RUN. >> FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS SHARON DURKAN. I'M DISTRICT EIGHT CITY COUNCILOR AND I'M CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND TRANSPORTATION. TODAY IS JOINT UH, JUNE 4TH AND
THE EXACT TIME IS 10:17 A.M.. I APOLOGIZE FOR STARTING LATE. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE MY CO-SPONSOR WAS ABLE TO JOIN US . UH, THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED AND IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED AT BOSTON DOCA,
BACKSLASH, CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT, RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FIOS CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT CAPELLA
AND DEV@BOSTON.GOV. AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING AND INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER WHICH THEY HAVE SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE TWO
MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON, PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY, PLEASE EMAIL OUR
CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON WHO DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB SHANE PACK PACK WHICH IS SHANE DOT PACK AT BOSTON.COM FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET
0809 ORDER FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE BOSTON ZONING CODE WITH RESPECT TO PARKING MINIMUMS FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILOR DURKAN, ME COUNCILOR HENRY SANTANA AND LIZ BREADON AND WAS REFERRED TO THE
COMMITTEE ON APRIL 15TH, 2026. UM TODAY I AM JOINED BY COUNCILOR HENRY SANTANA. I KNOW WE WILL BE JOINED BY THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT SHORTLY. UM AND I'M GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF OPENING STATEMENT.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO START WITH UM, SARAH BRONIN WHO IS UH SO IF WE COULD GET HER QUEUED UP UH, WHILE I GIVE MY OPENING STATEMENT THAT WOULD BE GREAT. UM. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS
JOINED US TODAY FOR THIS DISCUSSION. WELL, I'M AND I AM THE LEAD SPONSOR OF THIS TAX ABATEMENT. MY ROLE TODAY AS CHAIR IS TO FACILITATE AN OBJECTIVE CONVERSATION. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC,
EXPERTS, ADVOCATES AND STAKEHOLDERS. AND THIS HEARING IS INTENDED TO BE A SPACE FOR THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION OF ALL ASPECTS OF THIS PROPOSAL. THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. OVER THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE
HEARD FROM PLANNERS, HOUSING EXPERTS, ADVOCATES AND RESIDENTS ABOUT THE ROLE PARKING MINIMUMS PLAY IN HOUSING PRODUCTION AND AFFORDABILITY IN BOSTON. WHAT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY CLEAR IS THAT THIS IS A POLICY LEVER WE CANNOT AFFORD TO
OVERLOOK. THE MEDIAN RENT IN BOSTON IS NOW OVER $3,000 PER MONTH. THE MEDIAN HOME PRICE EXCEEDS $700,000. MORE THAN HALF OF BOSTON RENTERS ARE RENT BURDENED. WE KNOW FAMILIES AND YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE BEING PRICED OUT OF OUR CITY. THIS IS COMING ON THE HEELS OF THE SMALLEST BUDGET INCREASE SINCE 2010. AND MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING IS WHAT WE NEED TO SUSTAIN OUR ECONOMIC VITALITY LONG TERM
PARKING MINIMUMS ADD TENS OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO CONSTRUCTION COSTS, CONSUME VALUABLE LAND ON ALREADY CONSTRAINED DEVELOPMENT PARCELS AND PREVENT HOUSING TYPOLOGIES OUR CITY DESPERATELY
NEEDS INCLUDING ADUS AND SMALL SCALE INFILL DEVELOPMENTS. ONE CONCERN I'VE HEARD IS THAT THIS PROPOSAL WILL MAKE IT HARDER FOR RESIDENTS TO FIND PARKING. LET ME BE CLEAR THIS AMENDMENT DOES NOT CONCERN OFF STREET
PARKING. UM IT CONCERNS OFF STREET PARKING, NOT ON STREET PARKING . OFF STREET PARKING REFERS TO PARKING SPACES INCLUDED WITHIN A DEVELOPMENT. I KNOW OUR RESIDENTS ARE OFTEN CHALLENGED TO FIND PARKING OR
RESIDENT PARKING SPACES UM SPOTS ON OUR STREETS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CHALLENGE IN BOSTON BUT IS A SEPARATE POLICY QUESTION AND ONE THAT WE SHOULD WORK TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS. THIS PROPOSAL DOES NOT VAN
PARKING OR PREVENT DEVELOPERS FROM BUILDING PARKING? IF THERE IS A DEMAND FOR PARKING, DEVELOPERS WILL BUILD IT AND IN MANY CASES LENDERS REQUIRE IT AS A CONDITION OF FINANCING. ANY PIECES OR UM RESEARCH SHOWS
THAT OFF STREET PARKING IS OVERBUILT IN BOSTON. WHAT THIS AMENDMENT DOES IS REMOVE OUTDATED MANDATES THAT REQUIRE THAT ARE REQUIRING UM, COSTLY PARKING THAT WE MAY NOT NEED.
THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS NOT WHETHER THIS POLICY WORKS. THERE IS A MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THIS AND EXPERTS WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM SHORTLY. HUNDREDS OF CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND RIGHT HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH HAVE ELIMINATED
PARKING MINIMUMS AND MADE IT EASIER TO BUILD HOUSING. WE NEED TO START LISTENING TO THE FACTS AND THIS IS ALSO NOT A FRINGE PROPOSAL. THIS AMENDMENT HAS EARNED SUPPORT FROM STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
THE GREATER BOSTON REAL ESTATE BOARD ENDORSE THIS PROPOSAL. UM AND THIS IS A QUOTE FROM CEO GREG VASSELL AS THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSING CRISIS WORSENS, WE REMAIN STRONGLY OPPOSED TO ANY POLICY THAT
RESTRICTS HOUSING GROWTH. AND A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM MASSACHUSETTS THAT WE RECEIVED IN DECEMBER, THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION WROTE THAT MANDATORY PARKING MINIMUMS ARE AN ARCHAIC, EXPENSIVE ASPECT
OF THE BOSTON ZONING CODE. RECENTLY WE RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE PIONEER INSTITUTE CALLING FOR THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MINIMUMS STATING THAT PARKING REFORM IS LOW HANGING FRUIT BECAUSE SO MANY
NEW APARTMENT BUILDINGS HAVE A VISIBLE OVERSUPPLY OF IT. THIS POLICY IS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ADDRESS DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS OUR HOUSING UH CRISIS PLACES ON LOW INCOME RESIDENTS.
IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STOP REQUIRING STOP REQUIRING EXCESS ASPHALT AND INSTEAD CREATE MORE HOUSING AND GREEN SPACE AND MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS MORE VIBRANT. AND WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE REALITY OF THE FUTURE.
YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE DRIVING LESS AND BOSTON NEEDS THE FLEXIBILITY TO BUILD A MORE SUSTAINABLE CITY. THIS AMENDMENT HAS BEEN CAREFULLY DRAFTED AND THOROUGHLY REVIEWED. BOSTON ZONING CODE IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX IN THE
COUNTRY AND THE ZONING CODE EXPERTS, ATTORNEYS AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAVE ALL REVIEWED THIS PROPOSAL TO ENSURE IT WILL FUNCTION AS INTENDED. I WILL READ A STATEMENT FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO THAT EFFECT SHORTLY.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO APPROACH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD. DOING SO ONLY DEEPENS INEQUITIES ACROSS OUR CITY AND LIMITS THE IMPACT. FOR THIS PROPOSAL TO WORK. IT MUST BE IMPLEMENTED CITYWIDE .
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO CONTINUE TAKING A PIECEMEAL APPROACH WHILE HOUSING COSTS RISE AND NOTHING GETS BUILT. I HAVE SAID BEFORE. THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER WE WILL HAVE THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP TO ACTUALLY GET THIS DONE.
ULTIMATELY THE AUTHORITY THOUGH RESTS WITH THE ZONING COMMISSION. AS COUNCILORS WE HAVE THE SAME POWER AS ANY RESIDENT TO PETITION THE ZONING COMMISSION TO TAKE UP THIS PROPOSAL. WHEN THIS COMES TO A VOTE, WHAT
WE ARE VOTING ON IS WHETHER WE SUPPORT THE MERITS OF THIS POLICY, WHETHER WE SUPPORT REDUCING BARRIERS TO HOUSING PRODUCTION AND WHETHER WE SUPPORT MAKING BOSTON MORE AFFORDABLE. THAT'S THE FOCUS OF THIS MORNING'S CONVERSATION.
I WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS AND TO ALL THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE HERE TO PARTICIPATE AND WEIGH IN. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING STARTED AND I WANT TO HAND IT OVER TO MY CO-SPONSOR, COUNCILOR HENRY SANTANA TO GIVE HIS OPENING REMARKS.
AND I DO WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR ED FLYNN AND COUNCILOR FITZGERALD. GO AHEAD. COUNCILOR SANTANA. OH, AND COUNCILOR ENRIQUE PEPEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR DURKAN AND
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UM, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE. THANK YOU TO UM TO THE PUBLIC WAS HERE. UM. EXCUSE ME. UM, ON A THURSDAY MORNING. REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, YOU, UH ,BEING PRESENT.
UM, AND THANK YOU, COUNCILOR DURKAN FOR LEADING ON THIS ISSUE. UM, YOU KNOW, TO TO TRULY ADDRESS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, WE NEED TO USE EVERY TOOL AVAILABLE TO US AND MOVE AWAY FROM POLICIES THAT MAKE IT MORE
EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND LIVE IN OUR CITY. THIS ZONING AMENDMENT IS A STEP IN THAT DIRECTION. UM, ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS DOESN'T MEAN ELIMINATING PARKING AS YOU SAID . UM UM CHAIR IT JUST MEANS NOT
HAVING A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF PARKING REQUIREMENT FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE ALREADY ENDED THE REQUIREMENT FOR SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, AND IT'S TIME TO EXPAND THAT TO OTHER NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
MEDIAN RENT ARE NOW OVER $3,000 A MONTH HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. MORE THAN HALF OF BOSTON RENTERS OUR COST BURDEN AND YET OUR CURRENT ZONING CODE REQUIRE PARKING MINIMUMS ADDING
ADDITIONAL COST TO HOUSING PRODUCTION AND UNNAMED PROJECTS BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN GET A CHANCE TO BEGIN. THIS AMENDMENT REMOVES THAT BARRIER. THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MINIMUMS WAS REDUCED, THE COST OF HOUSING PRODUCTION MAKING
HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR BOSTON RESIDENTS. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TODAY'S CONVERSATION AND UM, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MY PANELISTS. BUT UH, YOU KNOW, I ALSO MENTIONED I KNOW THERE'S BEEN
I'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF EMAILS UM, BOTH IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROPOSAL AND PEOPLE WHO UM WHO ARE OPPOSING AND HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. UM, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS HEARING TODAY TO JUST EDUCATE OURSELVES.
UM, AS COLLEAGUES AND FOR THE PUBLIC. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I REALLY LOVE THIS CITY. I GREW UP IN THE CITY. I GREW UP IN PUBLIC HOUSING. UM, AND I KNOW THAT SO MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS LOVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND LOVE THE CITY
. AND WHAT MAKES THIS CITY GREAT IS OUR PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOSING TOO MANY OF OUR PEOPLE. UM, TOO MANY OF OUR, UH OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
UM, I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CITY BECAUSE OF HOW UNAFFORDABLE IT IS. AND IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, UH, BUILDING A CITY WHERE EVERYONE CAN THRIVE HERE. UH, WE NEED TO MAKE HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE.
