Boston Bee

Foster and Alderman Sean O'Donovan exchanged money for a decade

By George P. Hassett

At a public hearing this month, Herbert Foster, chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals, said he did not think about politics when voting to approve a controversial project at 42 Craigie St. being developed by an alderman.

"I treated this like the applicant was John Smith," he said.

But a review of Craigie Street developer and Ward 5 Alderman Sean O'Donovan's campaign finance records reveals Foster and O'Donovan have been exchanging financial contributions for a decade, with most of the money going to Foster.

Foster donated $125 to O'Donovan in June 2005 when O'Donovan was campaigning against challenger John L. Sullivan. That contribution is the only one on record where the money ends up with O'Donovan. More often, O'Donovan contributed money from his campaign account to a charity run by Foster.

Between 1998 and 2003, O'Donovan contributed $1,600 to the Scott C. Foster Fund, a charity Herb Foster set up, he said, to further research in maple syrup urine disease. Foster's son, Scott, died from the disease at a young age.

In an interview with The Somerville News, Foster said he did not believe his financial relationship with O'Donovan conflicted with his evaluation of the project at 42 Craigie St., which faced widespread opposition from neighbors – 120 of whom signed a petition objecting to it.

"I don't consider a $100 donation a conflict of interest," Foster said. "I contribute to the mayor and all the aldermen too."

Foster said he would consider contributing to an O'Donovan campaign again. He also said he raised "a ton of money over the years" for his charity "from everyone in the city who was touched by Scott's story."

The financial and political connection between O'Donovan and Foster appears to bolster claims by neighbors that O'Donovan received special treatment from the ZBA. O'Donovan could have built six two-bedroom units on the 15,400 square foot lot by right but asked that the ZBA allow him to build eight units instead. Neighbors and Ward 3 Alderman Thomas F. Taylor spoke against the project at public meetings, complaining of the project's density, design and an increase in traffic it may cause.

Kevin Patton-Houck, a neighbor of the project and constituent of O'Donovan's in Ward 5, said he was not surprised at the financial and political links between O'Donovan and Foster.

"This whole process has been all about politics and Sean O'Donovan's connections. It became clear by the way he ran the meetings, that Herb Foster wanted this project to go through," Patton-Houck said.

Patton-Houck said Foster cut neighbors speaking in opposition to the project off and did not allow them time to state their opinions. "He actually yelled at someone in the audience at one meeting," he said.

O'Donovan has been mute on the issue as it has moved through the zoning process. After he won approval for his project, he refused to comment to a Somerville News reporter as he left City Hall.

Somerville band member held without bond

By Jack Nicas

Vincente Lebron, drummer for the Somerville-based band Either/Orchestra, was detained at Logan Airport in May upon returning from the band's European tour. His passport and green card were confiscated and he was ordered to attend an “entry hearing” on June 9. The results of that hearing summoned him to the South Bay Correctional Center in Boston, where he remains today.

On Thursday, Lebron had his deportation hearing in Boston's JFK Federal Building. His attorney, Lenore Glaser, requested another hearing, to decide if Lebron can avoid deportation. If so, a “merits hearing,” a trial to decide if Lebron should be deported, will be set.

Lebron, a resident of the United States for almost 40 years with three children who are citizens, might qualify for a waiver that protects immigrants who have an immediate family member who is a U.S. citizen and would suffer “extreme hardship” from a deportation, said his attorney Lenore Glaser.

At Thursday's hearing, Judge Leonard Shapiro told Lebron to “be patient,” as merits hearings are few and far between. Lebron's next hearing is set for July 24.

According to U.S. law, every time a legal immigrant reenters the country, he or she is subject to 46 grounds of inadmissibility. After a 1998 immigration reform, any immigrant charged, arrested or released after October 8, 1998 may be subject to mandatory detention, without the option of bond.

When Lebron reentered the country in May, a prior arrest led to his mandatory detention. At the hearing, Judge Shapiro said Lebron had two drug possession convictions on his record.

Either/Orchestra co-founder Russ Gershon said the band has been affected by Lebron's absence. “He's been a member for 10 years and we're very upset he's being held in prison.”

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

Writer Timothy Gager is a man who crosses many literary genres. He has a new poetry collection out from Somerville's Cervena Barva Press: “This Is Where You Go When You Are Gone.” In 2007 alone Gager had 32 works of fiction, as well as poetry published in online and print journals.

He is the current fiction editor of the “Wilderness House Literary Review,” the coeditor of the “Heat City Literary Review,” and the editor of the fiction and prose anthology “Out of the Blue Writers Unite.” He is the cofounder of the Somerville News Writers Festival, as well as the Dire Literary Series in Cambridge. The series was voted “Best Of” in the Boston Phoenix 2008. I spoke with him on my Somerville Cable Access TV show “Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”

Doug Holder: Tim you write both poetry and fiction but until recently you were primarily known as a fiction writer. Which do you identify with more strongly: poetry or fiction?

Tim Gager: I don't define myself as exclusively either of them. I don't wake up in the morning and say: “I am a poet, I am going to write a poem” or “Gee, I haven't written a story for awhile, I'm going to write a story.” If something strikes me at a certain depth or certain level, that is when it is going to become a poem or a story.

DH: Charles Bukowski wrote that wine, classical music, jazz, the horses, and women were essential to his writing life. What's on your list?

TG: Reading. Food. Love. Disappointment. Achievement.

DH: Any music?

TG: I like calming music. I like folk music. I also like to have baseball on in the background. I'm not really watching it on the TV. I'm not listening to it, but I like it on.

DH: Some writers claim that writing is like an addiction. Your take?

