[PAWTUCKET STATION THREATENED]

Let's keep in prospective the reason why the neighbors who live in the depot area don't want to see the project completed. Currently these residents live in conditions rife with drugs, prostitution, and gang activity. Should the Depot project be completed, property values in the neighborhood would sharply increase. The multi-unit buildings that are currently rat and roach infested on Montgomery St. will be converted to condominiums, the old victorian style houses on Nickerson St. would be scooped up by developers and rebuilt and sold to young middle class yuppies who commute to and from Boston. Not only would the drugs, crime and prostitution be pushed out of this area, so would the current residents of the Barton St. area. Affordable housing is at a minimum now. These people know that these improvements will not benefit them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the train stop WITH the Depot. And I don't necessarily sympathize with the people who live in the area. Keep in mind that I was born and raised in Pawtucket and I currently reside here, I own a house here and I pay taxes to the city. I feel this gives me every right to voice my opinion on what happens in the city despite what the woman who was "disgusted" with the outside interference with her neighborhood thinks. I have been reading and listening to the Barton St. Neighborhood Association complain about the lack of Police presence in combating the problems that have plagued this neighborhood for as long as I can remember and now that (at least some of) the city council and the Doyle Administration are attempting to solve this problem through redevelopment, the Barton St. Neighborhood Association is not on board. Well, I'm sorry, if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem. If that makes me elitist in some peoples eyes, than so be it.

[PAWTUCKET STATION THREATENED]

My last comment about the woman at the meeting. Maybe I should not have used the term nutjob, but this is the same woman who angrily berated the audience and accused them of only caring about buildings and not caring about people, and then said "shame on you," which I think was way out of line and off base. Just because someone comes from a low-income background (which we're all assuming she is, perhaps erroneously) doesn't mean that they should be held to a lower standard of behavior and reason.

If that makes me elitist, so be it.

Let's keep in prospective the reason why the neighbors who live in the depot area don't want to see the project completed. Currently these residents live in conditions rife with drugs, prostitution, and gang activity. Should the Depot project be completed, property values in the neighborhood would sharply increase. The multi-unit buildings that are currently rat and roach infested on Montgomery St. will be converted to condominiums, the old victorian style houses on Nickerson St. would be scooped up by developers and rebuilt and sold to young middle class yuppies who commute to and from Boston. Not only would the drugs, crime and prostitution be pushed out of this area, so would the current residents of the Barton St. area. Affordable housing is at a minimum now. These people know that these improvements will not benefit them.