Trillium Live Entertainment License Meeting

Trillium Brewing Company would like to apply for live entertainment in the form of live acoustic style music two nights a week: Tuesdays & Thursdays, with the ability for a Disc jockey or a band for special events such as weddings. 

The Office of Mayor Martin J. Walsh invites you to:

ABUTTERS MEETING

Trillium Brewing Company

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

6:00 p.m. 

50 Thomson Place

Public Welcome

Please note, the City does not represent the owner(s) /developer(s) /attorney(s) /applicant(s). The purpose of this meeting is to get community input and listen to the resident’s positions on this proposal. 

For more information please contact:

Haley Dillon

Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services

(617)-635-2680

email

Celebrate Boston's Public Open Spaces By Pitching A Blanket

Last month FPNA invited you to Waterfront Development In Your Neighborhood presented by the Harborfront Neighborhood Alliance in partnership with Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and Boston Harbor Now, focusing on your rights to public access and amenities along our waterfront. 

This summer CLF and the Boston Waterfront Partners* invite you to pitch a blanket with your friends and neighbors, enjoy games and refreshments, bring a picnic, and learn more about your rights along Boston’s waterfront. Did you know that Massachusetts law grants each of us the right to use open spaces on Boston's waterfront? Getting out and pitching a blanket is a great way to reclaim public spaces in Boston’s Seaport and Downtown Waterfront areas. It's only by actively using our public spaces that we can ensure Boston Harbor remains vibrant and accessible to all – the People's Harbor we all deserve.  

Celebrate Boston's Public Spaces 
Thursday, July 25, 2019
5:30 PM –7 PM 
The Public Green, Seaport District 
1 Marina Park Drive, Boston

Sign Up Here

Please keep in mind that per the rules of the Public Green no dogs are allowed. 

What else can you do?

Know your rights. CLF will be providing “People’s Harbor” tote bags to guests on a first come, first serve basis. Each tote bag will include a USB with copies of the People’s Guide to Chapter 91 in English and in Spanish. 

Get out and enjoy Boston's Waterfront. Use the Boston Harborwalk Map Tool to discover public spaces along the Harborwalk and waterfront. You can find restrooms, green lawns, seating areas, fishing docks and observation decks. You can also look up Chapter 91 licenses and management plans governing access to waterfront public spaces in your neighborhood. 

Take the pledge to Protect the Boston Harbor and the Public Waterfront. 

*FPNA and the Harborfront Neighborhood Alliance are members of the Boston Waterfront Partners along with CLF and many other advocates of our waterfront. 

originally published 7.18.19

Heat Emergency Declared

Mayor Walsh has declared a heat emergency, beginning Friday, July 19th at noon through Sunday evening July 20, 2019. Temperatures between 92 and 96 degrees with a real feel temperature of between the mid 90s to 110 degrees are expected. 

Cooling centers will be open at BCYF community centers and residents can swim at the City's pools free of charge during their normal operating hours. Heat emergency programming will begin at BCYF centers starting at noon on Friday. 

Extreme heat can be dangerous to health by itself. It can also make pre-existing health issues worse. Some areas in the City are hotter due to elevation, limited shade from trees, and heat-retaining structures, like buildings and roads.

Heat Safety Tips

• Don't leave children or pets in cars
• Drink water and stay hydrated
• If you lose power, click here
• Prepare your home
• Rest often in cool shaded areas
• Signs of heat related illness
• Stay cool indoors
• Watch out for those at high risk
• Wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen

Watch summer heat tips video and click here for more heat safety tips details. 

Stay cool at BCYF centers, State owned pools, tot sprays and pools and Boston Public Libraries. More details at Boston.gov

Signing up for Alert Boston is a great way for residents, businesses, and visitors to be notified in the event of an emergency. If the City of Boston declares an extreme heat event, you will receive a direct message via text, call, or email.

Weed, Wine & Vine Neighborhood Gathering

Please join FPNA for "Weed, Wine & Vine" on Tuesday, July 16, 2019* from 6 pm to 8 pm at Wormwood Park (Wormwood & A Streets) for a bit of gardening and then snacks and beverages. Come hang with your neighbors on a lovely evening. We are placing beautiful solar lights in the trees!

Tools and gloves will be provided. 

*If it rains on July 16th, Weed, Wine & Vine will be take place Thursday, July 18th.

originally published 7.11.19

Summer Street Improvements Enter Completion Phase

updated 7/12/19:  Resurfacing stages and estimated durations added at bottom. Work hours are 7 am to 3 pm. 

updated 7/11/19: No parking 7 am to 4 pm on Summer Street from Melcher to West Service Road Bridge through Saturday, July 13, 2019. 
Watch out for parking restrictions (orange cones) over the next couple of weeks as road paving continues. Cars parked in posted areas will be towed. 

Boston Public Works is entering into the last major task of the Summer Street Improvements project. A project years in the planning under the leadership of Jonathan Greeley at the Boston Planning & Development Agency and under implementation by Public Works since April 2018. The project area is Summer Street from Melcher Street to West Service Road Bridge (towards the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center). 

What to expect?