TG: Addiction is sort of a strong word. It can be viewed negatively. I think “passionate” is a better word. With passion-you always want to be in possession of it. If you have a passion for writing you want to spend as much time with your love as you possibly can.

If I wasn't writing I would miss it. It would be like my best friend went across the country. But I would survive. But I can't see myself giving it up. If I didn't write there would be definitely a void.

DH: Baseball comes up in a lot of your writing, as well as other writers we know. What is it about the game that holds such allure?

TG: Baseball is the first reality television show. The drama is each individual's numbers going up and down: it's who is hitting better, who's in first place. It's a lot like life. Life has a lot of drama. There is also love in the game. When Manny Ramirez makes that great catch you love it.

DH: You co-founded The Somerville News Writers Festival. With the support of the folks at The Somerville News, you managed to book top name talent like Junot Diaz, Tom Perrotta, etc… You spend a lot of time on this. You are in essence making a showcase for other folks, and you are not getting rich. What makes Tim Gager run?

TG: I promote other people, but, if I didn't have the Dire Reader Series, The Somerville News Writers Festival, I would be missing out. The fact that I have these venues provokes people to check out my stuff. A lot of excellent writers' work may never see the light of day. The fact that I founded these series is a big payoff for me personally. When in doubt (because it is subjective to a great degree of what good writing is), editors, etc… when they see that I have read with the likes of Franz Wright, may have second thoughts about my work. It has given me a lot of respect. I even get better rejection slips…almost apologetic ones.

DH: But of course there is an altruistic reason, right?

TG: I believe writers should be treated like rock stars. It makes me happy to have an event where writers can be seen.

DH: The Norton and Tauro families, the owners of The Somerville News have been very supportive right?

TG: It has never been, “Hey, get 250 or 300 people or the festival is over…” I have that internal pressure on myself.

DH: In the poem “2A.M.” from your collection “This Is Where You Go When You Are Gone” you write provocatively about sex:

“On me

you push down

the weight on each bent leg,

cures my evils…”

Often you explore the ying and yang of your relationships with women. Is there more ying than yang or vice-a-versa?

TG: That's a personal question. I use intentional double meanings. People may not get the poems-but it adds an extra layer. For instance: “Pushing down on someone”-you might think that refers only to the physical aspect of sex. But it also means you are leaning on someone.

DH: You have run the Dire Literary Series for many years now. Recently it was voted of “Best Of…” in the Boston Phoenix. What's your secret?

TG: It is funny how Dire evolved. I had thought it would be a variety show, like David Letterman, with all the guests as readers. It evolved into a house party, and everybody is involved. You have to make your series fun-it has to move quickly-you have to be able to relate to people. You have to have “events” not just another reading. The audience should have a chance to schmooze with the writers for instance. Oh yeah, publicize…I am afraid not to.

Tufts janitors, their union members and students decided it would be a good idea to protest in the middle of Davis Square, blocking traffic the other day. Rather than make an impact on the people that might actually have some say in the resolve of their issue, they only seemed to anger people trying to get home, get to work, get somewhere.

In more ways than one, college students often tend to get their ideas of what “grassroots” organizations are all about from the good and bad of our country’s milestones and the protests that happened at that time. Some of the mentioned “images” from a bygone era can lead people to do seemingly silly things.

Don’t get us wrong, some of us are old enough to have been right in the middle of the anti-establishment, protest-happy late 60’s and early 70’s. The whole era was defined by television images of protests outside the White House or in front of a school bus in South Boston or maybe in front of some war memorial – these were powerful images of the day, and their visual impact is one that has carried with it both factual and fictional conceptions of how to get a message across in the public’s eye.

While we think the janitors should be paid a fair wage, no doubt, we wonder if it wouldn’t have been more direct and certainly more powerful for them to just not clean the college administrators toilets or leave their trash in their offices for a week. Angering motorists in the middle of an already traffic laden square, with little to no chance of making an impact on the intended decision-makers, was definitely not the smartest idea.

Then again, the old adage of “any press is good press” might work. Good luck with that, glad to help.

By Jack Nicas

A Somerville man serving in the Marines was injured in a roadside bombing June 10 in Afghanistan. Paul Savage's parents said the bomb struck a Humvee carrying the Fairfax Street native and four fellow soldiers, causing injuries to Savage's knee, leg, hip and back.

On Thursday aldermen and Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone recognized Savage for his service to the country by presenting his parents, Paul and Carol Savage, with citations.

Savage's parents were also presented with a medal from Frank P. Senesi, the director of Veteran Services in Somerville. Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero said, “In the bottom of a file cabinet, I found a medal, which the then mayor would reward to veterans returning to Somerville from World War I. Mr. Senesi had that medal recast and we now have a replica with the city seal on it and on the back it says 'To those who served.'”

Savage's father said his son is serving his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, after two separate tours in Iraq. His parents said they are unaware of his whereabouts due to his position in the Marine Corps Intelligence Unit.

Savage achieved dean's list honors and received his Bachelor's degree in Law from Salem State College in 2004. Then, while pursuing his Master's degree there, he suddenly decided to serve his country.

Savage Sr. said, “[Paul] came home one day and said, 'Dad. I'm going to the Marines.” I thought he was fooling. He had never said a word [before that].”

Ward 5 Alderman Sean O'Donovan said at Thursday's meeting that Savage had an opportunity to work with the Massachusetts State Police, but turned it down to serve overseas.

Anthony Ciccariello, Somerville High School headmaster and family friend of the Savages, said the family has a long history of serving their community. Savage's grandfather worked as foreman at the DPW Highway Department and his father is a retired fireman for the city. Ciccariello said, “Paul joining the military is the ultimate extension of that family ethic of community service.”

