About The Neighborhood This Week & Next

May 13: Alexandria Real Estate Equities and 15 Necco invite you to be part of the planting installation of their floating wetland on the Fort Point Channel or to catch a sneak peek. Drop by the Harborwalk anytime between 10am and 3pm.

May 13: Shake Shack Abutters Meeting at 6pm (NEW)
Proposal: Shake Shack is looking to extend hours from 10am through 11pm to 10am through 2am (alcohol only until midnight) at 77 Seaport Blvd.
Join Zoom Meeting
+16468287666,,1656032420# US (New York)
Webinar ID: 165 603 2420

May 13:Community Preservation Act (CPA) Grant Fund: Historic Preservation Workshop at 6pm. Join CPA staff and historic preservation grant recipients about how CPA funding can support the preservation of historic resources in the neighborhood. Deadline to apply for 2027 funds is August 31, 2026 at 5pm. 

May 14: New England Aquarium Climate Action in Coastal Cities: A Conversation with Civic Leaders from 6:30pm to 7:30pm at Simons Theatre, 1 Central Wharf and via zoom. Join NEAQ to learn how decision-makers in coastal cities work to safeguard and build vibrant public realms for all. Hear what municipal leaders from major cities on the East and West Coasts are doing to better prepare their communities for extreme weather, rising seas, changing air quality, and more. 

May 17: Celine Tag Sale at Blue Dragon from12pm to 4pm. Cash Only. Items include artwork, plates, glassware & serving pieces, tables & décor, vintage benches and furniture, commercial 3-wok station, glass chiller & surprise treasures. 50% of the sales will benefit the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. Come celebrate the past and help build what is next.

May 19: FPNA May Neighborhood Gathering at 6pm at 15 Necco & online

May 18: Envoy Rooftop Abutters Meeting at 6pm (NEW)
Proposal: Amend entertainment license to allow for a Disc Jockey on the outdoor rooftop on Saturdays and Sundays between the hours of 1:00PM to 8:00PM only; add fitness and workout classes on the outdoor rooftop, between the hours of 7:00AM to 3:00PM at 70 Sleeper St.
Join Zoom Meeting
+16468287666,,1655250990# US (New York)
Webinar ID: 165 525 0990

May 21: Reserved Channel Harborwalk Hybrid Community Gathering at 5:30pm at the South Boston Library at 646 East Broadway or via zoom. Boston Harbor Now invites you to join the South Boston elected officials, Massport and city officials to begin planning to complete this Harborwalk loop.  Be the first to see design concepts for completing this section of Harborwalk and help shape this public access and amenity along the Reserved Channel!

About The Neighborhood

1/22/26 updated with cancelation of 1/26 COMPSTAT meeting due to forecast.

Here are a few things going on in and about our neighborhood.

1/20: Cancelled Boston Civic Design Commission Design (BCDC) Committee Meeting at 5pm. Reserved Channel Master Plan on Agenda A at 5pm 

1/20: Save the Harbor Better Beaches Grant Information Session at 6pm at the Community Work Lounge at 15 Necco.

1/22: Resilient Moakley Park Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) comment deadline. Send comments to Eva.Vaughan@mass.gov and learn more about the project at our 1/27th Gathering.

1/23: FP3 Gallery Opening Reception of Paintings by Christine Vaillancourt from 5pm to 7pm at 346 Congress St. Show runs through May 14th. Gallery hours are daily 10am to 7pm. 

1/26: Cancelled District C-6 Community COMPSTAT Public Safety Meeting hosted by sister neighborhood organization, Andrew Square Civic Association, at 6:30pm at 2 Algar Street.This meeting will be rescheduled in the spring.

1/27: FPNA 2026 Kickoff Neighborhood Gathering at 6pm at the Community Work Lounge, 15 Necco St or online. 

1/28: Congress St.(Sleeper St. & A Street) virtual Pre-Construction Meeting from 6pm to 8pm.

1/29: Atlantic Wharf Gallery Opening Reception of Lucid Ground, an exhibition by the Pell Lucy Artist Collective from 5pm to 7pm at 290 Congress St. Show runs through April 3rd.

1/29:The Reshaping of New England's Seasons: What's happening to our weather? at 6pm. A free in person and virtual talk hosted by the Boston Globe and New England Aquarium at the Simons Theatre at 1 Central Wharf and online.

