Boston City Council Looks At Appointments, Voting in Our District, Urban Renewal & More

City Council President Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered these items and more at their March 9th and February 24th meetings:

Appointments pending Council Confirmation
• Back Bay West/Bay State Road Architectural Conservation District Commission: Pamela Beale (member) and Terri North (alternate) until April 2017
• Bay Village Historic District Commission: Stephen Dunwell and Ruth Knopf as members until June 2018
• Boston Landmarks Commission: John Amodeo (alternate) and John Freeman (member) until June 2018; Thomas Hotaling (member) and Bradford Walker (member) until June 2017
• South End Landmark District Commission: Catherine Hunt as member until June 2017
• St. Botolph Area Architectural Conservation District Commission: Francoise Elise as alternate until June 2017
• Fort Point District Commission: Thomas Rodde as alternate until May 2018

2016 Elections & Large Precincts: Councilor Linehan called for a hearing to discuss the voting plans for voters in disproportionately large precincts in Boston. Especially in District Two, voters must wait in several hour-long lines during high-turnout elections like the Presidential Election. Because reprecincting must happen at the state level, the City does not control where people vote, but we can make sure the Elections Department is as prepared as possible to move voters through quickly. The matter was referred to the City, Neighborhood Services & Veterans Affairs Committee for a hearing.

Urban Renewal: Councilor Linehan reported back on this last week’s public hearing and working session on the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s request for a 10-year extension of urban renewal powers. At last Thursday’s 4-hour hearing, the Council heard from the BRA, advocates, and stakeholders. Several Councilors went on record opposing a 10-year extension, citing the need for more accountability and changes to the plan boundaries. At yesterday’s working session, BRA Director Brian Golden reiterated that the BRA would submit an action plan of commitments to justify the need for an extension, as well as giving the Council more oversight over “minor modifications” to urban renewal plans. He also stated that the BRA would be open to a 7-year extension instead of 10 years, but believes Boston needs a longer extension to follow the principle of “do no harm” – because the BRA does not have an inventory of all the Loan Disposition Agreements (LDAs) that reference urban renewal powers, they worry that losing the powers might void contracts preserving affordable housing; also some current projects need urban renewal to proceed. Councilor Wu, along with several other Councilors, believe that the BRA should only receive a shorter-term extension because the power to bypass the Zoning Board of Appeals and lessen the chance of appealing a land use decision in court is extremely significant and must be narrowly tailored to the need. City Council President Wu would be open to a maximum authorization of 5-years for the BRA to complete their LDA inventory, redraw boundaries and edit plans, seek public feedback, then come back with a proper renewal request. The docket will remain in committee for further action, likely next week.

Puppy Mill Bill: Councilor O’Malley filed an ordinance that would prohibit the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits at stores in Boston with penalties of $300 per offense – only animal shelters or animal rescue organizations could make these pets available for sale, barter, auction, or transfer. Councilor O’Malley noted that pet stores often source from commercial breeding facilities that have multiple violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, and these inhumane conditions lead to health and behavioral issues in the animals, while shelters in Boston are experiencing an increased number of surrendered rabbits. The ordinance would also prohibit “roadside sales,” which are currently not regulated in Boston. The matter was sent to the Committee on Government Operations for a hearing.

For complete notes on this meeting and prior Boston City Council meeting notes, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically each week by email. 

Dine Out Boston Continues

Dine Out Boston, formerly known as Restaurant Week, continues this week through March 11 and next week from March 13 - March 18, 2016. Sample area restaurants at special prices. Choose your favorite or try some place new among award winning restaurants in Boston, Cambridge and the suburbs.  

Participating Fort Point and Seaport restaurants include: Bastille Kitchen*, Blue Dragon*, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, M.C. Spiedo, Morton's The Steakhouse, Ocean Prime, Outlook Kitchen + Bar, Rosa Mexicano, Smith & Wolensky, Strega Waterfront, and Tamo. 

Chefs design prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner. Each participating restaurant selects ONE of the three price options. Lunch prices are $15/$20/$25. Dinner prices are $28/$33/$38.

For a complete list of participating restaurants, search Dine Out Boston.

*Dinner only.

Help Boston Prepare for Extreme Weather: Community Meeting March 12th

Today's unusually warm temperatures may make us happy, but they are indicative of a growing trend of extreme weather. Who will forget last winter's blizzards? Last summer's heatwave? Morrissey Blvd. flooding yet again?

Come and be heard at a community meeting

on the current climate projections for the City of Boston.

