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  • Public Comment Period Summary

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    On April 11, we released a draft version of Vision Lynn to the public, with a comment period that extended through May 15. In that time period:

    • 1,500 people visited the project page and 678 downloaded the plan
    • 10 people attended an office hours session, either in person or online
    • 9 people sent email comments regarding Vision Lynn
    • 1 person wrote a letter to the editor

    The comments we received touched on many different topics, including housing, taxes, transportation, safety, schools, and the environment. In general, we felt that the feedback was consistent with what we heard through the entire community engagement process.

    Thanks to these comments, we have made the following changes to the draft in advance of releasing the final plan:

    • Introduction:
      • We included a link to the infrastructure map, which highlights some key infrastructure projects the city is working on.
    • Land Use and Urban Form:
      • We emphasized in the transform and enhance districts that we want to protect and support existing assets.
    • Infrastructure and Implementation:
      • We added some additional detail about the Safe Routes to School program and what action items we could take.
      • We added a paragraph about water conservation policies and strategies.
      • We added some additional analysis about the number of students who live in new multifamily development in the "Infrastructure and Implementation" chapter.
      • We added a paragraph about heat island effect.
    • We made a variety of minor corrections and formatting changes throughout the document and re-worded a few sentences and paragraphs for clarity and accuracy.

    We are now pleased to share the final draft of the plan, which we will be presenting to the City Council and to the Planning Board on June 27.

  • Public Comment Period: Opportunities to Engage

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    We are pleased to share a draft of Vision Lynn with you! The Planning team will be accepting comments on the plan from April 10 to May 15, just email Lauren.Drago@LynnMA.gov. Throughout this period, we will be presenting the plan at different meetings and hosting office hours to answer any questions.

    Presentations

    Planning Board - Tuesday, April 11 | 5pm

    Human Rights Commission - Tuesday, April 18 | 6pm

    GALA Board - Thursday, April 20 | 7pm

    City Council - Tuesday, April 25 | 6pm

    Zoning Board of Appeals - Tuesday, May 2 | 7pm

    Office Hours

    Chat with the Planning Department about what’s in the plan and share your feedback.

    Office Hours: Land of a Thousand Hills
    Thursday, April 27 | 8:30-10:30 am
    Land of a Thousand Hills, 61 Munroe Street, Lynn, MA

    Office Hours: Online
    Tuesday, May 2 | 5-7pm
    Registration Link

    Office Hours: Brickyard Collaborative (English Only)
    Thursday, May 4 | 10-11am
    Brickyard Collaborative, 760 Western Ave, Lynn, MA

    Office Hours: Online
    Tuesday, May 9 | 1-3pm
    Registration Link

  • LYNN TODAY: Top Takeaways from Lynn’s Existing Conditions

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    En Español

    By Aaron Clausen

    It has been a little over a year since the City through the Planning Department kicked off the planning and public engagement process to create a comprehensive plan for the City, called Vision Lynn. Since that time we have heard from over a thousand residents, business owners, and workers about what Lynners want for the future of their city. To complement the rich input we’ve been gathering from the community, we also worked with our consulting firm, Utile, to conduct a deep dive quantitative analysis of the City. The result is Lynn Today, a 200+ page slide deck that both summarizes research conducted in previous planning efforts and utilizes newer data to explore important topics and themes.

    There is plenty to consider in the Lynn Today report, but there are three points that have particularly stuck with me as we’ve continued the planning process:

    Lynn is a global city. With one out of three Lynners born in a foreign country, we have the pleasure of hosting a variety of different cultures and backgrounds in our community. Most of our foreign-born residents (71%) originally hailed from Latin America, contributing to the fact that nearly half (44%) of all residents identify as Latino. When we talk about international immigration, it’s typical to imagine someone newly arriving to U.S. soil; it’s worth noting that the majority of foreign-born Lynners (70%) have been here since before 2010, over ten years.

    This richness of diversity–both in terms of nationality, as well as race and ethnicity–is one of Lynn’s core strengths. Lynn youth will grow up having been exposed to many different cultures and languages, which will better prepare them for our increasingly diverse and interconnected world. Business districts like Union Street can provide cuisine or showcase art from nearly every continent in a short walk, inviting visitors and residents to come and try something new. The dynamism that defines multicultural communities, when allowed to thrive, is a cornerstone to the creation of vibrant, exciting and innovative cities. And, of course, Lynners see the importance of diversity too: 40% of survey respondents identified “diversity” as one of the things they love most about the city.

