Development churn keeps McCormack Civic members busy

At Tuesday evening’s McCormack Civic Association meeting, many neighbors expressed frustration about increasing gentrification and the pressures of multiple construction projects converging on the Polish Triangle.

Neighbors approved a plan to demolish an existing residential building at 7 Baker Court, which abuts the new South Bay mall expansion, in order to build a five-story, eight-unit building.

The proposal, presented by Timothy Johnson, includes an 11-car garage. Five of the eight units will have two bedrooms, while the other three will have three bedrooms.None of the units will be affordable housing units, as the proposal falls under the 13-unit threshold required by the city of Boston.

Johnson, who spoke on behalf of his clients, Nial Dowdall and Malcolm Barber, said that the plan went in front of the Zoning Board of Appeal on Sept. 13 and received approval for a variance. At Tuesday’s meeting, the plan won the support of the civic association buy a vote of 26-17.

In other matters:
• Keith Hauge, representing the company EDENS, gave an update on the ongoing South Bay Center project. He outlined construction plans for the upcoming months as part of what he termed “an aggressive schedule heavily dependent on the winter weather.” The plan is to begin foundation work in November and steel work in the spring, with the hope of opening a new luxury cinema complex by the end of 2017.

A few neighbors voiced their frustration at the growing rodent problem they have seen in their neighborhood since the construction started last month. Hauge said that the project was meeting all standards to control the problem and added that the buildings were checked for rodents before they were demolished.

For all that, “the quality of life is really being compromised [by late night work],” one neighbor told Hauge.

The project currently has a permit for overnight work on Allstate Road, which Hauge said should be done by the end of November. Utilities work will also impact traffic on Boston Street, but Hauge said the plan is to disrupt rush hour traffic as little as possible.

• Doug George, who lives within the McCormack Civic boundaries, said he was “excited to build a signature building in his own neighborhood” as he discussed his proposal to redevelop 1258-1272 Mass. Ave. His plan for the 19,896 square parcel is to demolish the existing structure and replace it with two new six-story buildings that will accommodate about 40 residential units, 13 percent of which will be affordable, and 1,500 square feet of ground-level retail space. Penguin Pizza, which already has a Mission Hill location, is expected to fill the commercial space, he said.

George is having a study done to assess the impact of shadows created by the new buildings on neighbors and the neighborhood as a whole. He is working with the Boston Redevelopment Authority on the design of the building.

George received community input when presented his plan on Sept. 12 at a public meeting. He said that roughly 100 people attended and his proposal “received overwhelming support.”

• Patrick Mahoney spoke on Tuesday on behalf of Cornerstone Realty for its plan to convert an existing two-family dwelling at 19 Dorset St. into a three-unit building. Part of the plan includes adding three parking spaces. The proposal received 27 yeas and 17 nays from the McCormack membership.

•ˆBoston Police representative swere on hand to brief the community on crime activity. Officer Perry Roy of District C-6 and Officer Michael Keaney of C-11 read through reports of arrests and police responses in the Polish Triangle since the previous meeting. Among the reports were one of auto theft and two drug-related incidents.

The officers briefly discussed the aggressive panhandling at Edward Everett Square, a longtime problem that residents say has been getting worse over the last few months. State Rep. Dan Hunt, who was at the meeting, said that his office is working on a plan to make the median strips in the square a less comfortable place to stop and panhandle.


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