Allston Village Main Streets Annual Meeting

Want to find out what AVMS has been up to for the last year? Have ideas for the future? Come to the Allston Village Main Streets Annual Meeting and enjoy tasty free eats from Uno's!

Wednesday, March 3
Uno Chicago Grill - 1230 Comm Ave
6:30-8:30
Announcements, New Board Members, New Businesses
Free refreshments by Uno Chicago Grill.

Some New Balance thoughts

To start at a high level, I think New Balance presented a great vision last night for redevelopment for Guest Street between Market Street and Everett Street. Turning that area into a more lively, interesting, and active area would be great. Having New Balance become more of a neighbor with a greater investment in our neighborhood can only be a good thing. Attracting mutually beneficial infrastructure improvements like a commuter rail stop would also be great.

Long term, New Balance presented a lot of big ideas including:

• New office space for New Balance
• A 125-room hotel
• A 2 acre park
• A commuter rail stop
• New on and off ramps connecting to the Mass Pike
• An athletic facility for sports like indoor soccer and lacrosse
• An ice skating facility with two separate skating surfaces (there was some discussion about how the Skating Club of Boston would like to move from their current site on Western Ave (so they could sell it to Harvard??) but want a new facility with 3 ice surfaces)
• 600 construction and 3,000 permanent jobs

Obviously the timing and funding of many of these pieces is highly uncertain. The only piece that New Balance seems to be somewhat able to do in the near future are the new office building and park.

As the devil is in the details, I was most concerned with their ideas for access to the Pike. Some kind of ramp connecting Lincoln Street and the Pike seems highly questionable, and I am inclined to agree with other neighbors who commented last night that adding new ramps and overpasses could exacerbate the "scar" that the Pike already creates across our neighborhood. As someone who lives North of the Pike, I wonder about a plan that seems to create positive new development south of the Pike and supports it by building more highway-related roads on the north side of the Pike.

Tim McHale noted at the meeting last night our community's desire for a more residential stability and more homeownership, and the retail/office/residential mix of the future phases is an important question, but maybe one that doesn't need to be fully answered now because these future phases are not exactly right around the corner.

If New Balance does build a new office building, I hope that its will be more public and urban. The current New Balance complex is 535,000 sq ft of office space with 30,000 sq ft of retail below the parking garage (the Bally gym and New Balance outlet). But on the north side of Guest Street, the large office buildings are pushed back from the sidewalk and the first floor offers no public use. The large cafeteria is upstairs on the 2nd floor, and the building and Guest Street would, in my opinion, would have been better served by public restaurants and other retail on the ground floor instead of the office-park type building that was built.

I also learned last night that it was New Balance who renovated the charming old factory building at 38 Everett Street that is now the Warrior & Brine Outlet Store for lacrosse, soccer and hockey equipment.

Considering all the unknowns, I'd summarize my thoughts that more New Balance in our community is a good thing. If NB has office buildings at either end of Guest Street they will be pretty motivated to improve the area around and between their buildings.

Other coverage from last night's meeting from the Globe, Herald, and Mike Pahre

Stay dry at the ABNNF potluck tonight

Get out of the rain and come to the Gardner school tonight at 6 to meet neighbors, have a good time, and eat some great food!

Harvard's PEAR & Universities in Partnership

A friend of a friend recently introduced me a Harvard Medical School program called PEAR - The Program in Education, Afterschool, and Resiliency. PEAR does great research and applied work to help children have more productive and enriching lives. Periodically they conduct sessions on the web where experts present information about their work and viewers can ask questions through a text chat.

On February 2 PEAR ran a webinar titled "Universities in Partnership: Strategies for Education, Youth Development, and Community Renewal" and you can watch a replay of it here.

Presenters included Ira Harkavy from University of Pennsylvania and a some of the key concepts discussed were:

• The deep, extensive, and substantive level of engagement that universities and communities can have
• The difficulty of growing up in urban environment caused by factors including crime, violence, poverty, and high dropout rates
• The challenge to marshal all of the potential resources to make a difference
• A decade ago it was radical to think of a university/community/school partnership, now they are much more common
• The concept of a "democratic partnership" with a democratic and civic emphasis that works with a egalitarian, transparent, and and collegial process

Google's relationship with Mountain View

Ford / Detroit
Google / Mountain View, CA
Harvard / Allston

Three huge corporations with immense power to control the destiny of their surrounding communities. This story in today's Times raises questions relevant in Allston and Mountain View about corporations turning inward & outward, community engagement, and creating a community feeling beyond the office and campus walls.

Google and Mountain View Recast Company-Town Model - NYTimes.com

“The main reason Ford put money into the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is to make it plausible to recruit executives to Detroit,” Professor Davis said. “It was a human-resources move as much as it was philanthropic.”

But the technology companies that grew amid the striking scenery and balmy weather of the Bay Area have not felt the same imperative. As they grew, they turned inward, putting their resources into employee perks like stock options and free lunches.

“Generally speaking, the high-tech companies in Silicon Valley are not as engaged in contributing to their local communities,” said Larry Stone, the Santa Clara County tax assessor.

The most controversial Google plan so far is its possible expansion into the North Bayshore area, including residential towers of up to five stories. These would increase population density, and possibly traffic, in an area that has little of either. The proposal’s viability, in turn, rests in part on the long-term planning decisions now before the City Council.

Sean Safford, a professor who studies organizations and markets at the University of Chicago, noted that Google was replicating traditional company-town practices by placing housing for its employees near its headquarters.

“It will be so interesting to see how much of their human resources strategy is about creating a community feeling that goes beyond the offices,” Mr. Safford said. “Sometimes when you’re competing for workers and prominence, there’s a need to stick your chest out and say, ‘We’re the big dogs in town.’ ”

Fund libraries with public, not private funds

Maybe in a crisis the Boston Public Library system needs an emergency bailout from the private sector. But that should not be the long-term solution to funding the libraries. A public library system cannot be subject to the whims of private donations and the generosity of a Liberty Mutual or Fidelity that may be here one year and gone the next. This is especially for libraries which have large fixed costs (buildings, staffing, etc.) that cannot be easily expanded and contracted on a yearly basis.

Boston needs to figure out how to create a sufficient and dependable revenue stream to fund our libraries and keep them open and accessible to all residents of Boston.

