City Council Vote Tonight is Step Two in Clapp Lease Process

With a vote looming on the after a last night, Mayor Scott Galvin said Tuesday afternoon that this is only the second step in the process.

According to Galvin, the proposed lessee, SEEM Collaborative, is looking at Woburn and another community to house its program for the coming school year. 

"If the City Council votes (in favor of the lease) tonight, we'll go the next step to SEEM and see if they accept this proposal," said Galvin. "I think it's a great opportunity for the city; I'm hoping the council agrees, and we can get to the next step."

If the City Council approves the lease, and at least three aldermen have spoken in favor of the deal, Galvin will then present the lease proposal to SEEM Collaborative. The special education collaborative, of which Woburn is a member, has the right to reject the lease proposal.  

The proposed lease would be for three years, and would bring in $500,000 over the term of the lease. In the proposal, SEEM would pay for installing a phone line, as well as all utilities and property maintenance. 

Resident Outlines History of Area

One Clapp School neighborhood resident provided a history of the land that now hosts the school, going back to 1909.

According to Rosa DiTucci, a resident of the neighborhood, as well as the alderman for the neighborhood, in 1909, the city bought the land for a park. The first public playground in Woburn was located there, she said. The back area was always used as a park, DiTucci added.

In the 1950’s, DiTucci said neighbors "allowed" the city to put up a school—a “small, neighborhood school” on that property. While neighbors supported the building, in order to erect a school, a vote of the City Council and the School Committee would have also been needed. 

Three years ago, then-Mayor Thomas McLaughlin proposed to build a new Goodyear School on the site of the “old” Goodyear. But because of the size of the site, students have had to move out while the new school is being built.

Portable classrooms were proposed for the Clapp School, to temporarily help house the Goodyear School students.

Neighbors objected. They appealed to the attorney general and, DiTucci said, the attorney general agreed with them.

Even without additional students and traffic, parking around the Clapp School was “abysmal,” DiTucci said.

The situation got even worse, she said, with the portables.

A group of city officials, including then-Mayor McLaughlin, and residents gathered and agreed to designate the Clapp School land for recreation, once the new Goodyear opened and students were redistricted out of the Clapp School, according to DiTucci. The City Council approved $550,000 to demolish the Clapp School, she said.

Mayor Galvin, who was an alderman at that time, voted against the measure and was the only dissenting vote.  

The attorney general withdrew objection to the portable classrooms, she said.

How We Got Here

The language of the passed by the City Council and then state legislators was broadened, DiTucci said, to extend the life of the Clapp School until the School Committee deemed it educationally unnecessary.

The School Committee that the building was still necessary.

"They determined that they need it for swing school," said Galvin. "That's why we're at this point now."

The possibility of a lease to SEEM Collaborative was proposed so that the building would remain open and occupied until it was needed by the city to house elementary students during another school construction period.

Neighbors never intended the Clapp School to be rented, DiTucci said emphatically. 

"People need to be reminded that this neighborhood compromised (before)," she added.

Galvin contended last night that the possible rental income would benefit a city facing "budgetary pressures."

"My obligation is to represent the best interest of taxpayers,” he said.