UM, AND THIS, UM, AMENDMENT. RIGHT. UM, DOESN'T FIX THE HOUSING CRISIS. UM, BUT IT'S ABOUT REALLY ADDING TO THE TOOLBOX THAT, UM, UM, THAT WE'RE CREATING HERE. UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD UM, TO TO THE QUESTIONS TO THE
CONVERSATION AND HEARING FROM OUR PANELISTS. UM THANK YOU. UM, CHAIR DURKAN. THANK YOU TO MY CO-SPONSOR, COUNCILOR SANTANA. UH, COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UH, THANK YOU TO THE NEIGHBORS
FOR TESTIFYING TODAY ON TWO OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WE FACE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON HOUSING AND PARKING. IN MY OPINION ON TODAY'S DISCUSSION, WE ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE REPEATED
FEEDBACK WE'VE RECEIVED FOR YEARS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON WHY WE'RE NOT BUILDING ANY HOUSING IN BOSTON ANY LONGER, ESPECIALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY'RE NOT INVESTING BECAUSE THE CITY ADDED INCREASED AFFORDABLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS, UPCOMING POTENTIAL OF RENT CONTROL ON TOP OF THE ALREADY TOUGH
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT POST PANDEMIC INFLATION, HIGH INTEREST RATES, INCREASED CONSTRUCTION COST AND TARIFFS THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. DATA SHOWS THAT BOSTON'S
HOUSING PRODUCTION DECREASED FROM 98 100 UNITS APPROVED IN 2020 TO JUST 850 IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2025. OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS
CAN'T WAIT SEVERAL YEARS FOR THE ECONOMY TO IMPROVE. IN THE MEANTIME, THAT BAND DEMAND FOR HOUSING IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL ONLY INCREASE. SUPPLY WILL CONTINUE TO DROP
HOME VALUES AND PROPERTY TAXES WILL CREEP INCREASE. MY COLLEAGUES CONTINUE TO NOT ONLY IGNORE FEEDBACK FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON THE ACTUAL REASONS WHY WE'RE NOT
BUILDING HOUSING, BUT ALSO THE FACT THE ZONING BOARD HAS HISTORICALLY APPROVED OVER 90% OF CASES IN MODERN HISTORY. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ALREADY RECOMMENDS THAT LARGE
SCALE ARTICLE 80 PRODUCTS CONTAIN 0.5 PARKING SPOTS PER UNIT. THE CITY OF BOSTON IN THE COUNCIL HAVE THE POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY IN A COURAGE TO
PRIORITIZE WILL ACTUALLY HELP ADDRESS OUR HOUSING CRISIS WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WILL ACTUALLY DO THE BUILDING. LET'S WORK TOGETHER. FOR YEARS DEVELOPERS HAVE NOT BEEN CITING PARKING MINIMUMS
THAT THE ZBA IN TRANSPORTATION ALREADY DISREGARD ON A ROUTINE BASIS AS THE REASON WHY THEY'RE NOT. BUILDING YOU CAN. UM. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILORS. >> UH, PEPEN.
THANK YOU. UH UM. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I AM HERE BECAUSE I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS OF THIS OF THIS HEARING ORDER OF WHAT
THIS WOULD DO FOR OUR CITY LAST YEAR, UH, WAS A UM, COSPONSOR TO LAST YEAR'S HEARING ORDER. BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I CONTINUE MY SUPPORT FOR THIS. I IN MY DISTRICT WE'VE ACTUALLY
HAVE HAD QUITE A BIT OF REZONING ALREADY AND WE ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON ANOTHER ONE IN A IN A DIFFERENT PART OF MY OF MY DISTRICT WHERE THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN NO PARKING MINIMUMS IMPLEMENTED IN CERTAIN
PORTIONS OF IT. AND WHAT I PART OF MY MISSION WITH THIS IN SUPPORTING MY MY MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALSO BREAKING DOWN A LOT OF THE
MISBELIEF THAT THAT PEOPLE ARE ATTACHING TO NO PARKING MINIMUMS. PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT OH NO PARKING IS GOING TO COME WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS. ACTUALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO MAKE BUILDING EASIER IN THE CITY
OF BOSTON. THIS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADD TO THE TOOLBOX THAT COUNCILOR SANTANA SAID TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THERE'S A PROJECT IN MY IN ROSLYN SQUARE RIGHT NOW BY BONNIE BREATH BEING PROPOSED THAT HAS NO PARKING MINIMUMS IN
THERE IN IN THE ZONING BUT HOWEVER THEY ARE STILL PROPOSING A PORTION OF PARKING ON SITE FOR SOME OF THE RESIDENTS. BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE ALSO MODES OF OTHER TRANSPORTATION MODES ACROSS THE
AREA IF IT'S EITHER THE COMMUTER RAIL OR THE BUS NETWORK LEADING TO FOREST HILLS. THIS IS THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO BUILD MORE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND REMOVING SOME OF THE OBSTACLES THAT HAVE MADE
IT SO DIFFICULT IN PRIOR YEARS. SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO SUPPORT IT AND THANK MY MY MY COLLEAGUES FOR SPONSORING THIS AND LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SUPPORT IT ACROSS THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU SEE.
I'M KEEPING IT TIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE A UM WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC TESTIMONY. COUNCILOR BREADON, UH, ONE OF OUR CO-SPONSORS. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL. UM. THANK YOU. I'M DELIGHTED TO BE PART
OF THIS CONVERSATION TODAY TO DISCUSS, UH, PARKING MINIMUMS. UM, I THINK THERE'S THIS MISCONCEPTION THAT, UH THAT, UM ,NO PARKING MINIMUM MINIMUMS
MEANS THAT THERE'S NO PARKING AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE. I THINK WE ARE TRYING TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE, UM, THAT THERE'S ,UH, FLEXIBILITY IN THE SYSTEM IN TERMS OF ZONING THAT IN
PLACES WHERE YOU NEED MORE PARKING YOU CAN HAVE MORE PARKING IN PLACES WHERE YOU NEED LESS PARKING, YOU CAN HAVE LESS PARKING AND THAT WE'RE NOT TIED INTO ONE SIZE FITS ALL. FOR EXAMPLE, IN AUSTIN WE'VE
SEEN DE FACTO REMOVAL OF PARK PARKING MINIMUMS FOR YEARS NINE DEVELOPERS STILL BUILD PARKING WHEN DESIRED AT THE ALLSTON, BRIGHTON AND ALLSTON IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
COMMUNITY CIVIC MEETING DEVELOPERS BUILD UH BUILDING UH IN MORE HEAVILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS CONSTANTLY TOLD THE PARKING THEIR BUILDING WELL EVEN ABOVE MINIMUMS AND THEN ON THE OTHER HAND LARGE PROJECTS
IN ALLSTON VILLAGE AND PACKARD'S CORNER HAVE ZERO PARKING THAT IS VERY WELL RECEIVED BY UM THE COMMUNITY DOWN THERE ALSO FOR FLEXIBILITY DEVELOPERS CAN MEET THE NEEDS
OF RESIDENTS. SO I THINK IT'S ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL AND I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT UH, CONVERSATION TO HAVE. UM AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION TODAY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. UM, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR DURKAN I'D MUCH RATHER JUST GETTING TO THE QUESTIONS. I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. IT'S AN INTERESTING
CONVERSATION TO HAVE. I GOTTA SAY AT THE MOMENT I'M NOT CONVINCED. SO I LOOK HERE TO LEARN TODAY FROM ALL OF YOU. ABOUT WHAT WE THINK, UH, THE BENEFITS ARE AND OF COURSE I WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE IT AND I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY CAN LEARN A
LITTLE BIT MORE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, AND. >> THIS. IS A LITTLE. OUT OF ORDER BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO TO SARAH BROSNAN. WHO WAS COMMISSIONED. TO DRAFT FOR 2020. UH SORRY I 2023 REPORT WITH THE
PLANNING DEPARTMENT. UM, SHE IS AN EXPERT. UM, AND, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU STATED THAT ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS WAS THE SINGLE MOST SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE TO THE
BOSTON ZONING CODE THAT ARGUABLY DO THE MOST GOOD FOR THE CITY. UM, SO I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND WANT TO. >> GIVE YOU THE. OPPORTUNITY TO DO A PRESENTATION. UM. >> TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE OTHER UM FROM THE OTHER PANELIST.
UH, PROFESSOR RONAN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCILMAN DARKMAN AND, UH, EVERYBODY WHO'S ASSEMBLED HERE TODAY.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE MY SCREEN AND, UM, I'M JUST GOING TO GET STARTED. UM, SO JUST TO SAY, YOU KNOW, UH I DO UH, UM, SERVE. >> AS A PROFESSOR. SO WE'RE GETTING THERE I THINK
WITH THE SCREEN BUT UM, JUST WANT TO OH, SURE. WAIT FOR ONE SECOND TO SEE IF WE. CAN GET THERE. SURE. >> IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S BLANK. YEAH. PERFECT. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. >> YES YES YES. UM, JUST SO I CAN REMEMBER TO SAY A BRIEF WORD
OF INTRODUCTION. SO JUST TO SAY THAT I DO SERVE AS A LAW PROFESSOR. UM, I AM A LICENSED ARCHITECT. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GOT THE WRITTEN TESTIMONY THAT I SUBMITTED. UM, BUT I AM, UH, I GUESS A
SCHOLAR OF ZONING LAW. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ZONING BECAUSE IT GIVES ME A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT ZONING TOO. UM, BUT I'M ALSO SOMEBODY WHO HAS, UH, WORKED IN, UH, ZONING
PRACTICE TO TRY TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING WHICH IS UH, GRAPPLE WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY DEMANDS AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THEM THROUGH IN OUR CASE TODAY AND IN MY CASE AT THE CITY
OF HARTFORD, UH, THROUGH UH, ZONING. SO WHEN I CHAIRED THE CITY OF HARTFORD'S PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR SEVEN YEARS, WE BECAME, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES TO ELIMINATE PARKING MANDATES CITYWIDE.
I LED THE CITY THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE WE EVALUATED DIFFERENT ISSUES. UM, AGAIN, EXACTLY LIKE THE ONES YOU'RE CONSIDERING TODAY IN A HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND CITY. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THESE COUPLE
OF IMAGES IN THE SLIDES, UM, THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT IS AN IMAGE THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS WE, UM, CHANGED THE PARKING MANDATES REDEVELOPED FOR HOUSING WITHOUT HAVING TO
PROVIDE PARKING ON SITE IN DOWNTOWN FOR TEACHERS IT'S CALLED TEACHERS CORNERS. THE BUILDING ON THE RIGHT IS A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN A LONG VACANT LOT JUST NORTH OF DOWNTOWN THAT WAS AGAIN
DELIVERED UH, WITHOUT PARKING. AND I THINK THE POINT EARLIER THAT JUST SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT IF DEVELOPERS BELIEVE THAT PARKING IS REQUIRED THEY WILL BUILD IT. UM, IS REALLY AT THE ROOT
OF WHAT'S BEHIND, UM, THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MANDATES . I'VE SEEN IN MY RESEARCH DECADES AND DECADES OF ZONING STAGNATION, UM, JUST ZONING
CODES BEING PUT IN PLACE 50 YEARS AGO, 70 YEARS AGO AND SAYING EXACTLY THE SAME AND NOT RECOGNIZING MODERN REALITIES AND ALSO OUTDATED ENSHRINING
OUTDATED PLANNING CONCEPTS. SO UH, IN HARTFORD WE HAD THE EXPERIENCE AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATES OF THESE UH IT DIDN'T INCLUDE THE DAY ON THE RIGHT BUT IT'S FROM 2025 20 TO 2017.
