By Michael Coughlin Jr.
Coming off the heels of a similar meeting in March, the Orient Heights Neighborhood Council (OHNC) and Harbor View Neighborhood Association (HVNA) hosted the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) at the Madonna Shrine Function Room last week, where around 250 residents gathered with many voicing their displeasure with PLAN: East Boston — loud and clear.
PLAN: East Boston, a planning initiative from the BPDA that could make changes to zoning, off-street parking requirements, roadway configurations, and more, has been the subject of staunch criticism, especially from those of Orient Heights who are concerned that the plan would change the fabric of their neighborhood.
Madaro addresses those in
attendance.
With the BPDA releasing its full draft of the plan at the beginning of September and the public comment period slated to end October 27, residents attending last week’s meeting used the opportunity to sound off on the plan.
One major point of contention from those in attendance concerned proposed changes to Bennington Street, which Nick Schmidt, a Transportation Planner with the BPDA, provided clarity on.
“One of the things that we, I think, keep hearing about pretty frequently is how can Bennington Street possibly go from four lanes to two, and I will admit that we need to update our visuals in the report to make it very clear that the real secret sauce to this is having left turn lanes at intersections,” said Schmidt.
“It’s in the plan; you can see in all these intersections, especially the main ones at Saratoga Street and on the other end at Day Square, Neptune Road. Bennington Street — even in our vision where we are showing it narrower, it does widen back out to three to four to five lanes depending on the intersection, and that’s specifically to allow vehicles to get through the intersection,” he added.
Even with Schmidt’s clarification on the recommendations for Bennington Street, many believed it would not work.
“Most of the people that show up for these meetings have no idea about what this community is all about,” said one resident, describing how traffic backs up in the morning Monday through Friday from Neptune Road to Orient Heights.
“You put those lanes down to one lane, you are jeopardizing the safety of the people who live there and getting fire equipment and ambulances down that street,” he added.
Another resident flat-out said, “The third thing I want to talk to is this Bennington Street nonsense, where one lane going in towards Day Square and one lane of traffic coming out that will never, never, never work.”
This same resident shared data from last April when he stood out in front of Rockland Trust and counted vehicles from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. in response to potential bike lanes on Bennington Street.
The resident said he counted 996 cars, eight being school buses and three being MBTA buses, with one bike and two motorcycles. “So you would take away one lane of traffic and squeeze 99.9% of the traffic in one lane and allow one lane for one bike,” he added.
Other residents commented about the BPDA’s zoning recommendations, which in part would consolidate residential zoning subdistricts down to three: East Boston Residential (EBR) one, two, and three.
EBR-1 allows for a maximum of two units and two and a half stories, and EBR-2 allows for a maximum of three units and three stories. Finally, EBR-3 allows for four-plus units and four stories.
It should be noted that EBR-2 also allows buildings up to six units if lots have a width greater than or equal to 50 feet.
Kristina Ricco, a Senior Planner with the BPDA, explained why there are plans to change zoning, saying, “There’s a lot of frustration with what’s going on at the Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA). You have zoning that is 30 years old, but more important than the fact that it’s 30 years old, it is not reflective of what exists in your community today.”
Some in attendance yelled out after Ricco’s explanation, saying they like how it is and it’s been like this.
One resident questioned who zoning simplification benefits, asking, “Whose life is that making easier?” Later, he added, “We’re the ones that have to go through a lot of the struggle, the hassle, the frustration for it.”
The same resident who had safety concerns with the Bennington Street recommendations even urged those in attendance to put restrictions in their deeds to prevent potential unit increases.
As the meeting progressed, it seemed like the frustration from those in attendance grew, with resident after resident voicing their displeasure.
In addition to the comments from residents, several elected officials commented on the plan and indicated they were listening to their constituents.
At-Large City Councilor Erin Murphy mentioned that while the city is in a housing crisis, there needs to be a compromise between building housing and preserving the neighborhood’s fabric.
“Know that I care about that also, so there’s a balance, but we have to make sure that neighbor’s voices are being heard, and it’s not just railroaded through,” said Murphy.
City Councilor Gabriela Coletta went through an eight-page letter she penned in April about the plan and indicated she is listening and that this process is still ongoing.
“Please know, again, that the conversation is ongoing. I look forward to hearing from the BPDA, but I’m really here to listen and figure out where you all are at again so I can echo these concerns directly to the mayor in partnership with our delegation,” said Coletta.
State Representative Adrian Madaro echoed Coletta, saying, “We are elevating every single comment that you make to the city,” while acknowledging how much frustration there has been from residents.
“We’re going to continue to elevate your concerns to our colleagues at the city level, and this plan is not done. So all we can do is continue to fight for the community,” he added.
As the days go by, the sense of urgency to comment on the plan by the end of the comment period is higher than ever.
Specifically, the OHNC’s Facebook page asks residents to comment on the plan, sending them to the emails below before October 27.
Moreover, if you want to view the full draft plan, visit the BPDA’s PLAN: East Boston webpage at https://www.bostonplans.org/planning/planning-initiatives/plan-east-boston.