Police Update:
17 New Recruits
New Community Interaction Team
Three police reports in our area including a B&E, a robbery, and a traffic stop that resulted in a drug bust. Questions can be referred to Officer Downing at 617-343-4524.
663 Columbia Road Project Review. Eleni Kaplan, E.K. Stanford Builders, Inc.
Owner proposing to renovate right side of building (3 units) to expand first floor unit into basement creating a 5BR rental unit. The two upper floors would be reconfigured into 4BR units. No noticeable changes to existing footprint or exterior of building. Meeting participants expressed support for new housing, but were concerned about the trend of developers needing to cram in additional bedrooms and bathrooms to maximize occupancy and revenue. The group voted to support this project.
Parking Issues at Stoughton and Bakersfield
There is ongoing confusion regarding the restricted parking space at the corner of Stoughton and Bakersfield Streets, which is designated for emergency vehicles only. Despite this, it is often occupied by vehicles (picking up tacos, doing laundry), obstructing visibility for drivers entering Stoughton Street from Bakersfield. Since bollards cannot be installed in a space designated for emergency vehicles, neighbors have suggested adding a crosswalk at this location. This would not only help keep the area clear but also improve pedestrian safety by providing an additional way to safely cross Stoughton Street. Anthony will follow up on this and get back to us.
Annapolis Street Parking
Some neighbors have raised concerns about congestion on Annapolis Street, particularly regarding the ability of emergency vehicles to navigate the area. There is interest in restricting parking to one side of the street. It was suggested that a petition be circulated to gauge support from residents. A question has arisen: since one side of the street is occupied by a BHA housing development with its own parking lot, should the petition include these residents, or only those living on the opposite side of the street? (Anthony is checking on this.) One neighbor expressed concern about reducing available parking in an already congested neighborhood.
ZBA Hearing Deferrals
A letter was sent to elected officials inquiring why developers are often granted multiple deferrals when presenting cases to the Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA). (See attached letter for reference.) This was specifically related to the proposed development at 20 Hinckley Street. We did not get a response from the Mayor’s Office and our concerns were not adequately addressed by the response we received from the ZBA.
Parking Restrictions on resident only streets not being enforced on Friday nights. The neighborhood intentionally picked the hours of 6PM-10AM M-F to prevent overnight parking and make parking more accessible to residents after work M-F. It was explained that ticket would continue on Friday nights until midnight. On a recent 311 complaint, the response indicated that parking restrictions would be enforced only until 10AM on Fridays. We have asked Anthony to clarify this.
Columbia Road Redesign. The city has started a project to redesign Columbia Road. They have been reaching out for community feedback all summer. They have a three step process: (1) Immediate road and sidewalk improvements, (2)Short-term pilot, and (3)
Street Redesign Vision: The City is taking a new approach to public involvement. with many ways to get involved in the process. In Fall/Winter 2024, there will be community conversations about potential new design options for Columbia Road. The process of developing a vision and design concept will be completed by June 2025. Recently they had an open house to present the immediate improvements. You can read about what was presented here: https://content.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2024/10/Early%20Action%20Project%20Update_2024%2010.pdf?utm_source=Transportation+&utm_campaign=Columbia+Road+Transportation+Action+Plan+updates&utm_medium=email
The Boston Transportation Department website for this project:
https://www.boston.gov/departments/transportation/columbia-road-transportation-action-plan
Dream Academy School. https://bostondreamacademy.org
The headmaster at The Dream Academy (located at 48 Pleasant Street) has indicated they want to be more engaged with the neighborhood, even offering their space for meetings and events. This partnership will be explored further. The only concern for hosting events there is that the building is not handicap accessible. This concern could potentially be mitigated by having a hybrid meeting.
Pleasant Street Project
https://www.boston.gov/departments/transportation/pleasant-street-project
No updates, but still optimistic that this project will proceed.
Next meeting will be January 9th at 7PM. We may attempt a crude hybrid meeting if we can negotiate using either the Annapolis Apartment Community Room or a space at the Dream Academy School.