Recap of February 11, 2025 Regular Meeting of the City Council

Agenda on City Council Public Portal

Recording on Youtube

Recording on MCM

We passed a resolution to acknowledge and celebrate Black History Month. Councilor Lazzaro, shared quotes from Attorney General Andrea Campbell and read an excerpt from an email from Medford Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director Nwajei that was informative about the history and origins of Black History Month in America. Councilor Tseng spoke about how the Brooks Estate was built by Black laborers and about how Belinda Sutton historically sued for her reparations and freedom in Medford. 

We passed a resolution in remembrance of Professor Dan Dill. Dan was a Medford resident,  a professor, and an accomplished photographer. In December, he was walking his dog Blue across Mystic Valley Parkway, in a crosswalk near his home, when a car struck them. He died of his injuries on January 11, 2025. 

His tragic death sparked a renewed activism by his neighbors who have been trying for years to win long-overdue road safety improvements on Mystic Valley Parkway and other areas of Medford where speeding is rampant, making everyone unsafe. 

Councilors and residents spoke at length about Dan, and about all that needs to happen to begin combatting this entrenched paradigm of unsafe driving and unsafe roads. They noted that near misses happen constantly. One resident shared: “Cars have become very safe for the people inside the cars; they’ve become very dangerous for people on crosswalks and sidewalks.” 

The coalition of residents organizing around this are working for infrastructure improvements as well as stepped-up speed enforcement by state police. (The DCR controls the Parkway.) They are also asking for simple, common-sense road safety improvements, including speed warning signs nearer the crosswalks; rotary striping; crosswalk improvements and relocations; speed detector signage; and commitments to road improvements in the DCR’s five-year plan: “We ask that DCR commit to constructing within a few years the Mystic Lakes Path project and the Route 60 High Street rotary and bridge improvements in the Mystic to Minuteman trails project.” 

Several updates were given, including that the Medford state delegation met with the DCR today and is working on securing commitments for improvements. 

Councillor Lazzaro and President Bears discussed referring this matter to Committee of the Whole so the Council could continue to hold meetings on enforcement (enforcement jurisdiction varies throughout the City); talk with the Bike Commission and Walk Medford about updates to the citywide bike plan and general safety needs; and working towards adopting Vision Zero. 

The resolution passed and the Council has continued to meet in Committee of the Whole on road safety needs and funding needs to improve road safety.  

The hearing on the Salem Street Corridor District zoning was continued to March 11th, because the Community Development Board continued its public hearing to March 5th. 

A common victualler’s license for Kelly’s Roast Beef was tabled because the petitioner was not present. 

A common victualler’s license for King Boba was approved. 

We approved a resolution (submitted under suspension, which is why it doesn’t appear on the agenda) from Councilor Scarpelli for the Committee on Education & Culture to meet in two weeks to discuss Recreation Department needs for the upcoming budget season, relating to additional recreational programming for Medford’s disabled residents (per our discussion January 14. 

We took up Councilor Scarpelli’s resolution to discuss the zoning process, which I would characterize as a resolution to delay the zoning process. Councilor Scarpelli shared grievances about a lack of public engagement. 

Other Councilors shared information about the public process that characterizes every zoning proposal: Public Planning & Permitting Committee meetings with opportunity for public comment; public Community Development Board hearings with opportunity for public comment; a final meeting before the City Council with opportunity for public comment. I shared that in response to community desire for more information and more opportunities to ask questions and give feedback, we have also added a step to each zoning proposal – a Public Q&A where the zoning proposal is presented, residents can ask questions, and also engage with the proposal interactively via sticky notes and more informal Q&A with city staff and zoning planners. The first Q&A was actually just the night prior, for the SSCD proposal at the Roberts School. People had lots of questions, which is great, and staff and planners stuck around until almost 10pm to make sure every question got answered. 

I also shared about the overhaul of the City zoning website. This was taken up directly in response to residents highlighting the need for more and better information about the zoning, so truly, thank you, residents! The new website is fully reorganized, shares short- and medium-length summaries of each proposal, includes visuals, and has links to all relevant public meetings about each zoning proposal. It can be viewed at medfordma.org/zoning. 

The resolution was received and placed on file. A B-Paper to further delay a vote on the Salem Street Corridor District zoning did not receive a second.