North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association
Zoning, Licensing and Construction Committee
Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 7:00 PM
Mariners House, 11 North Square, 2nd Floor
Zoning Appeals and License Applications
7:00 PM – 7:15 PM
33 Snow Hill Street, Anthony Virgilio has filed a zoning appeal to change the legal occupancy from two residential units to four residential units as part of a recent purchase and full renovation of the building.
City Council Home Rule Petition to Change Alcohol License Process
7:15 PM – 7:45 PM
City Councillor Ayanna Pressley has drafted a Home Rule Petition for state legislation that would allow the Licensing Board for the City of Boston to set the total number of alcohol licenses in the city (not the Legislature, which currently sets the total number) and make other changes to the alcohol licensing process. The ZLC Committee will review the Home Rule Petition and seek community input to the preparation of NEWRA comments. An updated list of alcohol licenses in the North End/Waterfront neighborhood will also be presented and discussed.
Major Redevelopment Projects
7:45 PM – 8:30 PM
Several major redevelopment projects with building heights of up to 600 feet, millions of square feet of residential, office and commercial space and thousands of residential units are planned in the North Station, Bulfinch Triangle and Government Center areas. The Committee will discuss NEWRA’s participation in the public participation processes and reviews for some of these projects:
- Lovejoy Wharf: the BRA has issued a draft Cooperation Agreement establishing requirements for rehabilitation and expansion of the building at 160 N. Washington Street, including public access amenities and other mitigation requirements. Comments are due by June 5.
- Boston Garden Project: the developer of proposed mixed-use towers in front of Boston Garden on Causeway Street recently filed an Environmental Notification Form with the Secretary of Environmental Affairs’ MEPA office. The public comment period ended on June 11.
- Government Center Garage: the developer recently filed a Project Notification Form (PNF) with the BRA, which has held multiple Impact Advisory Group meetings and a public meeting over the past month. A 600-foot office tower and 400-foot residential towers are proposed, along with other buildings and a reconfiguration of the Haymarket bus terminal. Public comments on the PNF are due by July 8, 2013.
- Two more buildings will be constructed in the Bulfinch Triangle, alongside the Avenir apartment building and the Victor apartment building now in construction.
- Nashua Street Residences: A residential tower is also proposed behind North Station, along Nashua Street, at 400 feet tall and 507 residential units.
The ZLC Committee will discuss the Boston Garden and Government Center Garage projects and set plans for NEWRA project review and input.
For more information about ZLC Committee meetings, contact David Kubiak, ZLC Committee Co-Chair, at 617-833-9564.
All of these developments will threaten property values. We should all be cautious . . .
Threaten how? By making the area more enjoyable to live and work in?
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the economic theory of supply and demand. This huge boom of construction will be a huge burst in the supply chain, and decrease demand for older North End real estate.
On the contrary – people who do not want to live in a large format building will be drawn to live in the north end as it provides a different living environment, thus potentially driving prices up for current north end residences to experience the commercial benefits that come along with the large format building eg Target – Stop and Stop etc.
The “charm” of dirty streets and dog crap?
Man you sound like someone who has a lot of pride in their neighborhood.
I didn’t even mention charm in my response and you quoted it as if I did. But yes small format living does have charm over large building living for some and likely most that currently live in the North End.