In crisis, Boston libraries need better board, more private funds - The Boston Globe

Decker resolution on Western Ave/River St bridge projects

Cambridge City Councilor and State Senate candidate Marjorie Decker has sponsored the following council order asking MassDOT and other agencies to work with Cambridge and Boston residents and to include planning for access to the river and the surrounding parkland.

We need a State Senator who will get involved in issues like this, and I will contact DOT to find out which candidates submitted comments on this project.

WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of this City Council that there is a
construction project on the bridges at both Western Avenue and River Street that
will affect the residents in both Cambridge and Boston; and

WHEREAS: There are various local and state agencies involved in the project
and the residents of the surrounding areas are entitled to meet with any and all
of those agencies to discuss the project and stay informed; now therefore be
it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report all steps
the city is taking to ensure resident and city input is heard at the outset of
this project and throughout; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report what
additional steps are being made to comprehensively address, in addition to the
bridge renovations, what is being done to the pedestrian and bicycle access ways
and to the parklands surrounding the river; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report a schedule
of any and all of the opportunities for meetings with the various state agencies
involved in this project; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to
the City Council on this matter.

BRA approves 20 units on Greylock Rd

Banker & Tradesman

"The project, a condominium complex that will produce 20 units, two of which will be designated as affordable housing, and will be located at 17-23 Greylock Road in Allston."

Lowe’s still wants Brighton site

Sure will be interesting to see how this progresses. Commeters at the Globe site seem particularly excited because Lowe's may be ready to build now, but we have no idea how much of the New Balance proposal is also ready to build in the short term. To me it is hard to find much to be excited about in a big, ugly, duplicative home-improvement warehouse.

Lowe’s to try again for Hub store, but New Balance also has plans for Brighton site - The Boston Globe

Allston Civic Association meeting agenda

February 17 @ 6:30P.M. Honan Allston Library

The proponent of a large Billboard on Camb/Lincoln St will return to show a scaled drawing of the board in relationship to the building on Camb. St.

Quint Ave. A proposal to create parking next to the church.

Parking Discussion: Allston/Brighton has been targeted by cab companies and commercial vehicle owners as a place to store their vehicles overnight. Many leave their personal vehicles in the same spot during the day so our streets are being used 24 hours a day to accommodate the parking needs of businesses that are located outside of our town, and outside of our city. A discussion about where this is happening and what can be done about it will be held.

You are invited to the ABNNF potluck dinner

The Allston Brighton North Neighbors Forum (ABNNF) invites all neighbors to a community potluck dinner in the Gardner School auditorium (30 Athol St) on Thursday, February 25 at 6:00.

Please join us for this fun and casual opportunity to meet new friends and see familiar faces in a social setting.

As a general guideline, plan to bring food according to your last name:
A-F: Drinks
G-M: Appetizer/Salad
N-S: Main Dish
T-Z: Dessert

Or bring anything you'd like - all contributions are welcome. If you know you're coming and/or bringing something, please RSVP to john.eskew@gmail.com

Bridge comments

Here are the comments that I sent to the Mass Department of Transportation regarding last week's River Street & Western Ave bridge meeting. If you have ideas for this important project, you can send then to Stephanie.Boundy@state.ma.us.
Western Ave River St Bridge Comments - Harry Mattison

New Balance meeting postponed

New Balance Guest Street meeting snowed out : Allston Brighton Tab Blog

Like everything else in Boston, this meeting is not happening because of the impending snow.
New date is 2/24 @ 6:30.

No School on Wednesday

The City's Snow Information and Advisory Program - City of Boston

Update: 2/9/10, 10:00pm
Boston Public Schools has announced a school closing for Wednesday, February 10. The City of Boston has declared a snow emergency, effective 8:00am Wednesday. A parking ban will be in effect.

Free H1N1 shots

At the Gardner School until 5:00 today

View from the Western Ave bridge

I was sitting in traffic yesterday on the Western Ave bridge and took this photo of the "view" such as it is. We should definitely do better when rebuilding it.

Hole in Allston letter to the Editor

Colleen McGuire is getting frustrated and write about it to the Globe - Hole in Allston - The Boston Globe

For more beautiful bridges

There are many important subjects to consider after Wednesday's meeting on the reconstruction of the Western Ave and River St bridges. (The presentation from the meeting can be downloaded here). Safe bridges that are accessible and accommodating for transportation and recreation are a must. For this post, I'd like to consider how the bridges look, what people can see from them, and how to make pedestrians safer.

According to the Charles River Master Plan, these bridges were the subject of a 1923 design competition to create bridges that would be "worthy expressions of the best that a cultured community can create." While I appreciate the graceful arches of the bridges when they are viewed from a distance, it is hard to find anything beautiful about the bridges when one is on the bridge.



With this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild and reconsider these bridges, it seems appropriate to rethink both how the bridges look and function. The bridges won't be rebuilt entirely as part of this project, but there will be extensive reconstruction and some portions of the bridges will be completely rebuilt.



One possibility is to add a barrier between the roadway and the sidewalk. This would protect pedestrians by preventing cars in an accident from ending up on the sidewalk. It would also make it possible to use a railing instead of a wall between the sidewalk and the water, as is done on the Mass Ave Bridge a couple miles away. Children who are not tall enough to see over the existing wall would particularly enjoy the view through the railing, especially when watching rowers and other boats below.

In any case, after 87 years I think it is again time to consider what might be "the best that a cultured community can create."

Charles River bridge underpasses

The first meeting about the River St & Western Ave bridge reconstruction is tonight at 6 at the Honan Library, and the Charles River Conservancy has some interesting ideas in this poster about how bridge underpasses could improve our safety and enjoyment of the river.

http://thecharles.org/projects/underpasses/Poster-Underpasses-2010jan12.pdf

Allston on Chronicle this Friday

Friday's show (7:30 on Channel 5) will take a look at stalled development projects in Allston and elsewhere in Boston.

Friday, February 5: Arrested Development

More on the New Balance proposal

Seems to me that what New Balance is proposing would do a whole lot more to improve the neighborhood than a big box home improvement store ever could.

Companies vie for Brighton site - BostonHerald.com

Upcoming zoning hearing

65-67 Surrey Street - Erect a one story addition in rear. Remove and replace second floor stair and decks.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/ons/pdfs/allstonbright.pdf

Brighton Landing proposal described at Brighton Centered

Mike Pahre posts some information about the large development being planned for alongside the Mass Pike between Stop & Shop and New Balance. A public meeting is being held at on February 10 at 6:30 on the 2nd floor at 20 Guest Street.