    Lynn needs balanced growth. Lynn Today takes a chapter to explore fiscal sustainability, which is particularly important as we consider the costs of what Lynners have identified as priorities: improved infrastructure, more modern school facilities, and better-maintained natural resources and amenities. The $450M budget Lynn has to tackle these worthwhile priorities is raised partially through property taxes (34%), with most of the remainder coming from state aid (61%). Looking closely at property taxes, we see 90% of Lynn’s total tax value comes from residential property, which is a higher share than any of our comparison communities (Brockton, Chelsea, Revere, Salem, and Somerville). This ratio puts a significant burden on our residential property owners. We need to encourage new commercial development to achieve a better, more balanced, tax base.

    Property taxes are the primary source of funds that are generated and controlled by City policy, however the City is legally constrained in how it raises property taxes. A healthy fiscal outlook requires new growth (in other words, property taxes from new development) each year, but a stronger ratio of commercial or industrial tax value in the long term will create a stronger, more resilient, tax base. This shouldn’t be strip-mall style retail–which takes up a lot of land and contributes comparatively little to the City’s bottom line–but instead major employers in advanced manufacturing, research and development, and or other businesses in growing industries, like life sciences and clean energy. The forthcoming arrival of Soliyarn is a testament that this is not just a pipe dream. Mixed-use development that effectively brings these types of employers together, along with housing and retail in a balanced way, can provide a stronger tax base delivering needed services while addressing other objectives like better access to housing and jobs.

    Housing remains one of the biggest challenges for Lynners. Our community feedback has been loud and clear: housing affordability is one of the biggest issues facing Lynn at the moment. Lynn Today spends a chapter on this topic to highlight our existing mix of housing, concerns about the age and quality of our housing stock, the housing cost burden a majority of our community faces, and the mismatch between the housing that is being added and the housing that appears to be needed. The data and community feedback are clearly aligned.

    What stood out to me, however, was in the chapters outside of housing. Lynners are working at about the same rate as other communities in Massachusetts, but tend to be making relatively low incomes, with 44% of our households making less than $50,000 a year. This may be in part because three of the five biggest employment sectors for Lynners are in relatively low wage industries: healthcare and social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation and food service. As we move forward, we should not only be exercising every tool to support housing affordability, but also be working to hone our workforce development ecosystem to ensure Lynn workers are ready for well paying jobs in growing, high-wage industries. Our workforce development plan, currently underway, will help us understand how to do that.

    Of course, these are just three of many interesting themes that have emerged in our year-long conversation about the future of Lynn. If you are interested in reviewing the data and drawing your own key takeaways, I invite you to visit our project page at www.lynnincommon.com/vision-lynn and download the Lynn Today analysis yourself.

    I also encourage you to participate in the Vision Lynn planning process, which we hope to wrap up this Spring. Our Vision Lynn Open House will be at the Senior Center on Saturday, February 4 from 10:30am to 12:30pm; we will be discussing how to use the built environment of Lynn to make our shared community vision a reality (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Khmer interpretation available).

    If you can’t make that, we’ll be at The Brickyard Collaborative on Tuesday, February 7 from 1-3pm for office hours to answer any questions you have on the plan (English and Spanish interpretation available).

    You need to be signed in to add your comment.

  • Strategies for Lynn

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    En Español

    With feedback from over a thousand Lynners online and in person, we were able to create our three vision statements:

    • Lynn will be a city where people feel safe and comfortable to live, work, learn, and play.

    • Lynn will be a city where all community members have the housing, transportation access, social connections, and educational or economic opportunities to live a fulfilling life.

    • Lynn will be a city to be proud of, with strong, diverse, and connected communities that take care of our shared spaces, natural resources, and each other.

    The next step is to turn these visions into strategies. For example, if we know that we want to feel safe in our community, what activities do we think could make that happen? We have generated a list of 39 strategies that we think can push our community toward our shared vision, but we need your help to review our draft and tell us what you think.

    Take the survey to review the strategies you care about and give them a thumbs up or a thumbs down.

    1. Changes to our roads and improvements to our transit system can make our streets safer and more pleasant for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers.

    2. Establishing an unarmed crisis response team will help us efficiently and culturally address mental health, substance abuse, homelessness and other concerns in our community.

