The longstanding Jackson Square Community Advisory Committee recently disbanded by the Boston Redevelopment Authority often has been maddeningly erratic, as when it unsuccessfully fought to ban the Gazette from its meetings. But it also has been an effective gadfly on such issues as dwindling homeownership units and below-standard rates of minority and women contractors, and scored real improvements on them. We suspect its mysterious disbanding had a little to do with both traits.
We expect the BRA’s rebooted community process to richly represent both JP and Roxbury and actively rekindle public interest in Jackson Square’s massive redevelopment. We also expect its membership to welcome a gadfly or three.
We further repeat our years-old suggestion that the BRA and the Mayor’s Office create actual rules and training for its CACs so that we can avoid at least some future conflicts and mysteries in these crucial public processes.