From what I know about this proposal, I think it could be great. Obviously some major transportation improvements would be needed, and this project could help move forward the construction of a commuter rail stop. The Mass Pike improvements could be good in their own right, and also take some load off the River Street / Doubletree traffic nightmare.

The Guest St / Braintree St area could be a lot more than it is today and hopefully this will be a step in the right direction.

LivableStreets handout for Wednesday's bridge meeting

Wednesday at 6:00 at the Honan Library is the first public meeting about the State's planned project improve the Western Ave and River St bridges. The great people at LivableStreets have created this handout that suggests some key points to consider making if you attend the meeting.

Upcoming zoning hearing

Harvard Real Estate Allston (for Mahoney's Garden Center) - 449-451 Western Ave - Remove and replace three sides to existing greenhouse and erect a 15,750 square foot addition to building.

Cambride Councilor Decker announces bid for State Senate

http://www.marjoriedecker.com/news/1-latest-news/122-decker-announces-senate-candidacy.html

Decker Seeks State Senate Seat The Harvard Crimson

Harvard curator: Allston not in my professional lifetime

I don't think anyone knows with certainty how and when Harvard will move forward in Allston, but here's one opinion from someone with enough knowledge to make a career decision based on it. Based on her estimate and that, at 43 years old, she probably has 20+ years left in her professional lifetime, it could be 2030 before Allston sees any Harvard art.

Allston Delay Prompts Museum Curator To Leave Harvard The Harvard Crimson

With the plans for Harvard’s new contemporary art museum in Allston currently up in the air, Harvard Art Museum’s curator of contemporary art Helen Molesworth will leave Harvard to become the chief curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, ICA officials announced earlier this month.

“It’s become clear that the University has a very, very long-term plan for Allston. It won’t happen in my professional lifetime,” she said.

Ciommo continues as Ways & Means Chair

Thanks to Adam Gaffin for being the only source I know of to regularly cover news of the Boston City Council.

Yet another candidate for State Senate

Cambridge lawyer eyeing Galluccio's state Senate seat - Cambridge, Massachusetts - Cambridge Chronicle

"Benzan’s name will join a slew of other contenders vying for the post, such as Charlestown lawyer Dan Hill, Cambridge lawyer Tim Flaherty, Cambridge City Councilor Marjorie Decker, son of former state Sen. Sal Albano of Somerville Michael Albano, and former Galluccio chief of staff/ Everett City Councilor Sal DiDomenico"

Another State Senate candidate

Progressive Democrat Michael Albano Enters Senate Race - Cambridge News Weekly

Farewell Urban Ring (we hardly knew you)

Over the past few years, those of us who attended Harvard Master Plan and related meetings were told about an Urban Ring bus rapid transit system would be a major piece of the transportation system that would move thousands of people a day between Harvard Sq, Allston, Longwood, and elsewhere.

A couple years ago, the Globe wrote that:

"But maybe the biggest hope for Urban Ring supporters is this: Harvard University wants in, and if there is one institution that has the big money needed to make things happen in these parts, it's Harvard. With its plans to expand into Allston, Harvard has proposed a new stop, called West Station, on the existing commuter rail line in Allston and would like to reconfigure old Urban Ring plans to have Allston, and West Station, included."

On Friday, Jeffrey Mullan, CEO of MassDOT, wrote in this letter that while the State may move forward with bits and pieces of the Urban Ring plan or other projects in the same areas,

"MassDOT's current financial condition prevents it from building the Project in its entirety in the foreseeable future - and the MBTA's current financial condition makes it financially unable to operate it"

While we are waiting for Harvard to resume construction

Last week the Globe asked for our ideas about what might be done with Harvard's empty property in Allston. Tracy Jan writes about these in the Globe's "The Quad" column:

• BMX bike trail park
• Rock-climbing walls
• Go-cart park
• Amusement park
• Minatute golf, mobile BBQ or other "restaurants" (suggested by yours truly)
• Harvard/Allston community garden
• Tennis, basketball, shuffleboard, four square, and dodge ball
• World's largest public skating rink

Movie Night at Harvard Ed Portal Tonight

Doors open at 6:00 p.m., Movie starts at 6:30 p.m. & is 95 minutes long
175 North Harvard Street

Bring friends and family to watch the DreamWorks animated movie “Monsters vs. Aliens” shown in Blu-Ray. Enjoy some popcorn and good company and watch as an eclectic and entertaining group of monsters combat a group of aliens to save the world from destruction.

http://www.monstersvsaliens.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892782/

Help Change Congress

Today's Supreme Court decision threatens to open the floodgate for more money to pour into the accounts of the representatives who should represent the interests of the citizens in their districts.

Please watch this video and support the important work of Change Congress.

Upcoming zoning hearings

21 Greylock Road - Demolish existing structures, combine lots and erect a twenty unit residential building with parking

1304-1312 Commonwealth Ave - Replace eight foot chain link fence with a new ten foot plastic fence.

24 Melton Road - Extend living space into the attic, erect two skylight windows and renovate

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

VPs in Harvard's Skating story

Interesting that two Harvard vice-presidents are quoted in this Harvard Gazette story about ice skating in the old VW dealer on Western Ave. Is Allston so prominent these days on the administration's radar screen?

River St & Western Ave bridge meeting - Feb 3

The MassDOT Highway Division is hosting a meeting about the reconstruction of the River Street and Western Avenue bridges.

We all know these bridges and the areas around them are overwhelmed with auto traffic and horrible for bicyclists and pedestrians. Hopefully the strong advocacy of our community and others can encourage the major re-design that is needed.

The meeting has been scheduled for February 3 at the Honan-Allston Library, 300 North Harvard Street from 6 PM to 8 PM. More info is at http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/calendar/massdoteventdetail.aspx?id=138

Please remember to

VOTE

Allston update from The Crimson

The Harvard Crimson reports on some optimistic and pessimistic views on what might happen with Harvard & Allston.

Allston in Globe photos of 2009

Such as photogenic neighborhood! The Best Boston Globe photos of 2009 has 15 photos and two of them are from Allston - Brighton Ave and Harvard Stadium.

Looks good on paper

A reminder from the Globe editorial this morning that even when a university master plan looks good it is the results, not just the plan, that really matters.

