May Neighborhood Happenings: New Events Added

May Neighborhood Happenings
scroll down for newly added events

5/6: 346 D St & 218 W 1st St Public Improvement Plan Meeting, a draft plan presentation, at 6:30pm. The draft Public Improvement Plan addresses remediation of the existing ground pollution of this Brownfield site. Verizon and the property owner of 346 D Street, Oliver Street Capital, are proposing relocating the existing South Boston Verizon facility from 649 Summer Street to 346 D Street. The project entails configuration changes to the site, demolition of four buildings. Comment deadline 5/27. 

5/7: Mother's Day Market from 4:30pm to 7pm at Atlantic Wharf's Waterfront Square. Just in time for Mother's Day on May 11th, shop an array of handmade jewelry, candles, self-care treats and unique gifts sold by local women-owned businesses. 

5/8: South Boston Spring Stroll from 4pm to 8pm on West and East Broadway. Enjoy  special promotions, live entertainment, and free Pedicab rides. Don't forget Mother's Day is May 11th.

5/8: Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission at 6pm: 311 Summer Street, Five Iron Golf's patio at A St elevation.

5/9: City Council Committee On Environmental Justice, Resiliency, And Parks Hearing On Docket #0252, a hearing sponsored by Councilor Ed Flynn to discuss expanding the urban tree canopy in District 2, at 10am. Interested neighbors who would like to attend the hearing in-person, or to testify virtually via zoom, are invited to please email City Council Central Staff at Shane.Pac@Boston.gov. If you would like to also provide written testimony, you can email the committee at ccc.ep@Boston.gov.

5/10: Office Hour with South Boston Liaison Lydia Polaski from 10:30am to 11:30am at 15 Necco with Revival Cafe + Kitchen, who kindly provided coffee and pastries for last Saturday's Neighborhood Volunteer Love Your Block beautification event. 

5/12: City Council Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Dockets #0822-0830, FY26 Budget: Planning Dept at 10am.The focus of this hearing is the FY26 budget for the Planning Department. On a related note, Budget related requests may be sent to Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov.

5/12: Gillette Redevelopment IAG Public Meeting #1 - In Person from 6pm to 8pm at One Gillette Park

5/14: Gillette Redevelopment Public Meeting #1 - In Person from 6pm to 8pm at One Gillette Park. View Meeting Recording. View Presentation.

5/17: Zero Waste Day Drop-Off from 8:30am to 12pm at 400 Frontage Rd. Bring your household hazardous waste and certain waste ban items to a Zero Waste Day for safe disposal. View the full list of accepted items including paper shredding and textiles. 

5/17 & 5/18: Free Ferry Weekend to Spectacle Island. Tickets are first come, first serve, and can be picked up at the Boston Harbor City Cruises Ferry Center at Long Wharf North beginning at 8:00am. No advance reservations. Arrive early, as this event will sell out fast!

5/17: Councilor- At- Large Henry Santana's South Boston Waterfront Office Hours at 11am at Martin's Park. Rain date May 27th. Residents and families are invited to meet the Councilor and enjoy pastries and coffee. R.S.V.P. 

5/17: “THAW: We Are in Peril" Opening Reception from 5pm to 7pm at Midway Artist Studios, 15 Channel Center St.  Antarctic Expedition of Science Journalist & Writer Angela Posada-Swafford: “Tales From an Ice Argonaut” lecture is at 7:30pm. R.S.V.P. for the free lecture. Exhibition runs through June 10th. 

5/20: FPNA Summer Kickoff Neighborhood Gathering at 6pm in person at 15 Necco and online. 

5/21: Gracie's Ride of Silence is in honor of Gracie Gonchar and in support of gracie's giving project. The ride is sponsored by Walk Boston and the Boston Cyclist Union and will memorialize the 13 victims of traffic violence in 2024. Gracie's mother Gina will be flying into Boston to speak. Meet on the Harborwalk side of Martin's Park for a Memorial at 6pm followed by the ride. This ride is a part of Ride of Silence, a movement of silent group bike rides happening worldwide each year on May 21st honoring victims of traffic violence and advocating for safer streets. (new event)

5/21: "Useless Beauty", sculpture by Joan Mullen, Opening Reception at 5:30pm at the FP3 Gallery, 346 Congress Street. Show runs thought July 15, 2025.(new event)

5/22: Contemporary Narratives, the work of five cartoonists within an autobiographical genre, Opening Reception is from 5pm to 7pm at the FPAC Art Space at the Envoy Hotel, 70 Sleeper Street.  (rescheduled to 5/29)