1/29: Porter Square Books' free screening of the pilot episode of Broadway Books, a sitcom based in NYC about an independent bookstore struggling to survive using increasingly desperate measures, at 7pm at 50 Liberty Dr. There will be a Q&A following the screening with writer/director Carianne King. 

originally published 1.19.26

Mass Ready Act to Strengthen Infrastructure and Prepare for Disasters. Hearing July 15th.

updated 07/14/25 to included Designated Port Areas.

On June 24, 2025, Governor Maura Healey introduced the Mass Ready Act, a bill that proposes nearly $3 billion in bond authorizations to strengthen infrastructure and protect Massachusetts communities against increasing extreme weather events.

This legislation focuses on crucial infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to roads, dams, and bridges, and establishes a Resilient Revolving Fund for these types of projects. The bill invests in farming and coastal economies and provides communities with resources to reduce flood and heat risk. Finally, the Mass Ready Act emphasizes the protection of water and nature by ensuring safe drinking water, restoring our waterways and preserving vital habitats for wildlife. The bill also includes authorizations to implement ResilientCoasts recommendations, invest in parks, trails, beaches, and historic sites, improve transportation infrastructure, and manage solid waste and decrease pollution.  The bill simplifies the environmental permitting process for priority housing and urgent infrastructure needs, including municipal culvert replacements and other natural restoration projects in the following ways:

• Allowing priority housing and culvert replacements and salt marsh restoration projects to receive a Chapter 91 license (Sections 21-31) in just 60 days without triggering Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review
• Cutting duplicative administrative appeals for wetlands regulations, allowing local appeals for these project categories to go straight to the superior court  (Sections 48-51)
• Adding climate resilience as a goal of the Wetlands Protection Act, simplifying permitting for natural restoration projects;  (Sections 48-51)
• Removing the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) requirement for priority housing and natural restoration projects, allowing for completion of MEPA review within 30 days rather than up to one year (Sections 12 and 73)
• State Designated Port  Area Development Commission to identify industry-specific opportunities and needs, assess existing infrastructure with capacity and resources and make growth recommendations. The 21 member commission chaired by Secretary of Economic Development and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs is to include 3 community group representing the north shore, Boston Harbor and south coast regions (section 67)

The legislation also requires disclosures of flood risk and past damages during home sales and lease signings so renters and homebuyers can make informed decisions and avoid costly damages down the road. Finally, it equips the Board of Building Regulations and Standards to advance climate resilience and housing production through the state building code.  Read full press release.

On July 15th, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will hold a hybrid hearing on the Mass Ready Act at 1pm. Persons seeking to provide oral testimony, whether in person or remotely, should pre-register by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 14, 2025, using this online form.

originally published 07.08.25

Live Music, Fireworks, Elections, Movies & Art Around The Neighborhood

updated 8.22.24 with Climate Monsters & Boston Jazz Festival.

Lots of free events, fireworks and entertainment about the neighborhood this week and next. 

August 22: Free Thursday Berklee College of Music performances on Waterfront Plaza at Atlantic Wharf from 5pm to 7pm through September 5th. 

August 22: Artists For Humanity BIG Summer Show, the culmination of hundreds of teen artists' and designers' hard work this summer in their BIGGEST art and design sale of the year, happens from 5pm to 8pm in the Epicenter at 105 W 2nd St. Free.

August 22: Taking Back The Hill, a free community, art and food evening hosted by Spoke (formerly Medicine Wheel) from 6pm to 8pm at No Man’s Land, 95 G St (behind Excel High School).

August 23: Going to Ground - PUBLIC BRICK-LAYING PERFORMANCE from 4-7pm. Drop by The Greenway where artists LaRissa Rogers and Zalika Azim together with collaborators – including their moms, aunts, sisters, and several Boston-based artists – will lay earthen bricks on-site to form the foundation of the sculpture.

August 23: Free ICA Vinyl Nights from 5pm to 9pm. Repeats August 30th.  

August 24: "Climate Monsters" by artist Sarah Brophy will take over the Fort Point Channel. Free community launch party from 2pm to 4pm outside of the Boston Children's Museum.

August 24: State Primary Voter Registration Deadline 

August 24 & 25th: Early Voting Sat. & Sun. from 11am to 7pm at the Condon School, 200 D Street.

