1.2 min readBy Published On: May 1st, 2017Categories: News6 Comments on Flaherty – protecting Southie from zoning changes

After it was discovered a single family on M Street could potentially get knocked down for condos, City Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty is now working to protect the neighborhood from the same thing happening in the future with the implementation of an Interim IPOD in conjunction with the Boston Planning and Development Board.

 See below from Flaherty’s office:

Boston City Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty calls for the implementation of an Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD) to further protect South Boston under the new zoning changes of Article 68.

“We launched the South Boston Rezoning Initiative as a result of the South Boston community’s desire to ensure that future development fits within the fabric of the neighborhood.  In order to maintain the community’s voice during the implementation phase of the new zoning, we are proposing putting in place an Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD) in this area for one year, which will give us another tool to measure if the zoning is working the way it was intended. I thank Councilor Flaherty for his close partnership and commitment to the planning needs of South Boston and look forward to our continued work together as we preserve and enhance the neighborhoods of South Boston for many years to come,” said Mayor Marty Walsh.  

6 Comments

  1. Elizabeth Aguilo May 2, 2017 at 3:20 am - Reply

    The current over-development has already negatively impacted the quality of life in South Boston. I would like to believe that our Representatives are looking out for us.

  2. GregM May 2, 2017 at 11:29 am - Reply

    If we do a little research back to a Jan 6, 2017 Boston Globe article

    https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/06/new-south-boston-zoning-could-mean-more-parking-and-slow-down-development/UWzabAhR6alz626lDjQe9N/story.html

    Mike Flatherty is quoted as:

    “The rezoning of South Boston is designed to restore predictability to the process so that the rules are understood and fairly applied to all,” and “Our hope is to eliminate the need for variances, the guessing game, and the hocus pocus that plays out at the Zoning Board of Appeals.”

    Why the 180 degree turn? How could they miss such a flaw in the zoning that they worked on for 2 years? He isn’t the only one quoted in the article. Linehan, Joanne McDevitt and even the mayore are mentioned.

    The only person who is interviewed that is against the zoning is Brendan Kearney of WalkBoston. He is against raising the parking requirement with the new zoning in Southie.

  3. Edward May 2, 2017 at 12:29 pm - Reply

    There’s no 180 degree turn here. As he correctly points out….getting this stuff right is trial and error. Plan-Do-Adjust…well, we are in ‘Adjust’ mode with a capital A. Developers constructing buildings in backyards and garden areas on properties in Southie to squeeze every last possible dollar out of a project has to end. People getting brick walls built up against their properties where there was once open space might be within current zoning rules but it is certainly obnoxcious and ruins the character of the neighborhood. Good for Flaherty for standing up to this group of greedy developers who would sell this neighborhood down the toilet to line their own pockets.

  4. Janet Quinn May 2, 2017 at 8:45 pm - Reply

    Remove the sign of South Boston

  5. Mary Cooney May 3, 2017 at 11:01 am - Reply

    There is no other neighborhood in the city of Boston that has been stripped of housing districts and laid out defenseless without minimum lot size, set backs and open space requirements that protect the basic rights that we would expect from the code… . It should never have been “trial and error” if proper planning principles were the foundation for the zoning . This was a direct give away to developers. Zoning does not function in a vacuum….The big ugly housing boxes and streetscape, unsafe pedestrian /vehicle conflicts, loss of open space will all continue to erode the sense of neighborhood without proper planning .

  6. Steve May 5, 2017 at 1:44 am - Reply

    Lol. I think the development is near where he lives. Otherwise, I suspect we would be hearing crickets. “Washington Village”, the Edison plant, things are going amok and it seems politicians only get involved if it affects their block.

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