    3. Empowering and protecting tenants in conjunction with inspecting rental units can help us improve living conditions in Lynn’s housing.

    4. Ensuring our routes to school and surrounding public realm are safe and well-maintained will improve safety for students and all Lynners.

    5. Investing in public infrastructure like trees, cooling zones, and splash pads will help make the city more comfortable in hot weather.

    6. Providing youth with activities, gathering spaces, and opportunities to participate in civic life will support our youth and make our city safer.

    7. Supporting union labor and worker's rights will improve safety in the workplace.

    8. Investing in trash cleanup will make our streets and parks more beautiful and enjoyable places to be and build community pride.

    9. Ensuring Lynn has a strong healthcare ecosystem, including an emergency room, addiction recovery services, mental health support, and other healthcare initiatives will make our community healthier and safer.

    10. Cleaning up contaminated properties will make Lynn a healthier place to live.

    11. Protecting the rights of and providing opportunities to immigrants will help everyone feel safe in our community.

    12. Implementing the Safe Streets for People Playbook will reduce crashes on our streets.

    13. Attempting to mitigate and preparing to adapt to climate change will be essential to protecting our community members in the future.

    14. Adding new housing units, including permanently affordable units for low-income households is necessary to ensure all Lynners have safe, affordable, and accessible housing.

    15. Implementing the Housing Lynn plan will help expand affordable housing in Lynn and prevent displacement.

    16. Preserving existing affordable housing units and ensuring they are well-maintained is an essential component of meeting affordable housing demand.

    17. Implementing the Lynn Transit Access Plan will enable us to improve transportation access, reduce vehicular congestion, and support economic development.

    18. Attracting new jobs to Lynn and ensuring we have the workforce development programs to fill them will increase economic opportunity for our residents.

    19. Investing in and championing our schools will ensure that all Lynn students get a terrific education.

    20. Ensuring that all community members have access to the parks, playgrounds, and recreational amenities will make Lynn a great place to live.

    21. Ensuring City Hall is accessible, transparent, and communicative to all will help residents feel more comfortable utilizing government services and advocating for themselves and their communities.

    22. Supporting our local businesses will provide entrepreneurial opportunities for residents and support our vibrant commercial districts.

    23. Creating neighborhoods that offer access to a variety of goods, services and amenities within a 15-minute walk will make Lynn communities convenient and accessible.

    24. Ensuring that city governance is responsive to the evolving multilingual needs of the community is necessary to better serve Lynners.

    25. Investing in a coordinated ecosystem of food programs will ensure that all Lynners have access to healthy, fresh, and culturally appropriate food.

    26. Planning for new school buildings that eliminate overcrowding and incorporate modern learning facilities is essential to providing all students with a high-quality education.

    27. By making our schools more inclusive to students regardless of language, ability, and background, instruction will become more powerful and the social-emotional needs of students will be supported.

    28. Expanding access to early childhood education will help us prepare students for long-term success.

    29. Eliminating the digital access gap and building digital skills in our community will increase educational and economic opportunities for Lynners.

    30. By proactively bringing more employers in growing industries to Lynn, we can maximize job opportunities for Lynners and create a more fiscally healthy city.

    31. Creating opportunities and providing spaces for Lynners to build social ties with each other will strengthen community resilience.

    32. Telling a positive story about Lynn will help us drive economic development in a way that honors what’s great about Lynn.

    33. Building connections across different communities and organizations will help us tackle Lynn’s biggest challenges.

    34. Maintaining our existing civic spaces, natural resources, and infrastructure will help us improve the quality of life for Lynners.

    35. A robust arts and culture ecosystem can help us continue the Lynn tradition of well-connected, supportive communities and drive economic development.

    36. Taking action to clean up King's Beach and remediate other environmentally contaminated sites is essential to preserving Lynn's natural resources.

    37. Exercising responsible, long-term fiscal planning is necessary to ensure a financially sustainable and economically resilient city.

    38. Establishing design standards will help us shape future development that is equitable, sustainable, and compatible with existing development patterns in Lynn.

    39. Promoting redevelopment in areas of existing activity that have access to transit, infrastructure and amenities will help us create places where people want to be.

    Take the survey to review the strategies you care about and give them a thumbs up or a thumbs down.

  • Vision Lynn Status Update - December 2022

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    En Español

    As 2022 comes to an end, we wanted to share a status update about the Vision Lynn Planning Process.