WE'VE SEEN A HISTORY IN HARTFORD OF NEW HOUSING BEING BUILT AND A BUILDINGS LIKE THE ONE ON THE LEFT BEING REHABILITATED FOR HOUSING IN LARGE PART BECAUSE WE ELIMINATED PARKING MANDATES AND
IT BROUGHT THESE SITES BACK INTO AND DEVELOPMENT FEASIBILITY. SO IN ADDITION TO PRACTICING IN ZONING AS A PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSIONER, I ALSO DO
RESEARCH BEYOND JUST LEGAL TREATISES AND CASE LAW. UM I HAVE A TEAM AT THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS THAT HAS READ ABOUT 1.2 MILLION PAGES OF ZONING CODES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. UM, SO WE'VE ANALYZED ZONING IN ALL OF NEW ENGLAND, UH, EXCEPT FOR MAINE VERY DIFFICULT ZONING THERE I SHOULD ADD. UM, WE'VE COMPLETED ANALYSIS IN 17 STATES AND DC AND WE'VE
COMPLETED A LOT OF NEW YORK, UH, TEXAS, UH, AND SO ON. SO EVERYWHERE THAT IS PURPLE ON THE MAP SHOWS PLACES THAT DO HAVE ZONING AGAIN NEW ENGLAND ENTIRELY ZONE TEXAS AND NEW
MEXICO NOT SO MUCH THE GRAY SHOWS WHERE WE'VE CONFIRMED THERE IS NO ZONING AND THE WHITE SHOWS PLACES THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO YET. BUT MY POINT IS THAT, UM. I'M FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THE
DIFFERENT WAYS THAT CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY INCLUDING CITIES OF A SIMILAR SIZE TO BOSTON ACTUALLY, UH, CREATE A DRAFT AND ARTICULATE UH, THEIR ZONING RULES.
ZONING IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. IT DICTATES EVERYTHING THAT IS BUILT WITHIN THE JURISDICTION UH, THAT IT EDIT UH, MANAGES AND UH IT'S UH I THINK THE MOST
CONSEQUENTIAL BODY OF LAW THAT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT EXCEPT FOR YOU GUYS TODAY. SO SO KUDOS AGAIN FOR STARTING THE CONVERSATION. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
COMMISSIONED BY THE CITY TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE CITY OF BOSTON ZONING CODE IN GREAT DETAIL. IN JANUARY 2023 I ISSUED A REPORT UH, TO THE CITY VIA THE BOSTON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
AGENCY NOW THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, WHERE I REVIEWED THE CITY'S CODES AGAINST OTHER MAJOR CITY CODES . AND I HAVE A LINK TO THAT. UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THAT IT'S, UH, IN THE WRITTEN
TESTIMONY THAT I PROVIDED. UM, BUT THERE WAS A LENGTHY REPORT ABOUT 40 PLUS PAGES. UM, AND I REALLY TRIED TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT BOSTON IS FACING AND ALL THE
WAYS THAT THE CODE IS HOLDING BOSTON BACK NOT JUST FROM SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, THAT THAT VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS MENTIONED BUT ALSO FROM ACHIEVING THE GOALS THAT ARE SET FORTH IN THE CITY PLAN THAT
THE CITY ADOPTED TO GREAT FANFARE UH, A FEW YEARS AGO. AND YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I THINK HAS HAS NOT NECESSARILY BEEN TOTALLY FULFILLED.
UM, SO I WANTED TO JUST MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT UH, THAT I DREW OUT OF UH IN THAT UH, PAPER. UM, AND I ALSO WANTED BEFORE I
STARTED TO SAY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT NONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SITTING HERE TODAY WROTE THE CODE THAT I WAS CRITIQUING. THAT IS AN OLD CODE THE WAY THAT IT WAS DRAFTED. THE BYZANTINE NATURE OF IT IS
NO ONE'S FAULT ON THIS, UH, PANEL THIS, UH, CITY COUNCIL TODAY, BUT YOU HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO FIX IT. UM, AND THERE'S A LOT THAT NEEDS FIXING IN THIS CODE. SO THE CODE I CALLED IT
BLOATED, OUTDATED, INCONSISTENT AND INEQUITABLE AND THAT, UH, IS BY WAY OF COMPARISON TO VIRTUALLY EVERY OTHER CODE IN THE COUNTRY. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE
OF HOW IT'S BLOATED IT IS THOUSANDS OF PAGES LONG. IT HAS 90 CHAPTERS. I COMPARE THAT WITH OTHER BIG CITIES WE JUST PUT BOSTON I'M SORRY WE JUST PUT CHICAGO AND PHILADELPHIA UP ON THE ZONING
MAP ON THE ZONING ATLAS. THEY HAVE LESS THAN 300 PAGES IN THEIR ZONING CODE. NOW I'M SURE THERE'S PROBLEMS IN THAT UH, IN THEIR CODES AS WELL. BUT IT IS NOT THE KIND OF REGULATORY MORASS THAT YOU
HAVE AS A BASELINE IN YOUR BOSTON ZONING CODE. IT'S ALSO REALLY OUTDATED, HAS A LOT OF OUTDATED PLANNING CONCEPTS. ANACHRONISTIC TERMS. IT'S INCONSISTENT.
YOU SEE THAT IN THE UH THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE A 33 PAGE TEXT AMENDMENT THAT UH, SHOWS YOU ALL THESE DIFFERENT PARKING MANDATES THAT EXIST IN THE CODE VERY CONTRADICTORY,
UH, TO EACH OTHER. AND I ALSO ARGUED THAT IT'S AN EQUITABLE AND IT'S INEQUITABLE NOT JUST BECAUSE. UM. >> IT UH FROM A PROCESS. STANDPOINT ALL THESE INTRICATE
RULES MEAN THAT ONLY WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO CAN HIRE LAWYERS CAN MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THIS CODE, BUT IT'S ALSO INEQUITABLE IN ITS SUBSTANTIVE OUTCOMES. IT BLOCKS HOUSING PRODUCTION,
IT BLOCKS EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT AND IT UNDERMINES THE CITY'S ABILITY TO, UH, TO REALLY CARE FOR ALL OF ITS RESIDENTS AND MEET THEIR NEEDS. UM, AS COUNCILWOMAN DURKAN
SAID, I DID SAY THE SINGLE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE OF THE BOSTON ZONING CODE THAT ARGUABLY WILL DO THE MOST GOOD FOR THE CITY IS THE ELIMINATION OF MINIMUM PARKING MANDATES. AND I STAND BY THAT STATEMENT.
IT'S THREE YEARS LATER. UM, WHICH IS WHY I'M SO EXCITED THAT YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING TODAY. UM, SO JUST TO PUT THIS IN BRIEF PERSPECTIVE WITH THE NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS JUST
GOING TO SHOW YOU A QUICK IMAGE OF BOSTON. UM, SO HERE WE ARE ON THE MAP. THE LEGEND ON THE LEFT SHOWS YOU WHERE ZONING UH, REQUIRES
EITHER PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE LIGHT PURPLE MIXED WITH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE DARK PURPLE AND THEN IN THE TAN NONRESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. UM, AND THEN THE GREENS ARE
PLACES THAT ARE PROTECTED LANDS AND OF COURSE THE BLUE IS WATER . UM AND THEN THE BOUNDARIES OF BOSTON ARE THESE PLACES IN BLACK? UM, WHEN I ASK THE MAP SO WE'D LOG ALL KINDS OF THINGS ON OUR MAP AT THE LEVEL OF THE ZONING
DISTRICT. WE ASK IT CAN YOU, UH DOES THE ZONING CODE ALLOW SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING FOR FAMILY HOUSING TO BE ONLY AS A THREE FAMILY HOUSING? ARE THERE HEIGHT CAPS? ARE THERE MINIMUM LOT SIZES ARE THERE WHAT COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS AND SO ON AND SO
FORTH. WE LOG TO THE DETAIL PARKING. THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU WHERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON YOU CAN BUILD HOUSING WITHOUT A PARKING
MANDATE. THE MAP IS ALMOST ENTIRELY WHITE IF YOU SQUINT YOU CAN SEE SOME AREAS DOWN MATTAPAN. YOU CAN SEE UM SOME AREAS UP IN DOWNTOWN THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
UH, ONLY 547 ACRES OF THE 20,000 ZONED ACRES IN THE CITY 3% UH, HAS UH THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MANDATES. UM, AND UH YOU CAN SEE THAT AT
THE BOTTOM RIGHT NOW JUST LOOKING NORTH THERE YOU SEE CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE ARE APPEARING IN PURPLE. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY'VE ELIMINATED PARKING MANDATES. THEY'RE TWO OF THE MANY CITIES
AND PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE ELIMINATED THEM. UM, SO I OF COURSE WHOLEHEARTEDLY ENDORSE, UH, THE APPROACH YOU'RE MAKING FROM A
POLICY STANDPOINT FROM A BEST PRACTICES STANDPOINT, FROM A MODERNIZATION STANDPOINT. AND I OF COURSE I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ADOPT, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU BUT I WOULDN'T BE
DOING MY JOB IF I DIDN'T PULL BACK, UH, AND MAKE TWO SUGGESTIONS BASED ON THE REPORT THAT THE CITY ACCEPTED IN 2023. SO JUST PUTTING THIS ON YOUR RADAR SCREEN FOR THOSE WHO WISH
TO TAKE THIS EVEN FARTHER. FIRST SUGGESTION I THINK THE AMENDMENT SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO NONRESIDENTIAL USES. I HEARD IN ONE OF THE OPENING STATEMENTS THAT A COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION OF DEVELOPERS
ENDORSED THIS. NOW OF COURSE SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU DO IS RESIDENTIAL, SOME IS MIXED USE I'M SURE AND MAYBE SOME IS NONRESIDENTIAL. UM WHAT IS BEING CREATED BY
THIS TEXT AMENDMENT IS A IS A GREAT THING UM LIFTING FOR RESIDENTIAL USES BUT IT ALSO HAS THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM OF MAKING DEVELOPMENT MUCH
HARDER FOR NONRESIDENTIAL USES AND MAKING DEVELOPMENT HARDER FOR MIXED USE BUILDINGS. SO RESIDENTIAL ON TOP, RETAIL ON THE BOTTOM. UM IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE AMENDMENT COULD BE EXPANDED TO
NONRESIDENTIAL USES FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT UH, AS MANY WILL TESTIFY IN PANEL. UM, THIS MAKES SENSE FOR RESIDENTIAL USES. MY SECOND SUGGESTION IS EVEN IF YOU DON'T EXPAND, PLEASE
CONSIDER STREAMLINING THE REMAINING I THINK HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF PARKING MANDATES BY CONSOLIDATING THE NONRESIDENTIAL MANDATES OF THE REMAINING NONRESIDENTIAL MANDATES INTO A SINGLE PARKING
SECTION. IN THE WRITTEN TESTIMONY I PROVIDED, I JUST PULL OUT A COUPLE OF PARAGRAPHS WHY LONG THIS UH, SECTION OF THE CODE THAT SECTION OF THE CODE AGAIN PROBABLY HUNDREDS
OF PAGES OF PARKING MANDATES FOR NONRESIDENTIAL USES THAT REALLY HAVE NO CONSISTENCY FROM ONE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NEXT. UM, IN ADDITION TO A LOT OF LITERATURE AND RESEARCH THAT
TALKS ABOUT HOUSING UM, IT STARTS ABOUT SORRY, PARKING MANDATES AS NOT BEING JUSTIFIED FROM REALLY ANY STANDPOINT. UM, THE FACT THAT THE BOSTON ZONING CODE IS SO INCONSISTENT
AND HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT PARKING MANDATES IT'S BAD FOR BUSINESS. IT'S BAD FOR PROPERTY OWNERS AND IT'S REALLY BAD, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO, UH, NEED TO FIND HOUSING AND WHO HAVE SMALL
BUSINESSES IN THE CITY. SO I THINK, UH I'M JUST GOING TO STOP THERE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME. UM, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SHARE A COUPLE OF SLIDES AND I'LL PUT MY, UH, MYSELF ON
MUTE, UH, IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO. >> MUCH, PROFESSOR BRONIN. UM, REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK AND, UH. THE WORK THAT. >> YOU PUT IN YEARS AGO AND THE WORK THAT YOU'RE BACK HERE TO TELL US ABOUT. SO, UM, GRATEFUL FOR, UM, AND
AND EXCITED TO DIG INTO THE ZONING ATLAS AS WELL. UM, SO, UM I'M GOING TO LET. UH, OUR PANELISTS, UH, GO DOWN IF YOU CAN. KEEP IT TO UNDER UM, TWO MINUTES. UM. >> JUST TO.
