The key players in Lynn Mayor Jared C. Nicholson’s plan to redefine city government’s relationship with developers are men who defined that relationship for decades.
Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC/Lynn) Executive Director James M. Cowdell, Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development Executive Director Charles J. Gaeta, and Community Development Director James Marsh are the core members of the Lynn Development Team announced this week by Nicholson.
The team, which also includes city Chief of Inspectional Services Michael Donovan and City Planner Aaron Clausen, will work to reduce confusion for developers interested in unveiling a project proposal to city officials and improving communication between the mayor’s office, City Council, and city departments.
After initially presenting proposals to EDIC, developers will meet with the team to talk about their projects, with projects potentially advancing to the council, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals.
Reorganizing the city’s approach to dealing with developers is almost a rite of passage for mayors. Cowdell, Gaeta and Marsh will tell you it is a well-trod but rocky path to start down.
Mayors like to use broad-brush strokes to paint big ideas. Nicholson is no exception. He envisions the Lynn Development Team helping to usher life-sciences projects into the city and helping to make the Housing Lynn Plan, passed by the council last year and endorsed by mayoral candidate Nicholson, a reality.
He also doesn’t want a fiasco like last year’s Friend and Silsbee streets project approval happening on his watch. The council approved the 181-unit project without input from city officials, including former Mayor Thomas M. McGee, who criticized the lack of city input on the project (Item, Sept. 16).
Lack of input is the last criticism Nicholson wants aimed at his administration. He said the Lynn Development Team will assure a ” . . . transparent system is in place so that true collaboration can occur . . .”
The team is the second collaboration between Nicholson and City Council President John “Jay” Walsh in the weeks since the pair assumed their respective offices. The council endorsed the team concept in a resolution last week and Nicholson said plans call for translating the resolution’s language into city ordinances officializing the team’s role.
Although the Team will have an initial role in vetting developers, the council retains its special-permit power on projects and sweeping site-plan reviews will stay in place with Walsh making it clear any project headed to the council for a vote will need the applicable ward councilor’s recommendation.
Nicholson and Walsh are on the right track with their goal of streamlining development reviews and improving communication between city agencies. With apologies for employing an overused phrase, we hope all the players in the process buy in to the Lynn Development Team’s mission.