Much to the relief of his parents, Savage has been removed from combat following his recent injury. Savage Sr. said, “First thing he told me was. 'Dad, tell Ma she can go to sleep tonight because I'm not in combat.”

Ciccariello said he's been close with the family since his son Gabriel and Savage were in Little League together. He said Savage is bright, articulate, “and most importantly, an individual who cares deeply about his hometown community of Somerville and his country.”

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

( The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Well we just lost another longtime family home on my street (near Davis Square). They had been here for over 50 years - both parents are deceased and the adult kids decided it was time to sell - they had been my neighbors for 48 years. I heard that the new owner is going to convert the two-family into condos - what an original idea!

Though I am sad to see the family leave, I stand to get something out of the deal - the common fence between our properties needs replacing - go get 'em, Carli Fence! You know what they do when they perform a condo conversion. They'll give the joint beautiful hardwood floors, except the kitchen and bath, which will receive some kind of extravagant tile. They'll throw in central air conditioning, and divide the basement into equal storage stalls with chicken wire and locks. They'll update all the systems. The kitchens will have shiny stainless steel appliances and marble counter tops. Then the price tag will be at least $450,000 each (location, location, location).

The first thing I will do is buy one of those bamboo curtains to put on my back porch so I don't have to watch the emotional metamorphosis. It's going to be noisy and dusty over there for a while that's for sure. One neighbor sold her duplex for around $800,000 and they got nearly a million each for them after the conversion - I'm holding out.

What I am mostly sad about is that another family home that was up and running when we moved on the street in 1960 is gone. I know it's the circle of life and all that stuff, but it still makes me a little blue .I think back to a time when the street was full of kids playing relieve-e-o, buck buck, and dodge ball. We had a mob of kids.

I can remember hearing the Beach Boys playing on a radio coming out of one of the older kids rooms. Sometimes we would all flock into someone's yard, but we rarely left the street. Hall Avenue was a two way then, but it seemed like cars never came by. Mr. Pine, who lived across the street from us, worked for Drake's Cakes and sometimes brought Ring Dings and Yankee Doodles home in his trunk for us kids.

The O'Neal's owned Alpine Tree and Landscape Company - when they were finished with a day of cutting, pruning and de-stumping, a convoy of trucks came by on the way back to the garage up the street. One family had six girls and one boy and another had five girls and one boy. We had three, and most had at least two. There were kids everywhere!

Summer vacation seemed to last longer back then, but the same thing always happened - we would find a really cool new activity three days before school started. One year it was making bows and arrows out of sticks, string and bottle caps. It was someone's bright idea to bend the cap over the stick to make an arrowhead. We were inventive but not necessarily safe. We didn't always get along great either. I seem to recall being called a certain derogatory Italian slur, which prompted a visit from my older cousin.

I remember sitting in my backyard playing Mr. Tambourine Man on guitars with my friends. When we could finally afford electric guitars one of my neighbors called the cops on us for being too loud. We called her Mrs. Rat lady. There was a rock group rehearsing on both ends of the street. The PJ Five up the top of the street, and the Mini-Squirts at our end.

It's also been a plus having my godmother, Auntie Marie living on the street - she and my Uncle Carl have added a nice feeling of security for me over these many years. I can go up and down the street and remember each house and the families that lived there. There are only a few parents still in the homes. The grown kids come over to visit occasionally, and finally, sadly to pack up and sell. The list keeps growing.

So with the passing of another family home into history, I will as always cherish the memories.

Occasionally, I would clear snow off my departing neighbors walk and the mother would make me the most delicious cookies ever. She use to give me an “atta boy Jim” when I was outside cleaning my trailer park of a yard, once a year. There was never anything but a friendly word between us. I miss the dodge ball, the cookies and the Ring Dings, but not as much as I will miss my neighbors and friends.

Please e-mail your comments to Jimmy at: jimmydel@rcn.com

Resolution proposes T station move across Ward lines

By Jack Nicas

After already losing one proposed Green Line stop of its original two, the Brickbottom district may now be left with none.

A resolution was proposed at the Board of Aldermen meeting Thursday to move the remaining Brickbottom stop, at the intersection of Washington Street and Joy Street, across the train tracks to Cobble Hill, at the intersection of Washington Street and New Washington Street.

Ward 1 Alderman William M. Roche proposed the resolution for his elderly constituents in Cobble Hill, who would have to walk to the Brickbottom district for T access if the proposed plans remain unchanged.

"Other than the residents of Brickbottom,” he said, “[The proposed location] is not convenient for anybody. On the other side, it's much more convenient, not only for residents of Cobble Hill, but for all of the people in east Somerville.”

Roche also said the proposed Ward 2 station is in the middle of an industrial zone, with auto body and tow truck shops surrounding it. “The Joy Street location is not going to be a very welcoming entrance to a T station.”

Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston opposed the resolution. She said at Thursday's meeting that the stop was essential for “both the residents of Ward 2 and the businesses in Union Square.”

She said the extension into Union Square still has not been decided. “If that spur does not go into Union Square, then that means the Green Line will not hit anywhere near Union Square or Ward 2. The only stop we'll have in the area will be very high in Cobble Hill.”

Roche said Brickbottom would not be without a T station regardless of the proposed move to Cobble Hill. He said the new Lechmere station at NorthPoint “is actually going to be the same distance from Brickbottom as [the proposed station] on Joy Street,” and that the MBTA plans to build a pedestrian path connecting the two.

However, Heuston said she will “fight this resolution and make sure it goes nowhere.” She said the change “has come up out of the blue, at the 11th hour, after we've had meetings about the T for the last 10 years.”