"In 2006, [Northeastern University] secured approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority to build three new dormitories with the capacity to house a total of 2,800 students. But the university made good on building just one of those dorms for 1,200 students. Architectural plans for the 600-student dorm on St. Botolph Street are gathering dust. And a proposed dorm on the site of a Gainsborough Street garage is on indefinite hold."

Petco Unleashed coming to Allston

Petco Unleashed has signed a lease to open a store in the new building at 226 Harvard Ave. Can't imagine how this can be good news for Jim Gentile's Pet Shop just a block away.

Creative destruction on Western Ave

It is a special day when there is something good to say about something happening on Western Ave, and I am glad that today is one of those days. Mahoney's Garden Center, which has been a generous friend to our community, is almost finished demolishing the small building on Soldiers Field Road behind the Mahoney's store.

This demolition will make Mahoney's much more visible and accessible to Soldiers Field Road and will allow them to greatly increase their selection.

Skating Away

To Harvard's credit, they have found a good use for one of their empty buildings. During the next few months, the former Volkswagen dealer on Western Ave (next door to Flint Cleaners) is being transformed into an indoor skating rink.

The Mayor is coming to cut the ribbon on Friday, and more information and hours of operation are available here.

Globe seeks your ideas for Harvard Allston property

Tracy Jan (tjan@globe.com) at the Globe is Seeking your ideas for Harvard's Allston property for a future story.

Faneuil St gunshot this morning

Boston Police Dept. (Boston_Police) on Twitter

"FIREARM DISCHARGE: 89 Faneuil St in Brighton, SWAT Team discharged at pit bull while conducting search warrant for armed robbery suspect."
tweeted about 2 hours ago

Great Allston time-lapse videos

Something fun to watch on a cold Sunday posted to YouTube a few months ago by flavorseal

Brighton arrest, may be related to recent robberies

BPDNews.com: Armed Robbery Suspect of Tedeschi’s in Brighton Arrested

Program Helps Sharpen Small Business Skills

Nice story about BU Sociology Professor Daniel Monti and InnerCity Entrepreneurs helping small business owners in and around Boston grow their companies.

Program Helps Sharpen Business Skills of Those Already in Business - NYTimes.com

WCVB hopes for "constructive action by Harvard"

Nice to see WCVB Channel 5 joining us in hoping that 2010 brings something better to North Allston and North Brighton than 2009 did.

Your ideas for ABNNF greening projects in 2010

During the last couple years, the ABNNF has planted trees, shrubs, groundcover, bulbs, and more on the Everett St slope and at the Gardner School playground. While these plants are hibernating under a blanket of snow, it is time to apply for grants and plan projects for the new year. Where in our neighborhood do you think we should continue with similar projects? Please leave your suggestions as comments to this post.


Gardner School students planting bulbs on Everett St

North Allston will probably have a new State Senator soon

Galluccio ordered to prison for one year - The Boston Globe

"State Senator Anthony D. Galluccio today was found in violation of the terms of his probation and was sentenced to one year in the Middlesex House of Correction. He was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs."

Text of today's Inaugural address of Mayor Menino

Inaugural address of Mayor Menino - Local News Updates - The Boston Globe

Looking for results at Boston About Results

Harvard Professor Ed Glaeser writes in today's Globe that "Transparency is the cure for those fifth-term blues" and that the Boston About Results website "is a significant Menino innovation that provides easy-to-use data about city services".

I've written in the past about the impressive scorecards used in New York City to measure how well NYC does things like keep the streets clean, so after reading Glaeser's op-ed I took a look at the Boston About Results website to see the reports that the City is publishing for each department.

Honestly, I don't see much "big innovation" over at Boston About Results. When I think about the results that I hope we are getting from the School Department, Public Works, Transportation, and Inspectional Services, it is mostly about how much our kids are learning and quality of life issues about street cleanliness and snow shoveling, potholes, and rats.

Glaeser writes that "when I checked “Boston About Results,’’ the link to the education performance page was broken". I am surprised that in the 16 or so hours since the story went on-line nobody has bothered to fix this link that is supposed to provide the "FY09 Annual Performance Report" for Boston Public Schools but instead reports that "Sorry, you have reached a nonexistent page on the City of Boston's webserver."

For departments whose links do work, I don't see much that tells the voters, citizens, and taxpayers of Boston about the results that we are getting from our City government. "Big Innovation" might be the ability to enter a zip code, ward/precinct, or street address, and get relevant information about "results" that are local to your home or business. Instead, Boston About Results gives only citywide data.

I thought it was admirable when Boston announced a goal to plant 100,000 street trees by 2020, but the Parks Department report doesn't tell much about our progress towards that goal. Sixty trees were planted between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009. The goal for this period was zero. What does that mean? Was there some emergency that necessitated planting trees when the City planned to plant none? Where in the City were they planted or how many of them were planted in Allston and Brighton? The PDF doesn't tell us. Are we on track to meet the 2020 goal? How clean and safe are Smith Field and Ringer Park?

Do you see "Big Innovation" in these reports that I am missing? (Admittedly I didn't have the time today to review every report in detail).

Gov: No free land for Smith, Legislature tries again

On November 18, the Massachusetts House and Senate unanimously passed bill #4356 to lease State property on Western Ave to the Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center "for construction of a new community health center building of approximately 40,000 square feet and related parking" for the next 50 years for $1.

But on Novemver 24, Governor Patrick vetoed this bill and proposed an amendment, writing that

"The needs of this valued community center to expand must be balanced against the needs of the Commonwealth, including protecting the public fisc. Requiring the state to lease extremely valuable property for $1.00 per year does not strike that balance.
Accordingly, I am returning this bill for amendment to avoid any violations of the anti-aid amendment and to provide a fiscally responsible transaction."

Earlier this week, the House rejected the Governor's amendment and adopted a new amendment that reads:

“SECTION 6. Consideration for the lease of the property described in section 1 shall be no less than fair market value for comparable rentals by the commonwealth. A lease agreement entered into pursuant to this act by or on behalf of the commonwealth shall provide that, in lieu of the payment of rent, the lessee shall provide students at a community college or state institution of higher education with opportunities to gain clinical experience in nursing and other medical fields by working with clients of the lessee, on such terms and conditions as the division of capital asset management and maintenance and lessee deem appropriate.”

Next this new amendment will go to the Senate and then possibly back to the Governor.

Bat

This brown bat was flying around my house this evening and I gently sent him out the window into the cold New Year's night. Watching it gracefully fly I was awed by its body and design. I hope it found a safe place to spend the first night of 2010.

