Oopsies: BRA won't hold hearing it was supposed to but didn't on project favored by City Hall

By adamg on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 8:46am

So there, authority says to South Boston.

Neighborhoods:

South Boston

Free tagging:

Development

BRA

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Comments

My favorite thing about

By TheVanJones on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 9:42am.

My favorite thing about Southie pols is that they all take donations from the developers. Collins likes to talk tough and side with the NIMBYs, but he knows where his money comes from.

yeah, right

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 11:08am.

Collins gets his donations from residents; and he fights for them. It would be great if other electeds did the same.

Like your boys Linehan, Hart,

By TheVanJones on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 12:39pm.

Like your boys Linehan, Hart, and Wallace. Lulz.

This

By YoungUrbanUnprofessional on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 11:16am.

isn't about the politicians it's about the community members. Nick wouldn't have made a peep about this if it weren't for a tight knit group of activists still trying to salvage whats left of their neighborhood.

So building a condo building

By YUP on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 2:45pm.

So building a condo building on top of a dilapidated parking garage, in part of Southie that's pretty empty, consitutes destroying the neighborhood?

It's not the condo building

By Yup E on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 5:17pm.

it's the self-centered people who will purchase these and rent them out to a bunch of loud mouthed, complaining losers..... "Why is there a powerplant across the street?", "Why is there a very busy truck route at my front door?", "Why can't the patrons leaving Murphy's Law at 2 AM be quiet?"

Single family homes

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 7:09pm.

What's the problem with foregoing condos and put up a few single family homes so that some young families can live there?

Single family homes

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 12:45pm.

Young families will not be able to afford any single family homes anywhere near this area.

Land is way too valuable for any single family homes to be affordable.

In a quick search of 3+ bedroom single family properties for sale in South Boston, the cheapest I see is around $500K and "needs TLC". Most are $700K plus.

reason being...

By John-W on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 10:40am.

...that the "TLC" needed is the conversion of the single family home, that normally goes for $650K fixed up, to three condos that go for $350 - 400K a pop.

Leaving the real estate market to evolve purely by market forces with housing projects being the only real state intervention results in these situations. If you're a market zealot you say "well that's the best of all possible worlds, live with it." It's like crying about the fact that water runs downhill.

The end result is what the Globe recently referred to as 'gated downtowns' where no one but the 1% live (I'd provide you a link to the article but the Boston Globe/boston.com has THE WORST WEB SITE EVER DESIGNED BY HUMANS.) That's the nut to crack on gentrification -- how do you tame the market without doing something stupid (tall order for govt) that has unintended consequences. I hope it's figured out soon as the tide of hipsters, house-flippers and luxury waterfront condos is once again lapping at the shores of East Boston. 130 years as an immigrant family neighborhood is about to be lost in the next 20.

Calendar. Public Meetings. Boston Redevelopment Authority...

By theszak on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 12:27pm.

Calendar. Public Meetings. Boston Redevelopment Authority
http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/calend...

For sale: no self-centered residents allowed

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 8:47pm.

So exactly what public process and design standards should the BRA follow to ensure that future residents don't offend your personal standards of who should live in a neighborhood?

State Senator

By Mike the mailman on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 2:50pm.

Dorcena Forry who promised to represent the residents of Dot, Mattapan and Southie is nowhere to be found on this discussion. She's probably at another pizza party with Mango Dahill.

Or giving attention to the

By TheVanJones on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 3:34pm.

Or giving attention to the neighborhoods long forgotten by Southie pols.

Check your maps

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 3:58pm.

Mattapan and Dorchester were never part of the 2nd Suffolk District until redistricting. So apologize to all the good folks of Dot and Mattapan.

Good on the BRA!

By BostonUrbEx on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 10:42am.

As much as I hate special treatment and political favors, my suggestion would be: now lets do this for every project. Boston will do much better with automatic BRA approval rather than the song and dance of dulling down every project that comes their way.

Because that's worked so well

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 10:57am.

Because that's worked so well for the Seaport District, Dainty Dot building, Shreves, etc.

But you just proved my point...

By BostonUrbEx on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 12:36pm.

BRA required the Dainty Dot project to be dulled down because it was "too iconic."

The BRA has no problem

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 1:18pm.

The BRA has no problem approving the demolition of iconic buildings and replacing them with cheap dull developer garbage fit for Genericville, USA. If a developer friend of the mayor pulled up with a dump-truck full of cash not even Trinity Church would be safe!

WRONG

By YoungUrbanUnprofessional on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 11:21am.

Correction: Boston would be doing much better without BRA loopholes and its signature special treatment rewards program.

Correction to your

By cleokid on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 3:20pm.

Correction to your correction: Boston would be doing much better without the BRA. There's no reason that a group appointed by the mayor should have as much power as they do. Boston is unique in that, and it's not a good thing.

as opposed to what - a zoning

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 4:38pm.

as opposed to what - a zoning board full of politicians without any arch/planning/development education or background who are more easily bought by other developers? the BRA is probably the least corrupt of the big city planning depts I've worked with. yeah - the mayor sometimes tries to push some things through, but it's definitely not as nefarious as you might think.

from what I understand, the "changes in scope" are will within the developer's legal right for what was already approved through the community and BRA process. The number of units are the same, the SF of commercial space is the same, the height, footprint, and overall massing is the same - the only changes they made were to the facade and a slight change to the unit mix - which appears to mostly be related to changes in construction cost and providing more daylight to the residential units. I think people are overreacting because the project was on hold for so long. this really has nothing to do with the BRA. if the busy-bodies in southie want to hold up a project that is essentially exactly the same as what they already approved, then more power to them.

btw - I am not in any way connected to this project, but the herald is being completely irresponsible (as usual) and people are just using this to push some kind of right-wing agenda.

