Fort Point Channel Landmarks December Meeting

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

Thursday, 11 December 2014

5:30 P.M.

Boston City Hall – Piemonte Room

After 5:30 p.m., 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. Applications are available for review during normal business hours at the office of the Environment Department. Applicants or their representatives are required to attend, unless indicated otherwise below. Sign-language interpreters are available upon request.

I. DESIGN REVIEW HEARING

5:30 PM
Application 14.945 FPC 338 Congress Street (continued review)
Applicant: Redgate Capital Partners (developer): Modify storefront expression at south elevation of previously approved six-story mixed use building to accommodate exposed art wall

5:50 PM

Application 15.691 FPC 319 A Street
Applicant: BRG 319A LLC (owner): Substantially rehabilitate 5-story warehouse building. Work to include replacement of original wood windows, removal of fire escapes, introduction of new window openings, construction of a roof deck and pergolas, installation of roof top mechanical equipment, head house expansion, etc.

II. Administrative Review / Approval: In order to expedite the review process, the commission has delegated the approval of certain work items, such as those involving ordinary maintenance and repair, restoration or replacement, or which otherwise have a minimal impact on a building’s appearance, to the staff pending ratification at its monthly public hearing. Having been identified as meeting these eligibility criteria and all relevant guidelines, the following applications will be approved at this hearing:

Application 15.594 FPC 315 A Street: Install vinyl window decals
Application 14.1342 FPC 313 Congress Street: Revisions to previously approved signage

PROJECTED ADJOURNMENT: 6:30 PM

originally published 11.26.14

South Boston Holiday Party To Benefit Boys & Girls Club

You’re Invited

To our Annual Holiday Party 
Wednesday, December 10^th

6:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.

Stephi’s in Southie ~ 130 Dorchester Ave

Great neighbors gathering for a great cause!

Music, Food, Raffles, Cash Bar

Admission $10.00 (seniors $5.00)

Hosted by

Andrew Square Civic Association ~ City Side Neighborhood Association

Dorchester Heights Association ~ Saint Vincent’s Lower End Neighborhood Association, Fort Point Neighborhood Association ~ West Broadway Neighborhood Association

Proceeds benefit the South Boston Boys & Girls Club

If you would like, please consider bringing a Christmas present/gift card to a Club Member age 5 to 18.

Need a ride??  Call our good friends at Southie Shuttle 617.268.4110

Paving “Our Common Path”

Moving beyond diversity to inclusion, building community from the inside out, using art as the threshold is the Medicine Wheel Productions way, and it is certainly visible in their latest public art project, Paving “Our Common Path”.  You can claim your place on the Common Path at No Man's Land in Thomas Park by attending:

Medicine Wheel's Brick Party

Tuesday December 9, 6-9:00 pm

Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant 

425 W Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127

Tickets are $50.00 and include: community  building, brick oven pizza, a brick for our common path and a sneak preview of a new short film on No Man’s Land produced by Michael Indresano photography. Purchase your ticket today. 

Can't attend? You can still buy an engraved brick to honor a loved one, a hope, a dream, a wish, a prayer, etc.. and be a permanent part of South Boston's future. Also a great gift idea for the hard to get person on your list.

South Boston Christmas House Tour

Sunday is the last day to join friends, family and neighbors to kick off and celebrate the holiday season at the 24th Annual Labouré Center South Boston Christmas House Tour. 

If your home isn't decorated for the holidays yet or if your are struggling with what to do this year, visit five holiday decorated homes by the creative visions of local designers. The tour will provide ideas for making your own home more festive this Christmas. Remember imitation is the greatest form of flattery. You can even do your Christmas shopping at the House Tour Christmas Sample Sale Shoppe. 

Tour tickets are $30. Proceeds from the event support the many social services provided by Catholic Charities Labouré Center.

Tour can be self guided (walk or drive) or transportation is available departing from Labouré Center at 275 West Broadway, where there is limited parking and from Sullivan’s/Castle Island, where there is ample parking.