Saturday, March 12th

1 pm

The English High School

144 McBride St, Boston, MA 

Register for this free event

Learn about current scientific projections for climate change in the City of Boston and share how recent weather events have impacted your lives, neighborhoods and businesses. Your input is needed to help inform Boston’s long-term planning efforts! Five $100 door prizes will be given away, so be sure to attend.

Co-Sponsored by the City of Boston’s Chief Resilience Officer and The Boston Harbor Association in partnership with City of Boston Office of Environment, Energy and Open Space, BSA Foundation, Engagement Lab @Emerson College and World Wildlife Foundation.

Fort Point Channel Landmarks March 2016 Meeting

Update 3/9/16: The correct meeting start time is 5:30 pm. 

The FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION will hold a public hearing:

Thursday, 10 March  2016

5:30 PM

Boston City Hall – Piemonte Room (5th Floor)

After 5:30 pm, enter and exit City Hall at the Dock Square entrance on Congress Street

(across from Faneuil Hall).

Subject of the hearing will be applications for Certificates of Design Approval on the agenda below, review of architectural violations and such business as may come before the commission, in accordance with Ch. 772 of the Acts of 1975, as amended. 

I. DESIGN REVIEW HEARING

5:30 PM Previously presented: 14 January 2016

Application 16.921 FPC 376 Congress Street

Applicant: Bill Lukashok, Hill Country Boston, LLC (Tenant)

Proposed Work: Modify storefront openings, replace storefront infill, replace two banner signs, install a marquee, and install a canopy and patio

6:00 PM Previously presented: 14 January 2016

Application 16.907 FPC 44 Thomson Place

Applicant: John Kiernan, Fort Point Channel Investors, LLC(Owner)

Proposed Work: Remove infill and modify openings, create at-grade entrance(s), and install signage

6:00 PM Previously presented: 14 January 2016

Application 16.908 FPC 25 Thomson Place

Applicant: John Kiernan, Fort Point Channel Investors, LLC(Owner)

Proposed Work: Remove infill and modify openings, create at-grade entrance(s), and install signage

6:00 PM Previously presented: 14 January 2016

Application 16.909 FPC 47 Farnsworth Street

Applicant: John Kiernan, Fort Point Channel Investors, LLC(Owner)

Proposed Work: Remove infill and modify openings, create at-grade entrance(s), and install signage

6:45 PM

Application 16.1099 FPC 27-43 Wormwood Street

Applicant: John Moran, Alpine Advisory Services (Applicant)

Proposed Work: Install twelve telecommunication antennas, twelve remote radio heads, and three junction boxes on the smokestack, all painted to match the underlying masonry.

7:15 PM

Application 16.1101 FPC 363 Congress Street

Applicant: Denis Dowdle, Madison Properties (Applicant)

Proposed Work: Install porous asphalt paving, electric vehicle parking, light poles and a valet booth; removing the chain link fence and installing internally illuminated bollards and a 6’-0” tall black chain link fence with barbed wire along Congress Street; and an 8’-0” tall black chain link fence with barbed wire around the utility equipment.

7:45 PM

Application 16.1102 FPC 9 Channel Center Street

Applicant: Dan McGrath, Berkeley Investments (Applicant)

Proposed Work: Modify a loading bay fronting Medallion Avenue.

8:00 PM

Application 16.1104 FPC Various Locations

Applicant: Kosta Jovanovic, Crown Castle (Applicant)

Proposed Work: Modify three light poles to accommodate telecommunications equipment.

PROJECTED ADJOURNMENT: 8:30 PM

Two Great Art Associations Holding Openings Tonight

The South Boston Arts Association invites you to the Grand Opening of their new gallery, Arts Around The Corner, located just around the corner from the gift shop, Neatly Nested, at the corner of West Broadway and E Street. The Grand Opening is March 3, 2016 from 7 pm - 9 pm with music by Peter Golemme. Grand Opening exhibiting artists are: Evie Johnson, Joanie Miller, Anne Roper, Dennis Conway, Joe Kerbatis, Tom & Pat Steiner, Dan McCole, Deb Putnam and Judith Sweeney.

Closer to home, the Fort Point Arts Community invites you to an opening reception of their new exhibition, HIGH LOW, at the FPAC Gallery located at 300 Summer Street. The opening reception is from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm. RSVP. HIGH LOW is a group show featuring  four Boston-based artists whose work involves the recycling of art historical tropes and genres with abjectness, irony, and humor. The artists are Alexandra Borovski, Alexander Clayton Johnson, Nick Mello, and Eric Stefanski.

