Flynn: I will lead on Historic Preservation
Written by Ed Flynn
Last week, at two community meetings – the abutters meeting on M Street and at the City Point Neighborhood Association meeting – residents expressed anxiety and concern about the destruction of a beautiful home located inside the the Greenbelt Protection Overlay District on M Street in South Boston. Despite the claims by the developer proposing a multi-unit condo building in its place, the project requires approval of variances by the Zoning Board of Appeal and approval by the Parks Commission due to its location in the Greenbelt Protection Overlay District. Both the Zoning Board and Parks Commission should reject this proposal.
As the next City Councilor for District 2, I will lead on the preservation of our communities by working with residents, homeowners, community groups, historic preservationists, and others to identify and designate historic districts to preserve their architectural character and integrity. Throughout the district, from South Boston, Bay Village, Chinatown and the South End, residents are all dealing with similar challenges of institutional expansion and overdevelopment in today’s building boom. As your City Councilor I will work to ensure that communities like South Boston, Chinatown and downtown Boston, are able to maintain their neighborhood’s character through long-term planning and historic preservation, as neighborhoods like the South End, Bay Village, Fort Point and Beacon Hill have been able to through the creation of local historic landmark districts. Working together we can preserve what’s unique and special about Boston.
And property values just got more expensive …
Where were these politicans and wannabe politicians when the new zoning for South Boston was being planned. The new zoning took years to develop. Most politicans backed the new zoning. They wanted to cut down on the variances and streamline the approval process. Well guess what, it worked. It is all part of their plan to increase density in South Boston. If this project wasn’t in the Greenbelt Protection Overlay District (which extends about 400 feet from Day Blvd.) there would not even have been a community meeting.
So now expect the knee jerk reactions come crashing down on us. Yeah Ed, create historic districts in Southie. All we need is the city telling us what color we can paint our house. Go ahead and try to replace your windows, in historic districts you have to use wood frame windows and the cost is triple.
Greg, your on the money with your comments. We don’t need a historic district in Southie.
I wish Jack Hart was running for City Council he’s more qualified than any of the Johnnie come Latlies
In the race .