Charles River photo captures 2nd place

Bryan Foster of Brighton took this beautiful photo of the Charles River in Allston

Wednesday deadline to vote in Jan Senate election

Below is an email from MassVOTE about the upcoming election and registration deadline. You can register to vote at
http://www.cityofboston.gov/elections/voter_reg.asp

Wednesday is the deadline to register to vote for the Special Election for US Senate to fill the seat opened when Senator Kennedy passed away.

If you know anyone who just turned 18 -- or will by the election on January 19th -- please let them know they have until 8pm Wednesday to register if they want to vote for our next US Senator. The same goes for anyone who recently moved to Massachusetts or within our state.

Unfortunately, every year, many folks miss the deadline to register.  There is a simple solution that will help young people register -- pre-registration.

Some people say young people don't vote.  But in the last presidential election, four out of five 18-24s who were registered turned out to vote.  That's an impressive number.  The problem?  Only 58% of 18-24s year-olds are registered, and, of course, no one can vote who isn't registered.  Many states have increased the number of young people who are registered by simply allowing young people to register as soon as they turn 17.  It's a simple step that saves money (fewer last minute registrations means less work for election officials) and helps people vote.  It's time for pre-registration to become the law of the land in Massachusetts. Rep. Ellen Story has a bill in the State House to bring pre-registration to our state.  MassVOTE's Young Civic Leaders are leading the charge.  Can you sign our petition to help pass it? http://www.change.org/actions/view/let_youth_register_to_vote_at_17

Armed robberies in Brigton

Twitter / Boston Police Dept.: ARMED ROBBERIES in Brighton ...

At Quality Market (140 N Beacon St) and Brooks St Market (32 Brooks St)

Western Avenue Reconstruction (in Cambridge)

Western Ave, as we know, is North Allston and North Brighton's main E-W corridor. After crossing the Western Ave Bridge it becomes a one-way street in Cambridge, and the Cambridge portion of Western Ave is going to be fully reconstructed in 2011. Community design will occur in the first half of 2010.

Western Avenue Reconstruction - Cambridge

The gaps in A/B

Anthony Flint is right that Boston would be a better city if its vacant lots were filled with new development. Whether it is privately owned parcels like the Dewalt/Black & Decker building, the State's Speedway property on Western Ave, the City's Public Works yard at the intersection of Western & Everett, or Harvard's massive holdings, we have lived alongside these for too long. It would be great to see the new year bring new progress on these and other sites.

Filling in the gaps in the city - The Boston Globe

Harvard & Allston @ Shots in the Dark

A fascinating discussion about Harvard's Allston planning is going on over at the Shots in the Dark blog. Lots of insight from Harvard insiders about how Harvard did its Allston planning, especially regarding how people will travel between Cambridge and Allston.

Of particular interest is the link provided to the previously unpublished Allston report by Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Jeremy Knowles in the 12/18 2:26 pm comment. Analysis of this report deserves its own post, but in summary it proposes a clear rationale for an Allston expansion very different than what Harvard started (but may not finish).

New Balance to pay for Charles River path plowing

Thanks to Brighton-based New Balance for funding snow removal on paths along the river. Ideally the State would have sufficient revenue to pay for these basic services, but considering the state's financial difficulties, certainly this is better than impassable paths. And the river is particularly beautiful with a coating of fresh snow.

New Balance will clear Charles River pathways - Daily Business Update - The Boston Globe

No Boston School Monday?!

It hasn't been snowing for hours. Is this a prank?


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Highway barriers block sound and pollution

This story reminds me of how close we seemed to be a few years ago to getting the Mass Pike to build a barrier wall along Lincoln Street. Newton, Framingham, and many other towns have them and the Pike officials told us that we were next on their list. Then the tunnel ceiling collapsed, a new governor was elected, the Pike administration changed, and our hopes of getting this wall slipped away.

Maybe this newfound public health rationale will someday help make it a priority.

Highway barriers block much more than sound - The Boston Globe

"The research found that the barriers do more than protect neighbors against unwanted sounds. They also keep pollution away, reducing it by more than 50 percent on the other side of the barrier."

Fenway park sell-out

I know people are nuts about the Sox and Fenway, but the long line of 100+ people outside in the cold at 9:00 this morning at the Jackson Mann waiting for tickets to skate at Fenway far exceeded my expectations.

Is James Adams Serious?

In a post extolling the Influence of Educational Institutions on Boston Real Estate, James J. Adams explains how he thinks Harvard is helping Allston and Brighton. He writes:

The Casey & Hayes building measures over 400,000 square feet and was owned by Cabot, Cabot & Forbes. CC&F carried out a beautiful renovation (the property is the large, all glass sprawling building on the north side of the Mass Pike opposite the Allston Depot restaurant.) CC&F then alternately marketed as office space and/or lab space unsuccessfully for 3 years. Harvard's purchase reduced vacancy in the Allston Brighton market by 20% in one fell swoop.

But Mr. Adams, there is one big problem with your analysis. The building is still vacant! Harvard purchased this empty building 3 years ago and IT IS STILL EMPTY! Harvard has been increasing the vacancy rate in Allston and Brighton for years (VW, CITGO, Charlesbank Cleaners, Kmart, OfficeMax, Toureen, etc).

It is highly irresponsible for Mr. Adams and John Keith (who publishes Adams's post as if it were fact) to spread this inaccurate information.

While I was out

For 9 months of the year our wonderful dog Shaggy uses her dog door to go outside and use our backyard as her bathroom. But when it is 10 degrees outside, her door gets sealed and she has to ask to be let out.

Tonight she was home alone for 4 hours while I was at the BRA's Charlesview hearing. When I got home after the BRA Board's unanimous approval of the Charlesview proposal, I stepped in a pile of dog poop in my kitchen.

Quite a 1-2 punch, or something like that.

Special thanks to Councilor John Connolly who joined with many Allston/Brighton residents to oppose not the idea of Charlesview relocating but to seek a better plan for the relocation. It would have been easy for him to go with the flow, but I was impressed by his willingness to buck the tide exemplified by Councilor Ciommo and Reps Moran and Honan who joined the labor union reps, BRA, and Mayor to support this proposal.

One Charlesview resident spoke to support the proposal - thankfully she didn't bring any dead mice this time. All other Allston/Brighton residents who spoke (approx 10 people) opposed the current proposal.

