By Gazette Staff
The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 27. On hand for the session were chair Renee Stacey Welch, Purple Reign, Willie Mitchell, Bernie Doherty, Dave Baron, Sarah Freeman, Leah Dzintars, Danielle Sommer-Kieta, Peter DeCotis, Caliga, Michael Reiskind, and Lorenzo Bartoloni.
The special guest for the evening was Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who answered questions from the members and from the public regarding the city’s controversial plan to allow the new Boston women’s professional soccer team, Boston Legacy FC, to use White Stadium for its home games.
The city is partnering with the team to undertake a $200 million reconstruction of White Stadium, of which the team will contribute $109 million and the city $91 million. White Stadium, which was built in 1949, had fallen into a total state of disrepair over the decades and had been unusable for the past 35 years.
The project will transform the site into a modern-day soccer stadium that also will provide the Boston public schools with a sorely-needed, state-of-the-art athletic facility.
Those who spoke against the proposal cited a wide range of issues, including their view that the stadium will be a second-rate venue for a women’s professional and that the ban on parking on game days in JP adversely will affect local businesses.
“We can have a conversation with the businesses about what they are worried about in terms of parking and what kind of parking needs they have on weekends and on weeknights,” said Wu. “We also can get more specific about what kinds of parking restrictions will apply. The parking restrictions are needed to protect residents, but we have heard from a lot of local businesses that they are excited for additional foot traffic because fans will be using public transportation to get to the game.
“The proposal opens up a lot of additional green space, contrary to what has been said otherwise,” the mayor continued. “There will be amenities outside the stadium and drainage issues will be fixed.
“In terms of the stadium’s suitability for a women’s professional soccer team, the team itself has made their own decisions that this is their best option,” said Wu. “They believe that if they were to share a stadium with the men, they would end up playing second fiddle, which has been the experience in other cities. They want their own space where they can shine and that this is a size that is appropriate for them.
“My main focus has been to ensure that for the 90%-plus rest of the time, the athletic complex will be in use for our public schools and the public,” Wu continued. “It is guaranteed legally to be open to our community and our students and this is all codified in the contract with the team.”
In other business, the members approved all of the recommendations of the Zoning Committee, giving a favorable vote to requests for variances for 3458 Washington St. (a new 36-unit building), 14 Varney St., 10 Westerly St., 15 Conry Crescent, and 12 Rear Union Ave., and rejecting the application for 561-579 Centre St., the site of a former gas station, where the owner is proposing to construct a four-story, 12-unit residential building.
All of the owners still must go before the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals to obtain their variances.
The full committee also approved all of the recommendations of the Public Service Committee for three new liquor licenses.
The first request pertained to Mr. Drinky, 606 Centre St., for a common victualler and seven-day all-alcohol license for a cocktail lounge from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. The space is the former JP Fruit. The lounge will have a capacity of 26 persons and the owner highlighted his artisanal ice abilities.
The Third Cliff Bakery asked for a beer and wine license and for a takeout license at 3531 Washington St.
The third application, from AAA Restaurant in Egleston Sq. at 3141 Wash St., sought an all-alcohol license, entertainment license for two TVs, and a takeout license.
Sommer-Kieta presented the report of the Housing and Development Committee, which held a joint meeting with the Zoning Committee for a presentation by Reuben Kantor, a Senior Policy Advisor with the BPDA, regarding the PLAN: JP/ROX guidelines that have been in effect for the past eight years.
Sommer-Kieta said Kantor reported that there has been a decline in the filings of new projects compared to the rest of the city and there has not been strict compliance with the so-called density bonus which requires developers to add more affordable housing units in exchange for higher density.
However, Kantor acknowledged that much has changed in the past eight years, which has made the goals of JP/ROX difficult to bring to fruition. According to the BPDA’s website, “The PLAN: JP/ROX document provides recommendations and strategies around affordable housing, jobs and businesses, guidelines for urban design, and suggestions for improvements to transportation, connections, open space, sustainability, and the public realm.”
Reiskind expressed his view that he was “astounded that the BPDA believes that there has been less development in JP, when the reality is that this is the most-intensely developed corridor in the city over the past eight years. Most people feel there has been too much.”
Sommer-Kieta concluded her committee’s report by noting, “The one area where we vastly beat the rest of the city is in unaffordability.”
The next meeting of the JPNC is set for June 24.