As for the proposed T station's proximity to the planned Inner Belt development, the New Washington Street location will be 440 feet closer to Inner Belt Road.

Alderman-at-Large William A. White said the resolution should go to committee because “[New Washington Street] may not even be a viable option.”

Roche said he discussed the plans with Steve Woelfel, the state's transit planning manager, who “seemed to think it made sense, but logistically didn't know what had to be done.” The space requirements may not allow a new entrance on New Washington Street, Roche said.

The Board sent the resolution to the Community Housing and Development Committee at Thursday's meeting. Alderman-at-Large Bruce Desmond said, “We don't have enough information to act on it this evening; there's an awful lot to be determined.”

By Mia Lamar

Standing on a sun-baked sidewalk in Gilman Square, cars and trucks barreling by, one may have thought Danny LeBlanc, chief executive officer of the Somerville Community Corporation, chose an odd spot for a press conference. Yet LeBlanc, speaking to announce the release of two reports examining equitable and smart development strategies for East Somerville, insisted that the small group gathered before him look past where they stood today and think to the future of this, and many other Somerville neighborhoods.

“Imagine," said LeBlanc, nearly shouting over roaring traffic, "what this neighborhood will look like when the Green Line stops here."

Transit was the primary theme of Friday's conference, as the SCC officially released a report it commissioned to examine transit-oriented growth strategies for the future development of east Somerville neighborhoods.

The report was prepared by Reconnecting America, an Oakland, CA based non-profit organization that delivers "impartial, fact-based perspective on transit-oriented development" for communities across America.

According to Sam Zimmerman-Bergman, a project director for Reconnecting America, 30 percent of Somerville's population today lives within a half-mile of transit centers. With the extension of the Green Line and a proposed Orange Line stop in Assembly Square, that will jump to 85 percent of Somerville residents - an "incredible richness of transit," said Zimmerman-Bergman.

Though an exact location has not been officially determined, the state is committed to opening an East Somerville Green Line stop in 2014, said Monica Lamboy, director of strategic planning and community development for the city of Somerville, at Friday's conference.

Somerville's future wealth of transit will make it a highly desirable location to both live and work, particularly amongst today's economic uncertainties. "People want to live close to their jobs," said Zimmerman-Bergman. "Places like Somerville are well positioned to weather the storm."

Among the findings in its report, Reconnecting America examined existing Somerville-area transit stations - Porter, Davis and Sullivan Square - to "see what lessons these stations can provide about the future." In the Porter and Davis Red Line station areas, both of which opened in 1986, it found median household incomes jumped by roughly 60 percent between 1990 and 2000, making them 21 percent higher than the citywide median. Today, according to Reconnecting America's research, property values and rents around the Red Line are "higher than the rest of the city."

Yet, Reconnecting America's report also found that such drastic increases in income and affordability were not consistent with the neighborhood surrounding the Orange Line's Sullivan Square station, where incomes were approximately 18 percent lower than the citywide median in 2000. The report noted that this data "suggests that some equitable strategies appropriate for other parts of the city that have not experienced as much change may not be effective in the Red Line station areas," a theme repeated several times by LeBlanc at Friday's conference.

"Not one size will fit all," said LeBlanc.

He also noted that the SCC has identified three major priorities in maintaining mixed-income communities in Somerville's developing neighborhoods: leveraging new market rate housing, preserving existing opportunities in inclusionary zoning, and providing assistance to neighborhood businesses around developing transit areas.

Also released at Friday's conference was a report on the SCC's East Somerville Initiative, a broader set of visions for the development of East Somerville, born of the SCC's desire to create a plan to "build and sustain without displacement."

The SCC set out on this task two years ago, said LeBlanc, organizing more than 350 people into three community summits. Eight large working groups were formed in the winter of 2007, to analyze issues such as jobs, schools and streetscape.

The final community summit was held in October 2007, forming an action plan with 27 goals towards equitable growth and progress in east Somerville. With the release of Friday's report, SCC reported that 24 of the 27 established goals have made progress since October. The number one priority identified by the ESI, a Community Benefits Campaign led by the East Somerville Neighbors for Change, was partially

achieved with the creation of a local hiring agreement with Assembly Square's IKEA store.

Last summer the Air Force Band of Liberty's wind ensemble played an outdoor concert at Chandler Pond to an enthusiastic crowd:

Following the opening number, the Air Force Band had a well-timed fly-over. Not by a Stealth Fighter or the Blue Angles, but a flock of Canada Geese headed towards Chandler's shores to make their 1-pound daily deposit.

It was a great family event, and they even provided the DEET.



This year will have an encore event: on Thursday, July 24th, the Air Force's jazz band will be playing an outdoor concert at the same venue at 7:00 pm. The site is on the western edge of the pond in the open, grassy field -- Gallagher Park.



BYO lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics.

Party. D-14 police station.



No, I don't mean where you end up if you have a loud party.



The police officers at Allston-Brighton station D-14 are hosting a community party at their renovated station as part of the National Night Out celebrations:

Boston Police National Night Out Celebrations

Police Districts to Host “Open House”



As part of the Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit’s National Night Out celebration, each of the 11 Boston Police Districts will be hosting neighborhood celebrations. These events provide an opportunity for community members and police personnel to mingle, exchange ideas and form new relationships. Attendees will enjoy complimentary food, family friendly entertainment and activities.



Saturday, July 26th

Boston Police District D-14 (Allston-Brighton) 10:00 am - 2:00 pm at 301 Washington Street.

Come and see the station's new handicapped-access ramp out front. Chew the fat about who had the worst office in the trailers during the renovations. Enjoy the landscaping out front. Watch the emergency room construction across the street at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center.