    What We've Accomplished So Far

    • We completed Lynn Today, our extensive existing conditions analysis about Lynn.
    • We have connected with over a thousand Lynn residents, business owners, and other community members to gather input on our vision statements and to better understand what we want from real estate development in Lynn--and what we don't want. Our key vision statements are:
      • Lynn will be a city where people feel safe and comfortable to live, work, learn, and play.
      • Lynn will be a city where all community members have the housing, transportation access, social connections, and educational or economic opportunities to live a fulfilling life.
      • Lynn will be a city to be proud of, with strong, diverse, and connected communities that take care of our shared spaces, natural resources, and each other.

    What We're Working On Now

    • The project team is putting together some possible futures for two areas in the city: Market Square and the Gearworks site. These scenarios will help us explore what we think good development could look like in two very different contexts.
    • City staff are meeting with major employers in the City to hear more about their needs and visions for the future of Lynn.
    • We are seeking feedback on the strategies that will be included in our plan, which will help guide the work of City departments, elected officials, and community advocates.
    • We are planning for our next public meeting in early February.

    Next Steps

    • Take the survey on our strategies - We've translated our vision into strategies that we believe can move the city forward. Let us know if we got it right.
    • Attend the next public meeting - We will have an open house style event on Saturday, February 4 2023 from 10:30-12:30pm at the Lynn Senior Center at 37 Friend Street Lynn, MA 01902.
    • Join our email list - As we move towards adoption in the spring of 2023, make sure you are on our email list to be informed about more opportunities to weigh in on the plan.
  • Lynnside Out Results

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    In Español

    There was music, free food, ice cream, and a bouncey house: it certainly didn't feel like a typical public meeting, but the Vision Lynn team used August 27th's Lynnside Out event to gather feedback from 750 attendees on the comprehensive plan.

    174 participants submitted comment cards about their vision for Lynn's future. Consistent with what we had heard in our earlier visioning surveys, the most common themes were wanting a clean and safe community and affordable housing.

    We asked participants to tell us where they lived, worked, and hung out in Lynn, but also where they would be interested in seeing more housing, jobs, and neighborhood services.

    Where do you live (orange), work (purple), and play (yellow)?
    Where would you like to see more housing (purple), jobs (blue), or neighborhood services (green)?


    We also asked participants to tell us what they thought was "good development" and what was "bad development". The statements people seemed most inclined to feel identified good development were "Development located to make the most of public transportation," "Housing that is affordable for Lynners who already live here," and "Development that minimizes the displacement of existing Lynners."

    Our friends at RAW Art Works hosted a community art project that asked youth to help create a vision of their ideal neighborhood and share their dreams for Lynn's future. The resulting public art piece is on display at the foyer of City Hall.

    The Vision Lynn team had a great time meeting everyone and hearing the different perspectives and ideas for Lynn. If you missed the event, you can still tell us what you think "good development" means or share where you think more housing, jobs, and neighborhood services should go.

  • Vision Survey Results

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    En Espanol

    To make sure we’re heading in the right direction, we recently asked the Lynn community for input on its vision for the future. What themes should a community vision address? What kinds of vision statements ring true to Lynners?

    We tried to reach as many people as we could:

    • We used an online survey in English and Spanish,
    • We went in-person to local events and neighborhood hotspots with activity boards, and
    • We conducted written surveys through Khmer and Haitian Creole interpreters.

    In total, an estimated 779 people gave their opinions! The online survey had 706 unique responses, an estimated 43 people interacted with our activity boards in person, and 30 people took the written survey through an interpreter.

    Vision Statements

    People were shown seven statements that emphasized different visions for Lynn’s future. Online and in-person participants could choose up to three statements that inspired them the most. From that process, some favorites emerged. The top three statements relate to safety and comfort; equitable access to resources; and strong, diverse, and connected communities.

    Table: Online and in-person vision statement selections

    Vision Statements

    Number of Selections

    Percent of online and in-person respondents making selection

    A city where people feel safe and comfortable where they live, work, learn, and play.

    316

    42%

    A city where all community members have the housing, transportation access, social connections, and educational or economic opportunities to live a fulfilling life.

    259

    35%

    A city to be proud of, with strong, diverse, and connected communities that take care of our shared spaces, natural resources, and each other.

    186

    25%

    A city where new development maximizes community benefits by providing good quality housing, economic opportunities and upgraded infrastructure.