August 25: Black Owned Bos. Market at Seaport Common (85 Northern Ave) from 12pm to 6pm featuring Black-owned businesses from throughout the Greater Boston area, including food, games and live entertainment. Free. 

August 26: State Primary Vote by Mail Application Deadline

August 26: PAW Patrol: The Movie (Rain Date: August 27), G. Free. 88 Seaport Blvd. 

August 29: Inspectional Services Department's Rodent Control information session from 6pm to 7:30pm.  

August 29: 10th Annual Illuminate the Harbor Fireworks Celebration starts at 8:30pm and lights up for thirty minutes. The fireworks are made possible by support from Meet Boston and presented by Boston Harbor Now, Atlas PyroVision, and the City of Boston. Fireworks can be viewed from anywhere on the waterfront. Here are suggested public viewing locations along the Boston Harborwalk:

Christopher Columbus Park, North End

Piers Park, East Boston

Fan Pier, Seaport District

The fireworks are free to view . Register to stay informed of any updates. 

August 30: Free FPAC Harbor Harmonies Concert from 7:30pm to 8:30pm at Midway Artist Studios, Fort Point Lyric Community Studio,15 Channel Center St. Room 102.

August 30: 14th Boston Jazz Festival by Boss-Ten Productions & Larry J's BBQ from 5pm to 10pm at Maritime Park, 600 D St. Free. 

August 31:14th Boston Jazz Festival by Boss-Ten Productions & Larry J's BBQ from 12pm to 10pm at Maritime Park, 600 D St. Free. 

September 3: State Primary Election Day. Polls are open from 7am to 8pm at a new Seaport location pending confirmation. 

originally published 8.21.24

Happenings This Week Starting Tonight

FY2025 CITY COUNCIL LEGISLATIVE BUDGET REVIEW HEARINGS are ongoing through May 31st. View schedule for particular areas of interest.

4/22: Reserved Channel Development Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting at 6pm. The project is an 8 acres development with eight new buildings of proposed uses including a variety of commercial, research and development, civic, and residential housing. This CAC is a joint BPDA and MEPA review group. This meeting will lay out the role of the CAC and the process. 

4/23: Reserved Channel Development Kick-off Meeting at 6pm at the Condon School, 200 D St. Oxford Properties Group and Pappas Enterprises, is hosting this in-person meeting to discuss the proposed project. This event is the first in a series of four meetings to review the entirety of the proposed project. Later meetings will have more specific topics, including transportation infrastructure, resiliency, public realm and open space, and built form.  

4/24:Morrison Mahoney Boston Strong Neighborhood Blood Drive in front of 268 Summer Street. Please sign up for an appointment from 8:30am to 2pm if you are able to give blood. 

4/27: RESILIENT MOAKLEY PARK CONNECTORS SITE WALK from 10am to 12pm at 165 WILLIAM J DAY BLVD. Join the City of Boston Environment Department, City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority onsite to hear about the project and how it connects to ongoing and future work in the area. Learn about the goals of the coastal flood protection work and tell us what you think about the location, including safety (heat, traffic, etc.), accessibility (ease of crossing) and programming (either informal or formal). Rain date 5/4.

Comment Deadlines

4/26: 232 A Street Planned Development Area #69 draft amendment and PDA Master Plan draft amendment comment deadline. 

4/30: Reminder- MassDEP Climate Resilience Draft Regulations for Waterways (Chapter 91) and Wetlands comment deadline.

• Send Waterways Resilience comments to dep.waterways@mass.gov with Waterways Resilience Comments in the subject line.
• Send Wetlands Resilience comments to dep.wetlands@mass.gov with Wetlands-401 Resilience Comments in the subject 

4/30: Waterfront Civic/Cultural Space Planning Study Draft Recommendations deadline. 

Neighborhood Happenings Next Week

 FPNA

&

St. Vincent's Lower End Neighborhood Association

invite you to a
Special Cypher Street Environmental Safety Meeting

Thursday, July 27, 2023
6:30 pm 
in person at 
Crispr Therapeutics 
105 West 1st Street

introducing
Ileen Gladstone 
Licensed Site Professional 
GEI Consultants, Inc.
View presentation

 

Come learn how the PCBs and Petrochemicals will be safely remediated.

Massport and MassDOT are planning to make changes to Cypher Street as part of their Cypher/E Street Improvements Project, which will require work to take place on top of polluted soil in the area underneath and adjacent to Cypher Street.

More details at FortPointBoston.

Upcoming Neighborhood Happenings July 24: 244-284 A Street Civic/Cultural Space RFI Virtual Open House & Workshop from 1:45pm to 3pm. Anyone interested in civic/cultural ground floor spaces or providing input are welcome to attend.  July 24: Kids Day at the Farmers Market with ice cream truck and activities from 11am - 5pm at 446 W. Broadway. The Farmers Market is open Mondays through October. July 24: Barking Crab EENF(ENF & PEIR) and Supplemental Information comment deadline new date July 26: Harbor Use Public Forum: Boxes at the Fish Pier from 8:30am - 10:00am at 212 Northern Ave.  The Boxes showcase the active fishing fleet docking and fish processing that takes place on the pier. The programmable containers house a seasonal seafood market, musical performances, and are available for organizations interested in pop-up events. Join the tour which also includes a look inside this working fish pier and seafood industry hub. July 27: Cypher Street Environmental Safety Meeting at 6:30pm at 105 W.1st Street. (Details above) ***** Climate Story MA: The Barr Foundation and local climate advocates are collecting stories that capture the difficulties, hopes, and solutions of how people are protecting and preparing for climate change in Massachusetts. Take the survey and be entered into a randomized drawing.

May Neighborhood Gathering Features Latest on Northern Avenue Bridge

updated 05/25/23 with presentation.

You Are Invited

to a
FPNA Neighborhood Gathering

Tuesday, May 23, 2023
6 pm to 8 pm
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
in partnership with Innovation Studios
303 Congress St (across from The Milk Bottle)
In person or Online Viewing Only


featuring
C-6 Boston Police Community Service Officers

 &
The Latest On The Northern Avenue Bridge
including Resiliency & the Fort Point Channel

with special guests
Chris Osgood
Mayor Michelle Wu's Senior Infrastructure Advisor 

Para Jayasinghe
City Engineer, Boston Public Works Department

John Sullivan
Chief Engineer, Boston Water & Sewer Commission

Charlie Jewell
Director of Planning and Sustainability, Boston Water & Sewer Commission

plus
Neighborhood News

Please note that this month's gathering will take place in person at WPI. Online is viewing only. 

If you have any questions for our speakers, please submit them by Monday at noon to FPNA.

***Special Thanks to Innovation Studios at District Hall for sponsoring us at WPI.***

originally published 5.22.23

FPNA Kicks Off 2023 With City of Boston Chief of Planning & BPDA Director Jemison

 Dear Neighbor, 

You are invited to 
A Conversation on Planning and Development
in Fort Point and the Seaport
with
James Arthur Jemison
Chief of Planning for the City of Boston
Director of the Boston Planning & Development Agency

on

Tuesday, January 31, 2023
6 pm to 8 pm
Sign Up
District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue
or
via Zoom

plus

Our C-6 Community Officers

&

Neighborhood Updates
Fort Point Resilient Infrastructure * Cannabis * Streets

Our 2023 Neighborhood Kickoff is your opportunity to talk to Chief Jemison about planning, development and climate resiliency in our Fort Point and Seaport neighborhoods, hear about the Wu administration's strategy for community planning and development and to ask questions. 

FPNA

originally published 01.24.23

Help Shape The Future of The Fort Point Waterfront

updated 11.14.22 with Office Hours conference room. 

How we view our waterfront is forever changing in response to: neighborhood growth, sea level rise, increased precipitation, storms and heat island impacts; development pressures, and our own vision of what we want it to look like and who we want it to be for- residents of Boston and the Commonwealth and visitors. 

With that in mind, FPNA and Boston Harbor Now along with the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA), Boston Society of Landscape Architects (BSLA), Stone Living Lab, and BPDA are pleased to introduce Fort Point Waterfront Community Design. The program is a series of events over the next two months to build upon past work and further develop design concepts and new ideas for the waterfront that we hope will assist property owners up and down the channel. 

As discussed at our September Neighborhood Gathering, we invited you to a join us at the Octoner 19th kickoff. The October 19, 2022 kickoff offered a briefing of past and current planning efforts along, around, and across the Fort Point Channel and provide an opportunity for neighbors to join teams composed of designers (architects and landscape architects) and other local stakeholders to create waterfront designs instead of react. 

