Economic Development Commission
Minutes of Meeting— September 22, 2009
The Hudson Economic Development Commission met at the Hudson Town Hall, 78 Main Street. At 7:30 p.m., Chairman Donald Garcia called the meeting to order.
Members Present: Donald Garcia, William Sullivan, Hugh Gardner, Sarah Cressy, Tom Davis, Christine Miller
Others Present: Michelle Ciccolo - Director of Community Development, Kerin Shea – Community & Economic Development Assistant
Members Not Present: Christopher Tibbals, Tony Loureiro, Santino Parente
Update on Various Town Projects
Ms. Ciccolo updated the Town on some of the projects going on Hudson:
·~~~~~~~~ Washington St/Rte 85 Reconstruction Project– The plans are now at 75% design, having been submitted to MHD for its comments and approval.~ The Right-Of-Way plans are near final and MassHighway will soon begin the takings which are predominantly its responsibility.~~ There is not a required Public Hearing for the 75% stage of design, however there will soon be some local hearings for conservation commission approvals.
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·~~~~~~~~ MassDevelopment Grants - MassHighway’s ROW Division is reluctant to pursue a taking on the Bonazzoli parcel because of potential contamination at 173 Washington St.~ In order for the Washington St/Rte 85 Reconstruction Project to maintain eligibility for Stimulus Funds and/or to get onto the~list for traditional transportation funding, the Town is working to remove all obstacles~to advancing the project.~~With that focus, the town submitted and won a MassDevelopment Grant of $85,000 for site assessment for the Bonazzoli property.~ A contract with Tetra Tech Rizzo is in place to perform the site assessment.~ The Town is planning to apply
for a Site Clean-Up Grant from MassDevelopment, as well.~ The Town Meeting will consider approval of an article authorizing the Town to proceed with acquisition of the Bonazzoli parcel in order to clean it up.~ This vote will be critically important to advancing the overall roadway project.
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·~~~~~~~~ Economic Development Fund Grant – The Town will be applying for an EDF Grant.~ These funds, if obtained,~will provide some of the money needed for site acquisition of the Bonazzoli Property.~ This taking needs to be approved at the November Town Meeting.~ The Town does the taking & pays for relocation of any tenants still located within the building at the time of the taking.~ Both the EDF & MD Grants are recoverable grants, meaning the Town has to pay back the grants from any proceeds from the sale of the newly cleaned up property.~ The Town will NOT go forward with the taking without the MassDevelopment Clean-Up Grant.
- New Blight Target Area – The Town is conducting an inventory for a new Blight Target Area along the retail corridor on Washington Street, from The Quiet Toolbox located at 139 Washington St to the Brigham Farmhouse located at 15 Hudson St. This process lets the Town access Federal HUD monies. If 25% or more of the buildings and/or infrastructure is deemed poor or inadequate, the town will be able to apply for Community Development Block Grant funding for that specific target area.
- Façade Program – A Blight Target Inventory was performed downtown a few years ago & its designation as such an area is good for 10 years. The designation of the downtown as a Blight Target Area funds the Façade Program. The third & final façade project is the Manzo Building, located at 154-158 Main St, housing Studio Hair Salon & Sofia Ristorante. The project is currently out to bid with a substantial completion date set for December 30, 2009. The Town hopes to apply for more façade funding in its 2010 CDBG Grant Application.
- Downtown – The EDC welcomes many new/relocated downtown businesses: T’s Tattoo’s, Soft as Silk, Lemire & Marshall Insurance, McGowan Financial Coaching, One Luv Board Shop, Geek Boutique, Hudson Electric Motor Shop & Filet Grill. Percuoco Chiropractic is temporarily located at 16 Washington St before moving to its new office in the Esplanade. A new sub shop, Roast Beef & Wings, is opening in the Esplanade, as well. The EDC bids farewell to L & S Kerrigan Insurance (who is moving their offices to their Marlboro location) & A-1 Copy Center, who will be closing its doors early next year.
495/Metrowest Economic Forum
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sheraton Framingham Hotel
Registration and Breakfast 7:30 am
Program 8:00 AM
Featuring a panel discussion moderated by TD Bank on our regional and national economies, along with a report on the region’s commercial real estate market with:
Regional President Massachusetts and Rhode Island, TD Bank
President, Framingham State College
Executive Vice President & Director of Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Senior Vice President, Richards Barry Joyce & Partners, LLC.
*** EDC Members are encouraged to check out the 495/Metrowest Partnership’s website, www.495partnership.org. Please note, three of the five scrolling photographs at the top are of Hudson! ***
Economic Development Website
The EDC website has been redesigned by Ms. Shea. Commercial properties are now directly linked with their CoStar or LoopNet sites. Viewers will now see pictures of the building, the description, square footage & price. There is now an informative section regarding the Town’s 43-D Expedited Permitting Program & a section highlighting Economic Development Resources, State Programs, Incentives & Tax Credits for businesses.
Meals Excise Tax
A lengthy discussion occurred regarding the Town’s option to impose a local meals excise tax of .75% above & beyond the State Tax. This option will be voted on at the November Town Meeting. Ms. Cressy said that there are 44 restaurants in town & that she would like to hold a meeting with the restaurateurs to see if they had concerns regarding the new tax or any interest in participating in a collective opposition. The EDC agreed to await the results of that meeting before deciding whether or not to take a position on the proposed tax.
Minutes
Christine Miller, seconded by Tom Davis, made a motion to approve the minutes of October 27, 2008 & November 10, 2008 as written.
Vote: 6-0-0, unanimous
Adjournment
Don Garcia, seconded by Hugh Gardner, moved to adjourn at 9:25 PM.
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