South Boston Municipal Harbor Plan Public Meeting

The Boston Redevelopment Authority invites you to attend the South Boston Muncipal Harbor Plan meeting on:

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

6pm - 8pm

City Hall, 5th floor, Piemonte Room

In February, the City of Boston initiated a planning process to renew and amend the South Boston Waterfront District Municipal Harbor Plan (South Boston MHP). The intent of the planning effort is to facilitate the redevelopment of the parcels at 150 Seaport Boulevard and update the South Boston MHP with the numerous planning initiatives and City policies related to the planning area that have developed since the plan’s approval in 2000. The planning effort will be administered by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and developed in conjunction with a harbor planning advisory committee that will meet at regularly scheduled public meetings through the winter.
  
The renewal and amendment process will be guided by Chapter 91 of the M.G.L. and 310 CMR 9.00, the Waterways Regulations, which govern new development and uses along the state’s coastline to protect the public’s rights on private and Commonwealth tidelands. The Commonwealth recognizes that each harbor is unique and encourages municipalities to develop comprehensive plans, in accordance with 301 CMR 23.00, the Harbor Plan Regulations, that are tailored to their own objectives and also consistent with state tidelands policies. As harbor plans are long-term, active planning documents the regulations have provisions for renewal and amendments to accommodate changes to development programs and local policy and planning goals. 
  

The South Boston MHP renewal will comprise the entire 108 acres of the South Boston MHP planning area, with a single-site amendment for the parcels at 150 Seaport Boulevard, where the Whisky Priest and Atlantic Beer Garden establishments are currently located. When the South Boston MHP was being developed in 2000 these properties were some of the only active businesses in the planning area, functioning as water dependent seafood markets up until the late 1990’s, when they were converted into restaurant use. The redevelopment of these parcels was not anticipated at the time of the South Boston MHP and provisions to facilitate additional density at the property were not included in the plan, however, the state’s approval of the South Boston MHP did contemplate additional height at the location with the consolidation of developable land. With the parcels now under common ownership, and surrounded by new development, there is new interest and opportunity to revitalize the property and have it function to expand the Harborwalk network, enhance the public realm and improve waterfront access. 
  
The City of Boston foresees future comprehensive waterfront planning efforts that will be informed by the long range planning currently underway including the Imagine Boston 2030 citywide planning process, Go Boston 2030, Boston Creates, Housing a Changing City and Boston’s Climate Action Plan. 

source: BRA website

Who will be the primary winners in Massachusetts?

The Massachusetts Presidential Primary is Tuesday, March 1, 2016. Cast your vote at the Condon School located at 200 D Street (behind the Labouré Center). The polls are open from 7 am - 8 pm. 

Take a sneak peak at what your sample ballot will look like. 

My Republican Ballot

My Democratic Ballot

My United Independent Party Ballot

My Green Rainbow Party Ballot

To verify you are registered to vote, click here.

Help Preserve The Northern Avenue Bridge

You have walked, biked or drove across it. You may have sailed under it. The Northern Avenue Bridge is more than a transportation link connecting Downtown to the Seaport and Fort Point, it is an important part of the historic fabric that characterizes our Fort Point neighborhood. It inspires and graces numerous paintings by Fort Point artists. It is a tourist destination for visitors wanting to experience the operation of a historic swing bridge, imagining the era when the Fort Point Channel was full of commercial vessels. It can be preserved and adapted for the twenty-first century. 

It's true! The City of Boston has taken its first steps toward taking down the century-old Northern Avenue Bridge, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard have warned is in a state of severe deterioration. The bridge will be moved in six large pieces by barge to East Boston.

However, removal of the bridge does not mean it will be demolished. 
Key decision makers at City Hall have expressed interest in considering a preservation-oriented solution, but have not yet decided on the bridge’s long-term future. Before any work on the bridge can begin, the City must obtain several federal, state and local authorizations, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Each of these agencies have issued official correspondence and are seeking public comment.

Now is a critical time for YOU to call for a preservation solution that returns the bridge to Fort Point.

From now through March 1, you have the opportunity to share your opinions and concerns about the future of the Northern Avenue Bridge with key decision makers.

Your input is essential to this process.
The Boston Preservation Alliance is providing the proposed language and contact information below and on The Boston Preservation Alliance, but don't hesitate to modify your message as you see fit. Your correspondence will be received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Massachusetts Historical Commission and filed as part of the required public comment period associated with both federal (Section 106) and state (950 CMR 71.07(3)) review.