OPENING, YOU KNOW. JUST SORT OF TO CERTIFY WHERE. YOU'RE COMING TO THIS CONVERSATION FROM AND WE'LL START. UH, WITH UH WITH BEACON. ALL RIGHT. GREAT. >> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UH, THANK YOU. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS HASSAN FAROOQI. I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BOSTON CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK. WE'RE A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION. AND SO YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH MY MEMBERS ABOUT THIS POLICY. NEARLY ALL OF THEM HAVE
DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND IT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE EVERY STREET, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERY BLOCK OF OUR CITY IS DIFFERENT AND THERE ARE SOME PLACES IN WHICH MAYBE WE NEED PARKING. THERE ARE MANY OTHER PLACES IN WHICH WE WOULD BE JUST FINE
WITHOUT IT. AND THAT'S WHY WE CAME TO SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE THIS ALLOWS THE FLEXIBILITY SO THAT EVERY STREET, EVERY BLOCK CAN BE UH, RIGHT SIZED IN TERMS OF PARKING TO WHAT MAKES SENSE
FOR IT. NOW THIS IS ESPECIALLY URGENT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY AND WHO WE'RE BEING PUSHED FURTHER AND FURTHER OUT OF THE CITY. THAT MEANS THEY STILL COME INTO
THE CITY FOR ALL THAT BOSTON HAS TO OFFER AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THEY DO SO THROUGH CARS WHEN WE CAN MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THE CITY, THEY CAN DRIVE FEWER MILES OR BETTER YET THEY
CAN TAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT. AND THAT ALSO MEANS WE CAN ENABLE MORE OF OUR SPACE TO BE USED TO HOUSE THOSE PEOPLE, UH, RATHER THAN ON LARGE EXPANSES OF CONCRETE.
AND CONCRETE IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SPACE WE'RE USING FOR PARKING ESPECIALLY IF THAT PARKING IS SITTING EMPTY AS LIZZIE MAY SAY ,THERE ARE GREAT CLIMATE
RESILIENT BENEFITS THERE TO UH RATHER THAN HAVING CONCRETE THAT ABSORBS HEAT AND RADIATES IT OUT ESPECIALLY AS EXTREME HEAT GETS WORSE, WE CAN HAVE GREEN SPACE THAT PROTECTS US FROM EXTREME HEAT AND RATHER
THAN HAVING CONCRETE THAT MAKES FLOODING WORSE ESPECIALLY AS STORMWATER INCREASES AS SEA LEVELS RISE WE CAN HAVE GREEN SPACE THAT HELPS ABSORB THAT. AND SO THIS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FROM A CLIMATE STANDPOINT.
IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FROM A HOUSING AFFORDABILITY STANDPOINT. AND IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO HELP LOWER THE COST OF HOUSING. THERE ARE MANY AND THIS WILL HELP TO LOWER THOSE DEVELOPMENT COSTS AND MAKE SURE THAT BOSTON IS AFFORDABLE FOR ALL OF OUR
FAMILIES. SO THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH. ABUNDANT HOUSING MASSACHUSETTS. UH YEAH. THANK YOU. CHAIR DEREK AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS JESSE HANSON BENTON OF I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ABUNDANT HOUSING
MASSACHUSETTS AS ALWAYS. I'M ALSO HERE AS A BOSTON RESIDENT IN JAMAICA PLAIN AND ACTIVE MEMBER OF MY LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, THE FOREST HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND A. PROUD PARENT OF A BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL.
STUDENT TESTIFYING. TODAY IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THIS POLICY TO REMOVE WASTEFUL PARKING MANDATES FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ALLOW COMMON SENSE PARKING FLEXIBILITY. ARBITRARY AND COSTLY PARKING
MANDATES DRIVE UP THE COST OF BUILDING HOMES IN OUR CITY ADDS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER SURFACE PARKING SPACE OR INTO THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR STRUCTURED OR UNDERGROUND PARKING.
THIS COST IS PASSED ON TO FAMILIES IN OUR CITY ALREADY STRUGGLING TO AFFORD RENT OR PRICED OUT OF HOMEOWNERSHIP IN THE FORM OF HIGHER HOUSING COSTS FOR MY FAMILY, EVEN AS A
TWO INCOME PROFESSIONAL HOUSEHOLD, OUR ABILITY TO LIVE AFFORDABLY IN BOSTON IS HEAVILY CONSTRAINED. WE WANT TO GROW OUR ROOTS HERE, BUT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO SIZE UP IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE
ARBITRARY AMONG OTHER REASONS ARBITRARY PARKING MANDATES FORCED LAND TO BE USED FOR OVERBUILT PARKING INSTEAD OF HOMES FOR FAMILIES LIKE MINE AND OTHERS. THE STATUS QUO ALSO KEEPS FAMILIES APART.
MY OUT-OF-STATE PARENTS WANT TO MOVE HERE TO HELP CARE FOR THEIR GRANDSON. BUT EVEN AFTER SELLING THEIR HOME OUT OF STATE, BOSTON'S HOUSING COSTS ARE ENTIRELY OUT OF REACH. WHEN THEY VISIT, THEY'RE FORCED TO PAY EXORBITANT SHORT TERM
RENTAL RATES. MY FAMILY'S STRUGGLE TO AFFORD AND REMAIN IN BOSTON IS SHARED BY THOUSANDS OF WORKING FAMILIES ACROSS THE CITY. UM I HAVE SOME EXAMPLES JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME THAT I
WON'T SHARE TODAY BUT IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THESE PARKING MANDATES UM WILL HAVE TANGIBLE NEGATIVE IMPACTS, LOCAL HOME BUILDERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS SHOULD HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO DETERMINE WHAT
PARKING MAKES SENSE BASED ON THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS. FORCING EXCESS PARKING DRIVES UP HOUSING COSTS FOR EVERYONE. IN FACT, RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT JUST ONE MANDATED PARKING SPACE CAN RAISE MONTHLY HOUSING
COSTS OVER $200. I'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR POLLING STRONG SUPPORT FOR THIS ACROSS THE CITY INCLUDING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM AND METROPOLITAN. AREA PLANNING COUNCIL.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCILORS. MY NAME IS LIZZIE WYANT AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COUNCIL. AND APC. >> IS A REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY SERVING THE. 101 CITIES AND TOWNS OF GREATER. BOSTON. >> INCLUDING THE CITY
OF BOSTON. WE WORK TO CREATE. A MORE. SUSTAINABLE. >> EQUITABLE, COLLABORATIVE. >> AND CLIMATE RESILIENT REGION. MY COLLEAGUE AUDIE NO CHAIR TESTIFIED BEFORE THIS COUNCIL LAST DECEMBER WHEN YOU WERE FIRST CONSIDERING
ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS. HE LEADS ARE A PERFECT FIT PARKING WORK AT APC, AND HIS RESEARCH HAS INSPIRED CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS. GREATER BOSTON. TO RIGHTSIZE THEIR PARKING. MPAC STRONGLY SUPPORTS. >> THE.
ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU TODAY AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PASS IT. FOR THE PAST DECADE, OUR PERFECT FIT PARKING WORK HAS BEEN AT THE LEADING EDGE OF PARKING REFORM. WE USE OVERNIGHT PARKING COUNTS
TO ANALYZE OFF STREET PARKING AT MULTIFAMILY HOUSING SITES ACROSS THE REGION. FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS, OUR RESEARCH HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN THAT PARKING SUPPLY FAR OUTSTRIPS DEMAND, THAT PARKING
IS OVERBUILT AND UNDERUTILIZED AND THAT IT'S ACTUALLY PARKING SUPPLY THAT IS THE BIGGEST DRIVER OF PARKING DEMAND. THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE WHEN WE BUILD MORE PARKING THAN WE
ACTUALLY NEED, WE ENCOURAGE CAR OWNERSHIP AND MORE CAR TRIPS. IN SHORT, THE MORE PARKING THAT'S PROVIDED THE MORE PEOPLE WILL USE IT. THESE PATTERNS HOLD TRUE IN
EVERY SINGLE BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN EVERY MUNICIPALITY THAT WE'VE STUDIED URBAN AND SUBURBAN ALIKE. OUR WORK PROVIDES THE DATA TO SHOW THAT REDUCING OR ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS
WILL HELP PRODUCE MORE HOUSING AND LOWER HOUSING COSTS, AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SHARED, REDUCING PARKING ALSO CREATES GROWTH WITHOUT CONGESTION AND POLLUTION AND IMPROVES OPPORTUNITIES FOR WALKABILITY.
CITIES AND TOWNS ALL OVER GREATER BOSTON HAVE USED OUR RESEARCH AS INSPIRATION TO REFORM THEIR PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND ADVANCE THEIR GOALS FOR MORE LIVABLE COMMUNITIES. THE COMMONWEALTH HAS TAKEN THIS POSITION AS WELL WITH GOVERNOR
HEALEY'S UNLOCKING HOUSING PRODUCTION COMMISSION CITING MAPS WORK IN RECOMMENDING THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MINIMUMS STATEWIDE IN 2020 WHEN THIS COUNCIL SHOWED LEADERSHIP ON
THIS ISSUE BY UNANIMOUSLY REMOVING MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS LAST FALL THE CITY OF SALEM PASSED AN ORDINANCE TO REMOVE PARKING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW
DEVELOPMENT VERY SIMILAR TO THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU TODAY AND WE'RE JUST STARTING WORK IN CHELSEA TO ADDRESS SIMILAR ISSUES. WE FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN REALLY IMPORTANT STEPS TO ADDRESS PARKING REFORM, AND WE
APPLAUD THAT WORK AND THE ONGOING EFFORTS FROM THE BOSTON PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO CONSIDER REDUCING PARKING MINIMUMS. PARKING REQUIREMENTS CONTINUE TO BE A BARRIER TO NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY,
ESPECIALLY FOR THE TYPES OF SMALLER SCALE INFILL DEVELOPMENT THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS OUR HOUSING CRISIS AND NEED THIS MOMENT. WE URGE YOU TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON YOUR PAST LEADERSHIP AND ELIMINATE
PARKING MINIMUMS. OVER 100 MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE TAKEN THIS STEP BECAUSE THE DATA SHOWS THAT OUR CURRENT PARKING POLICIES ARE OUTDATED AND ARE ARBITRARY. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER
MOMENT TO CREATE MORE SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, BETTER PARKING FOR BOSTON. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR DURKAN AND THANK YOU TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
MY NAME IS MIKE DE MAYO. I'M AN ATTORNEY AND A MEMBER OF BETTER PARKING FOR BOSTON. I DRAFTED THIS I DRAFTED THE ZONING CODE AMENDMENT BEFORE YOU TODAY UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH SEVERAL OTHER VOLUNTEERS. >> FROM OUR GROUP.