The paving of Summer Street is scheduled to start this week and you can expect restricted street parking.

Overnight milling begins Tuesday, July 9th at 8 pm until 6 am on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. Milling removes the first couple inches of asphalt.  Typically this process takes 2 days; however, overnight work should allow milling to be completed in one night. The remaining asphalt will be lower than the manhole covers, and the surface of the road will feel grooved.

Once the milling operation is completed, the casting adjustments and prep for the new pavement should be completed in a week.  

DeRoma Construction will then ensure that manhole covers are level with the new asphalt layer. This is often the most time intensive and loudest part of the resurfacing job. The areas beneath the manholes sometimes need to be excavated and rebuilt. 

After the new asphalt is installed, the new pavement markings/stripping will be installed within (1) week.

There will probably be some adjustments to the traffic signals and other features, but they should be minor.

Resurfacing Stages and Estimated Durations

Adjustments of castings: July 10-July 16

Paving: July 18-July 19

Pavement markings: July 26

Any questions? Contact Public Works at 617-635-4950. 

originally published 7.8.19

Boston City Council Looks At Uber & Lyft, 2020 Budget, Tree Coverage, Affordable Housing & More

City Councilor-At-Large Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. The Boston City Council considered the following items and many more at their June 12 through July 10, 2019 meetings:

Appointments:
Ryan Woods as Commissioner of the Parks and Recreation Department, effective July 1, 2019

Grants:

• $171,242 Title III-Ombudsman grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, passed through the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs, to be administered by the Elderly Commission (Passed)
• $124,263 State Elder Lunch Program grant, awarded by the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs, to be administered by the Elderly Commission (Passed) $20,000 Cultural Districts Initiative Program grant, awarded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council to be administered by the Department of Arts and Culture (Passed)
• $260,000 grant from the Boston Redevelopment Authority d/b/a the Boston Planning and Development Agency, pursuant to the Winthrop Square Cooperation Agreement, One Post Office Square Cooperation Agreement and the 15-19 Congress Street Cooperation Agreement in order to facilitate planning and design for the Seaport to North Station Rapid Bus Corridor (Assigned to the Planning, Development & Transportation Committee)
• $36,400,000 from the Parking Meter Fund through the City's Capital Grant Fund in order to provide funding for various transportation and public realm improvements (Assigned to the Ways & Means Committee)

Transportation Network Companies: Councilor Flynn called for a hearing to discuss transportation network companies operating in Boston. Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), or ride-hailing apps, such as Uber and Lyft, provide ride-sharing services that are convenient and used by many to commute in Boston, and they are now a ubiquitous sight on our streets as recent reports indicate an average of over 115,000 trips per day in the city. As TNCs become a significant part of our transportation network, they belong in the discussion of our current traffic issues, as well as their impact on the environment and our overall quality of life, and the City should discuss measures that can alleviate congestion and safety issues such as designated pickup and drop off spots and geofencing, as well as how we can leverage the demand for TNCs to improve our transportation infrastructure. The matter was assigned to the Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation for a hearing.

Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Vote: The Council took several votes to pass the City of Boston’s budget for the next fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. The Operating Budget and Capital Budget passed unanimously, and the Schools Budget passed with a 10-3 vote (Councilors Campbell, Edwards, and Wu opposing). Colleagues thanked Councilor Mark Ciommo, longtime Chair of the Ways & Means Committee who is not running for reelection and thus oversaw his last city budget. The Council also voted to approve a $12M appropriation to fund the recently settled Boston Teachers Union contract, which includes 2% annual wage increases and a provision for a full-time nurse in every school.

Faneuil Hall Memorial: Councilors Baker and Flynn filed an order for a hearing to understand and discuss the proposed “auction block memorial” at Faneuil Hall. The sponsors noted that public spaces, art installations, landmarks, memorials, and historic structures should reflect the true history of the City and the building of Faneuil Hall was financed by slave labor and trafficking. Boston’s Artist-in-residence Steve Locke has planned a memorial dedicated to those enslaved Africans and African  Americans. The matter was assigned to the Committee on Arts, Culture, and Special Events for a hearing.

Tree Preservation: Councilors McCarthy and O’Malley refiled an order for a hearing to discuss expanding city development requirements with a focus on achieving baseline tree preservation and total tree capacity on a development site. The sponsors described the need to incorporate more stringent tree canopy requirements into Climate Ready Boston. Boston had set a goal of planting 100,000 street trees by 2020, and since then 10,000 trees have been planted and 6,000 trees removed (not counting trees removed from development sites). The matter was assigned to the Committee on Planning, Development & Transportation for a hearing.

Education Report: City Council President Andrea Campbell filed a report from her office with recommendations for Boston Public Schools called "Action for Boston Children." Read it here.

Inclusionary Development Policy: Councilors Edwards, Flaherty & Flynn reported back on the hearing to discuss Boston’s inclusionary development policy (IDP) that took place on June 10, 2019. The IDP was created in 2000 to promote the production of affordable housing in Boston, which requires medium and large scale developments to set aside 13% of the units as affordable units. Councilors mentioned the need for better accountability for the program. The matter remains in the Housing and Community Development Committee for a hearing.