The Herald

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 6:32pm.

The Herald again proves its own irrelevance.

"btw - I am not in any way

By anon on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 7:41pm.

"btw - I am not in any way connected to this project"...yeah right, sounds like you aren't

"the BRA is probably the

By Josev on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 9:31am.

"the BRA is probably the least corrupt of the big city planning depts I've worked with."

"I am not in any way connected to this project"

I find the last statement hard to believe after reading the first.
What other big city planning departments have you worked with?

Open Meeting Law Complaint Form

By theszak on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 12:18pm.

Open Meeting Law Complaint Form
http://www.mass.gov/ago/docs/government/oml/ago-op...

Menino not as dumb as he looks/sounds

By O-FISH-L on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 3:27pm.

Give Menino credit for making himself scandal proof. He not only endorses but embraces President Obama, essentially assuring that the Justice Department of Eric Holder and locally Carmen Ortiz keep their paws off. Ditto for Martha Coakley, who he endorsed to no avail in her run against Scott Brown. Coakley may need Menino and his machine again if she goes for Governor, so she won't be digging too hard. As for D.A. Dan Conley running for Mayor, he too is eager for Menino's blessing, so expect no investigation there. That leaves only the media, from whose ranks Menino has hired scores of spokespersons from almost every paper, radio and TV outlet in the city, providing thick insulation. For the Southie neighbors steamrolled in this latest insider scandal with nowhere to turn, it must seem like the Whitey Bulger days all over again, albeit less lethal.

Simmer down Howie.

By TheVanJones on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 3:37pm.

Simmer down Howie.

Even I can see that this city

By An old blind man on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 3:46pm.

Even I can see that this city and state has issues with corruption. Claiming it doesn't exist, refusing to investigate it, and insisting their is no evidence because one hasn't bothered to collect any, doesn't make the problem away.

Track record

By John-W on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 4:34pm.

well jumpin jeezis...last three Speakers of the House indicted, chief of the parole department, state legislators taken out in scandals of one sort or another, Chelsea Housing Chief scandal runs the Lt Gov out of politics.... And these are the better days compared to the 70s and 80s! Boston (& MA) runs on Dunks....and graft.

Does any organization do a corruption rating of different states? How far behind Louisiana are we?

Rather mindblowingly, we are better than average!

By Jeff F on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 10:53pm.

The Center for Public Integrity spends a lot of time and effort investigating corruption at the state government level (and somehow manage not to blow their brains out in frustration - kudos to them!) Although on occasion various states' govts and other entities have taken issue with some of their conclusions, their research is in general held to be thorough and honest.

Here's the page summarizing their latest study. And here's the rundown for Massachusetts - currently ranked 12th (!) least corrupt out of the 50 states. That's is, the aggregate "C" grade the Commonwealth received was good enough to place it 12th (three ahead of LA, btw).

Thanks!

By John-W on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 11:04pm.

Wow! Louisiana is 15 and Maine is 46th?! And who knew South Dakota was so corrupt...Sioux Falls seemed honest enough to me.

Here's a bit on Mass from last October.

Sunshine Open Public Meetings. Open government principles.

By theszak on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 11:27pm.

Sunshine Open Public Meetings. Open government principles.
Below please find links to Frequently Asked Questions and answers categorized by topic. The Division of Open Government frequently updates and supplements these FAQs so please periodically check this website for additions.
http://www.mass.gov/ago/government-resources/open-...

+1000 All government

By anon on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 7:27am.

+1000

All government proceedings should be open to the public and filmed for a CSPAN like YouTube channel. No closed door meetings, backroom dealings, or lack of transcripts. Politicians and civil servants are OUR employees and the public has a right to know what they are up to on the job.

BRA Meetings are shams

By anon on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 7:41am.

Just ask the neighbors of Brighton whether they wanted two stadiums, a 500-car garage, a 65,000 sq. ft. athletic facility right in the middle of their residential neighborhood.
Ask them if they thought they were getting "ball fields" or fixed-wall stadiums with high-power lights and sound systems.
Ask them if they ever saw a model of the destruction coming to their neighborhood. And ask how many hundreds of letters they wrote asking for environmental impact studies before approval of the project and saying it will ruin their neighborhood?
Hundreds of letters. Hours of meetings. Hours of testimony. All to no avail.
The BRA has become so powerful that it's not clear a new mayor can change anything. But I hope he or she tries.

What neighbors?!

By MattyC on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 9:37am.

The Mass Pike, the industrial park, WBUR, or the Stop and Shop? Which of these neighbors is it you're referring to?

Neighbors

By anon on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 11:31am.

Go to google maps and look at area around radnor, kirkwood, foster, portina, Wiltshire, Hatherly, Lake, kenrick, chiswick, colwell, foster and more and try to count the houses. These neighbors will have their lives absolutely wrecked by traffic, noise, lights, garbage, and worse.
Did the BRA hear their pleas? Read the 600 or so letters? Nope.

Lives ruined

By MattyC on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 11:44am.

Cry me a river. An uptick in traffic does not a wrecked life make. Market St. isn't even the best way to get to there from the other side of the Pike. The city is supposed to hold up development of a major new facility (and commuter rail stop) because the owners of a student ghetto don't want to... what exactly? See their property taxes go up?

Furthermore

By MattyC on Wed, 07/03/2013 - 11:47am.

What on earth does the south end of Chestnut Hill Ave have to do with a stadium and office complex being built on the Mass Pike in Lower Allston? Exactly nothing. Perhaps the BRA ignored your pearl clutching pleas because your opinions are, in fact, irrelevant. Enjoy.