UM, AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS. AND I'M HERE TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE TEXT OF THE AMENDMENT FOR A BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT ME OPEN I LIVE IN THE MIDDLE UNIT OF A FIVE.
STORY ROWHOUSE IN THE SOUTH END. WE LOVE OUR HOME. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS WALKABLE. WITH MANY LOCAL BUSINESSES NEARBY. OUR NEIGHBORS ARE FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL AND OUR STREET IS
QUIET. BUT UNDER THE SOUTH AND ZONING CODE. HOWEVER, OUR BUILDING. AND MOST OF THE BUILDINGS ON OUR STREET CANNOT BE BUILT TODAY BECAUSE THEY. DO NOT FIT THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES THE
CODE REQUIRES. WITHOUT MAKING DRASTIC CHANGES. LIKE TURNING MY NEIGHBOR'S HOME INTO A PARKING GARAGE. I JOINED BETTER PARKING FOR BOSTON. AND VOLUNTEER TO DO THIS WORK BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME.
>> THAT PEOPLE SEEKING TO LIVE IN OUR CITY CAN FIND. >> AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS JUST LIKE THIS HOME MEETS THE NEEDS OF MY FAMILY. TURNING TO THE AMENDMENT UNDER CONSIDERATION, I REVIEWED THE FULL ZONING CODE TO IDENTIFY
ANY OBLIGATIONS RELATED PARKING MINIMUMS. UM, AS IT RELATES TO PARKING MINIMUMS, THE ZONING CODE HAS TWO KEY ELEMENTS. FIRST, THERE ARE OVERARCHING STANDARDS SET FORTH IN ARTICLE
23 WHICH APPLY TO ALL AREAS OF THE CITY BY DEFAULT. AND SECOND, THEY'RE NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC ARTICLES. MOST OF WHICH ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL BUT HAVE SLIGHT VARIATIONS. NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBORHOOD.
THESE NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC OBLIGATIONS SUPERSEDE THE DEFAULT ARTICLE 23 LANGUAGE WHERE APPLIED CORRESPONDINGLY. WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE DRAFT AMENDMENT ARE CHANGES TO THE
DEFAULT PROVISIONS ARTICLE 23 FOLLOWED BY NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC CHANGES FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL CHANGES THERE ARE TWO SECTIONS. FIRST IS MOST OF THE TIME A
TABLE THAT REPLACES THE CURRENT PARKING MINIMUM STANDARDS UM WITH REMOVING THEM AND THEN SECOND REVISIONS TO THE PARKING STANDARDS WHICH ARE MERELY
INTENDED TO KEEP THE STATUS QUO AFTER REMOVING THIS MINIMUM OBLIGATION, I'M HAPPY TO JUST DISCUSS. >> ANY. QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE DRAFT TODAY OR FOLLOWING TODAY'S HEARING. IT'S HELPFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM AND THE URBANIST. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UM IT'S AN. >> HONOR TO BE HERE AND. >> THANK YOU. FOR TAKING THE. TIME TO. UM. >> BEAR ON LISTENING TO. UM. >> MY OWN EXPERIENCE. AS A YOUNG PERSON IN THE CITY.
UM, SO I'M A RECENT GRADUATE OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY AND I'VE BEEN A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND LIVING IN AUSTIN BRIGHTON SINCE I MOVED HERE FOR SCHOOL IN 2023 AND I ALSO FOUNDED THE URBANISM
CLUB AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY, WHICH I STARTED AS A WAY TO GET STUDENTS MORE INVOLVED AND ENGAGED IN THEIR COMMUNITY WHETHER THAT IS IN ADVOCATING FOR BETTER TRANSPORTATION, UH,
FOR MORE HOUSING, UM FOR TO UH INITIATIVES TO MAKE OUR UNIVERSITY MORE SUSTAINABLE UM OR IN VOLUNTEERING AND DIRECT ACTION TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE SUCH AS OUR
PROJECT TO BUILD A PARKLET ON CALL OF UM UNDERUSED CAMPUS PARKING MINIMUMS DON'T REFLECT THE NEEDS OF TODAY'S RENTERS AND YOUNG YOUNG ADULTS UH YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE NOT BUYING CARS AND DRIVING IN BOSTON AND PART OF IT IS THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY CARS. BUT THE OTHER PART IS THAT WE DON'T REALLY. >> WANT. TO DRIVE IN THIS CITY. IT'S SLOW, IT'S INEFFICIENT,
IT'S EXPENSIVE AND IT'S KILLING THE ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S DANGEROUS. UM, PARKING MINIMUMS ARE REINFORCING A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT WORK FOR US AND DOES NOT WORK FOR THE
PLANET. UM, IF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY CARS, DON'T WANT TO BUY CARS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE THEN WE SHOULDN'T BE ASKING THEM TO CONTINUE TO
SHOULDER THE HIGH COSTS OF REQUIRING PARKING IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS. ARE WE BUILDING A MORE AFFORDABLE, EQUITABLE AND LIVABLE. FUTURE OR DO WE WANT TO
CONTINUE TO REINFORCE AN UNAFFORDABLE AND EXCLUSIONARY PRESENCE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU JERRY. UM AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR BRIAN RALPH. UM, I DID, UH, GIVE EVERYONE TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING
STATEMENT. UM, OKAY. PERFECT. OKAY. SO, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I WANT TO GIVE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, UM, SIX MINUTES, UM, TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, AND JUST REMEMBER THAT PROFESSOR BRONIN UM, IS ON IS ON THE SCREEN TO THE LEFT. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, HER COMMISSIONED, UH, REPORT FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, I'M GRATEFUL
THAT SHE'S HERE. UM, SO I'LL GO IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL. UM, STARTING WITH OUR, UH, CO-SPONSORS. UH, FIRST WE'LL START WITH COUNCILOR UM, HENRY SANTANA. OH. DO YOU WANT ME TO START?
OKAY, HAPPY TO START. OKAY. SO, UM, FOR, UM, PROFESSOR SARAH BRONIN, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE BEGINNING OF WHY THESE
MINIMUMS WERE CONCEIVED? UM, AND JUST CURIOUS SORT OF SOME MORE OF THE HISTORY OF WHAT YOU FOUND, UM, IN ZONING CODES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, ABOUT YOU KNOW,
SORT OF LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHERE WE WERE AS A COUNTRY. UH, UM, WHEN THESE MEADOWS WERE CONCEIVED IN THE 60S THERE. YEAH. >> I MEAN, UH UM IN LOOKING AT
CODES AROUND THE COUNTRY IT DOES SEEM LIKE, UH THE BIGGEST WAVE OF ADOPTION OF PARKING MANDATES HAPPENED IN THE 1950S AND 1960S. UH, WHICH MAY MAKE SENSE, UM,
GIVEN THAT THE RISE OF THE AUTOMOBILE, THE. RISE OF. SUBURBIA, UM, REALLY WAS OCCURRING AROUND THEN THE UM PROBLEM WAS IS THAT CITIES LIKE
BOSTON, HARTFORD, BUFFALO, UH UH, BALTIMORE, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE PLACES ADOPTED ZONING, UH, PARKING MANDATES IN THEIR ZONING CODES EVEN THOUGH
THEY WERE BUILT IN A COMPACT WAY. THEY HAD SIGNIFICANT UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT. UM, THEY HAVE A LOT OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT WOULD HAVE THAT WERE IN FACT TORN DOWN BECAUSE OF PARKING MANDATES AS PEOPLE
TRIED TO REUSE THEIR BUILDINGS AND COULDN'T UNLESS THEY DEMOLISHED PART OF THEIR BUILDING OR BOUGHT THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR AND TORE IT DOWN. UM SO OVER TIME PEOPLE HAVE REALLY LOOKED AT THESE AND SEEN THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS THAT AGAIN
OTHER OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN TO. SO YOU SEE PLACES LIKE AUSTIN, BALTIMORE, DENVER, UM UH PORTLAND, SAN FRANCISCO ARE COMPLETELY ELIMINATING PARKING MANDATES AND THAT IS THE WAVE
AND THAT IS JUST FOR RESIDENTIAL USES BUT FOR NONRESIDENTIAL USES AS WELL. THAT IS THE CURRENT BEST PRACTICE FOR WHATEVER REASON. UM, YOU KNOW, WE I GUESS THERE'S A THERE'S UH A FAMOUS
UH, SAYING FROM DONALD SHOUP, UH, WHO IS A PROFESSOR RECENTLY PASSED AWAY AND WROTE A BOOK I CITED IN MY TESTIMONY THE HIGH COST OF FREE PARKING AND HE
SAID WHERE DID PARKING MANDATES COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE? NO ONE KNOWS. THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS. NO ONE KNOWS. UM, BUT NONETHELESS THEY WERE ADOPTED. SO UM, AGAIN WITH THE RISE OF THE AUTOMOBILE.
BUT BUT WE'RE NOT IN THAT TIME NOW AND YOU HEARD TESTIMONY ESPECIALLY ABOUT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT THAT PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE IN A CITY LIKE BOSTON. UM, THEY WANT ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING MANDATES. AND WITH THAT.
THANK YOU. AND UM, SPEAKING TO MY EXPERIENCE, I WAS UH, BEFORE UH, A GROUP CALLED BOSTON VILLAGES WHICH USED TO BE CALLED BEACON HILL VILLAGES, WHICH IS I DON'T KNOW WHOSE PHONE IS GOING OFF, BUT IF YOU. COULD.
>> UM, A LITTLE DISTRACTING. UM, I'M JUST GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THAT'S. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, AND, UH, IT IT WAS SURPRISING TO ME TO HAVE
RESIDENTS, UM, THAT WERE ALL OVER 50, UM, SAY THAT WE NEEDED TO ELIMINATE PARKING MINIMUMS. UM, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, REALIZE
THAT THERE THERE IS SORT OF A CROSS-SECTION OF FOLKS WHO ARE EITHER NOT CHOOSING TO DRIVE OR UH, HAVE DECIDED NOT TO DRIVE ANYMORE. AND UM, SO FOR JERRY, UM, WHY
DO YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS CONVERSATION? UM. >> WELL, I THINK YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY AND, UM, WE CARE A LOT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CITIES.
UM, I'VE WORKED AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER IN BRIGHTON, UM, AND IN MY FOUR YEARS AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY AND I HAVE CONSISTENTLY FOUND THAT, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING THIS PLACE OR THE
CITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE FOR EVERYONE. AS LONG AS I HEAR PEOPLE LIKE REFER TO PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF AS LIKE TRANSIENTS OR I EVEN HEARD A PUBLIC MEETING LAST WEEK UM THAT LIKE WE ARE INVADING
NEIGHBORHOODS AND I WANT TO COUNTER THAT VIEW BECAUSE WE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE'RE ADVOCATES AND WE'RE VISIONARIES AND WE WANT TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD AND A BETTER FUTURE.
SO TO THAT POINT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE IF YOU HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO A STUDENT GROUP OR YOUNG PEOPLE UM AND INVITED THEM TO LET'S SAY COMMITTEE MEETINGS, MAYBE INVITE THEM OUT TO COFFEE, YOU KNOW, INVITE
ME OUT TO COFFEE IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO A YOUNG PERSON WHO WANTS OR WHO WANTS A BETTER FUTURE AND HAS A USE ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. UM, SPEAK TO US. UM, WE'RE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY JUST LIKE YOUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS ARE.