Upcoming Hearings: Next City Council meeting will be on Wednesday, July 31st.

For complete notes on Boston City Council meetings, visit MichelleForBoston.com or sign up to receive these notes automatically. 

Fort Point Landmarks July 2019 Meeting

The FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION will hold a public hearing on:

Thursday, July 11, 2019

6:00 PM

Boston City Hall - Piemonte Room (5th Floor)

After 5:30 pm, enter and exit City Hall at the Dock Square entrance on Congress Street 

(across from Faneuil Hall).

Subject of the hearing will be applications for Certificates of Design Approval on the agenda below, review of architectural violations and such business as may come before the commission, in accordance with Ch. 772 of the Acts of 1975, as amended.

I.  DESIGN REVIEW HEARING

APP # 19.1418 FPC    5 Necco Court
Applicant: Peter Cavanaugh; General Electric
Proposed Work: Adjustments to the previously approved windows, signage, landscaping, and bridge.

III. Ratification of 06/13/2019 Public Hearing Minutes

IV. Staff Updates

V. Projected Adjournment: 6:3O PM

FORT POINT CHANNEL LANDMARK DISTRICT COMMISSION

David Berarducci, Susan Goganian, John Karoff, Lynn Smiledge, Vacancy 

Alternates: Thomas Rodde, Vacancy

ShopLifters At A Street Park

Now that I have your attention. The Fort Point Stage opens their 18th annual Outdoor Movie Night Series with a free screening of:

Shoplifters
Friday July 5, 2019

8:30 PM

A Street Park
a City Of Boston Public Park

(between One Channel Center and Artists For Humanity)
Handicap accessible
Free and open to the public

On the margins of Tokyo, a dysfunctional band of outsiders is united by fierce loyalty and a penchant for petty theft. When the young son is arrested, secrets are exposed that upend their tenuous, below-the-radar existence.

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8075192/

Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Winner : 2018 Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival
"A masterpiece!" — Wall Street Journal


Bring chairs, blankets and snacks. Sagarino's Market (21 Wormwood St) will be open until 11 PM. Bathrooms are available at One Channel Center (State Street). Use intercom far right of doors. 

If you are inviting friends, please note that effective July 1, 2019, metered parking rates increased to $3.75/hour in the neighborhood with the exception of D Street ($2.50/hour). Of course, walking or biking is a great way to arrive for the movie. 

Check Fort Point Stage July 5th at 4 PM for rain/wind cancellation notice.

Time For Better Transit In The Seaport District: Action Required

updated 7.2.19 with Seaport Strategic Plan meeting presentation.

You may have noticed the rapid growth in the Seaport- the high rise office buildings, the penthouse views, the stores, the restaurants and entertainment- and that doesn't take into account what is under construction and in the pipeline.  It makes you wonder, what's in the plans- the Seaport Strategic Transit Plan that is.

The focus is on transit, including the Seaport’s bus and shuttle network, water ferries, ride-sharing and bike-sharing, and other private-sector initiatives. It includes the MBTA’s Red and Silver Lines, MBTA bus service, and bicycle and pedestrian networks that connect them. It includes Fort Point.

Robust engagement with residents, advocacy groups, and business and property owners will be a key attribute of the Plan. The project team will seek input from the Seaport community on goals and objectives for improving transit through public meetings and briefings. The first meeting will be:

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, New room #258

415 Summer Street

Open House- 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Meet the project team & learn about the strategic plan to improve Seaport District transit.

Presentation 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM
View Presentation

Breakout Session- 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Share your ideas on goals, connections and priorities.

The Seaport Strategic Transit Plan will:

• develop an integrated inventory of pending development, infrastructure plans, and transportation projects and visions, including Go Boston 2030. The Plan also involves direct coordination with studies relevant to the scope, including the Silver Line Capacity Study conducted by Massport, MBTA’s Better Bus Project, and other transit initiatives.
• identify specific recommendations to improve the operations and capacity of the transit network serving Boston’s Seaport District. The Plan will study current transit connections and recommend specific improvements in the short-term, as well as for the next 15 years and beyond. 
• call for a comprehensive transit vision for the District based on a data driven understanding of the demands placed on the neighborhood by both existing and planned future development. 

Draft and final recommendations will be refined based on community and stakeholder feedback. Final strategic recommendations will demonstrate the benefits of a prioritized list of projects with estimated costs, funding sources, and operations and management strategies. The plan will include monitoring and reporting on the recommendations. Implementing the Plan will be a crucial element of the recommendations. The City hopes to implement immediate transportation improvements in the Seaport as the first step in a vigorous and successful Seaport Strategic Transit Plan.

originally published 6.6.19

Limited Parking On Binford Street

Starting June 25th through July 3, 2019 from 7 am to 3:30 pm, there will be limited parking on Binford Street between A Street and Medallion Avenue due to excavation work to make the final connection of an intermediate gas main extension down A St to Necco. 

Be sure to check your car as the excavation may be occurring at different spots along the area as the work is completed. 

The contractor, Feeney Brothers, appreciates everyone’s patience and cooperation during the project. 

originally published 06.25.19