    150

    20%

    A city where everyone feels valued, informed, and empowered to participate in the decision making that affects our community.

    128

    17%

    A city with neighborhoods that are vibrant, active, convenient, and provide a small town feel while offering amenities of a larger city.

    116

    15%

    A city that honors its history and plans for future generations by preparing for changes in the economy and climate.

    75

    10%


    Written survey participants got a slightly different question. They were asked to rate the statements with 1 (dislike), 2 (neutral), or 3 (like). The average score of each statement was 2.60 or above, meaning on average all statements were supported by respondents!

    Table: Written survey vision statement ratings

    Vision Statements

    Average rating by written survey respondents

    A city where all community members have the housing, transportation access, social connections, and educational or economic opportunities to live a fulfilling life.

    2.93

    A city where new development maximizes community benefits by providing good quality housing, economic opportunities and upgraded infrastructure.

    2.90

    A city where people feel safe and comfortable where they live, work, learn, and play.

    2.83

    A city where everyone feels valued, informed, and empowered to participate in the decision making that affects our community.

    2.83

    A city to be proud of, with strong, diverse, and connected communities that take care of our shared spaces, natural resources, and each other.

    2.83

    A city with neighborhoods that are vibrant, active, convenient, and provide a small town feel while offering amenities of a larger city.

    2.80

    A city that honors its history and plans for future generations by preparing for changes in the economy and climate.

    2.60


    Vision Themes

    We asked online and in-person participants “What central themes should Lynn consider when setting a long-term vision?” We gave them nine potential themes to choose from, and they could choose up to three. Online participants could select “Other,” and specify another theme if they wanted to.

    Chart: Visioning themes

    Housing affordability, economic opportunity, cultural diversity, and vibrant places were the top four themes identified by the public. 60% of participants selected housing affordability as a central theme the vision should address. It was the only theme selected by a majority of participants, though almost half (48%) selected economic opportunity. Of the 46 write-in responses online, 17 related to schools and education.

    Who responded?

    As part of the online and written surveys, participants could give some basic demographic information to help us understand who we are reaching in the community. (In-person participants weren’t asked to give demographic info.)

    Age

    Respondents were asked “What is your age range?” and given seven age categories to choose from.

    • Just over half (55%) were aged 35-54.
    • 21% were aged 25-34.
    • 14% were 55-64, 7% were 65-75, and 3% were 18-24.
    • 1% were over 75, and less than 1% were under 18.

    Chart: Age range

    Race and Ethnicity

    Participants were asked two questions related to race and ethnicity: “Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin?,” and “How would you describe yourself?” when presented with five racial categories.

    • 38% of respondents said they were of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.
    • 52% of respondents would describe themselves as White, 13% as Black, 6% as Asian, and 1% as Indigenous American. 10% would describe themselves as two or more races.
    • 18% chose “Other,” with 7% specifying a response. 67% of the respondents who specified a response wrote a category related to Hispanic or Latino origin, or gave a specific ethnic origin typically associated with Hispanic or Latino origin.

    Chart: Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin

    Chart: Racial Self-Descriptions

    Home Location

    Respondents were asked “What is your home ZIP code?” and given an open entry.

    • Almost half (47%) of respondents came 01902, the areas of eastern Lynn and near (but not including) Downtown. This includes neighborhoods around East Lynn, the Highlands, and the Diamond District.
    • 25% of respondents were from western Lynn (including neighborhoods like West Lynn, the Lynnway, and Pine Hill).
    • 24% of respondents came from the vicinity of Ward 1.
    • 3% of respondents came from Downtown proper.
    • 1% of respondents stated they lived outside Lynn.

    Table: Home ZIP Code

    Zip Code

    Description

    Count

    Percent

    01901

    Downtown Lynn

    22

    3%

    01902

    Eastern Lynn

    333

    47%

    01903

    PO Box

    1

    0%

    01904

    Ward 1

    174

    24%

    01905

    Western Lynn

    176

    25%

    Other

    Outside of Lynn

    9

    1%




  • Vision Lynn in the Community | Vision Lynn en la comunidad

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    Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hi while we were out in the community! | ¡Gracias a todos los que pasaron a saludarnos mientras estábamos en la comunidad!