Charlesview at the BRA Board meeting on Thursday

On Thursday at 5:30, the Board of Directors of the Boston Redevelopment Authority will ask if residents of Allston and Brighton support the proposed Charlesview relocation. The meeting is in room 901 (9th floor) of City Hall.

It would be great to have you join us tomorrow and tell the BRA how you feel. If you are unable to attend, perhaps you could share your thoughts by replying to this email.

Thank you to the many neighbors who have contributed to the review of this project during the past several months both in person and in writing. For reference, our previous comments can be viewed at:http://www.scribd.com/doc/21133920/Charlesview-DPIR-Commentshttp://www.scribd.com/doc/19017839/Charlesview-Comment-Letters-March-2008

Carpools for tomorrow's meeting will meet at 4:30 in front of Star Market and the Honan Library.

If you can't attend, the meeting will be televised live on Comcast 24/RCN 13 and at www.cityofboston.gov/cable/live.asp.

City Council votes down term limits

Tom Menino can serve until he dies Universal Hub

A/B Councilor Ciommo joined with a majority of his colleagues to defeat proposals to create term limits for the Mayor and City Council. According to Universal Hub, Councilor Ciommo said:

"It demonstrates a lack of confidence in the voter when we arbitrarily choose a number of terms. ... At the end of the day, it's about choice. ... My summer was ruined, Councilor Tobin, but it was a good challenge."

Presentation from Anderson Bridge meeting

Here is the presentation given at last night's meeting

http://www.eot.state.ma.us/acceleratedbridges/downloads/AndersonBridge_pres_121509.pdf

Anderson Bridge info sheet from LivableStreets

The excellent advocacy organization LivableStreets has created this informative info sheet for tonight's meeting about the Anderson Bridge reconstruction.

http://livablestreets.info/files/AndersonBridgeHandout.pdf

Legislators doing some legislating

When faced with the wide range of challenges that we have in Allston and Brighton, we need residents and our elected officials using every possible mechanism to improve our community. One seldom-used "lever" is our elected officials power to file legislation, and it is interesting to see what legislation is being filed by elected officials who represent other parts of the City and State.

Many Allston and Brighton residents are not happy with the Charlesview proposal for the site between Soldiers Field Road, Telford St, and Western Ave. That the building was first proposed to have 118 units in a 10 story building and is now proposed to be 85 feet (7 stories) tall with 80 units is little solace. The building, in either form, will have an impact on both Western Ave and the Artesani Playground / Herter Park portion of the Charles River.

While the Allston/Brighton elected officials have written letters to the BRA and attended meetings about this project, in a different part of Boston the elected officials are doing something more.

Reps. Marty Walz, Byron Rushing, and Senator Anthony Petrucelli have sponsored H.R. 853 which would prevent any new construction that would cast a shadow on the "Charles River Esplanade, Christopher Columbus Park, Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Copley Square Park, Magazine Beach Park, or Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway."

The prohibition on Charles River shadows would not apply to the Allston/Brighton section of the river, as the “Charles River Esplanade” is defined as "the land in the city of Boston bounded by the Charles River Dam, the Boston University Bridge, so called, the Charles River, Embankment Road, and James Jackson Storrow Memorial Drive."

Real estate agent John Keith thinks this legislation is a bad idea, while the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay is rallying its members to support it. In the abstract I'd agree with John that centralizing planning authority - moving it from the City to the State - might not be the way to go. But in reality, the BRA has proven itself to be no advocate for the Allston/Brighton community and unwilling to do the type of planning and zoning that we need to balance the interests of residents, developers, and the City. So anything that shifts power away from the BRA is at least worth considering.


Whether or not this specific piece of legislation is good or bad, it is refreshing to see elected officials doing everything in their power - pulling all the levers - to advance their cause. Even if the legislation doesn't pass, it certainly could create some negotiating power. Just think of the reaction if this legislation was amended to extend its reach along the Charles River to the Western Ave / Arsenal St bridge that connects North Brighton and Watertown!

Anderson Bridge meeting on Tuesday

The Anderson Bridge crosses the Charles between North Harvard St in Allston and JFK St in Cambridge

http://www.eot.state.ma.us/acceleratedbridges/downloads/AndersonBridge_meeting121509.pdf

Ciommo opposes term limits for Mayor

Thanks to Adam Gaffin for his coverage of the Boston City Council!

Council debates mayoral term limits Universal Hub

"Councilor Mark Ciommo (Allston/Brighton) opposed the measure, said that with term limits, a mayor might actually spend more time building up a machine, to run for higher office. He said the best polls are elections."

The letter that Faust could & should have written

Dear Neighbors in Allston and Brighton,

 

It is with deep regret that I write to you with the news that in early 2011 Harvard will stop construction of the Science Complex that began construction in 2008 on Western Avenue in Allston. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my apology to the many people who looked forward to the construction jobs, permanent employment, and neighborhood revitalization that we expected this project to create.

Harvard has begun an internal review to reevaluate our long-term goals and how these goals may translate into uses for our property in Allston and Brighton. But while Harvard will and must think about the needs of the University in the decades and centuries into the future, we also recognize our obligation to be a good neighbor today and tomorrow.

 

To this end, I am joining with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to appoint a working group charged with making significant quality of life improvements in North Allston and North Brighton in the months and years to come. This group will report quarterly to Mayor Menino and I both in person and in writing to discuss our collective accomplishments, goals, and priorities. Their first report will be submitted on March 31, 2010.

 

This group will include representatives of Harvard University and the City of Boston, residents of North Allston and North Brighton, the Allston and Brighton Boards of Trade, and the Allston Village and Brighton Main Streets organizations. They will set measurable and ambitious goals and I am confident that these goals will be achieved. This group has also been empowered to seek advice and participation from people throughout Harvard University and Boston City Hall, and Mayor Menino and I encourage those who are asked to enthusiastically contribute.

 

It will not be quick or easy to transform all of Harvard’s property in Allston and Brighton from what it is today into what we all would like it to be. At the same time, there is great potential to make the progress that can and should be made while longer-term planning is considered.

 

Thank you,

Drew Faust

Aggressive Harvard leasing? - We've heard that before

December 10, 2009 - Letter by Harvard President Drew Faust

Phase one will focus on the immediate need for property improvements, aggressive and effective leasing of vacant or partially vacant Harvard properties, and community engagement. As part of this commitment, Harvard will work with the Allston community to improve community vitality, with a particular focus on high impact locations, and regularly report progress on leasing.

