To the Editor:

I read with interest Eoin Cannon's article "Pols Resist City's IAG Project Review Process" (July 10, 2003). Development review in Boston is one of the most publicly oriented processes in the country. Every year, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) hosts thousands of meetings throughout Boston's neighborhoods to solicit public comment on proposed projects. We provide public comment periods after every developer submission, and we incorporate neighborhood responses into the public record. We offer public hearings before important votes of the BRA Board. We encourage developers to work with elected officials and neighborhood organizations on issues of concern. Boston has more public involvement with more community influence at more stages of development than any other major urban area in the U.S. An example of how we go further to solicit public input is through the creation of the Impact Advisory Group (IAG).

The IAG process is an addition to the existing development review guidelines outlined in the Boston Zoning Code. While the Code sets forth official procedures and timelines for accommodating general public input, the BRA, working with Mayor Thomas M. Menino, created IAGs to ensure that local communities have a voice at every stage of the review process. IAG members are appointed by local elected officials and the mayor and include neighborhood residents and business and community organization representatives. An IAG does not replace any part of the public process, but instead offers an opportunity for community members to join the BRA in procedural aspects of Article 80 &emdash; such as the public agency scoping session or the drafting of the cooperation agreement &emdash; where public participation was previously unlikely. The IAG increases the BRA's sensitivity to community concerns at every step of the review process.

Overseeing development requires a careful balance between public and private property rights. The BRA's role is to mediate between developer and community to ensure that the resulting development is good for all. We take that responsibility very seriously. Our staff of planners, project managers, urban designers, and lawyers &emdash; all of whom are themselves Boston residents &emdash; must carefully cull issues of conflict to find areas of agreement. The BRA must weigh a broad range of input from the community, elected officials, and the IAG. Involving the widest range of participants in the development dialogue gives us the confidence in the continued vitality of Boston and its vibrant neighborhoods.

Mark Maloney

Director

Boston Redevelopment Authority