Please join The Boston Preservation Alliance, The Friends of the Northern Avenue Bridge, The Fort Point Neighborhood Association and others in voicing your support for the preservation of the Northern Avenue Bridge. View Walk Boston's letter of support.

[Send email correspondence to kevin.r.kotelly@usace.army.mil and northernavebridge@bostonpreservation.org and mayor@boston.gov]

Dear Mr. Kevin Kotelly, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Ms. Brona Simon, Mass. Historical Commission,

CC: Mayor Marty Walsh

I write today regarding Boston’s Northern Avenue Bridge in response to the U.S. Army Corps’ “Public Notice” (and associated Section 106 Review) and Massachusetts Historical Commission’s “State Register Consultation” (950 CMR 71.07(3) ) and your invitations for public comment.

I feel strongly that the Northern Avenue Bridge is an integral element of Boston’s culture and environment which should be preserved. The bridge is an important, character-defining feature of the Fort Point District and the city as a whole. Its loss would mark a significant degradation of the historic neighborhood and the historic features that are so important to defining the City of Boston. A repaired bridge is the best solution to the city’s needs. It can continue to be a city icon while supporting transportation needs to the growing Seaport area and would be a far preferable solution to a new bridge. A restored bridge would represent the city’s unique character of blending old and new and can become a revitalized city feature.

I urge both the U.S. Army Corps and Mass. Historical Commission to require a Memorandum of Agreement that places the proposed dis-assembly and move of the bridge within a larger framework for the reconstruction, repair and return of the historic bridge. Placing the bridge in East Boston with no additional steps would not meet the requirements for treatment of a historic structure of this significance.

I request to be considered a “consulting party” and informed of future meetings, discussions, and actions on the bridge. We urge your agencies to hold public hearings on the matter.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

published originally 2.25.16

South Boston Residential Rezoning Ready For Community Input

The Boston Redevelopment Authority invites you to attend the South Boston Rezoning Initiative public meeting tonight

February 29, 2016

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Tynan Community Center Cafeteria

650 E 4th St

The Boston Redevelopment Authority, in collaboration with the Mayor’s office and your local elected officials, has initiated a community conversation regarding South Boston’s zoning, particularly the traditional residential areas. This process has included a presentation to all South Boston civic groups in the fall of 2015. The BRA now intends to expand the conversation and initiate a community wide dialogue focusing on the current state of South Boston’s zoning regulations, as well as potential future changes. The BRA is seeking community wide input for zoning change recommendations. The South Boston Rezoning Initiative is a separate process than PLAN: South Boston Dorchester Avenue.

Seaport Square M Block (Residential & Retail) Public Meeting

Update: Comment period deadline extended to March 1st.

Join the Boston Redevelopment Authority to learn about Seaport Square's M Block on:

Monday, February 22, 2016

6 pm - 8 pm

District Hall

75 Northern Avenue

The meeting will review updates to plan development area (PDA) 78 in regards to the M block parcel of Seaport Square. Seaport Square in its entirety will connect the Fort Point, Fan Pier, Pier 4, and Waterside Place.  

The proponent, Boston Seaport M1&2 Land, LLC, proposes to construct an approximately 1,012,000 gross square foot mixed-use development containing approximately 735 residences, approximately 125,000 square feet of retail/commercial space and a below-grade garage containing approximately 560 lined parking,

Project Manager: Gary Uter
Close of comment period: March 1st

Autumn Lane

Seaport East

Seaport West

originally published 2.17.16

Mayor To Visit Fort Point For Selma March Exhibit Reception

Mayor Walsh will be in Fort Point at Grand Circle Gallery for a special Black history month reception of Revisiting Our Pilgrimage to Selma on:

Thursday, February 25, 2016

6 pm

347 Congress Street

Other special guests include: Rep. Russel Holmes, Chair of MA Black & Latino Legislative Caucus; Judge Joyce London Ford, retired US Magistrate Judge; Jean McGuire, METCO Executive Director and Ivan Espinosa-Madrigal, Director, Lawyers Committee of Civil Rights Under the Law.

There will be a photo and panel presentation by the Boston students who visited Selma in 2015. 

Artists For Humanity Open House Studios

Curious about what is being created in the studios at Artists For Humanity? No need to wait any longer. Artists For Humanity invites you to enjoy some wine and cheese while touring their studios on:

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

5 pm

100 2nd Street (2nd Street & A Street)

Artists For Humanity will host open house studios tours on the last Wednesday of the month. Discover what youth can create.