    DenCity Vibes Festival
    Sunday, May 1 1-3pm | Domingo, 1 de mayo 1-3pm
    Lynn Commons

    May Day Rally
    Sunday, May 1 2-5pm | Domingo, 1 de mayo 2-5pm
    City Hall Steps

    ARPA Workshop | Taller ARPA
    Saturday, May 14 9-12pm and 1-4pm | Sábado, 14 de mayo 9-12pm y 1-4pm
    Briarcliff Lodge 112 Kernwood Dr, Lynn, MA 01904

    ARPA Workshop | Taller ARPA
    Tuesday, May 17 5:30-8:30pm | Martes, 17 de mayo 5:30-8:30pm
    Lynn Auditorium

    Haitian Flag Raising
    Friday, May 20 10:30-11:30am | Viernes 20 de mayo 10:30-11:30 am
    City Hall Steps

    ARPA Workshop | Taller ARPA
    Sunday, May 22 9-12pm and 1-4pm | Domingo, 22 de mayo 9-12pm y 1-4pm
    YMCA

    The Art of Celebration: RAW Exhibit Opening + Block Party | El arte de la celebración: inauguración de la exposición RAW + fiesta en la calle
    Thursday, May 26 5-8pm | Jueves, 26 de mayo 5-8pm
    Central Square and RAW Art Works, 37 Central Square, Lynn, MA 01901

    Market Basket (in English y Español!)
    Saturday, May 28 10-12pm | Sábado, 28 de mayo 10-12pm
    Market Basket, 40 Federal St, Lynn, MA 01905

    Market Basket (in English and Khmer!)
    Saturday, June 11 10-12pm | Sábado, 11 de junio 10-12pm
    Market Basket, 40 Federal St, Lynn, MA 01905

    Lynn Museum: Final Fridays: Youth Pride
    Friday, June 24 6-9pm | Viernes, 24 de junio 6-9pm
    Lynn Museum, 590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 01901

    Grace United Methodist Church (in English y Español!)
    Saturday, June 25 9-12pm | Sábado, 25 de junio 9-12pm
    Grace United Methodist Church, 374 Broadway, Lynn, MA 01904

    Farmer's Market
    Thursday, July 7 11-1pm | Jueves, 7 de julio 11-1pm
    Exchange Street, Lynn, MA

  • Kickoff Survey Results

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    En Español

    To start the Vision Lynn planning process, we launched a survey with three simple questions: What do you love about Lynn? What concerns you about Lynn? And what is one thing you want your city government to fix? This is what we heard from the 906 people who responded in three different languages.

    What You Love About Lynn

    When asked “What do you love about Lynn?”, there were some clear favorites.

    • Natural Resources (423 respondents) - Lynn Woods, the waterfront and beach, green spaces and Gannon Golf Course were all beloved resources.
    • Diversity (361) - 40% of respondents mentioned Lynn’s diversity as a strength in their response.
    • People & Community (201) - This category includes respondents who spoke about their social networks in Lynn, about the general inclusiveness and friendliness of Lynners, and the pride people feel in community. Another recurring theme, cited specifically by 29 respondents, was the sense that Lynners take care of each other in times of need.
    • Convenience and Location (154) - Lynn’s proximity to the North Shore and Boston were commonly cited as assets.
    • Arts, Culture & History (152) - Whether it was the historic architecture, music scene, or murals, many respondents cited Lynn’s cultural assets as something they loved.
    • Business and Restaurants (115) - The unique businesses and particularly the food scene were often-cited favorites.

    Concerns and One Thing to Fix

    Many respondents had similar responses when asked “What are your concerns about Lynn?”

    • Schools (294) - Schools, particularly the state of school buildings and uncompetitive wages for teachers, was a top concern.
    • Safety & Crime (292) - There were many concerns related to crime and safety, including violence, drug trafficking and addiction, unsafe driving, and noise concerns.
    • Infrastructure (209) - Respondents were adamant about the need to improve the roads, fix the water and sewer system to clean up King’s Beach, and invest in public spaces and parks.
    • Housing & Development (203) - Many respondents discussed housing and development. Many respondents in this category were concerned about rising housing costs and gentrification or expressed a desire for more affordable housing. Some, in contrast, wanted gentrification. Others talked about concerns regarding development more broadly--that there were areas not being developed or being developed inappropriately, that development was not adequately benefiting the community, or that development was not happening in coordination with adequate planning regarding traffic or schools.
    • Trash & Litter (167) - Respondents talked about issues with cleanliness, including trash and litter, street sweeping, and general beautification.
    • City Government (106) - Respondents felt frustration about local governance. Some had specific areas of concern (perceived lack of enforcement for laws, poor management of parks, or giving developers too much power) or spoke generally about a lack of communication or transparency. Many expressed the feeling that the government does not seem to reflect the community, either in terms of acting on the will of the community or in terms of demographics. (Note: the survey was open from September 2021 through April 2022, so this would have covered an election and an inauguration.)

