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Monthly Meeting , Monday March 25, 6:30pm – 8:30 pm

Welcome & Project Updates
Boston Police Updates 
Office Neighborhood Services Updates 
GSCA Board Elections

  1. Elections to fill the two vacant GSCA board seats

Friends of the Greenway

  1. Results of the Greenway design competition for the Gove Street crossing within the East Boston Greenway with visuals to display.

Future Waters 
A climate change art project. 

Piers Park II

Update on Piers Park II and April community meeting about the Piers Park II

48 Geneva Street  
A proposal to erect a 6 unit residential building 
1st Presentation/NO VOTE – Attorney Richard LyndLocation: The Catherine Leonard-McLean (formerly Noddle Island) Community Room is located on the first floor of the Logan Airport Rental Car Center, situated at the end of Porter Street. Free event parking in front of the building and in the Porter Street parking lot adjacent to the building.

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Monthly Meeting Minutes – February 25

  • Office Neighborhood Services Updates – Jesus Garcia
  • Boston Police Updates – Sargent Martin & Officer Simmons
    • Homicide outside of Medalo bar; warrants issued; no arrest
    • Late night 12a-5a 6x commercial breakins in 30 days (Jevellis, Little Asia); request survelience video and to report loud noises at night; group of 2-4 males; smash and grab
    • Postings by White Supremecists; reported by community; 3 individuals arraigned
    • Part 1 crimes are still down year-over-year (82 down from 102); 2018 ended high with robberies and they are down now; car breaks are down; larceny/shoplisting up
    • 3rd safest Neighborhood in the city (behind Charlestown & West Roxbury)
    • Seeking 5-year residents to become cadets
    • Please contact us any time
    • Q: How many robberies? A: 4 total; 1 arrest; 2 of 3 were “minor”
    • Q: Any reports of trouble on the Greenway? A: No
    • Q: We have speeders starting 6AM on Porter Street A: We’ll give the info to our traffic enforcer
  • Eastie for Eastie Project
    • A discussion on how we as a community respond to flooding. There will be a survey for attendees to complete
    • Colleen, Kelly, Mario and Kanan
    • Q: Is NOAA involved? A: No, its NOAH Youth
    • Q: Where can you get flood insurance? A: Private insurance is allowed, but its all backed by FEMA.
    • Q: What is the website? A: http://eastieforeastie.com
  • Friends of the Greenway
    • Updates on the Greenway design plan for the Gove Street crossing within the East Boston Greenway.
    • Michelle Moon & Kannan T.
    • Paper Survey (also on http://eastbostongreenway.com)
    • Summary of Recent events (Art installation, caboose lighting, Stir a Memory)
    • Working on a priority plan. They want to know what people want.
    • Q: Will Massport take care of emergency phone boxes? A: Not sure
    • Q: What is the process for event planning? A: The Facebook page lots of photos from last summer’s events, like music, food and dancing, especially in the Gove Street area.
  • 24 Geneva Street
    • A proposal to erect 6 unit residential dwelling. 1 st Presentation/NO VOTE – Attorney Richard Lynds
    • Site Owner: Resident Nick Delebra (also contractor and builder)
    • Overview: 2400 sq ft vacant lot; 6 units; 6 parking spots; two 2 bed & 4 1bed; condo units
    • Looking at improvements to the street with the city and abutters
    • No variance: min lot size, use, min lot width, front yard, parking (shallow lot)
    • Variance for: add lot area, side yard, rear yard, FAR, height, open space
    • IPOD is in as of October 18, 2018
    • Process: Outreach – Feb; Abutters – March; Vote – Apr; ZBA Hearing – May; BPDA – June 2019; Permit – Summer; Construction – Fall 2019
    • Q: How can we coordinate multiple projects to avoid congestion? A: Next project should be the corner. BTD has to approve permits and should coordinate.
    • Q: Will there be a shadow study? A: Yes, we can look at that.
    • Q: Could you point out the entrances and exits on the first floor? A: There are stairs that will be up to the building code.
    • Q: How far back does the building go? A: 14-foot setback.
    • Q: What about the condition of the street? A: It is designated a “private way” with a public right of travel. At some point the Public Improvement Commision will have to address it. The largest abutter is Massport which isn’t subject to Betterment Assement.
    • Q: Is there a center sewer line? A: The exist service is up to city standards to allow connection for other contractors.
  • 273-279 Maverick Street
    • A proposal to erect a 5 story mixed use building with 41 dwelling units with space for 1 retail establishment. 1 st Presentation/NO VOTE – Attorney Richard Lynds
    • Subject to Article 80E-2 so it requires approval by the BPDA (based on units and size.)
    • Overview: combine lots to 12,400sqft. Mixed use 1 retail, 2 artst, 38 residental. Blend the street scape with the project next door at the Pickle Factor; At least 22 parking spaces; Condo units
    • Garage access is on the side. 10-foot setback with pedestrian garden; front facade is setback 25-feet from the street.
    • Parking variance is 22 from allowed 72
    • Subject to IPOD
    • Artists space would be no cost to the community.
    • Process overview: GCSA – Feb 2019; Abutters – Spring 2019; Vote – Spring 2019; Article 80 – Spring 2019; wait for 287 to finish.
    • Q: There is only 1x 4-story building; everything else is 3-story wooden structure also on Everett. A: 287 Maverick is 5-stories; several 4-stories are approved; Pickle Factory is 5-stories; Industrial and commericial sites are allowed to continue because they are grandfathered from before zoning. Trade off with change of use is significant investment.
    • Q: Is the artists space the same as retail? A: No, they are separate. No tenant yet but there is 1,400sqft for a small cafe or retail.
    • Q: What about parking? A: We can displace the arists space.
    • Q: Is the retail mandatory? A: The city likes mixed use for areas that don’t have a lot.
    • Q: Is the vision that people will want this (density with limited parking) in the future? A: We can envision fine wine/cheese/beer for neighbors.
    • Q: Is there an IDP requirement? A: Yes, it is a minimum of 13% so 5-units would be income restricted and it will have the artists’ space.
    • Q: Are there environmental features? A: Modern green practices like ventilations and a minimum level of energy efficiency. It will manage new groundwater better than other constructions. We may look at other uses for the roof, like solar. Bike racks are included. We will look at EV-charging.
    • Q: What is the street frontage setback? A: 25-feet for the second story. There is a setback plaza between 287 Maverick.
    • Q: Can Maverick Street be two ways? A: No. We will have to make a committment to transportation mitigation fund.
    • Q: What is the construction timeline? Will it overlap with 287 A: 12-14 months and it will not overlap with 287 schedule.
  • Update on Loftel Project (155 Porter Street) – Attorney Richard Lynds
    • Project plan is unchanged
    • Project requires federal and state tax credits; historic preservation is from the owners.
    • Antenna move is approved
    • Q: Haven’t we waited long enough for it to be secured? A: I have asked them to wrap the building. The city is on them regularly.
    • Q: What is the schedule? A: They agreed on the antenna move 2 weeks ago, which was a requirement of the BPDA approval, so now they can get that.
    • Q: Who owns what? A: They own all of the parking lots. Janson owns 60 hotels.