A different kind of Brighton Ave

I found this card while doing some work around my house yesterday. 163 Brighton Ave is now the Kells bar, but several decades ago it was the place to go for art linens, real laces, kimonos, and silk underwear.

Library park and N Harvard St meetings next week

An email announcing these emails was sent this afternoon, just before the holiday weekend. A bit more advance notice would be nice if City Hall actually wants people to be able to attend.

Monday, July 6, 6:30 p.m. at the Honan-Allston Library: Reconstruction of North Harvard Street. Representatives from the Public Works Department and the Boston Water & Sewer Commission will be in attendance.

Wednesday, July 8, 6:00 p.m. at the Honan-Allston Library: The Harvard-Allston Task Force will meet for an update on Library Park and other issues.

Emily Rooney on Harvard's "big dump" in Allston

WGBH's Greater Boston took a look last week at Harvard's layoffs, Harvard's Allston slowdown, Faust's low profile, and more.

Gardner planting and planning - July 11

We will plant another Gingko tree at the Gardner School on Saturday, July 11 at 10am and continue our discussion about the other plants and landscape elements that will be part of this fun project. I hope you can join us to be part of this great community project.

Thanks to the many neighbors of all ages who joined us last weekend. Also, thank you to Cicconi & Sons Construction Company for their assistance with removing the asphalt that used to be where the new trees are now.

PowerPoint presentations from Monday's CWP meeting

The BRA presentation has their ideas about phasing for the Holton St Corridor and the Charlesview presentation shows their current thinking.

Harvard funds six Allston programs

This press release announces grants to:

• The Fishing Academy
• Allston Brighton Arts Bridge
• Massachusetts Poetry Outreach Project
• St. Luke’s St. Margaret Church
• Charles River Watershed Association
• Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center

Is Harvard completely fu(%ed?

It is, according to a hedge fund manager quoted in Rich Harvard, Poor Harvard, an article by Nina Munk in the August issue of Vanity Fair.

Upcoming zoning hearings

20 Faneuil Street - Confirm the legal occupancy as a one-family dwelling and erect an addition
61 Murdock Street - Erect a first floor rear addition and a deck on the new addition

More info at http://www.cityofboston.gov/ons/pdfs/allstonbright.pdf

Art in Marty's windows

The local art collaborative Paint Pens in Purses, the creators of the art in the windows of the former Marty's Liquors building at the corner of Harvard & Comm Ave, are featured in this story in today's Herald. Having tenants fill the empty buildings in Allston Village and North Allston would of course be best, but in lieu of that it would be great to see more of this creativity.

Charlesview update coming Monday

Back in February 2008, Charlesview wanted to build 282 apartments on 6.2 acres of the Brighton Mills shopping center and 118 condos on 0.7 acres along Telford St. Since then we have spent many meetings with the BRA planners and their consultants talking about Brighton Mills and the rest of the Holton St Corridor.

At the May 27 meeting, the BRA proposed height and density as shown in these images, with 37-64 units per acre in the blocks south of Western Ave and 18-36 units/acre in the blocks between that and Holton St. Tomorrow (Monday) from 6-8pm at the Honan Library, The Community Builders - the developers for Charlesview - will speak publicly about their plans for the first time in 16 months. One interesting question is how consistent their plans will be with what the BRA presented last month. Here are some numbers and measurements to consider:

The two higher-density blocks along Western Ave total 3.5 acres. The blocks between that and Holton St total 4 acres.

3.5 acres @ 37-64 units/acre = 130-224 units

4 acres @ 18-36 units/acre = 72-144 units

Total for 7.5 acres using BRA proposed density = 200 - 368 units (27 - 49 units/acre)

If Charlesview still has only the 6.2 acres in Brighton Mills, the BRA's proposed density for this area would allow 170 - 300 units. If Charlesview wants to put all of their current 213 units in Brighton Mills, this would mean fewer than 90 additional units could fit. Seventy percent of the development would be low-income apartments and only 30% could be anything else. This is far from an evenly mixed community and doesn't meet the standards of integration that housing experts have established all over the country to create diverse and stable communities.

Maybe Harvard has decided in the last two weeks to give Charlesview more land. Maybe Charlesview still has plans for a tower along the river. Maybe, like Harvard did two weeks ago, Charlesview will propose development in excess of what the BRA proposed last month. Or, maybe like Harvard did two weeks ago, Charlesview will speak vaguely without details about what they have in mind. In any case it will probably be one of the more interesting meetings of the summer.

Taste of Allston on Sunday

Tomorrow is the Taste of Allston - more good food from around the world than anyone could possibly eat in one afternoon!

http://www.allstonvillage.com/events/tasteofallston.php

Planting at the Gardner on Saturday

We are planting trees at the Gardner on Saturday and will also talk about art and landscaping projects that we will be doing this summer at the Gardner and Everett St slope.

Please drop by and join us between 10 and noon to be part of beautifying our neighborhood!

Golden to be BRA executive director

New England in Brief - The Boston Globe

"Former Allston-Brighton state representative Brian P. Golden is Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s choice to be executive director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority"