Supports Constitution Inn
To the Editor,
The following was sent to the BPDA and Councilor Coletta,
We are writing in strong support of the Constitution Inn project (150 Third St, Charlestown) and are deeply dismayed by the recent lawsuit brought against it. We have lived in Charlestown for 10 years and live only a half mile from the Constitution Inn. We have also both worked in the city, specifically in Charlestown, in the health care fields since the early 1990s. We know that housing is a major social determinant of health and well being. It is our opinion that affordable housing is the single most important issue confronting Boston. It is crucial to keeping our city livable. Many people, the young especially, are no longer able to afford to live in Boston. This saps our communities of vitality and creativity. We are deeply worried that reactionary forces and coalitions are trying to undermine affordable housing proposals. We also feel that even though those forces and coalitions are vocal, that they do not represent the majority of the populace.
We are proud Bostonians and want to keep Boston that “city upon a hill”, an honorable example to others. Boston can be a leader in affordable housing, just as it has been a leader in countless other endeavors. We believe it is our moral obligation to our fellow citizens that we ensure that they are properly and safely housed.
Respectfully,
Michael and Linda Garrity
Charlestown, and All of Boston Requires Planning Before Development
To the Editor,
Did you know that 425 Medford Street was approved despite community concerns are left unanswered and not addressed? This land is the former Dewey Beach, part of the historic, Frederick Law Olmsted Doherty Park.
FEMA FLOOD ZONE: This land is originally mudflats, filled land in a FEMA Flood Plain area, one of the most vulnerable flood sites.
INUNDATION DISTRICT: Charlestown is one of the most vulnerable locations for sea/river level rises. The Mystic River, Sullivan Square which is the Mill Pond, Rutherford Avenue which is one the Mill Creek, The Charles River, and the Boston Harbor are all rated flood zones, yet the BPDA continue to approve buildings upon these filled lands.
When they flood, which they will, according to www.inundationdistrict.com, who will pay to bail them out? How will Charlestown residents get around?
STORMWATER RUN OFF RISK:
Currently untreated feces are released into the Mystic River when there are heavy rains. Charlestown suffers stormwater runoff risk and pollution. Currently Charlestown cannot handle more capacity on its ancient sewer system.
NO TRAFFIC PLAN: This location is contiguous with Sullivan Square, one of the most dangerous and congested traffic hubs in Boston. Everett intends to build a 30,000 seat soccer stadium a ¼ mile from this site.
NO TRANSPORTATION PLAN: Sullivan Square Orange Line is at capacity, is unreliable and will be further burdened with more development in Assembly Square and the soccer stadium.
MASSIVE HEAT ISLAND: This development, along with the other Charlestown massive developments are massive heat islands, which contribute to rising temperatures, There is no plan to green the roofs, absorb the heat, reduce the impact.
The last five summers are the hottest in history.
EXEMPT FROM BOSTON’s TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE: Mayor Wu’s tree ordinance to increase the tree canopy in Boston takes effect March 28, which means this project and all the other projects in Charlestown approved are exempt.
Boston’s Tree Protection Ordinance was written in 2021 and shelved. That allowed massive developments citywide to be exempt, including 425 Medford Street.
Citywide, this tree ordinance exempts millions of square feet on critical openspace to plant trees, enhance our environment, reduce heat island effect, and protect from flood damage through the planting of trees, the natural solution.
288 Mature, almost century old trees at the Bunker Hill Housing Development will be destroyed.
BLOCKING HISTORIC VIEWS: The Frederick Law Olmsted, Father of Landscape Architecture” Doherty Park is a national gem that the BPDA ignores, and approved the blocking of the most important design element: the VISTA, which allows urban residents to get a reprieve the harshness of urban living, to enrich public health, mental health and spiritual wellbeing. BLOCKED.
VACANCIES INCREASING:
Boston has luxury towers that are one third vacant.
Boston has 18% vacancy rate in commercial real estate. Many forecast that with work from home, the increased traffic, unreliable transit, this number is on the rise.
The Bio Tech bubble has burst. The existing bio labs have high vacancies, with many in the pipeline with no prospective tenants.
BOSTON POPULATION IS SHRINKING: Boston’s 653,000 population according to The Boston Federal Reserve Bank, and other reliable demographic experts report and forecast that Boston’s population is shrinking.
Boston relies on the BPDA for the population forecast: The BPDA claim the City of Boston will grow to 775,000 in 2030.
Greater Boston Real Estate Boad reports 25% of 20-30 year olds will leave Boston due to traffic, transit, lack of school options, the harshness and expenses of living in Boston. The BPDA’s response: “Build more.”
The differential of 775,000 to less than 650,000 residents is enormous, expensive discrepancies that have huge impacts. Each unit is an average 2.3 additional residents, for a 25% increased size of the population of 163,300 new residents. They left and others never arrived.
WHY is Boston allowing the BPDA to approve projects with these conditions?
…One may consider that they will be exempt: from pending ordinances; will be approved before flooding but in known flooding which taxpayers have paid for numerous studies stating so: in a climate crisis with a decreasing population?
Developers are served while the public needs, wants, desires and well-being are ignored.
Mayor Wu wrote “Fixing Boston’s Broken Development Process -Abolish the BPDA” This report has been abandoned, not implemented, with no explanation and no valid community engagement.
Please email [email protected]: “Stop approving development without planning first; without valid community engagement. Implement YOUR plan to “Abolish the BPDA.”
Diane Valle
Make Way for the Cranes
To the Editor,
Coming to Charlestown, lots of cranes, lots of buildings / towers, lots of people, lots of traffic, lots of pollution, more heat islands and lots of noise and congestion.
Charlestown never had, nor will ever have any planning according to Plan Charlestown, which has been approved by the Boston Planning and Development Board.
Brace yourself for less open and green space, less tree canopies, and less places to spend time in this community of one square mile. The Boston Planning and Development Agency has grand plans for our community, adding another 20,000 residents as well as over 46 multi storied – buildings, ranging in height from 4 to 20 stories.
If the BPDA paid attention, Charlestown is in a severe flood zone. Charlestown is surrounded by water. Charlestown only has two ways in and out. Charlestown has one of the lowest tree canopies in Boston. Boston has one of the worst traffic congestions in the nation, we in Charlestown experience that daily.
If the BPDA paid more attention to the climate change research, the increasing temperatures, the flood potentials, the health care crisis, we would be in a better place.
If the BPDA paid attention to the benefits of open, green and water space, we would be in a better place.
If the BPDA embraced critical and forward thinking instead of, “backward and magical thinking”, our community would have a better chance of surviving now and in the future.
Quality of life is inconsequential in this community as the BPDA rolls out one huge building plan after another. Our health will be compromised.
Since our health care system is in a “crisis mode,” it is getting harder to procure medical attention. We have all heard, “the doctor will see you in a few months.” Getting a doctor’s appointment in a timely fashion is history. No doubt as with no access to a healthy environment, the health care system will only worsen.
We, the tax papers pay your salaries, we are not listened to. The developers propose huge complexes in this community, and they are listened to and embraced.
The BPDA needs leadership by our Mayor and the BPDA needs to be dismissed as it is and restructured for all of Boston.
Instead of making way for cranes, making way for environmental justice for all of Charlestown as well as all of Boston is paramount.
Ann Kelleher