And please: no more theater jokes.

In what is hopefully not a bad omen for Boston College's proposed ten-year, $1 billion capital construction project, questions surfaced in the last week over the city approval process for renovations underway at the library on BC's new Brighton Campus.



How did neighborhood residents sense something was going awry? A week or two ago a construction truck drove down one-way Lake Street, the driver probably realized his mistake, and then he backed up several hundred feet in order to get to an entrance into the Brighton Campus -- the former St. John's Seminary land purchased by BC in 2004-7.



At the October 16, 2007 meeting of the BC Task Force at which the library renovations were discussed, I had mentioned that construction vehicles ought to enter the Brighton Campus only through the Commonwealth Avenue entrance. A logical extension is that no construction trucks should travel down Lake Street or Foster Street -- particularly since the latter has a posted 2.5 ton weight limit banning heavy trucks. BC officials seemed to nod in agreement.



After seeing the truck go in reverse up Lake Street, several residents thought that there ought to be a construction management plan (CMP) for the renovation work -- and that it ought to say that there would be no truck traffic on Lake Street. Queries to BC and the BRA caused city workers to scramble for a few days to figure out what was going on -- and if the city's processes regarding the construction work were being followed.



The BRA requires large development projects to negotiate a signed CMP with the Boston Transportation Department after BRA Board approval but before construction begins. The problem: there wasn't a CMP on file for the library renovations.



In the end, everything appeared to be OK: BC told the BRA that renovation work on the library only started after the city issued a building permit on June 18th; and the BRA determined that a CMP was not required for the renovation work because the BRA had issued a "notice of exemption" for the work on May 14th.



And BC officials apparently told their contractors in no uncertain terms what entrance they should be using.





Update on BC's IMP Amendment



The renovation work on the library provided an opportunity to get an update on BC's institutional master plan amendment first filed in October 2007.



The revised IMPA of April 2008 requested approval of temporary occupancy of Bishop Peterson Hall as the offices and classrooms for the new School of Theology and Ministry, along with renovations of the library and St. William's Hall. After the renovations of St. William's Hall are complete, the STM would move there permanently. (St. William's Hall was already approved as the site for the STM in the 2006 IMPA, so BC returned to this previous plan.) The Bishop Peterson Hall kitchens will be permanently used jointly by STM seminarians and the diocesan seminarians at St. John's Seminary. (The former rector of St. John's Seminary won't be happy!)



The "notice of exemption" of May 14, 2008 was issued by the BRA because the library renovations, with the exception of a handicapped access ramp, were entirely interior to the building. While the library renovations are still formally part of the IMPA, the notice meant that BC could proceed with them without waiting for approval of the IMPA itself.



The public comment period for the IMPA closed on June 6, 2008 without any letters received, according to BRA project manager John Fitzgerald.



Since that date, BC and the BRA appear to have been too busy with other issues to follow-up on the IMPA. Even though Article 80 review dictates that a BRA Board vote should follow soon after the close of the public comment period, it has not yet taken place. Nor has the Zoning Commission taken it up.



Fitzgerald offered his assurances that, when the St. William's renovations are approved, the BRA will make sure that a construction management plan is signed with BTD prior to the start of any construction work.



And that no more trucks would be backing up on Lake Street.





Image of a dump truck by cindy47452 provided through a Creative Commons license.

The Allston-Brighton TAB last week published an op-ed I wrote arguing that BC and the city of Boston should slow down their master plan review process, particularly in the light of recent comments by Mayor Thomas Menino:

With the tensions having risen between BC on the one hand and the residents and mayor on the other, now would be a good time for BC to: postpone its planning process for a few extra months; go back to the drawing table to improve its plan; engage with the city and community in an iterative process to modify it; and, in the end, produce a consensus plan that accommodates the needs of everyone, not just BC.

One particular way in which the city ought to consider requiring further review is that the purchase of the apartment building at 2000 Commonwealth Avenue -- and subsequent proposal to convert to an undergraduate dormitory -- were not part of the original institutional master plan notification form of December 2007.



In reading the 409 pages of public comments I was unable to find a single case where a letter writer requested BC to purchase off-campus buildings, nor did I find a case where a letter writer used terminology such as "university-controlled housing" or "university-owned housing" when calling for BC to house all their undergraduate students (the term "on-campus" was the typical language used in the letters).



The issue of an off-campus undergraduate dormitory was not raised in the IMPNF and, as a result, the public comments did not consider that possibility.



The Boston Redevelopment Authority has therefore not issued any kind of scoping determination on BC's proposal for an undergraduate dormitory at 2000 Comm Ave. Now would be the time to do so.

The Boston Landmarks Commission will be holding a hearing on Tuesday, July 22nd regarding a request by Boston College to demolish three houses at 188, 192, and 196 Foster Street.



Thomas Keady, Jr., BC's Vice President for Governmental and Community Affairs, told the now-defunct BostonNOW newspaper last year, "Those three houses will be coming down."



The three houses are located on the corner of the five-acre lot bought by BC from the Archdiocese of Boston. (One house and its comparatively small lot was purchased from a private seller in 2006.) BC has proposed to demolish all three to make way for a 75-bed Jesuit seminarian and theology graduate student housing complex as part of the re-affiliation of the Weston Jesuit School of Theology with BC. The three buildings date to the time period 1870 - 1885.



BC submitted their demolition request to the city, and the BLC will hold this hearing in order to determine whether or not to invoke a 90-day demolition delay under the Article 85 process.