5/23: EMS Seaport Station Groundbreaking at 10am at 37 Drydock Ave. Come celebrate the kickoff of a new chapter of safety on the South Boston Waterfront. (new event)

5/24: Patriot Week continues with the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Rededication Ceremony from 10am to 12pm at Seaport Common, 85 Northern Ave. (new event)

5/24-5/26: Live music, open lawn and games through Memorial Day at Lawn on D, 420 D Street. (new event)

5/25: Boston's Run to Remember starts at 7am at the World Trade Center for both the 5 miler and half marathon. The race will runs through the historic streets of Boston, over the Longfellow Bridge to Cambridge on Memorial Drive, back into Boston, around the Boston Common, through the Theatre District and Post Office Square to finish back at the starting location in the Seaport. The event will conclude no later than 10:30 AM. (new event)

5/27: Gillette Redevelopment IAG Public Meeting #2 - Virtual from 6pm to 8pm

5/29: Gillette Redevelopment Public Meeting #2 - Virtual from 6pm to 8pm

*(new events in rouge)

originally published 05.06.25

Advisory: Boston Wharf Road Roadway Improvement Project May 27 - July 11

The Boston Wharf Road Improvement Project will commence on May 27 with an anticipated completion date of July 11. The project will include excavating, milling, paving, and striping Boston Wharf Road from Autumn Lane to Congress Street, and part of West Service Road. As part of the project, Boston Wharf Road will be a one-way, South-bound road from Autumn Lane to Congress Street for the duration of the excavation scopes of work.

The project schedule is subject to change based on weather and permitting. 

Please view the project schedule and phasing maps for more information. 

Typical Project Work Hours:

• During Excavation Scopes of Work: 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• During Milling and Paving Scopes of Work: 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM

Noise Levels: Construction will involve the use of heavy machinery and is expected to have the following potential impacts during the project work hours:

• Engine and equipment operation
• Back-up alarms (safety requirement)
• Material loading/unloading
• Intermittent vibrations from excavation equipment

Traffic Impacts: Boston Wharf Road will be a one-way, South-bound road from Autumn Lane to Congress Street for the duration of the excavation scopes of work. 

Questions? Contact the Seaport TMA, serving the South Boston Waterfront (Seaport & Fort Point),

Gather With Neighbors May 20th & Get Ready For Summer

updated 5/21/25 with guest speakers' Summer Activities & Programming  presentations.

A Neighborhood Gathering

Tuesday, May 20, 2025
6 pm to 8 pm
Community Work Lounge 
15 Necco Street or via zoom
 
Let's Get Ready For The Summer
with
Boston Seaport Events
by WS Development
Emily Soukas

ICA Summer Programs 
Kelly Gifford

FPAC Summer Exhibits & Programs
Christine Vaillancourt

&

Boston Children's Museum Summer Activities
Jo-Anne Baxter

Is There A Floating Wetland Coming To The Fort Point Channel?
Chris Mancini, Save The Harbor

plus
Neighborhood Updates
Gillette Redevelopment,  Cypher Street Beautification & More! 

Special Thanks to our neighborhood businesses who sponsored, provided food and beverages, and volunteered for FPNA's Love Your Block Volunteer Days. Resident neighbors joined in—planting, weeding, and sweeping our way into spring. The Friends of the Boston Harborwalk and the dragon boat teams cleaned up along the Harborwalk. Councilor Ed Flynn provided pizza to our hungry volunteers. Representative David Biele, Councilor Erin Murphy, our C-6 Community Service Officers and our South Boston ONS liaison, Lydia Polaski, pitched in to beautify Fort Point.  You all made our 20th annual Love Your Block a success!

FPNA Salutes Earth Month With Resilient Fort Point Channel Updates, Fish & Farms + Beautification

05/13/25: updated with speaker presentations. 

You are invited to a

Neighborhood Gathering

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

6 pm to 8 pm

Community Work Lounge

15 Necco St. or virtual

featuring

Our C-6 Community Officers 

Resilient Fort Point Channel Updates

in conversation with

Chris Osgood

Director of the Office of Climate Resilience, City of Boston

View Presentation

John Sullivan 

Chief Engineer, Boston Water & Sewer Commission
View Presentation

&

Charlayne Murrell-Smith

VP External Relations & Corporate Development, Boston Children's Museum 

View Presentation

introducing

Fish & Farm Market at Fish Pier

plus

Neighborhood Updates

Gillette Redevelopment. Love Your Block Volunteer Days, 346 D St. & more!

If you have any questions for our speakers, please send them by noon on Monday, April 28th to FPNA. 

Special thanks to ARE for our gathering at the Community Work Lounge. 