More information.

T'is the Season for Sipping, Strolling & Shopping

In Fort Point and throughout South Boston, little elves are hard at work to bring you some fabulous holiday events. 


Starting Thursday. December 4th, Santa arrives at the South Boston Library at 4pm followed by the East Broadway Christmas Tree Lighting and the South Boston Arts Association's Gingerbread House contest. These events plus special discounts at South Boston shops and restaurants are all part of the South Boston Christmas Stroll. 


The Fort Point Holiday Stroll presented by the Friends of Fort Point Channel takes place on Friday, December 5th from 4-8pm. It is a free annual celebration of the Fort Point area and its many businesses offering unique stores and boutiques, and a wide array of restaurants and bars.Take part in many special discounts and free beverages and treats. Browse the complete listing of Fort Point Holiday Stroll participants and events. 

In conjunction with the Fort Point Holiday Stroll, the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) will be holding their sixteenth annual Holiday Sale in the lobby of 315 on A. FPAC will be hosting drop-in holiday art and craft activities on site throughout the weekend and offering complimentary refreshments. Get creative with your sweet tooth: decorate a holiday cookie that can be nibbled or cherished with artist and chef Elissa Dunlap.

Don't forget to get that special something for someone special on your list. There will be plenty of handcrafted gifts and works of arts for purchase from the artists themselves. The Made in Fort Point store is also hosting Small Works Show Opening Friday night.  The holiday sale continues Saturday and Sunday from 11am -4pm. 

originally posted 12.2.14

South Boston Waterfront Transportation Updates & December Meetings

The City of Boston, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Massport and MassDOT will be holding a final set of community meetings on the South Boston Waterfront Sustainable Transportation Plan. You are invited to attend either meeting:

Monday, December 8 at 6:00 PM

Tynan Elementary School - Cafetorium

650 E. Fourth Street, South Boston

or

Thursday, December 18 at 6:00 PM

Boston Convention & Exhibition Center – Room 153

415 Summer Street, Boston

At these meetings, the project team will present the draft recommendations of the plan and listen to your feedback. Community feedback is essential to plan for the best improvements possible.

In case you missed the September and October community meetings, catch up with summary results highlighting the top three priorities (or four in case of a tie) for each question. The results from the Condon School October meeting are listed in blue and appear above the results from the September District Hall meeting. In addition, future land use is documented in the Future Conditions Report. The development projections predict job and population growth. The projected growth is then used to model demand for transportation infrastructure and services over the next 20 years.

Related Post: May Community Meeting Update

originally published 11.18.14

Fort Point Holiday Social December 2nd

The Fort Point Neighborhood Association

cordially invites you to
celebrate our amazing neighborhood at

Fort Point Holiday Social
Tuesday,  December 2nd
from six until eight o'clock
Sky Lounge
315 on A

with special thanks to
A Richer Pour
Bastille Kitchen
Bee's Knees
Fort Point Market
Fromage Cheese & Wine Bar with Gourmet Deli
Pastoral
Social Wines
Tavern Road
315 on A & Gerding Edlen

Please consider FPNA Membership Opportunities. By becoming an FPNA member, you help support FPNA's continued advocacy for Fort Point, monthly neighborhood meetings, and signature projects including our flowers and vines along A Street. You may also sign up for membership at the event.

Due to tremendous response, we are unable to accept any more attendees. Our next neighborhood meeting is January 27, 2015 with other community events planned for the spring.  Wishing everyone Happy Holidays.

Salvatore's Says Thanks With Free Pizza

On Wednesday, November 26, 2014, Salvatore’s is giving away free flatbread pizzas at the bar from 6 pm to closing. Avoid the holiday traffic, grab some friends, and head over to Salvatore's in the Seaport to celebrate Thanksgiving Eve with Michael and the Salvatore's gang.