Alternatives to Demolition



Despite arguments presented at this blog as to how BC could incorporate these three houses into their new construction, rather than demolish them, BC has shown no inclination to consider the alternatives. No assessment of the feasibility of renovation or preservation of the buildings was presented in their revised IMP. (By comparison, last year the university extensively renovated three houses bought recently on Wade Street.)



Harvard University, on the other hand, followed such an alternative path 25 years ago with their University Place development -- preserving two houses by incorporating them into their new development to positive reviews from the community.



The Massachusetts Historical Commission in January called for BC to explore alternatives to demolition:

Rehabilitation alternatives should include additions to the existing houses and/or compatible, adjacent new construction. Feasible alternatives that would preserve and protect the historic properties should be adopted and implemented.

The houses "display elements of Victorian eclectic style and are fine examples of this period and type of construction," according to the MHC letter. All three houses are identified in the appendix of BC's IMPNF as listed on the National Register of Historic Places.



In their revised institutional master plan, BC has disputed the architectural significance of the three houses (DPIR 11-5 to 11-6), disagreeing with the MHC's letter:

This opinion is not substantiated with an explanation as to how these buildings are representative of any style or construction, not does it address subsequent changes to 192 and 196 Foster Street which seriously detract from their integrity.

The MHC and BC dispute whether or not the three houses lie within the "Upper Foster Street Area," which is part of the MHC's Inventory of Historic and Archeological Assets and is an area that the MHC said "meets the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places," or the "Foster Street Area," an area that the MHC has not commented on regarding its eligibility for the register.



The Foster Street houses were built by Horace W. Baxter on the southern end of his Baxter Estate, according to an email provided by Brighton historian Bill Marchione. The property traces its prior lineage back to Reverend John Foster, "Brighton’s first resident minister (and namesake of the street), and his wife Hannah Webster Foster, the first native born American female novelist," according to Marchione. Mrs. Charles Eldredge (aka "Fanny Fern") -- "the most popular female writer/ journalist of her day" and author of the novel Ruth Hall -- also lived on the estate.



The Foster Rock is located on the opposite end of the five-acre site from the houses. BC's proposed development would not modify the granite outcropping.





How Can the Public Comment?



The BLC hearing will be at City Hall on Tuesday, July 22nd at 6:25 pm in Room 900.



Verbal public comments will be allowed at the meeting, and written public comments are accepted in advance of the meeting. Written public comments are only accepted by mail. In order for the public comments to be considered at Tuesday's meetings, they must be received before 3:00 pm on 7/22:

Gary L. Russell, Staff Architect

Boston Landmarks Commission

City Hall, Room 805

Boston, MA 02201

617-635-3850

In documents provided by Russell, he notes that consideration of demolition delay by the BLC involves assessing whether or not the building is "preferably preserved" based on:

• the building's historic, architectural, and urban design significance;
• whether the building is one of the last remaining examples of its kind in the neighborhood, the City, or the region; and
• the building's condition.

If the BLC votes for a 90-day demolition delay, then they subsequently discuss if there are feasible alternatives to demolition based on:

• the outcome of the community meeting held prior to the hearing.
• the cost of stabilizing, repairing, rehabilitating, or re-using the building;
• any definite plans for the re-use of the property if the proposed demolition is carried out, and the effects such plans would have on the architectural, social, aesthetic, historic, and urban design character of the surrounding area, as well as on the economy of the area of the City as a whole;
• any conditions the Applicant proposes to accept for the redevelopment of the site that would mitigate the loss of the building;
• the availability of other sites for the Applicant's intended purpose or use.

In evaluating alternatives to demolition, the BLC may consider such possibilities as the incorporation of the building into the future development of the site.





BLC Hearing on Proposed Development at 332 Chestnut Hill Avenue



Also on the agenda for the July 22nd meeting is a design review meeting regarding the proposed demolition of the gas station at 332 Chestnut Hill Avenue and construction of a five-story residential building with retail on the first floor. The design review application will be considered at 3:30-4:00 pm, and then discussed by the BLC and voted on at 5:30 pm.





Note that the July 22nd meeting of the BC Task Force was postponed to July 29th in order to allow people to attend the BLC hearing.

By George P. Hassett

Tufts University janitors and their supporters blocked traffic in Davis Square Thursday during a rally to protest what they say are low wages and a lack of benefits.

About a dozen people walked in a circle shouting “No justice, no peace!” in English and Spanish on a traffic island to start the demonstration. The protestors were made up of janitors, Tufts students and the janitor's union SIEU 615.

In the intersection of College Avenue and Elm Street, protestors lined up across the street to create a human billboard that spelled out “community,” remaining there as the light turned green. Motorists beeped their horns and yelled at the demonstrators in response.

“What are you doing?” yelled one man who left his car and approached the group.



The protestors eventually allowed cars, to pass but again blocked traffic minutes later.



Police Captain Paul Upton said an officer responded to the scene and advised the demonstrators to stop blocking traffic, which they did.

Elba Ramos, who has been a janitor at Tufts for 11 years said, “With the current economy, it is getting hard to make ends meet. That is why we need accessible healthcare, better pay and full time work, so we can provide for our families”.

Janitors at Tufts are paid $14.23 an hour. The janitors and their supporters said many Tufts custodial employees are denied 20 full time work and healthcare benefits.

A resolution supporting the janitors, sponsored by Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz, was not acted on at last week's meeting.

By Jack Nicas

Mark Antonelli is the new head coach of the Somerville High School boys basketball team. After a month-long hiring process, Antonelli beat out former Charlestown coaches Jack O'Brien and Steve Cassidy.

In a school-issued press release, Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi said Antonelli's “genuine commitment to the long term success” of the school's basketball program is what made him stand out above the other candidates.

