The following was submitted by Christopher J. Sullivan.
To the Melrose Community:
Melrose is an extraordinary city that has a small town feel with a vibrant community where all are welcome. I am running for Councilman atLarge for the City Council because I am committed to maintaining the unique characteristics and high quality of life we enjoy in our city.
Before I ask for your support, however, I want to tell you a little bit about myself. I
moved here with my wife Judith in 1998. ‘We have been blessed with three children:
Christopher, Molly and Rowan. All three of my children have bled the proverbial red and white
colors for Melrose athletic teams where I had the opportunity to contribute either as a coach or as
a manager. I think I have actually been to almost every single soccer field, baseball field and
hockey rink in the approximately 50 square miles around the City of Melrose! My children were
lucky enough to have had outstanding coaches and parents who volunteered their time along the
way – an example of what makes Melrose such a special place. We are members of St. Mary’s
Parish where I have had the opportunity to serve on the St. Mary’s Parish Council and contribute
my time as I could to the church community. I am an attorney with my litigation practice in
Woburn.
I strongly believe that in order to maintain the unique characteristics of Melrose we need
to keep strong zoning ordinances in place. Many families invest in Melrose through purchasing
their first home – a significant investment – and commit to a community. Inappropriate
development can negatively impact our quality of life and diminish that investment. The
increase in traffic, pollution, congestion, and the stress such development can put on our police,
fire capabilities, municipal services, schools as well as our infrastructure is well documented.
I would like to work to lessen this impact with any development project. I have
experience in this area negotiating concessions on behalf of Melrose, Stoneham and Malden
residents with development projects such as Oak Grove Estates (Melrose/Malden) and the
Stoneham Executive Center (Melrose/Stoneham). I can bring my experience to the table with
future development projects in Melrose.
I am a strong advocate of historic preservation. We live in a city with many historic
structures that deserve our respect and attention. To that end, I support a Demolition Delay
Bylaw for the City of Melrose. This simple step would allow for the city as a community to
pause and evaluate whether a historically significant building should be tom down, documented
or preserved if possible.
I am an ardent supporter of the Community Preservation Act which is a practical way in which real estate transactions can provide funds for the preservation of open space, historic preservation, and to provide for affordable housing. Melrose has a housing crisis, and this is a concrete way to assist in creating affordable housing stock.
With your support, we can achieve these goals and continue to keep Melrose a strong, thriving and vibrant community. For more information, please visit our website: sullivanformelrose.com.