Monday - The Most Important Meeting of the Year!

It is hard to overstate the importance of Monday's meeting about the relocation and expansion of Charlesview to the Brighton Mills Shopping Center.

Monday - 6:30 - Allston/Brighton Resource Center - 367 Western Ave (across from the Brighton Mills Shopping Center)

We have two choices:

1) Accept what has been proposed: a segregated, mid-rise housing project that ignores decades of research and experience about how to build the best communities, that includes a tiny patch of parkland for ~800 residents in a neighborhood already badly lacking greenspace, and that will further destabilize our neighborhood because of its lack of homeownership and over-reliance on small 1 bedroom units.

2) Show up on Monday, spread the word to your neighbors, speak up, and insist on a much better, more integrated, modern development with a balance of housing for people across the entire income spectrum, with generous parks, an appropriate mix of family-sized units, more retail, and everything else that strong, diverse, and thriving communities have.

What has been proposed grossly exceeds what the City's zoning code allows. The City and developer want your support to justify the requested zoning relief. But why should we support a deficient proposal when it could be so much better?

Think we are too weak and ineffective to make a difference? We made a difference last year when Charlesview so urgently insisted that they needed their previous proposal to be immediately approved. Our community stood up and insisted on a better proposal, and as a result Harvard provided more land and the proposal has improved. It needs a lot more improvement, but history proves our ability to move the project in the right direction.

So please come together for a couple hours on Monday evening with your neighbors who care about the future of our community. Together our firm and reasonable resolve will make a better neighborhood for all.