After the horse has left the barn

January 29 - Boston Redevelopment Authority Board approves the Boston College Master Plan
June 10 - Boston Zoning Commission approves the Boston College Master Plan
July 25 - Menino asks BC for voluntary payments to offset a $411,000 loss in property taxes

Does this seem out of order to anyone else? Wouldn't the City have the greatest negotiating leverage before, not after, approving BC's expansion?

But this is no fluke. The City also approved Harvard's billion-dollar science complex before negotiating the Payments in Lieu of Taxes that Harvard would pay.

3 comments:

  1. I didn't know that, but it doesn't surprise me either, and it just adds to my list of reasons why we need term limits, and someone else in city hall.

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  2. Actually... Here are two articles from last year (July 2008) that state that the Mayor wanted BC to pay for the loss of taxes.

    "Menino: BC's housing plan would stiff Boston on taxes." The Boston Herald. 9 July 2008.

    "City wants BC to pay more for dorm plan; Menino fears revenue loss if apartments are converted." The Boston Globe. 9 July 2008.

    Just FYI.

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  3. I wasn't trying to suggest that this was some sort of epiphany. My point is that issues like this should probably be resolved before the City approves new zoning and a Master Plan, not after.

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