Notes from 49/51/63 Melcher St Meeting

The meeting 49/51/63 Melcher St. on Thursday was one of the more hostile community meetings I've been to. Residents spoke out loud and clear that they were unhappy both with the project as well as the larger development process for the neighborhood.

Tony Goldman of Goldman Properties was there and took the stance that he can do the project as-of-rights (ie, without getting any additional approval from the city or BRA), so he was not interested in any concessions or changes. This was a point of a contention during the meeting. FPNA has contacted the BRA to confirm this.

The full plan is available on the BRA's website:
49/51/63 Melcher PNF Page

Concerns raised by residents there included:

-The district is already 85% office and the 100 Acres plan calls for 1/3 each of residential, retail, and office space. Does this makes it impossible to have 33% residential ? Even if not, the neighborhood has a ton of catching up to do.

-Residents were displeased that developers seemed to be picking the elements from the 100 Acres plan that benefited them, and ignoring the elements that didn't. They would like to see greenspaces and residential projects built alongside the office towers, not many years.

-There was disagreement that the rooftop additions are as-of-right and don't require a variance. Kristin Kara, who moderated and represented the BRA, said that "my understanding is that a variance is not needed... the BRA believes that this project does not require a variance."

-Contractors for previous Goldman projects have caused problems, including parking in lots they don't own and working outside of the approved work hours.

-Goldman's commitment to the city and the neighborhood was questioned. They bought 17 properties, got the plan approved, and then sold off many of them. In addition, with this project alone, 91 artists were evicted and many local businesses, creating a deadzone in the heart of the neighborhood where there used be a very vibrant block with public performances and active businesses.

-Kristin Kara said that the BRA is interested in having community benefits for every development project and would seek them for this project, however, there were none at this time. Concern was raised that the comment period ends in two weeks, which means the public is being shut out of this part of the process.

-There was a lot of disapproval of the additions on the back of the building. Residents felt that the existing nooks are interesting and would make great pocket parks. It will also mean the loss of those historic facades and footprints. And, very pragmatically, that street is currently a quiet street that pedestrians prefer to walk on as it's sheltered from the wind; making the building one large rectangle will make it a wind tunnel and very unattractive, large block.

-This is one of the two tallest buildings in all of Fort Point. People asked why there was a need to do a rooftop addition ? It's less than 5% of the total square footage, but is a significant change to an historic building.

-91 artists were displaced by Goldman and a number of art galleries. The loss of neighborhood institutions like Studio Soto has had a real impact on the neighborhood. And there are no artist or art spaces in this or any of Goldman's development projects, at all.

Notes from 241 A St. Meeting

Thanks to Cam for writing up some meeting notes from the community meeting for 241 A St. aka 40 Channel Center St. and Mike T for taking a picture of the building in question.



The meeting with Spalding Tougias and Superior dining Group at Midway was informative and their plans for 40 Channel Center were generally well-received by the community. The firm specializes in commercial, cultural, retail, multi-family and mixed-use projects, which is a great fit for Fort Point. Spaulding developed Midway and has had experience in the Fort Point area. Tom Devlin of Superior dining group co-owns Devlins with Pat O'Sullivan who also owns Porter Bellies in Brighton. Superior Dining Group is planning to occupy a portion of the first floor and the entire street-level space. A law firm, Chu, Ring & Hazel LLP, will also occupy 4,000 square feet in the building.

As with any new presence in our neighborhood, there are concerns about parking, noise at night and trash disposal. Cheryl Spalding and Tom Devlin assured the community they will continually work to mitigate impacts on abutters. Valerie Burns brought up the good point that different abutters will have different issues, and care should be taken to be equitable in dividing these impacts to avoid conflicts. The exhaust for the restaurant will be through the roof and no noticeable structures will be added.

The “saddle bag” buildings in the original Beacon plan will not be constructed, and the trash will be enclosed on the Sales office street side, brought across to the sales office for removal periodically. There will be further discussions about the placing of loading docks.

The restaurant will have two entrances, and a landscaped outdoor eating venue with plans for installation art as well. The outdoor venue will close at 10. The meal prices will be very moderate and affordable, probably reflecting the price points of their other restaurants, Orleans in Somerville, and the Warren Tavern in Charlestown.