    When we asked respondents about what one thing they'd want the city government to fix, the biggest winners were schools (207), infrastructure (180), and city government (114).

    Who Responded

    Of the 906 people who responded, 96% responded in English while 3% responded in Spanish and 1% in Khmer. 97% of respondents had a home zip code in Lynn. We asked respondents to self-identify their race and ethnicity if they chose. Of the respondents who provided this information, 3% identified as being Asian or Asian-American, 5% identified as being Black or African-American, and 5% identified as being multi-racial. 11% of all respondents who shared demographic information identified as Latino/a/x or Hispanic.

    Next Steps

    We tried to distill what we heard in this survey into a variety of vision statements that could be used to set the priorities for the Vision Lynn plan. Now, we're asking people to weigh in on whether we got it right!

    • Take the Survey Online (English or Spanish)
    • Take the Survey by Text (Coming Soon in Arabic, English, Khmer, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese)
    • Visit our boards around the community or at an upcoming event.

    This "Listening Tour" will continue through June, when we anticipate that we'll have our first major public meeting.

  • Vision Lynn Steering Committee

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    En Español

    Thank you so much to everyone who applied to participate in the Vision Lynn Steering Committee. We are pleased to announce the following members of the committee.

    • Bill Bochnak (Project Coordinator, EDIC/Lynn)
    • Bob Stilian (Chair, Planning Board)
    • Councilor-At-Large Brian LaPierre
    • Bruno Eusebio
    • Christina Luca
    • Christopher Gomez-Farewell (Director, Elder Services)
    • Cleo Hereford
    • Ward 3 Councilor Coco Alinsug
    • Danya Smith (Policy Director, City of Lynn)
    • Deb Ruggiero (Superintendent, Lynn Public Schools)
    • Debbie Parris
    • Diana Cherubin
    • Dylan Cashman
    • Elizabeth Figueroa
    • Elizabeth Rosario (Outreach Coordinator, LHAND)
    • Faustina Cuevas (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator)
    • Gildardo Alzate
    • Gordon R Hall
    • Hugo A Carvajal
    • Joe Scianatico
    • Jonathon Feinberg
    • Jordan T Avery
    • Joseph Furnari
    • Josilane Santos
    • Kurt Lange
    • Lauren Hogan
    • Layheab Ly
    • Ludia Modi
    • Magalie Rowe
    • Natasha Soolkin
    • Sylvia Odiana
    • Tanveer Malik
    • Teri Krawitz
    • Tia Cole
    • Valerie Vong (Communications Manager, City of Lynn)

    These members have rich ties to the Lynn community, and many have long track records of working in or advocating for Lynners. The Steering Committee members each bring rich connections to the community and unique perspectives. As a whole, the Committee speaks 11 languages and a majority identify as people of color. There are also representatives who are foreign-born, lifelong Lynners, members of the LGBQTIA+ community, parents, elders, youth, and residents of each ward.

    What is the role of the Steering Committee? The Vision Lynn Steering Committee is tasked with assisting the Planning Department in maximizing community participation throughout the planning process. Members will meet monthly to design and promote engagement opportunities, help think critically about if there are any voices missing from the conversation, and ensure that drafts of the plan are consistent with the feedback collected. The Committee will not be writing the plan, and members will be invited to participate in the process along with the rest of the community.

    How was the Committee selected? A selection committee made up of Mayor Thomas McGee, Mayor-Elect Jared Nicholson, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator Faustina Cuevas, Councilor Dianna Chakoutis, Planning Board Chair Bob Stilian, Human Rights Commission Chair Audrey Jimenez, and Principal Planning Director Aaron Clausen reviewed the 37 public applications and made selections with the goal of establishing an effective and diverse Committee.

    What happens next? The Vision Lynn Steering Committee will begin meeting soon to prepare for public engagement opportunities, which will be held throughout 2022. Register for Lynn In Common to receive updates.