Athletic Director Nicole Viele said in the release that Antonelli challenges his players to work harder on and off the court and can “clearly plan and execute a practice.”

During the interview process, Antonelli presented a “Basketball Action Plan,” which illustrated his plans for on and off-court success for Somerville's student-athletes, according to the release.

Antonelli said the plan includes in and out-of-season goals, his philosophies, and a detailed blueprint on how he would run his tryouts and first 12 practices leading up to the first game, if he were hired as coach. That plan can now become a reality.

Antonelli is a Somerville resident, a 1996 graduate of Somerville High, a former point guard on the basketball team, and the former assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach at the school for the past five years.

Before coming to Somerville, Antonelli was the varsity coach at St. Clement High School for two years. The team went 5-13 and 12-6 respectively in those two years; they were 0-60 the previous three. In his final year there, Antonelli led the school to its first tournament berth in 11 years.

In the fall of 2003, Paul Garrity became the head coach at Somerville High. Antonelli said Garrity immediately called and “basically welcomed me home.”

Antonelli served as Garrity's assistant coach and simultaneously led the school's junior varsity team to a 70-12 record over five years.

Now, as the school's head coach, Antonelli said he will run an exciting team. “When we get the ball, we like to run,” he said. “We run a fast break system; we don't dribble the ball up the court, we push it up with the pass.”

Antonelli said the team will be led by Franklin Salvador, a returning junior and first-team GBL all star, Ricardo Bonhomme, one of the few seniors on the team and a second-team GBL all star, and David Soto and Gabe Vides, the final two returning varsity players.

Otherwise, Antonelli said the team will experience a rebuilding year; he said he'll rely upon young players to step up, including Ken Pierre, Matt O'Donnell, Richie Arisme, and Chi Che, all junior varsity players under Antonelli last season.

Antonelli said he never punishes his players for missed shots and highly encourages shooting from long range. Garrity, Somerville's head coach last season, said Antonelli has the perfect weapon: he called Salvador “the best three-point shooter in the league.”

Garrity said of Antonelli, “Mark is one of those guys who's wanted to be a coach since he was very young; he's always looking to learn.” He said Antonelli is an intense motivator, but “really cares about the kids.”

Antonelli said his goal is always to win the state championship, but only one team can do it per year; “so, the real goal is to teach [the kids] life skills and how to be responsible adults when they graduate.”

Antonelli has been doing that for years; Garrity said Antonelli coached many of Somerville's players in the Youth League when they were 10 or 11 years old. Garrity also said Antonelli, as the junior varsity coach, would get to know the varsity players years before Garrity.

“We've got some great kids here, we really do,” Antonelli said. “That's the reason I wanted to come back.”

Residents, local elected officials, and Mayor Thomas Menino have all argued for increased undergraduate housing on BC's main campus, while BC has argued for locating new dormitories on the former St. John's Seminary land -- and converting their recently-purchased apartment building at 2000 Commonwealth Avenue into a dorm -- based on the argument that any increased housing would make the main campus too dense.



Now BC's director of public affairs, Jack Dunn, increased his rhetoric again by saying Tuesday night that the housing on part of their Chestnut Hill campus is so dense that to find denser housing "you would have to go to a prison."



Dunn's prison remark was met by a series of moans -- "aaaawwwwwwww" -- from the crowd. They weren't buying it at all.



Dunn's prison argument against housing density, as it turns out, rests on analysis of a gerrymandered map of BC's Chestnut Hill campus. A fairer comparison without using a gerrymandered map shows that BU has a substantially higher housing density on their campus than BC has on their Chestnut Hill campus.





Gerrymandering at BC



Dunn's argument relies on a peculiarly-drawn map of BC's Chestnut Hill campus -- a feat of gerrymandering that would make former Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas Finneran proud. [See red dotted lines in figure at right from BC's presentation to the June 14, 2008 meeting of the BC Task Force.]



By drawing the lines in such a way, Dunn makes the argument that BC's proposed housing plan places 4700 students in 40 acres comprising part of their "lower" Chestnut Hill campus.



In fact, by drawing the lines this way, Dunn and other BC officials have actually mixed up the boundary between lower and middle campus in their diagram -- including some parts of the middle campus (those that have dorms) while excluding some parts of the lower campus (those that don't have dorms).



The 6/14/08 presentation commits the misrepresentation to writing by referring to the map above as part of "lower campus area studies," when in reality the area enclosed by red -- and the statistics drawn from it -- includes buildings from the middle campus. In particular, the dorms Gabelli, Ignacio, Rubenstein, and Voute Halls, and 66 Comm Ave, are all identified as middle campus dorms in their DPIR (Table 6-1), yet are strangely included in the "lower campus area studies" diagram.



Draw the lines differently, say, to reflect better the underlying geography and you would get a different answer in terms of student beds per acre.



One thing is for sure: gerrymander the area studied and you'll always get the answer you want.





Comparing Housing Density at BC to BU



In making his case for a campus prison, Dunn was, in effect, implying that Boston University ought to be renamed Boston Prison University, because its undergraduate housing density is substantially higher than BC.



Just compare the housing density in BC's entire main campus at Chestnut Hill to BU's entire campus in the Kenmore neighborhood. No gerrymandering required.



BC currently houses 6455 students (DPIR Table 6-1) in their 118-acre Chestnut Hill campus (DPIR page 1-5), corresponding to 54.7 beds of housing per acre. BU currently houses 10,617 students on their 133-acre campus, corresponding to 79.8 beds of housing per acre -- 46% more dense than BC's campus.