AND I MEAN SOME OF OUR STUDENTS MIGHT EVEN BE YOUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS. UM, SO WHEN YOU DO SPEAK TO THEM, I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT A LOT OF US DON'T DRIVE. UM, AND WE WANT TO LIVE IN A WALKABLE AND AFFORDABLE
BIKEABLE COMMUNITIES. UM, AND I THINK THAT PERSPECTIVE IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE BECAUSE IT IS THE FUTURE. THANK YOU.
UM, AND, UM, JUST ON I WANTED TO ASK UM, PARTICULARLY ABOUT WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK THIS PROPOSAL WOULD HAVE ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES? UM, I DO HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILES THAT THE BPA PLANNING
DEPARTMENT CREATES FOR EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE'S DEFINITELY A DIVERSITY OF HOW PEOPLE GET AROUND IN THE CITY. AND, UM, I WAS SURPRISED BY MY NEIGHBORHOOD JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE WALK TO WORK AND HOW MANY PEOPLE UM, YOU KNOW,
THAT'S OUR PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION IS AND THEIR COMMUTES. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SORT OF THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY ASPECT TO THIS AND UM, AND SORT OF WHAT IMPACT IT MIGHT HAVE?
ABSOLUTELY. >> I MEAN, WE SEE THAT THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE HERE AND REALLY THERE ARE TWO PIECES THAT I WANT TO TOUCH ON. THE FIRST IS EXTREME HEAT AND WE KNOW THAT BOSTON LIKE ANY
CITY IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF HEAT BECAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF CONCRETE EVERYWHERE THAT'S GOING TO ABSORB THE HEAT. BUT WE ALSO. KNOW THANKS TO WORK FROM UH, THE CLIMATE READY BOSTON TEAM
UNDER MAYOR WALSH THAT SOME NEIGHBORHOODS STAY HOTTER AND HOTTER FOR LONGER. UH, AND THOSE ARE THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE LESS IN THE WAY OF GREENSPACE AND TREE CANOPY. THOSE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES BY AND LARGE PLACES
LIKE CHINATOWN IN PARTS OF THE SOUTH END WHERE I LIVE. BUT IT'S ALSO PLACES LIKE ROXBURY AND DORCHESTER AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP MITIGATE THAT, RIGHT?
THE TREE CANOPY IS A PIECE OF IT BUT SO TOO IS ELIMINATING AND REDUCING CONCRETE ON OUR STREETS AND THAT'S WHAT PARKING LOTS REALLY ARE. UH THE OTHER PIECE IS ON
FLOODING AND WE KNOW THAT UM, STORMWATER LOVES TO RUN OFF OF PARKING LOTS INTO OUR BASEMENTS INTO OUR BUILDINGS. HAVING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE GROUNDS PREVENTS THAT.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU KNOW, THIS ALLOWS THE FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PLACES WHERE UM ,COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND DEVELOPERS AGREE THAT ACTUALLY WE CAN DO MORE IN THE WAY OF GREEN SPACE AND THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY ALWAYS POSSIBLE ON
SOME OF THESE REALLY SMALL PARCELS. BUT THIS WOULD ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. THANK YOU. UM SO WE'LL GO TO OUR CO-SPONSORS FIRST UM, STARTING WITH COUNCILOR HENRY SANTANA. THANK YOU. CHAIR.
UM AND THANK YOU TO UM. TO OUR PANELISTS AGAIN. UM, I'M GOING TO START OFF WITH PROFESSOR UM, BROUGHT IN UM, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED IN YOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT DIFFERENT
CITIES, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT UM, HAVE IMPLEMENTED PARKING MINIMUMS AND I THINK YOU WENT OVER SOME OF THE IMPACTS BUT I MEAN, UH, CAN YOU JUST GO MORE INTO SPECIFICS OF SOME OF THE UM I THINK MORE
MEASURABLE IMPACTS, UM, THAT WE'VE SEEN IN SIMILAR CITY SIZES LIKE, UM, BOSTON UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN PARKING UM, MINIMUMS ARE ELIMINATED. UH.
THERE SO AS WE SAW IN HARTFORD, UM, MORE HOUSING IS MORE UH MORE HOUSING IS BECOMES FEASIBLE FOR THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE PARKING MANDATES ACTUALLY ALLOW LAND TO BE DEVOTED TO HOUSING RATHER THAN
PARKING MANDATES. UM, CERTAINLY UH WE'VE SEEN STUDIES THAT HAVE SHOWN THAT UM AS PARKING MANDATES ARE ELIMINATED, UH, THE LOCAL TAX BASE INCREASES.
UM, IN A PLACE LIKE BOSTON WHERE BOSTONIANS ARE JUST AS LIKELY TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR WALK OR BIKE, UH, AS THEY ARE TO DRIVE. UM, ELIMINATING PARKING, UH,
MANDATES UM, IT SEEMS TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY FEASIBLE. UM, YOU DO HAVE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT UH, TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION AND UH, TO THE POINT THAT WAS RAISED
EARLIER PARKING MANDATES ACTUALLY UH, CREATE PARKING AND THAT INDUCES DRIVING. SO ONE OF MY FORMER COLLEAGUES AT UCONN, UH, NORMAN GARRICK STUDIED THIS UM AND AGAIN
SHOWED THAT UH WHERE YOU HAVE PARKING PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO DRIVE. UM AND THEN FINALLY THE THE IDEA THAT PARKING MANDATES MAKE A CITY LESS GREEN THAT THEY DO
PAVE OVER THE CITY, THEY MAKE IT HOTTER UH, IN A PLACE LIKE BOSTON WHERE GREEN SPACE IS AT A PREMIUM UH, WHERE LANDSCAPING WHERE TREES ARE AT A PREMIUM. UM, PARKING MANDATES HAVE A
MEASURABLE, UH, IMPACT, UH, THAT PREVENTS THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE FORCED, UH, AS A PROPERTY OWNER TO PAVE OVER YOUR LOT INSTEAD OF DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM IT. UH, DIFFERENT, UH, LIKE
LANDSCAPE IT SO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT, UM, THE UH, TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. UM, YOU DO SEE AGAIN LOTS OF STUDIES AND SOME OF THEM I
DO CITE IN MY WRITTEN TESTIMONY UM, FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND OF COURSE THE COST OF HOUSING. I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S THE MAIN THING FOR ME. OKAY. >> THANK YOU. I THINK FOR UH FOR ANYONE HERE MAYBE JUST TWO OF YOU WITH THE
TIME REMAINING THAT I HAVE, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU LOOK AT THE, THE THE THE HEARING ORDER, RIGHT? IT'S A IT'S ORDER FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE BOSTON ZONING CODE WITH RESPECT TO PARKING
MINIMUMS FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. AND I THINK THE REGULAR PEOPLE ALSO SAY ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS. YOU KNOW, YOUR RESIDENTIAL LIVING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD YOU SEE IT LIKE I'M HEARING LIKE I CAN'T FIND PARKING WHEN I GET
HOME. UM, FROM WORK I CAN'T FIND PARKING. UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO GOOGLE WHATEVER. UM, WHEN I'M SHOPPING OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE THE CASE AND UM, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO
RESIDENTS WHO HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT. UM ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL, RIGHT, THAT THE PARKING FOR THAT IS GOING TO BE AFFECTED? HAVE WE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES UM THE PARKING HAS BEEN AFFECTED
TO UM TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UM I JUST WANT TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT CAN I SAY TO THOSE RESIDENTS? UM. WELL, I YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE
AS PROFESSOR BRONIN JUST ALLUDED TO UM, THE ISSUE. UH, IS PROBABLY UH, HOW. WE'RE LOOKING AT IT. THE REALITY IS WHEN WE OVERBUILD PARKING WE'RE ACTUALLY THEN. INCENTIVIZING MORE PEOPLE TO
DRIVE AND TO PARK COMPETING, CREATING COMPETITION FOR EXISTING RESIDENTS AGAINST EXISTING RESIDENTS FOR THAT PARKING. THERE'S A WHOLE BODY OF RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT UM IN LOW OR NO PARKING
DEVELOPMENTS WHEN THEY ARE BUILT BUILT UH PEOPLE TEND TO USE UH HAVE FEWER CARS. SO THE REALITY IS THAT AS OUR NEEDS FOR MORE HOMES IN THE CITY GROWS IF WE ARE
OVERBUILDING PARKING ALONG WITH HOMES WE ARE GOING TO SEE MORE CARS AND THAT'S MORE COMPETITION FOR PARKING AGAINST EXISTING RESIDENTS. AND TO THAT POINT I MEAN I
APPRECIATE THAT, JESSE. UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS EVEN WE'RE SEEING EVEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT. UM, AND IN IN THIS CASE LET'S SAY THERE'S NO PARKING BEING
BUILT BUT RESIDENTS ARE SAYING TO ME, WELL REGARDLESS, RIGHT, LET'S SAY THERE'S GOING TO BE 100 UNITS HERE BEING BUILT AND MAYBE THERE'S GOING TO BE FIVE CARS OUT OF THOSE HUNDRED UNITS UH THAT THAT ARE GOING TO BE UM USING CARS.
RIGHT? SO VERY VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE. REGARDLESS THOSE FIVE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO NOW RELY ON ON UM UH STREET PARKING RIGHT. DOES THAT AFFECT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD?
WELL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT THIS DOESN'T MEAN NO PARKING WILL GET BUILT. I REMEMBER SITTING IN THIS THIS CHAMBER TWO YEARS AGO, UM, WHEN YOU ALL SPONSORED A DELEGATION
OF AUSTIN, TEXAS CITY COUNCILORS WHO VISITED. CERTAINLY AUSTIN AND BOSTON HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES BUT THERE ARE SOME SIMILARITIES GROWING CITIES THEY'RE GOING A LOT FASTER. UH, BOOMING TECH UH, BUSINESS.
UH, MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS. SO SOME COMPARABLE ELEMENTS THERE AND WHAT THE BOSTON IT'S RATHER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCILOR SAID SITTING RIGHT HERE WAS THAT AFTER THEY ELIMINATED ELIMINATED PARKING
MINIMUMS IN AUSTIN, THEY WERE STILL SEEING ABOUT 75% OF THE PARKING BUILT THAT WAS BUILT PRIOR TO THE ELIMINATION. SO IF PRIOR TO THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING, 100 PARKING SPACES
WERE BEING BUILT AND 100 UNIT DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTIN, 75 ARE STILL BEING BUILT. UM AND SO YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THAT WILL BE EXACTLY OUR EXAMPLE OR EXPERIENCE HERE IN BOSTON BUT THIS DOESN'T MEAN
NO PARKING GETS BUILT. UH, I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AND I THINK I MEAN THESE ARE JUST AND I SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL AND I, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED OF, UM, HAVING MORE HOUSING HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AS I MENTIONED IN MY OPENING
STATEMENT, I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO ALSO GO BACK UM, TO THESE RESIDENTS I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND I REALLY I'M REALLY GLAD THAT THAT'S BEING PROVIDED UM, THROUGH THIS HEARING. UM. THANK YOU. I'LL TRY AGAIN.
THANK YOU. UM, COUNCILOR SANTANA, UM, COUNCILOR BREADON AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM, UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK.
DOCTOR BRODEN ABOUT THE TO SPEAK SOMEWHAT TO THE NONRESIDENTIAL USES I KNOW IN OUR CONVERSATION WITH LAB DEVELOPERS IN THE LAST WELL, THINGS HAVE SLOWED DOWN A LOT, BUT. UM. >> THEY WERE ADVOCATING FOR TWO
SPACES PER, UM, 1000FT2 AND WE SAYS YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS. UH. >> ARE YOU NOT EXPECTING THAT LOCAL FOLKS ARE GOING TO WORK IN YOUR FACILITY? BUT. UM. >> HOW DO YOU HOW DO WE. MANAGE THAT? AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT MIXED USE. UM.
