Today (Firday, Sept 18) is the deadline for comments on the proposal for a 20-unit apartment building on Greylock Road.
The Project Notification Form is online at http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/DevelopmentProjects/PipeDocs/17-23%20Greylock%20Road/PNF/17-23%20Greylock%20Road_PNF.pdf
From: Harry Mattison
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 9:14 AM
To: Jay Rourke (Jay.Rourke.BRA@CityofBoston.gov)
Subject: 17-23 Greylock Road comments
Mr. Rourke,
It is hard to imagine a project less consistent with the Allston/Brighton zoning and the goals of this community than the proposal for 17-23 Greylock Road.
Allston is a neighborhood with very low homeownership and an overly transient population. Twenty more small apartments (average size 977 square feet) is not what we need.
The proposal seeks variances for:
- Number of units
- Maximum floor area ratio
- Maximum building height
- Minimum front yard
- Minimum side yard
- Minimum rear yard
- Minimum useable open space
- Parking
- Loading
There is no hardship (as defined by Section 7-3 of the Boston Zoning Code) to justify these variances, only the greed of a developer seeking to profit while violating the intent and purpose of our zoning code and doing nothing to improve the quality of life in this neighborhood.
Maybe Mr. Baskin, the Newton developer who is seeking these variances, should have been more careful before spending $1.6 million in 2006 to purchase the buildings that he now wants to demolish. In any case, zoning variances are not to be used to help investors who made unwise decisions.
Thank you for conveying to the Mayor and Director of the BRA the serious concerns that many neighbors expressed about this project at the public meeting on July 30. I hope that you will all agree that these variances should not be approved.
Sincerely,
Harry Mattison
A great big dorm. Lovely. Party time!
ReplyDeleteI wrote Mr. Rourke in support of this project. In my opinion, this whole area desperately deserves to be more urban to maximize the value of the green line right there.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the opposition to this project. Why do you want to suburbanize Allston/Brighton? If you want suburbs move to Newton.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you equate opposition to these zoning variances with suburbanizing Allston?
ReplyDeleteI support a more urban Allston. I also think a plan should be a prerequisite for this incremental urbanization.
This plan should include how and where this urbanization should occur and the transportation and other improvements that are needed if density increases. I also want to see more stability in this neighborhood, so 2-3 bedroom condos would be much preferable to 1 bedroom apartments.