These numbers will not surprise anyone who has seen the tall dormitories that BU has built in order to house their students: BU has a higher housing density than BC. Just stating the obvious.



And I don't think anybody would call BU a prison.





Spokesman Bats 0-For-2



Spokesman Dunn continued to try to make his density argument against new, main campus dormitories by pointing out the usage of all the other facilities there. "It's other functions in that part of campus" that contribute to the density issues, such as the Rec Plex (or its proposed successor, the Recreation Center). He estimates around 8000 students use the student center daily, and around 4000 students per day use the Rec Plex.



The problem is: by adding more students into the calculation, the addition of 500 beds of undergraduate housing to the lower campus becomes even more diluted, weakening his argument.



Adding 500 beds of housing to 4700 is around a 10% increase in the number. But adding 500 beds to 4700 beds plus 8000 students using the student center plus 4000 students using the Rec Center, and the increase is number of people is only 3%. (Yes, his argument does suffer from substantial double- or triple-counting, since many of the same students live on-site, use the student center, and then use the Rec Plex all in the same day.)



By adding all the extra users of the student center and Rec Plex, those 500 more student beds appear to have a more minimal impact. Probably not the conclusion he was shooting for.



A little piece of advice: stick to the housing argument sans Rec Center.





UPDATE: The Allston-Brighton TAB reports that Dunn is backpedaling on his prison comment:

Following the meeting, a college spokesman had to repeatedly defend words he thought may have offended the community...



“You’d have to go to a prison to find that kind of density,” said Dunn. Dunn later told the TAB that he was worried the statement came out wrong and might be misconstrued. “The point I was making, 4,700 students within the 40 acres is equivalent to the density of a prison. It was meant to be a comparative point, and not meant to offend anyone.”

Board orders businesses to accept plastic bags for recycling

By Jack Nicas

The Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance on Thursday evening ordering all businesses of 5,000 square feet or more to facilitate the recycling of plastic bags within their stores. The ordinance requires those businesses to display a visible sign encouraging plastic bag reuse and recycling and a visible bin to recycle the bags.

Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah L. Gerwitz proposed the ordinance in February to the Legislative Matters committee. She said plastic bags are a problem, and even though “plastic bag recycling isn’t going to solve the problem, it will help to raise awareness… let people know that it is a problem, and… tell businesses that they need to step up and provide this service on site so that people can recycle their plastic bags.”

Her enthusiasm on the issue was met with praise on Thursday evening, as her fellow aldermen reiterated her sentiments. Alderman-at-Large Bruce M. Desmond said, “We have to start doing whatever we can to help the environment. It is a simple ordinance that isn’t going to take a lot of resources from the city to maintain and does nothing but establish good practices.”

However, questions arose when the issue of actually recycling the plastic bags came to light. Stephen Mackey, president of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce, said one question kept cropping up every time he spoke to a local business owner: “I’d love to comply, but where do I send the bags?”

“That question hasn’t been answered,” Mackey said. “We’d very much like to move to adoption, but at 10,000 square feet rather than 5,000.”

“The difference is, generally speaking, that’s usually the demarcation between large chain stores and otherwise locally-owned independent stores,” he said. “The concern for the smaller stores is what do they do after the bins fill up; where do the bags go?”

Gerwitz said businesses under the ordinance would have to contact a hauler and arrange to have the bags picked up. Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston said the situation is much like how “food establishments have to take care of their own grease.”

“Right now there are several companies that will pick up and haul away these plastic bags,” Gerwitz said. “In fact, businesses gain from this, because when they recycle their bags, they actually get a cut of the money that comes back.”

Mackey said it wouldn’t be that easy: “It doesn’t make sense to send a truck to the store every day to pick up bags, so what they’ll do is probably transport them by the ton. Now I wonder how many plastic bags make a ton and how much space that would take up in a smaller store.”

Alderman-at-Large John M. Connolly proposed an amendment at Thursday’s Board of Aldermen meeting to increase the required square footage for compliance to 10,000 square feet. After some debate, that amendment was rejected.

“This is not an onerous piece of work we’re asking these stores to do,” Heuston said at the meeting. “I could do this in my own home.”

Alderman-at-Large William A. White Jr. said he was considering increasing the requirement to 10,000 square feet as well, but “given the fact that there’s been no indication there are onerous fees imposed upon [the businesses]… and there is money involved, then the ordinance seems to me to make sense.”

Ward 4 Alderman Walter F. Pero opposed the ordinance altogether. He said he would prefer curbside recycling, “rather than make businesses who may or may not know how to dispose of plastic bags” take on the responsibility.

Gerwitz said, “I want to make sure this is a fair ordinance for businesses, but at the same time we really need to step up on this issue… Businesses 5,000 square feet or more should have the capacity to be able to do this.” She said she had received no negative feedback from businesses on the ordinance.

The board and Mackey all do agree on one point: the need to recycle plastic bags.

“This is something that’s necessary for the country, necessary for the world,” Desmond said, “and we should be doing it right here in Somerville.”

Gerwitz began the discussion on Thursday with a statistic: “Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, requiring 12 million barrels of oil.”

She said other cities have addressed the problem, including New York City and Chicago, and that Boston was considering an all-out ban on the bags. “Now is Somerville’s chance to help lead the way,” she said.

However, Mackey said New York was experiencing a similar debate over square footage. He said the city counsel voted for 5,000 square feet while the state legislature opted for 10,000.

He said he’ll be watching “how New York City solves the problem for independent stores,” because that’s basically where the problem lies.

“I’ll be doing more work to find out what the solutions are for small businesses,” Mackey said. “Hopefully one will come up and everyone will be taken care of, but so far we haven’t found it.”