>> UH, BUILDINGS LIKE. I THINK OUR ZONING CODE ACTUALLY MOVED AWAY FROM UH, ALLOWING UH RETAIL IN THE IN THE GROUND FLOOR OF. UH OF. RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AS A WAY
TO AND. AND IN THE IN OUR KIDS SORT OF REMNANT OF OUR ZONING CODE. UM, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THOSE ISSUES? SURE. >> UM, ON THE LAB ISSUE, UH, THERE'S A HOT COMPETITION FOR
TALENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, THE HEIGHT I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HIGH TECH LABS, BIOTECH, THAT KIND OF THING. UM, UH, COMPUTER COMPUTING, UH, TECH AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT UH, IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE THE PRIVATE SECTOR WILL BUILD BUILDINGS AND WILL UH, FURNISH THEM WITH THE AMENITIES THAT
THEY BELIEVE THEY WILL NEED TO ATTRACT THE TALENT. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT UH, A TWO SO YOU MENTIONED UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF A TWO PARKING SPACE MINIMUM FOR 1000FT2
OF LAB SPACE I THINK UM, THAT IS ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED AS FOR THE LAB SPACE ITSELF. SO EACH PARKING SPACE LET'S
CALL IT NINE BY 18, NINE BY 20 THAT'S 180FT2 TIMES TWO. THAT'S 360FT2 PLUS THE DRIVE AISLE YOU'RE GETTING YOU'RE PUSHING INTO BECAUSE THE CARS HAVE TO GET OUT.
UM SO THAT'S MAYBE DOUBLE THAT. YOU'RE REALLY PUSHING UP TO 1000FT2 OF PARKING THAT YOU ARE ASKING UH, A LAB UH UH, DEVELOPED A DEVELOPER FOR THE
LAB PROPERTY OWNER TO CREATE IN ADDITION TO THE LAB ITSELF. AND BY DOING THAT, UM, IF THEY PRESUMABLY WOULD HAVE TO BUILD A STRUCTURED PARKING GARAGE NOT
ONLY UH, IS WOULD THE CITY MAKE THAT BUILDING HARDER TO, UH, TO CONSTRUCT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SPACE IN THE BUILDING AND THE LOT WILL BE TAKEN UP BY PARKING BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD MAKE THE
DEVELOPMENT MORE EXPENSIVE WHEN THESE COMPANIES CAN GO TO SAN FRANCISCO OR AUSTIN AND BUILD THE SAME BUILDING WITH NO PARKING MANDATES. UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO YOU
THINK THEY MIGHT GO IF IF THE COST OF THE BUILDING ITSELF IS A CONSTRAINT? I THINK. >> I THINK UH, PROFESSOR. ,WE WE DID ACTUALLY CONVINCE THEM AND AND WORKING WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WE DID MANAGE TO CONVINCE THEM THAT WE COULD GET AWAY WITH MUCH LESS.
I THINK THE. THE PREMISE WAS THAT THEY WERE ANTICIPATING THAT THEIR WORKFORCE WERE GOING TO COME FROM A DISTANCE RATHER THAN UM ,HAVING A LOCALLY BASED WORKFORCE. AND AND.
BRINGS ME TO THE OTHER ISSUE ABOUT YOU KNOW, UM. IF WE. I I'M IN SUPPORT OF UM DOING AWAY WITH PARKING MINIMUMS BUT I ALSO THINK THE OTHER PART
OF THE ZONING UH, CONVERSATION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE AMENITIES LOCALLY AVAILABLE. EASILY ACCESSIBLE, UM, IN MIXED
MIXED USE ZONING THAT SO THAT FOLKS DON'T NEED TO RELY ON. ON CARS AND BUT ALSO THE OTHER THING IS INVESTMENT LIKE THE MONEY WE SAVE ON ON. PARKING UM UM IS.
TO TO REINVEST. >> THAT'S ONE. >> THING. THAT WE'VE ADVOCATED FOR IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON IS THAT IF YOU IF. YOU UH ARE. REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF PARKING THEN YOU ASK THAT DEVELOPER TO
PUT SOME MONEY INTO BLUE BIKES OR UH. SOME TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL OFFSET THE IMPACT OF LESS PARKING. HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THOSE SORT OF CONCEPTS?
SURE. >> AND I THINK DAYCARES ARE A GREAT USE AND AND THE CITY COUNCILS ADDRESS PARKING WHEN IT COMES TO DAYCARES. BUT THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT RESIDENTS MIGHT NEED UM, EVEN IF NOT RETAIL AMENITIES THAT
ARE NONRESIDENTIAL USES. UM SO I DO THINK THIS IDEA OF MAYBE AT A MINIMUM EXTENDING THE PARKING MANDATE UH, PARKING ELIMINATION ELIMINATION PARKING MANDATES TO BUILDINGS THAT HAVE
RESIDENTIAL AND NONRESIDENTIAL USES EXTENDING THAT TO THE NONRESIDENTIAL USES IN THOSE BUILDINGS. UM, YOU ALSO UM OH GOSH I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT THERE BUT
UH, AGAIN, THE CITIES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER HAVE DONE BOTH THEY'VE ELIMINATED IT ON BOTH SIDES KIND OF SEEING THAT THAT IS UM THAT JUST MAKES SENSE BECAUSE AGAIN, FOR ALL THE SAME REASONS THAT YOU WANT
TO ELIMINATE RESIDENTIAL MANDATES UH, THEY'RE REALLY SIMILAR. UM, AND WHAT I LEARNED UH, IN 2023 WAS THAT SMALL BUSINESSES IN BOSTON, UH, REALLY STRUGGLE
WITH DEVELOPMENT COST AND UH, THEY MIGHT EVEN CLOSE OR THEY MIGHT NOT EXPAND BECAUSE DOING SO WOULD TRIGGER UH, ZONING COMPLIANCE OR THEY MIGHT CLOSE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GROW IN THE CITY. THEY MIGHT MOVE OUT.
UM, SO HEARING STORIES ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN TO ME KIND OF REINFORCES WHATEVER THE BUSINESSES WHATEVER THE COMMERCIAL USES, UM. WE SHOULDN'T TRUST THAT UH THAT
THOSE UH, INDIVIDUALS UH, RUNNING THOSE BUSINESSES WILL WANT TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THEIR BUSINESSES AND WILL PROVIDE PARKING AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS, OF COURSE, UH, THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE. UM.
>> YOU YOU ALSO MENTIONED IF THERE WAS NO EXPANSION TO AT LEAST STREAMLINE THE CODE, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO STREET IF WE DIDN'T GO TO PARKING MINIMUMS,
FULL BLOWN PARKING MINIMUMS, WHAT WAS THE BEST WAY TO STREAMLINE THE CODE? WELL I MEAN YOU CAN PICK ANY USE LET'S SAY RETAIL USES UM, IN SOME PARTS OF THE CODE THE
RETAIL USE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THERE'S 90 CHAPTERS A BUNCH OF THEM ARE NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC CHAPTERS. I'M SURE YOU YOU'VE PROBABLY READ THE WHOLE CODE AT THIS POINT BUT UM LET'S JUST USE RETAIL'S EXAMPLE.
THERE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SUB RETAIL USES. THERE MIGHT BE THREE PARKING SPACES FOR 1000 IN 1 NEIGHBORHOOD THERE MIGHT BE TWO PARKING SPACES FOR 1000FT2 IN ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD BASICALLY
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD PARTICULARLY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES MAYBE FOR SOME USES LIKE LABS AND HIGH TECH FACILITIES THAT YOU WANT TO ATTRACT ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE COMPETING AGAINST OTHER PLACES AT LEAST CONSOLIDATING THOSE
INTO ONE PLACE SO THAT A SMALL BUSINESS IS OPERATING IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WANTS TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD KIND OF HAS AT LEAST SOME CONSISTENCY IN THE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT COSTS THAT THEY
WILL HAVE TO INCUR AND THEY WILL HAVE LESS, UH, IMPETUS TO HAVE TO HIRE A LAWYER TO NAVIGATE WHERE IS IT THIS IS IT THAT THERE'S A BUNCH OF OVERLAYS IN THE BOSTON ZONING CODE.
I'M ABOUT TO COME OUT WITH A PAPER THAT SAYS CITIES SHOULD GET RID OF OVERLAY DISTRICTS NOT BECAUSE I'M LAZY AND I DON'T WANT OUR NATIONAL ZONING ATLAS TEAM TO HAVE TO KEEP DEALING WITH OVERLAYS, BUT BECAUSE THEY JUST ADD
REGULATORY CONFUSION AND IN MY WRITTEN TESTIMONY I PULL OUT FROM THAT REPORT I WROTE JUST A NUMBER OF CITATIONS WERE OVERLAYS CHANGE AD UH DO WEIRD THINGS RELATING TO PARKING.
SO I WOULD SAY JUST TAKING ALL THE USES SEEING HOW THEY PLAY OUT IN THE CODE AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T ELIMINATE THEM GO WITH GO WITH THE AVERAGE OR GO WITH THE
LEAST UH THE LEAST OWNER IS AND MAKE THAT A CITYWIDE RULE. THANK YOU THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCILOR FLYNN. WE ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE
REPEATED FEEDBACK WE HAVE RECEIVED FOR YEARS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON WHY WE'RE NOT BUILDING HOUSING IN BOSTON. BUSINESSES AND DEVELOPERS ARE
NOT INVESTING IN BOSTON BECAUSE OF ADDED AFFORDABLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS. RENT CONTROL IS A POSSIBILITY ON TOP OF THE ALREADY TOUGH BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.
HIGH INTEREST RATES, TAXES, INCREASED CONSTRUCTION. COSTS AND TARIFFS. DISTRICT TWO THAT I REPRESENT HAS BUILT MORE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING THAN ANY DISTRICT IN THE CITY PROBABLY OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS. I HAVE MORE PUBLIC HOUSING THAN ANY DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AS WELL WITH THE MBTA
NEEDING OVER $30 MILLION IN REPAIRS AND SCHOOL BUSSES ROUTINELY ROUTINELY RUNNING LATE WORKING FAMILIES IN CHINATOWN, BAY VILLAGE, SOUTH
AND SOUTH BOSTON, THEY RELY ON A CAR TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. WHEN WE DON'T INCLUDE PARKING IN NEW BUILDINGS, THOSE CARS WON'T END UP ON THE STREETS
CONTRIBUTING TO OUR EXISTING PARKING CRISIS. COUNCIL SANTANA KNOWS BECAUSE THERE WAS A DEVELOPMENT AT 49 D STREET THAT YOU WERE HIGHLIGHTING. >> YOU WERE REFERENCING. 70 UNITS PROPOSAL.
ZERO PARKING. SPACES AND YOU JOINED ME AGAINST THE PROPOSAL BECAUSE RESIDENTS NEEDED RESIDENTS NEEDED. PARKING. >> FAMILIES NEED PARKING. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH.
WORKING FAMILIES NEEDING A. CAR TO MEET THEIR. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR. EMPLOYMENT THAT OUR SENIORS PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. OFTEN USE THE VEHICLE TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS. YOUNG FAMILIES NEED TO TAKE
THEIR CHILDREN. TO AN. >> AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD OF SOUTH. BOSTON AT ONE TIME THERE WERE 28,000 ACTIVE RESIDENT PARKING
PERMITS FOR ONLY 10,000 ON STREET PARKING SPOTS UNSUSTAINABLE. I ADVOCATED FOR A BPD AUDIT AND WE REMOVED NEARLY 8000 PERMITS.