The concluding conversation and final presentations on November 19th will provide a forum for teams to share their design ideas and an opportunity for all participants to weigh in on the elements that they hope to see integrated in future development, redevelopment, and other projects in the area -- local preferences for "Harborwalk 2.0" pieces that address coastal resilience, inclusion and equity, and access and connectivity from the water's edge to the landward boundaries of the Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act, Chapter 91. 

In between there will be "office hours" for teams to check in with the organizers and work together. The office hours are: 

• Wednesday, October 26 - 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm via Zoom
• Tuesday, November 1 - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Midway Artist Studios, 15 Channel Center St.
• Monday, November 7 - 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm via Zoom
• Friday, November 11 - 8:00 am to 1:00 pm via Zoom
• Monday, November 14 - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Hamilton Conference room, 2nd floor, 300 A Street (Red Hat building)

Looking forward to seeing everyone this Saturday, November 19 from 9:30am - 12:30pm at Artists for Humanity, 100 W. 2nd St. R.S.V.P. today.

originally published 10.17.22

About The Neighborhood: September and October Happenings

September Neighborhood Happenings

September 20: 244 - 284 A Street at Boston Civic Deign Commission at 5pm.  

September 20: How Climate Change May Threaten The Foundation of Boston (wood pile foundations on filled land and ground water levels) from 5:30-7:30pm at Rabb Hall in the Boston Public Library and online: Hosted by the Boston Groundwater Trust with opening remarks by Mayor Wu.

September 20 - Oct 2: The Boston Globe 150th Anniversary Exhibit at Seaport Common. Explore the poems and images that capture moments in time that have resonated in Boston and its people. 

September 21: Who-More-Is-Me/Humorist, a search for ideal forms of our corrupted selves, starting at 7pm at Midway Artist Studios, 15 Channel Center Street, Studio 102.  

September 22: Taking Back the Hill, a celebration of 25 years of community reclaiming this once abandoned site, from 5pm - 8pm at 95 G St. Join Spoke (Medicine Wheel) at No Man's Land for an evening of community, food and art showcasing works by over 60 young men and women from this summer's YouthSPEAK program. 

September 22: CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND TRANSPORTATION HEARING ON DOCKET #0722 (City Hall & Virtual) at 6pm. View Docket. A hearing regarding a comprehensive, district-wide planning process for Boston's waterfront. More details.To get zoom link or to offer written comments in advance, contact shane.pac@boston.gov. 

September 24: FPNA's 17th Annual Love Your Block, a volunteer event to sweep, pick and rake our way into Fall, from 10am - 12:30pm. Meet up at Wormwood Park (Wormwood & A Streets). Thank You Picnic in the Park starts at 5pm. 

September 24: Household hazardous waste, paper shredding, textiles, and electronics drop-off from 9am-1pm at the Central DPW Facility at 400 Frontage Road.

September 24: Opening Reception of the Annual Open Studios Members Show from 3pm - 5pm at the FPAC Gallery, 300 Summer Street. Free and open to the public.

September 25: Music in Martin's Park from 3pm - 4:30pm is taking place around the slides. Fort Point based Boston Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra will present a free concert for kids of all ages. Bring a picnic, a blanked or beach chair and enjoy.

September 27: FPNA Neighborhood Gathering, 6pm - 8pm at District Hall or via zoom (see details above).

September 28: Zero Net Carbon Building Zoning Initiative Regulatory Adoption Public Meeting, 6pm - 8pm.

September 28: South Boston Waterfront Life Sciences Job Training & Career Center Hors d'ouvres & Conversation from 5pm - 7pm at Hyatt Seaport, 295 Northern Ave. The center is part of the Seaport Circle (701 Congress) development. Learn about their mission to support Life Science industry committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. R.S.V.P. to Ellie McDermott. 

September 29: CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING HEARING ON DOCKET #1098 (at City Hall and virtual), a hearing regarding the adoption of City Council redistricting principles at 3pm. View docket 1098.To get zoom link or to offer written comments in advance, contact shane.pac@boston.gov 

September 30: NightOWLL presents "We Are One", bringing together artists who have a disability with those who do not to make the invisible visible, at 7pm at FPAC's Assemblage,70 Sleeper Street. 