March 5, 2009 - Residents Protest Vacancies in Allston The Harvard Crimson

“We understand the concerns our neighbors and the city have expressed, which is why we’ve been so aggressive in our efforts to lease available property,” said University spokeswoman Lauren Marshall

November 3, 2006 - Allston fear: Harvard is creating a 'ghost town' - Boston Business Journal

Harvard responded last month by saying it will try to lease out as much as 300,000 square feet for at least the next five years

"It is absolutely true that because we haven't been willing to make long-term commitments in that property, because we didn't know enough about what our master plan priorities were going to be, the vacancies have increased," said Kathy Spiegelman, Harvard's chief planner for Allston. "We're now trying to address that."

September 27, 2006 - Harvard Allston Draft Interim Property Use Plan

June 12, 1997 - In Announcing Land Purchase, Harvard Reaffirms Commitment to Allston

"Harvard plans to continue to lease the properties in the near term, aiming to encourage uses compatible with the interests of adjacent residential areas and conducive to the area's economic vitality"

More coverage of Science Complex shutdown

Slowing Expansion, Harvard Suspends Work on Tower - NYTimes.com

Harvard to Suspend Work on $1 Billion Science Center - Bloomberg.com

Harvard to Halt Construction of Science Center - WSJ.com

Science center is put on hold - The Boston Globe

Harvard’s Allston plan put on hold indefinitely - BostonHerald.com

Allston Development on Ice - Harvard Magazine

Harvard Halts Construction On Allston Project - wbur.org

Q&A on Harvard’s Allston plan | Harvard Gazette Online

Q&A on Harvard’s Allston plan Harvard Gazette Online

Harvard announces Science Complex halt

“As has been anticipated, the University will pause construction upon completion of the current phase, in the early spring of 2010.”

Interesting that Harvard announces this 6 hours before tonight’s BRA meeting about Charlesview, a project that Harvard is silently controlling and preventing from being as good as it can and should be.

Hope you will join us at the Honan Library tonight at 6:00 with Harvard and the BRA to discuss the new Charlesview and this important development.

Harvard Announces Science Complex Construction Halt

Panera - You are welcome on Western Ave

Residents and business owners in Newton Centre are fighting a proposed Panera Bread in their "quaint New England village" while in Allston and Brighton we are desperate for Harvard to find some tenants like Panera Bread.

URGENT Charlesview meeting Thursday

Thursday at 6 at the Honan Library is a very important meeting about the new Charlesview and the future of Allston/Brighton. Please join us - we need your presence and voice to convince Mayor Menino that this project needs to be better!

For two years the ABNNF has joined dozens of neighbors to call on Harvard, the BRA, and Charlesview to do everything possible to make this project great. Specifically we suggested:

- a strong percentage of homeownership
- economic integration with housing for everyone
- maximizing the opportunity to begin the transformation of Western Ave
- a great connection from the neighborhood to the River
- family-sized units
- new parks in proportion to the number of housing units
- specific assurances that the new Charlesview will be well-built and maintained
- to include Charlesview in a plan for the redevelopment of the entire Brighton Mills / Holton St Corridor.

All of this is reasonable, possible, and in the best interests of our entire neighborhood.

Unfortunately, it has been incredibly difficult to gain the cooperation of the BRA, Charlesview, and Harvard. The result is the current proposal that has recently gotten WORSE as Charlesview (with the support of City Hall) is REMOVING homeownership and income diversity from the Brighton Mills site and "moving" it across Western Ave to a tower of 1 and 2 bedroom condos that may never be built as currently proposed (the Telford condos are not in phase one of the project and there is no firm date for its construction).

Let's not settle for this proposal that is so much less than it could be. Please join us tomorrow to stand up for excellence in our community!

Harvard ceramics show & sale starts tomorrow

One of Western Ave's hidden gems, this is a great chance to do some holiday shopping and see the talent and beauty that Harvard will hopefully make more visible someday in Allston.

Office for the Arts at Harvard: Holiday Show and Sale 2009

My op-ed in today's Harvard Crimson

Harvard’s Allston Opportunity The Harvard Crimson

Menino - "We will jumpstart Allston"

Text of today's address to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

"We will begin a new era of innovation and excellence in the Boston Public Schools; jumpstart stalled development projects in Allston, the South Boston Waterfront, and Downtown Crossing;"

Season's Greeting from Harvard Yard

After all that has happened this year, I guess it is sweet that Drew Faust still has me on her holiday card list.

Why I Support Alan Khazei for Senate

After spending two great afternoons this weekend knocking on doors and making phone calls to talk with voters about what Alan Khazei can offer to Massachusetts and our country, I would like to share with you why I - along with the Boston Globe, General Wesley Clark, BlueMassGroup.com, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, the Cape Cod Times, Max Kennedy, Vicki Strauss Kennedy, Senator Sam Nunn, Senator Harris Wofford, and over 500 citizen leaders - support Alan Khazei. (The Globe endorsement is at http://www.alanforsenate.com/globeendorsement)

* Why Alan? Alan has the potential to be a game-changing U.S. Senator, a senator who can build and lead coalitions and marshall citizen power to drive progress on the urgent issues of our day. Alan has deep experience affecting change by engaging people and changing politics, best exemplified by his co-founding of City Year. As a citizen activist he has worked with Senator Kennedy and four U.S. Presidents to pass three major pieces of service-related legislation and to successfully rally a citizen movement to fight back against former Republican leader Tom DeLay, who tried to dismantle AmeriCorps.

* How Is Alan Different From the Other Candidates? While all the Democrats share some policy positions, Alan sets himself apart from the other candidates on a number of crucial issues. According to Newsweek, Alan is "the only candidate in Massachusetts who stands fully with the President on education," in looking to offer great options to all of our children, through higher pay for teachers, differentiated pay, and expansion of successful charter schools in high-need communities. On health care, Alan is a strong supporter of a reform plan with a robust public option, and, unlike Martha Coakley and Mike Capuano, he has said he would vote for the current house or senate health care reform plans, while imperfect, because they expand coverage to 36 million Americans. And on the economy, Alan has laid out detailed plans to stimulate the economy through a comprehensive green jobs initiative, a small business hiring tax credit, a main street stimulus initiative and fully funding the Kennedy-Hatch ServeAmerica bill to create more than 250,000 service jobs.

