To: The Massachusetts State House, The Massachusetts State Senate, and Governor Charlie Baker

SAY NO TO THE CONSERVATORY LAB CHARTER SCHOOL AT BARTLETT

Victory! The creator of this petition declared the campaign a success. You can still sign the petition to show support.

Hold Nuestra accountable for delivering the economic development spelled out in the request for proposal (RFP). Stop Nuestra from PUSHING THEIR AGENDA ON THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY! Say NO to the CLCS at Bartlett!

Why is this important?

December 1, 2015 letter to the Co-Chairs of Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee (RSMPOC) from the Bartlett Project Review Committee

Dear Co-Chairs,

The Bartlett PRC is providing written notification that WE OPPOSE DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO ADD THE CONSERVATORY LAB CHARTER SCHOOL TO THE BARTLETT PROJECT. We have consistently rejected the proposal and communicated our opposition to the development team at public meetings, including RSMPOC meetings. The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) convened a PRC meeting in May 2015 at the District B-3 police station (open public meeting). At that meeting, the PRC, Councilor Jackson, and other community members clearly conveyed opposition of the school proposal to the Bartlett development team and the BRA.

We request the RSMPOC support our opposition and communicate this message to the development team and the BRA.

Most members of the RSMPOC will recall the long toil and determination of our community commitment to set a vision for Bartlett over a multi-year period. We believed in the strategic planning process for Roxbury and have not wavered on the vision for Bartlett. We remain committed to the RFP requirements that set a foundation of economic development and wealth creation for the Bartlett parcel.

We firmly believe the entire site should be anchored to economic drivers (homeownership and commerce opportunities) that will have an immediate and lasting impact on the community. We know that homeownership is central to individuals and families ability to amass wealth. We also believe that commercial and retail space encourage entrepreneurs to create businesses, attract existing businesses, and ultimately increase employment opportunities and wealth generation. The approved development plan also incorporated open space that will allow the economic energy to flourish in a proportionately populated neighborhood village landscape.

While we have nothing against The CLCS, it simply does not fit the wealth creation design for Bartlett. Roxbury must increase economic drivers in the community and the Bartlett parcel is committed to that effort.

Washington Commons and Heritage Commons are great examples of a community process that created economic opportunity and security for Roxbury residents. Both projects successfully created homeownership wealth and security within the Roxbury community. Bartlett will expand that model and make it possible for many more residents to build wealth within the community.

Once again, the community is protecting a transparent and inclusive process that spoke loudly with a voice of community unity. We now face a development team which intends to renege, and disrespect the very people that trusted their sincerity and commitment to the Bartlett RFP process and the Roxbury community; a developer who has decided to disregard the public process and stakeholder voice to pursue their own agenda. We followed the process believing that our voices would not be squashed or diluted by the resources of a developer or the political might of a mayor or city agencies.

We respectfully request that you stand with the Bartlett PRC and send a very clear message that DEVELOPERS CANNOT AND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PUSH THEIR AGENDA ON THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY! We would be happy to attend a RSMPOC meeting to affirm this letter.

Sincerely,

Bartlett Project Review Committee
Michael Miles - Co-Chair