About The Neighborhood This Week

5/12: Gillette Redevelopment IAG Public Meeting #1 - In Person from 6pm to 8pm at One Gillette Park

5/14: Gillette Redevelopment Public Meeting #1 - In Person from 6pm to 8pm at One Gillette Park. View meeting recording. View Presentation.

5/17: Zero Waste Day Drop-Off from 8:30am to 12pm at 400 Frontage Rd. Bring your household hazardous waste and certain waste ban items to a Zero Waste Day for safe disposal. View the full list of accepted items including paper shredding and textiles. 

5/17: Councilor- At- Large Henry Santana's South Boston Waterfront Office Hours at 11am at Martin's Park. (rain date is May 27th). Residents and families are invited to meet the Councilor and enjoy pastries and coffee. R.S.V.P.  

5/17: “THAW: We Are in Peril" Opening Reception from 5pm to 7pm at Midway’s Artist Studios, 15 Channel Center St.  Immediately following is Antarctic Expedition of Science Journalist & Writer Angela Posada-Swafford's “Tales From an Ice Argonaut” lecture at 7:15pm. R.S.V.P. for the free lecture. Exhibition runs through June 10th. 

5/17: OWLL presents a stage reading of "Disability on Trial", a play by Jim Rice, at 7:30pm at the Midway Lab on the first floor of Midway Artist Studios, 15 Channel Center Street. OWLL is a grassroots collective of BIPOC, White, and Differently Abled Artists who commit their art for racial and social justice.

5/18: OWLL presents a stage reading of "Disability on Trial", a play by Jim Rice, at 5pm at the Midway Lab on the first floor of Midway Artist Studios, 15 Channel Center Street.

5/20: FPNA Summer Kickoff Neighborhood Gathering at 6pm at the Community Work Lounge, 15 Necco Street and via zoom.

Fort Point Landmarks May 2025 Meeting

 THE FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION
will hold a public hearing on:
Thursday, May 8, 2025
6:00 PM

This hearing will be held virtually and NOT in person.

You can participate in this hearing by going to the Zoom meeting link or by calling 929-436-2866 and entering meeting id 986 4677 7275#. You may also submit written comments or questions to FortPointLDC@boston.

I.  DESIGN REVIEW HEARING

APP # 25.0820 FPC revised 311 Summer Street

Applicant: Daniel Brennan

Proposed Work: Review for seasonal outdoor dining patio on private property for Five Iron Golf consisting of 28 seats, 7 tables and planters used for patio enclosure.

II.  ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW/APPROVAL

APP # 25.0832 FPC 25 THOMSON PLACE: Installation through the mortar joints of 11" x 25" sign on exterior of 25 Thomson Place.

APP # 25.0846 FPC 326 A STREET: Repair and replace existing gutter and flashing in kind.

III.  RATIFICATION OF 2/13/25 & 3/13/2025 PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES

IV.  STAFF UPDATES

V.  PROJECTED ADJOURNMENT: 7:30 PM

Members: David Berarducci, Susan Goganian, Thomas Rodde, Vacancy, Vacancy Alternates: Vacancy, Raber Umphenour

Councilor Flynn Calls For 7 Night “Resident Parking Only” in South Boston

For immediate release
May 2, 2025

Boston- Last week, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn filed a hearing order to discuss implementation of a 7 nights per week “Resident Parking Only” policy in all areas of South Boston that do not currently have overnight parking restrictions. For several years, Councilor Flynn made this recommendation for many reasons - including in the interest of fairness and consistency with residents in neighborhoods throughout South Boston, as City Point has had 7 nights per week “Resident Parking Only” for over a decade, as well as other neighborhoods in similar proximity to Downtown currently having enforcement of an even stricter “24/7 “Resident Parking Only” policy than what Councilor Flynn is proposing.

For years, residents have highlighted the impact of decades of unprecedented growth in South Boston on parking and quality of life - including the unsustainable imbalance of currently issued resident parking stickers and available parking spaces, along with a number of large-scale development proposals on the horizon that will include thousands of new residents and visitors alike. In addition, the City of Boston continues to hold South Boston to a different standard when it comes to a lack of sufficient parking with new Article 80 development projects. At the same time, neighbors have to consistently search for parking for a considerable period of time after taking their children to activities, helping an elderly parent, or enjoying a night out - they come home to circle for 45 minutes hoping to find a spot. 

Over the last several years, the parking crisis in South Boston has become increasingly unsustainable. In 2023, a Boston Transportation Department (BTD) study indicated there were 28,900 active resident parking permits and only 10,600 on-street parking spaces. Although Councilor Flynn requested an audit of all residential parking permits, and BTD subsequently revoked thousands that were ineligible, concerns remain for residents on enforcement and a policy of automatic resident parking permit renewals that has continued since the pandemic.