* Can Alan Win? The answer is yes. Only one sixth of the 3.7 million eligible voters are expected to vote in this election; that means as few as 200,000 voters could win the election. Recent polls have charted Alan's rapid rise, which is a testament to our unmatched grassroots field operation. Our citizen field teams have knocked on tens of thousands of doors, with many more on the way. With the majority of voters still undecided, we absolutely can win this race.

* What Can You Do To Help? I hope you'll join me over the next few days by canvassing, emailing your friends, posting on Facebook and Twitter, or building support for him in any other way you can: http://www.alanforsenate.com/gotv.

You can find a complete list of upcoming events where you can volunteer at http://www.alanforsenate.com/page/event/search_results?orderby=date

Another way to help is to make a donation at http://alan.helpmycampaign.com/HarryMattison/donate. Alan is not accepting money from PACs, lobbyists, and special interest groups, so it has to be contributions from citizens like us who fund this campaign, put ads on TV, and spread the word. Together, we can make a difference!

I hope you will support Alan on Tuesday -- let's take this chance to elect a real reformer to represent us in the Senate.

Thanks for your consideration,
Harry
www.AlanForSenate.com

Globe keeps beating that Harvard drum

Another piece from the Globe op-ed pages about the unfortunate impact that Harvard's risky past is having today in Allston and elsewhere.

For Harvard, success isn’t measured in financial returns - The Boston Globe

But Harvard is not a business. It’s a public trust - protected by nonprofit laws, free of most taxes, recipient of billions of government dollars - and its success shouldn’t be measured in its rate of return on investments.

...But the hole in the ground in Allston where a life-sciences center was supposed to be, the near-freeze on academic hiring, and the costly interest being paid on bonds to cover university expenses are all legacies of that policy.

...Yet its prime concern in crafting a new strategy should not be to maximize returns at any cost, but rather to maintain the stability necessary to grow and prosper as an institution. The larger communities of Boston and Cambridge, which depend on Harvard, would be grateful - just as they are justified now in their anger and chagrin.

Upcoming zoning hearings

5-7 Boulevard Terrace - Extend living space into the basement and attic and renovate

51 Burton Street - Extend the width of the driveway and allow parking for one additional vehicle.

139-141 Tremont - Demolish existing structure and erect a six unit townhouse

http://www.cityofboston.gov/ons/pdfs/allstonbright.pdf

Maybe someday there will be a "Western Ave Business Association"

When Harvard eventually allows construction of the new buildings where these businesses could operate, hopefully Harvard will also help promote the businesses like they are doing in Cambridge.

Harvard University kicks off 'shop local' event in Harvard Square - Cambridge Chronicle

Harvard president Drew Faust, members of the Harvard community and the Harvard Business Square Association and neighbors will ring in the holiday season at a welcome kiosk with information about shops, discounts to Harvard Square businesses, live music performed by Harvard students, hot cocoa, and more.

Fire damages Harvard Allston building

Boston Fire Dept. (BostonFire) on Twitter

4 story dorm at Harvard Business School cathes fire. $100,000 of damage & one firefighter injured.

Pagliuca has "momentum" to move Allston forward

Suffolk University and the Boston Herald sponsored a debate this morning between the four candidates for US Senate. For their closing statements, they were asked what they will do if not elected to the Senate.

Steve Pagliuca, at 62:55 in the linked video, says he will work to build a $3 billion complex on Harvard property in Allston. He says he has momentum from businesses to help fund it and momentum from universities to be part of it. Considering that the Science Complex Harvard started building was a $1B project, he certainly is setting his sights high.

http://www.bostonherald.com/projects/senate_debate_2009/index.bg

Brookline seeking stimulus $ to fix the 66

Nice to see our neighbor trying to improve an important part of our shared public transportation system.

Brookline seeking stimulus money to help fix the 66 - Brookline TAB

3 of 4 Democratic Senate candidates at BC Law

Capuano, Pagliuca, and Khazei will be at BC Law school for a public forum on Monday at 5:00. Space is limited, so RSVP to bclsforum@gmail.com.

Boston College Law student organizes Democratic Candidates Forum - The Boston College Chronicle

Another expert for diverse, integrated communities (unlike the proposed new Charlesview)

Benjamin Forman, senior research associate at MassINC, and author of “Going for Growth: Promoting Residential Reinvestment in Massachusetts Gateway Cities’’ writes in today's Boston Globe about the many reasons why our housing policies should be changed to avoid "concentrating more poor families in areas where jobs have become increasingly scarce" and that "it will be difficult to make gains on stalled efforts to close educational achievement gaps as long as we continue to concentrate poor students in urban districts".

Harvard, Charlesview, and the BRA apparently still haven't figured this out. They prefer to build a segregated new Charlesview instead of the integrated development that is possible. What a shame for the residents of Charlesview and our entire neighborhood that expediency may trump excellence.

Globe endorses Khazei for Senate!

For Democrats - Alan Khazei for Senate - The Boston Globe

Harvard risked to fund Allston growth

Globe front page story builds on what has previously been reported by Bloomberg, Vanity Fair, and others about the risks that Harvard took to fund projects including its planned Allston expansion.

Harvard ignored warnings about investments - The Boston Globe

"Under Neil Rudenstine, Harvard’s president from 1991 to 2001, cash was heavily invested in the endowment and surged from $290 million to $2 billion. Under Summers, the figure more than doubled again, according to a compilation of the data obtained by the Globe. The big project on Summers’s agenda: Harvard’s expansion across the river, into Allston."

Is my optimism justified?

Charlesview pullback seen as hopeful sign for Allston-Brighton residents - Allston/Brighton TAB

“We hope that the BRA and the mayor are acknowledging the important discussions that need to take place before the project can be approved,” said Harry Mattison, a member of the Allston-Brighton North Neighbors Forum.

Mattison hopes the Brookline Machine site can be developed alongside the Charlesview apartments, whether by TCB or a private developer. The ABNNF sees the Brookline Machine site as a potential location for additional housing and park space, according to Mattison.

“We hope that this [the delay] will be really as short as possible. And the result will be a vastly improved Charlesview that will set the right tone for subsequent development in Allston-Brighton,” said Mattison.

Thank you

Thank you to the many neighbors who generously contribute to making this a better community.

Give blood in A/B

The Red Cross is collecting blood donations next month at:

Oak Sq Y - Saturday, Dec 12 from 9-noon
Jackson Mann - Tuesday, Dec 15 from 2-7:00

More info at givelife.org