Septembe 30 - Oct 2: Harpoon 32nd Annual Octoberfest. Must be 21and over and vaccinated. For hours and tickets click here. 

Coming Up In October

October 1: Atlantic Wharf Fall Festival from 12pm - 4pm. A free family event with children's music, food and activity for kids of all ages on land and Channel. 

October 1: Porter Square Books 1 Year Anniversary Celebration with 20% off items in the store and a party at 6pm. R.S.V.P today. 

October 4: 17 Farnsworth Impact Advisory Group Public Meeting, 6pm - 8pm. The proposed project replaces a 361 public parking garage with Life Sciences labs and office with no on-site parking. 

October 5: CANCELLED 776 Summer St. Phase 1 Public Meeting, 6pm - 7:30pm. The Phase 1 Project covers 8.4 acres / 364,409 square feet within the approximately 15.2 acre parcel. It includes the rehabilitation of the Edison Turbine Halls 1, 2, and 3 and the construction of the buildings on Blocks D and F.

October 11: Boston Civic Design Commission Public Meeting: 244 -284 A Street and introduction of Deputy Chief of Urban Design Diana Fernandez Bibeau at 5pm.

October 11: City Council Redistricting Committee Public Meeting at 5pm.

October 13: Fort Point Channel Landmarks District October Public Meeting at 6pm.

October 14 - 16: 43rd Annual Fort Point Open Studios, celebrating visual and performing art by local artists. Meet artists in their studios, view performances and public art and buy local.

October 18: 330 C Street Public Meeting, 6pm - 7:30pm. The proposed project replaces a vacant one-story repair shop with a new six-story 74-room hotel with a ground-floor restaurant.

October 19: Fort Point Waterfront Community Design Workshop: Kick-off: 5:30pm - 8:30pm. Help shape the future of the Fort Point Waterfront! People who live in, work in, and visit the Fort Point neighborhood will join forces with architects, landscape architects, and other designers to develop proposals for future waterfront designs along the Fort Point Channel. Hosted by Boston Harbor Now, FPNA and the Boston Society for Architecture, the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and the Stone Living Lab, in partnership with the BPDA.

It is your neighborhood. Be Involved. Contact FPNA today!

originally published 09.20.22

What Is The Resilient Fort Point Channel Infrastructure Project?

updated 02/14/22 with February 22nd comment deadline and supplemental information. 

A Resilient Fort Point Channel Infrastructure Project Environmental Notification Form (ENF) has been submitted on behalf of the City of Boston and Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) for the construction of:

• a  2,090 linear foot (lf) mixed berm and floodwall mitigation structure with 14 outfall backflow prevention flap gates along a portion of the Fort Point Channel’s southeast shoreline between approximately 15 Necco Street and Dorchester Avenue. 
• the installation of three interim flood protection barriers across the western end of Necco Court, A Street under the Summer Street overpass, and West Service Road under the Summer Street overpass.

The purpose of the project is to reduce flood damage and provide protection to nearby populations, infrastructure, utilities, and structures in the 100 Acres Master Planning Area, which is bounded by the Fort Point Channel to the west, Summer Street to the north, the South Boston Bypass Road/Haul Road to the east, and West Second Street to the south, and portions of South Boston.  The project was also discussed at the FPNA Neighborhood Gathering Kickoff on January 25th by Joe Christo, Senior Resilience and Waterfront Planner, BPDA Climate Change and Environmental Planning. View Presentation.

View from Dorchester Ave Toward Summer St Bridge

February 1, 2022 Online Public Site Visit

View Supplemental Information

The project will permanently impact 760 lf of Coastal Bank and 68,887 sf of Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage (LSCSF) and temporarily impact 60,273 sf of LSCSF.  The project will involves removal of 1.3 acres of impervious area.

The project requires the submission of an ENF pursuant to 301 CMR 11.03(3)(b)(1)(a) and 11.03(3)(b)(1)(f) because it requires a State Agency Action and involves the alteration of Coastal Bank and greater than ½  or more acres of any other wetlands. 

The project requires:

• a Chapter 91 (c. 91) License from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
• an Order of Conditions from the Boston Conservation Commission, or in the case of an appeal, a Superseding Order of Conditions from MassDEP.