November Showers Bring Spring Flowers in Fort Point

Today's showers bring your last chance to plant daffodil bulbs for next spring's blooming. Enjoy warm temperatures, get a little exercise in before your Thanksgiving meal, and join the FPNA during your lunch hour on:

Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Wormwood  & A Streets
12 pm - 2:30 pm

Tools and gloves will be provided.

New Parking Meter Time Limits on Summer & Congress Streets

Effective Monday, November 17, 2014 parking meter maximum time limits will change for meters located on specific blocks of Congress and Summer Streets. There will be a four hour maximum for meter parking from the 350 Summer Street block through 425 Summer Street block (Westin Waterfront). Meters on the 250 Summer Street block (near Summer St. bridge) and on the 300 Congress Street block (near the Artist Building) will change to a two hour maximum parking period. Metered parking remains at $1.25/hour. 

The parking policy changes stemmed from data collected from the smart parking system installed December 2014. Information collected from Seaport Boulevard, Congress St., Boston Wharf Rd and Summer St. led to adjusting the parking meters on Summer and Congress to manage parking demand. According to the Boston Transportation Department (BTD), these changes will:

• align parking better for true utilization
• spur higher turnover of on-street parking
• help promote parking availability in the neighborhood

If you need to run an errand in the neighborhood, Parker is a smartphone app that can you in finding a parking space. The app provides available parking real time and hand's free directions, along with meter duration. Local businesses can embed ParkerMap on their website to show customers nearby parking options. 

Any questions or comments, please contact William Conroy at William.Conroy@boston.gov.

Fort Point Holiday Social

The Fort Point Neighborhood Association (FPNA) invites you to celebrate our amazing neighborhood on Tuesday, December 2nd from 6-8 pm in the Sky Lounge at 315 on A. Mark your calendar for this fun event and stay tuned for all the details!

Come join your neighbors at
Fort Point Holiday Social

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Sky Lounge

315 On  A

Gillette Special Announcement Regarding Parking Lots 8 & 9

Gillette has a scheduled hearing with the City’ Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA) on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 10:30 AM  for the reauthorization of Parking Lot 8 and 9 as an ancillary use on the Campus in South Boston. The reauthorization requires a Conditional Use Permit and an Article 27P IPOD Permit, both of which require ZBA approval.

It is our [Gillette's] understanding that the Fort Point Neighborhood Association will not have another regularly scheduled meeting until January* (Please see the December 2nd save the date footnote from the FPNA.) Gillette prefers to keep the ZBA hearing as scheduled, yet we want our neighbors to be informed, and to have a chance for input. To that end we are providing this information for the FPNA to distribute to members and interested parties. Since the application in front of the ZBA does not change anything, but allows for the use of parking of 170 vehicles (88 spaces in lot #8 and 82 spaces in lot #9) to continue, we are hoping that community questions and input may be addressed through an e-mail or telephone process. We would be happy to meet informally or at a special meeting if there is significant interest.

The site plans above show the location of Lots 8 & 9. These lots have been used for parking for around 50 years. Around 3 years ago, when staffing levels were reduced, local construction generated a need for parking. Gillette has used the lots for ancillary parking over that time. Parking continues to be an issue in South Boston and the Fort Point Neighborhood. We believe that the continued operation of Lots 8 & 9 provides some relief to the ongoing parking demands. As a continuation of an existing use:

• No physical alterations or curb cuts are required;

• No new traffic will be generated on A Street.

• Lots 8 & 9 will not be open to the general public; spaces will be leased to businesses across A Street.

• There will be no increase in the number of cars parked.

Written comments or questions may be sent to Ken Fields, Gillette's Senior Project Manager at Fort Point Associates, Inc. The Fort Point Neighborhood Association requests that if you are interested in a special community meeting to copy the FPNA on your correspondence. 

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* In lieu of FPNA's November & December meetings, the FPNA is hosting a neighborhood Holiday Social on Tuesday, December 2nd. Please save the date.