were to be reduced from the current two lanes in each direction to one lane (approximately 800' long section), that this would NOT cause a bottleneck (as Gardner Park suggested) because it is already just one lane for the entire distance between Rt. 128 and Downtown Salem!

Click on the image for a larger view

** If I have made an error... please let me know and I will try and correct it.

Endicott and Warren Street

I have been told I am nuts because I have said that the area near the old school admin building is hardly a residential area.

Well, this image might explain why I see it as NOT just a residential area. In fact, it is not even close if you think of just the properties in the immediate vicinity.

This is a google Maps image with MY OWN interpretation of the land use.

But... you decide. {click on the image for a larger view}

Things getting back to normal... finally!

It seems like Old Fred and Keith are both back up, maybe Keith on a somewhat limited basis, but it is very good to see folks getting back to the issues and engaging in some spirited and respectful debate!

I know who is X and Y and Z and...

You know what...

Who really cares!

IF you do a good job fairly discussing Peabody issues... no one is going to give a crud who you are... or I am, or anyone.

The Old Fred was doing a pretty good job... and I was an ass at times and hammered him when I thought he went too far... not because we disagreed, but because I thought he went too far.

The New Fred did a credible job showing me he WAS the old fred... (he answered some personal questions that happened in an email exchange we had). So I think he is who he says he is.

Keith, well he is Keith. I have no doubt about that. And he has done a good job here as well.

And I am not Keith. Nor am I Sean or Ted or Bill or Mike or Fred or whoever... NOBODY KNOWS who I am and that is FINE.

So let's stop the BS here, and at all the blogs and let's get back to discussing the issues in Peabody!

In the end... people are looking for a place (or places) where opinion and information can be exchanged in a safe and lively environment.

We have several opportunities here at present... and maybe more in the future too. Who knows.

But the fastest way to stop all this is to sit around and play the he said, she said, who is he, I know her game.

So no more of that at my site. And Keith has been pretty good about keeping his place free of this stuff as well.

Don't get me wrong... if something needs to be said... I have a pretty big mouth and will speak my peace.

But let's talk about something that might MATTER!

Like THIS!
MetroFuture - Greater Boston Planning for the Next 25 Years (Including Peabody).

The Recently Adopted Plan
An Editorial in the Salem Evening News.

Back to business

Perhaps the best way to deal with the interesting activities of the past few days is simply to return to what we have been doing around here in the first place... discussing the important issues facing the City of Peabody and what we can all do to make it a better place.

I welcome any thoughts and comments.

Be-fouling the Blogosphere?

Hello Fellow Confused Blog-o-spherians:

NOTE: I may be wrong concerning our newest member of the Peabody Bloggers... but I am not sure. I do not write to TELL YOU what to think, only to remind you to THINK. Time will tell if this new blogger is interested in making Peabody a better place or has some other business in mind. Also, I added Keith back per his request.

Well, the times they are indeed a'changin.

Seems that Keith has decided to go silent for a while. I think that whatever Keith needs to do is fine with me. I hope he returns to blogging in the very near future. I am glad for all the things he has tried to do for the City and its Citizens.

I see that a False Fred has joined the fray. Please understand that I believe he is NOT the Ole Fred we have enjoyed in the past. And the blog he purported to have open... is, in-fact, a fraud. I do not trust comments made from the ole fred poster.

And, of course, we have Pat. Now, if you are a fan of Saturday Night Live, you might remember another Pat, portrayed by Julia Sweeney, who played a character who wasn't quite discernible as either a man or a woman. Well, we have had our own Peabody version of a comedy skit revolving around the name of Pat, Pat Patriot to be exact.

Over time, we have been told that there have been at least 3 different Pats... and then this has been denied and other allegations tossed about, but now we seem to have a NEW PAT.

This New Pat is a craft little devil. So far he (and I am pretty sure it is a he) has claimed to have stolen the domain name from the Old Pat, he has linked it to both Keith's (shuttered) site and to Mayor Bonfanti's election website. He has obviously created 'buzz' by posting over and over again at his new site using different anonymous names. Some of these are familiar ones he has usurped and others are simply there to provide agreement with his initial views.

The odd thing is that the views are entirely, and enthusiastically, Pro City Administration. But they are TOO over the top for anyone to honestly believe that they are anything else than false praise. A none-to-clever attempt to bring scorn to the City Leaders by heaping so much LOVE onto them that it is impossible to not find some point to disagree with.

So I have removed my link to New Pat's blog. I have removed my link to Keith's blog as well (per his polite request). Note: Keith did NOT express any hostility toward me in any way - certainly not as was characterized by New Pat. In fact, I have removed other blogs entirely, and only have a link to the City of Peabody website.

Finally, I do not actually believe that New Pat is indeed a New Pat. I think that it is the Old Pat. Old Pat has proven himself to be a rather vile and dark person. I have personally been threatened by him and know he has done the same to others. He is neither interested in a fair assessment of the issues nor a spirited give-and-take on important topics and ideas.

Like many of the original members of the PCBG discussion board, he is only interested in hearing himself talk and others agree with him.

I don't say this to prejudice you against him, but rather to inform you as to why my comments might be interpreted as being angry or negative at times.

I will continue to allow comments on my blog. However, I reserve the right to delete what I see as inappropriate or threatening in any way.

And, as is stated on my blog front page, this is only a TEST BLOG! It will remain simply as a way for folks to converse who have no other method.