Meanwhile, South Boston continues to absorb a significant number of Article 80 development projects, with many currently either in the pipeline or now in community process - such as Washington Village, 776 Summer Street (Edison Project), Mary Ellen McCormack, On the Dot (Dorchester Ave), 244 A Street, Gillette, the Reserved Channel Development, and nearby Dorchester Bay City. There is an approved hotel on Cypher Street without parking, and resident parking is also currently not available on many areas of First Street. While there are projects that have gained support of the community in the midst of our housing crisis, development teams have reported being stalled with requests to cut already agreed upon parking ratios and closely adhere to BTD’s recommended guidelines of 0.5 spots per unit, instead of local zoning regulations. Residents then express concerns regarding sufficient parking on-site for new development, and question the ability of BTD to restrict residential parking permits for new rental developments and prevent an overflow of street parking. Just this week - thanks to the advocacy of hundreds of South Boston residents, local civic groups, and the South Boston elected officials - the Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA) denied a proposal that featured 70 units and zero parking spaces. 

South Boston residents consistently report a large number of out-of-state plates and cars lacking a resident parking permit, even during hours of “Resident Parking Only”- Monday-Thursday, 6pm-10am. With the neighborhood having become a destination for young people on the weekend, this dynamic increases significantly - as many visitors park for several days beginning Friday morning at 10am through Monday evenings at 6pm. At the very time this influx of non-resident vehicles occurs each weekend, there are no “Resident Parking Only” restrictions to speak of, and BTD enforcement scales back drastically. As a result, neighbors report increased public safety issues, such as illegal parking in handicap spots, crosswalks, MBTA bus stops, blocking driveways and fire hydrants. 

For years, residents have been told at development meetings that impacts on parking will be limited; yet, the abundance of parking on holidays tell us otherwise. As our City encourages use of the MBTA and other means to reduce traffic, congestion and single use vehicles - there should be no issue with an updated resident parking policy to help curb additional vehicles, dissuade young people visiting our local establishments from drinking and driving, provide relief for residents, and mitigate the negative impacts to public and pedestrian safety from drivers unfamiliar with our roads or illegally parked cars. 

Over the last 18 months, BTD informed Councilor Flynn that the City would implement his plan. In December, the City conducted a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce regarding the South Boston Transportation Plan, wherein they also discussed their intention to implement Councilor Flynn’s policy to convert remaining areas of South Boston to “Resident Parking Only” 7 nights per week, for all areas that currently lack overnight restrictions. 

“In the final analysis, it is no longer tenable for the absence of an updated seven nights per week ‘Resident Parking Only’ policy for areas of South Boston that still lack one, and the consistent enforcement it requires,” said Councilor Flynn. “I understand that not everyone will agree with my proposal, and the need for the City to also explore caregiver passes and visitor zones; however, the status quo is simply unacceptable.”

######

FPNA Announces 20th Annual Spring Volunteer Days

FPNA announces our 20th Annual Spring Volunteer Beautification days, building upon ten years of Boston Shines participation and this year's tenth anniversary of Love Your Block.

Show your love for Fort Point by planting flowers and sweeping our way into spring. Love Your Block is a spring citywide program to beautify and clean up Boston one block at a time. Tools, gloves and commemorative t-shirt provided. No green thumb required.

Fort Point businesses are asked to sponsor the creation of a living tapestry of flowers and vines. Employees are invited to get out of the office and dig in the dirt on:

CORPORATE DAY 
Friday, May 2nd
between 11 am and 2 pm
Wormwood Park (Wormwood & A Streets)
Lunch provided
Registration Information

Fort Point residents are invited to volunteer on:

RESIDENTS DAY
Saturday, May 3rd
10 am to 1 pm
Wormwood Park (Wormwood & A Streets)
Volunteer Sign Up

Sunscreen🧴, 😎,👩🏻‍🌾, 🧢 suggested  

Gather for coffee and pastries in Wormwood Park starting at 10 am.

Meet your neighbors and plant, sweep or rake for an hour or stay all day. We will be gardening along A Street from Melcher St. to Wormwood Park, cleaning neighborhood streets and the Fort Point Channel shoreline from Summer Street to Binford Street with our partners, Friends of the Boston Harborwalk.

If you would like to help repair winter damage to plants and vines, and to beautify Wormwood Park, please Venmo @FPNA-Boston.

Due to weather, the Thank You Picnic will be Sunday, May 4th at 4pm. 

originally publish 04.14.25