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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?
The 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.
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
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
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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.
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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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