The project is receiving a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant for $10,000,000 from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) via the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Comments will be welcome in writing until February 22, 2022 (new date) and may be submitted via email to Erin Flaherty, Environmental Analyst, Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office

A Certificate on the ENF will be issued on February 25, 2022 (need revised date).  Deadlines may be extended.  Please check the New Environmental Monitor for up to date comment period deadlines.

originally published 01.24.22

MA Law & Climate Resiliency In The Neighborhood

In 2021, Governor Baker Signed Climate Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Protect Environmental Justice Communities | Mass.gov. In a related move, Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office made regulatory changes resulting in environmental justice protocols regarding public involvement and project analysis effective January 1, 2022 for Environmental Project Notification (ENF) filings. 

Last week, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) held a Climate Resiliency Stakeholder Outreach Meeting to consider regulatory revisions MA General Law Chapter 91 in response to climate change.

MassDEP Waterways Program is responsible for ensuring public access and the provisions of public benefits in exchange for private use and development of tidelands. Commonwealth tidelands belong to the public. The law requires 50% open space and 75% Facilities of Public Accommodation (FPA) on the ground floor. The Harborwalk is an example of providing public access. FPA or Chapter 91 interior spaces are required for non-water dependent use of waterfront property.  Most well known South Boston waterfront examples are the Institute of Contemporary Art and Grubstreet. FPA spaces can include civic and cultural spaces and restaurants or any spaces that provide goods or services that are open to the public. The current 244 - 284 A Street development along the Fort Point Channel is under Chapter 91 jurisdiction. Next City (BPDA) 244 - 284 A St. Public Meeting is February 15 at 6pm.  

MassDEP February 9, 2022 virtual public stakeholder meeting materials are now available*.

• View Stakeholder Meeting
• View Meeting Presentation

* A meeting summary is forthcoming.

The proposed changes to Chapter 91 regulations focus on the following near term topics and sections:

Engineering and Construction Standards- 9.37
Building Height Provision- 9.51
Expiration & Renewals – 9.25
Simplified Licenses- 9.10 
Expanded License Terms- 9.15
Minor Project Modifications* -9.22
Definition: (Coastal High Hazard)- 9.02 

* Note: Minor modifications are not subject to public review. 

Please send comments on the above near term proposed Waterways climate resilient regulatory changes and any longer-term approaches to DEP.Waterways@mass.gov with the subject line: Chapter 91 / Resiliency.  Comment deadline is February 25th.  

An additional resource for consideration is CLF's Climate Change and the Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act (Chapter 91).

FPNA 2022 Neighborhood Gathering Kicks Off January 25th

updated 1/27/22 with Boston Water & Sewer Commission's Keeping Our Heads Above Water presentation and Boston Planning & Development Agency's Resilient Fort Point Infrastructure Project MEPA Environmental Review presentation. Online site visit is Feb 1 at 1pm.

You are invited to

Fort Point Seaport
2022 Kickoff  Neighborhood Gathering

Tuesday, January 25, 2022
6 pm to 8 pm
Sign Up for Zoom Only Event

featuring

Will The Fort Point Channel Be A Solution 

To Stormwater Flooding? 

John Sullivan, Chief Engineer 

Boston Water & Sewer Commission

View Presentation

Come hear about how the Fort Point Channel could be used to hold excess rainwater that otherwise can end up flooding city streets, and what happens when storms mix with sea level rise. Chief Sullivan was recently quoted in the Boston Globe on this topic.

&

How will Resilient Fort Point Infrastructure
Protect Us Against Sea Level Rise?

Joe Christo, Senior Resilience and Waterfront Planner

Climate Change and Environmental Planning, BPDA

View Presentation

Learn more about shoreline and inland resilient solutions that include a berm from Necco Ct to West Broadway along the Channel and flood barriers at A Street, Boston Wharf Rd and Necco Ct. The Environmental Project Notification is under review by the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA). Public comments due February 15th. 

plus

Mooo Restaurant

49 Melcher Street

The corner of Melcher Street and Necco Court has been quiet for a while. Meet the team at Mooo Restaurant and discover their plans to open up another restaurant in Boston, this time in our neighborhood.

C-6 Boston Police Community Service Officers Updates

District 2 Updates, City Council President Ed Flynn

Latest Developments: Life Sciences Abound & 244-284 A Street Returns

&

A ReelHouse Oyster Bar Update

originally published 01.19.22