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City of Somerville's budget
​City capital budget shows $0 investment (nothing) in Davis Square for the next 10 years.
​The line item on the budget is empty.     

​...........     Why is this so?
Where do our taxes go?
In Ward 6 alone, we pay in excess of $6 million in land taxes and none of this is being returned into our community for maintenance of Davis Square infrastructure.
Why not now? 
T​he explanation from the city is that there needs be major underground infrastructure work in the square and it is pointless to do anything until that work is carried out. 
This is not a good reason to deny funding for infrastructure maintenance.
​

​Davis Square can't wait to have remedial work performed to fix the problems caused by continued lack of maintenance. Davis Square has become hazardous. To view the extent of the problem, see Davis in Decline.

​Until the planners devise a long term plan, until the city can identify the underground infrastructure need, the city has to fix these existing problems. The problems include the sidewalks, the light poles, the signage, the signal poles, the trees, the crosswalks, the electricity for the tree lights and the tree lights.  


The cost estimates to fix Davis Square 

Costs are based on conservative prices used by commercial contractors (2018 values)
​

        Component        Quan Unit      Unit Price      Cost         Scope                 
1     Sidewalk asphalt                                                                                         remove asphalt patches, prepare base, install new brick 
       patch repairs                         1860 sf                        $ 35 sf                  $ 65,100        to match existing

2     Sidewalk failed                                                                                            replace broken/pulverized brick, level areas that have
       brick repairs                           1150 sf                        $ 35 sf                  $ 40,250       subsided

3     Crosswalk asphalt                                                                                        remove asphalt patches, prepare base, install new brick

       patch repairs                           600 sf                       $ 35 sf                  $ 21,000        remove asphalt patches, prepare base, install new brick to match                                                                                                                                                        existing
4    Crosswalk failed
      brick repairs                             940 sf                       $ 35 sf                  $ 32,900        replace broken/pulverized brick, level areas that have subsided

5    Granite pavers                          120 sf                       $ 60 sf                  $ 7,200          remove asphalt patches, prepare base, install new granite pavers to                                                                                                                                                                                       match existing

6    Granite curb resetting            200 lf                       $ 40 lf                   $ 8,000        remove curb, adjust base, reset curbs with tight joints

7    Granite Belgian blocks

      resetting at tree wells            12 ea well               $ 400ea                  $ 4,800        remove blocks, adjust base, reset existing blocks in neat pattern

8    Street tree replacements     10 ea tree                  $ 2,000               $ 20,000        remove asphalt plugs and former tree roots; plant substantial                                                                                                                                                                                                  new  trees

9    Street tree light repairs         35 ea tree                  $ 1,500                 $ 52,500        install new conduit and sensors restring trees with LED light strings 10  Traffic                    signals - repaint yellow
     poles and signal housing to
     black (or replace)                      14 ea unit                  $ 5,000               $ 70,000         replace existing yellow light poles and signal fixtures with black LED                                                                                                                                                                                     units

11   Traffic signals - repaint
       yellow signals on galv arms    8 signals                 $ 2,000                $ 16,000        replace existing yellow signal fixtures with new black LED 

12   Sign poles - straighten           38 ea loc                       $ 100                  $ 3,800        remove obsolete/unneeded signs; straighten poles to                                                 
&           repair                                                                                                                                             plumb/vertical

13   Street light poles
       refinishing                                32 ea pole                    $ 200                  $ 6,400         refinish - repaint black

14   Parking meters, bike
       racks, bollards
     - straighten                                         40 ea                         $100                 $ 4,000          straighten poles to plumb/vertical; remove old stickers   
 
15   Temporary sign removal            12  signs                          $ 0                          $0            removal by owners

16   7 Hills Park - Walkway repairs   1000 sf                         $ 35                $ 35,000         remove section of brick; regrade base, reset bricks level with                                                                                                                                                                                                   adjacent sections

17  7 Hills Park - Bare Earth repair    4000 sf                         $ 10                $ 40,000        prepare grade to support new lawn

18  7 Hills Park - Tree replacement     6  trees                   $ 2,000               $ 12,000        remove existing tree roots; plant new trees

19  7 Hills Park - Tree pruning             25 trees                      $ 500                $ 12,500        thin/remove overburdened branches

20 Aerial Sculptures                                
  7 ea                    $ 5,000           $ 35,000        replace porcelain enamel interpretive signs, repair steel columns
                                                                                                                                                               replace sculptures

                                                                                                 Subtotal (rounded) $ 490,000

                                                             Cost Estimating Contingency Add 50% $ 250,000

                                                          Total Order of Magnitude Cost (rounded) $ 740,000

The city can afford this?

Whether you are a property owner or a renter, the money that goes to the city from property taxes should be used to maintain the infrastructure. Providing a safe square for everyone is one of the functions of local government

Your taxes - are they well spent?

Local property and business owners pay millions in taxes every year but the city has budgeted nothing to fix Davis Square in the next 10 years. For less than $1 million we can restore Davis Square and make it a great place to live and raise a family.

So you are a renter - do you care?

Your safety is just as important as a property owner, or any other citizen. Your landlord pays property taxes from your rent so you have skin in this game too. You need a Davis Square that is healthy, safe and a good environment free of hazards.
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