WHILE THE CITY. DOES NOT CONTROL POST PANDEMIC INFLATION, A HIGH INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW RISE IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS AS I MENTIONED TARIFFS
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN CONTROL THE LOCAL REQUIREMENTS WE ADDED ALL OPTIONS MUST BE ON THE TABLE TO INCREASE SUPPLY AND MEET THE DEMAND.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE REPEATEDLY ADVOCATED FOR THE CITY AND FILED. LEGISLATION THIS YEAR ON A TEMPORARY ROLLBACK OF OUR INCREASED AFFORDABLE UNIT AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS IN
THE NEXT FIVE YEARS I FILED A TEXT AMENDMENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE ON SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PLANNED DOWNTOWN BOSTON. BUT REMOVING PARKING IN A NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT ADDRESS
THE HOUSING CRISIS. IT WILL ONLY LEAD TO MORE CARS IN THE STREET WORSEN OUR EXISTING PARKING CRISIS NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE. I ALSO KNOW. >> THAT THE.
DIRECTOR OF THE. B B PDA UM IS. AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL. I HEARD HIM SAY IT RECENTLY. I THINK. I THINK THE CHAIR ASKED HIM IF HE IF HE SUPPORTS.
THIS UM IF HE SUPPORTS THIS PLAN AND HE CAME OUT AND SAID NO. HE DOESN'T SUPPORT IT. I THINK I THINK THE CHAIR WANTED HIM TO KIND OF RETRACT. THAT STATEMENT BUT HE DIDN'T.
UM, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL SOON VOTE ON THIS. PROPOSAL AND PROBABLY RUBBERSTAMP. >> IT. UM, TRY TO GET IT THROUGH. BUT WE DO HAVE A. RESPONSIBILITY TO. THOSE THAT DO NEED. >> A CAR.
THEY CAN'T BE THEY CAN'T BE VIEWED AS THE ENEMY. BECAUSE I SEE THEM. I SEE THESE YOUNG FAMILIES AND I SEE THEM. TAKING THEIR KIDS. THEY THEY THEY. NEED A CAR TO GO TO THE AFTER
SCHOOL PROGRAM. SOMETIMES A SINGLE MOTHER NEEDS TO DRIVE HER DAUGHTER TO A DANCING RECITAL OR TAKE HER SON TO A SPORTING EVENT OR TAKE AN
ELDERLY PERSON AN ELDERLY UH, FAMILY MEMBER TO. A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. WE CAN'T ALL USE UBER AND. >> LYFT TO DO THAT. SOME FAMILIES THEY. DO NEED. AUTOMOBILES AND THEY SHOULDN'T BE PUNISHED BECAUSE. OF THAT.
THAT'S WHAT MAKE. THAT'S WHAT MAKES BOSTON GREAT. IS YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO. DECIDE IF THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED. IF YOU. >> NEED AN AUTOMOBILE. IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT TO REALLY.
CUT OUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKING FAMILIES STRUGGLING STRUGGLING PARENTS AND TRY TO TELL THEM THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE A CAR IN THE CITY. IS DISINGENUOUS BECAUSE WHEN WE
NEED A. VEHICLE WE HAVE ACCESS. >> TO. A. VEHICLE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FUNDS. BUT WHEN SOMEONE. THAT DOESN'T. >> HAVE THE FUNDS NEEDS. >> A VEHICLE, IT'S.
VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GET TO UH, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY. WE CAN'T PENALIZE AND PUNISH WORKING CLASS FAMILIES IN THIS CITY. THIS HELPED BUILD. BOSTON AND NOW WE WANT TO
CHANGE THE RULES ON THEM AND NOT WELCOME THEM BACK INTO THE BACK TO BOSTON. MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO RAISE FAMILIES. I DON'T. I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR. AND I DON'T THINK THE THE THE
CHAIR OF THE PLANNING PLANNING DEPARTMENT THINKS IT'S FAIR. EITHER BECAUSE HE WAS CLEAR TO. >> US SEVERAL WEEKS AGO THAT HE'S NOT. >> IN. FAVOR OF THIS. HE KNOWS IT WILL HURT DEVELOPMENT, IT WILL HURT
FAMILIES. MY TIME IS ALMOST UP. MY QUESTION. IS TO THE CHAIR. IS THERE ANYONE. >> THAT IS TESTIFYING ON THE PANEL. THAT'S THAT'S AGAINST THE PROPOSAL?
WELL I THINK YOU'VE JUST ON THAT. SO UM SO I THINK UM DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL? SO THE ANSWER IS NO. THANK YOU. >> UM WE'RE GOING TO GO TO
COUNSELOR FITZGERALD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JEFF. UM, I DID GET HERE BEFORE ED SO HE TOOK SOME HE TOOK SOME OF MY THUNDER THERE. UM, BUT I WAS GOING TO ASK
FIRST IF THERE IS ANOTHER PANEL BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE'S NOT. SO WE I KNOW WE KNOW WE HAVE A ONE SIDED PANEL AT THE MOMENT SO I WILL TRY MY BEST. SORRY I'LL JUST PAUSE YOUR TIME BECAUSE I DO WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT.
UM THE PROPOSAL UM BEING PRESENTED BEFORE UM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TODAY IS A 35 PAGE AMENDMENT TO THE BOSTON ZONING CODE TOUCHING
BOTH THE BASE CODE ARTICLE 23 AND ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD UH ,ARTICLES. AND SO, UM, WE DON'T WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND WORDS AGAINST
THIS PROPOSAL, UM, BECAUSE THERE IS A MOUNTAIN AND A BODY OF UM OF UH, RESEARCH. UM, AND SO THESE ARE THE EXPERTS THAT CAN SPEAK TO THIS
UM WE HAVE RECEIVED UM, TESTIMONY THAT IS IS PROVIDED TO THE COMMITTEE, UM, AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL FROM RESIDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND UM, THAT THAT SHOULD BE IN THE FOLDER.
UM, SO I WILL I WILL YIELD BACK MY TIME AND I KNOW I'VE GOTTEN THIS QUESTION BEFORE UM, BUT WE THERE WAS NOT AN ORGANIZATION UM, WE HAVE PRETTY BROAD
CONSENSUS IN THIS UM THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL HAS SOME STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES THAT ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. SO I'LL YIELD BACK YOUR TIME.
UM GO AHEAD FITZGERALD THANK. YOU CHAIR AND I'LL I'LL SAY IS IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN EXPERTS FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WORKING CLASS FAMILIES. PEOPLE LIVE IN NEIGHBORHOODS PEOPLE AFFECTED AS JERRY, YOU SEEM LIKE A GREAT KID WHO MOVED HERE TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, RIGHT?
I MEAN, IF WE'RE GOING TO CALL HIM AN EXPERT IN THIS AND I'M SURE YOU ARE I'M JUST SAYING THERE ARE PEOPLE WE COULD HAVE FOUND. HOWEVER, THAT BEING SAID. I'M SORRY I'VE NEVER. OWNED A. >> CAR THAT'S. RESPECTFULLY THAT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO COME FOR A MEMBER OF THE PANEL.
I'M JUST TO. KNOW LIKE I I. APPLAUD MY TIME. IF WE CAN DO THIS. YEAH. >> GO AHEAD. I'LL LET YOU GO. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. UM. SO NEVER OWNED A CAR, RIGHT?
UH, UP UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 40 YEARS OLD. SO TAKING THE T UH, WALKING AND GOOD FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT'S HOW PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK HOW DO YOU GET AROUND? RIGHT. AND I STILL, UH, BELIEVE THAT,
SO I APOLOGIZE IF THAT WAS INSULTING TO ALL I MEANT WAS AND LOOKING FOR THAT I DO APOLOGIZE, BUT I DO BELIEVE YOU'RE A GOOD KID AND I WANT TO SAY I WAS IN YOUR SHOES ONCE AND I DID EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID. IT DID YOU DIDN'T NEED A CAR TO
GET AROUND IN THIS CITY. UM, I WILL ASK THOUGH, UH, NOT ONLY THAT, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHO HERE ON THE PANEL LIVES IN THE CITY BUS. JESSE, I HEARD YOU. I KNOW YOU AS WELL WHO LIVES IN THE BUS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON
AND HAS YOUNG CHILDREN ON THIS PANEL. OKAY, SO JESSE IS THE ONLY WAY TO ONE PERSON IS HAS IS RAISING A FAMILY IN THIS CITY WITH THESE GOING FORWARD. SO JUST MAYBE MAYBE I CAN FOCUS
TO YOU BUT OPEN TO EVERYBODY HERE AT THE MOMENT. UM. WHO MAKES THE. >> CALL ON HOW. MANY ACTUAL. SPOTS WOULD GET BUILT ON ANY GIVEN DEVELOPMENT? WHO IS THE DECISION MAKER?
WE CALL IT MARKET FORCES WILL DECIDE BUT ULTIMATELY SOMEONE HAS TO MAKE THAT CALL. >> WHO IS THAT. YOU MEAN IN IN THE CASE OF UH IF THIS PASSES IN A. DEVELOPMENT GOING. FORWARD, WHO DECIDES WHAT THE.
NUMBER OF. SPOTS WILL BE. ? >> ULTIMATELY A DEVELOPER. WHO IS TRYING TO BUILD HOMES IN A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOSTON WILL MAKE AN
ASSESSMENT BASED ON THE, UH, LIKELIHOOD OF RENTING OR SELLING THOSE UNITS IN THAT GIVEN NEIGHBORHOOD. UM. >> IF THERE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS FURTHER FROM PUBLIC TRANSIT, I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE DEVELOPER WOULD MAKE THE
DECISION TO INCLUDE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF PARKING UH, GIVEN THAT THEY WILL HAVE A HARD TIME RENTING OR SELLING THOSE HOMES TO ANYONE UH, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IF IT WERE
DISCONNECTED, UM, FROM PUBLIC TRANSIT. SO UM YES, THE QUESTION THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPER PROPOSING THE PROJECT WOULD BE UM AND UH
OF COURSE WE HAVE A WHOLE PROCESS IN THE CITY THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, REVIEWS, DESIGN REVIEWS ETC. UM, WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. SO THERE'S GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THEM AS WELL. RIGHT. >> BUT AS IT WORKS NOW ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT GOES FORWARD THE DEVELOPMENT DOES PROPOSE
HOW MANY SPOTS THEY THINK AND TYPICALLY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW COMES BACK AND SAYS LOWER THE AMOUNT OF PARKING SPOTS YOU HAVE. SO YOU COULD SAY RIGHT NOW PARKING MINIMUMS ARE SORT OF I
MEAN THEY'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO BUILD WITH ONLY YOU KNOW, A 26 UNITS WITH THREE PARKING SPOTS. RIGHT. UM. SO TO ME. >> THE CALL COMES. FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ULTIMATELY IT'S NOT THE DEVELOPER, IT'S THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WHO HOLDS THE CARDS
AND WHO CAN DECIDE HOW MUCH WOULD THAT BE FAIR TO SAY? YOU THINK. CURRENTLY YOU'RE SAYING. YES CURRENTLY YES. AND IF WE WERE TO GET RID OF PARKING MINIMUMS THEN WHO MAKES THE CALL TO DECIDE WHAT
THE FINAL NUMBER MIGHT BE? UH UH. ,A. >> BUILDER OF HOMES WHO'S TRYING TO RENT OR BUILD HOMES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S CERTAINLY PARTS OF OF YOUR DISTRICT COUNSELOR WHERE DOING
A ZERO PARKING DEVELOPMENT WOULD NOT MAKE ANY SENSE AND THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RENT OR SELL UH THAT THOSE HOMES AND THEY WOULD NOT DO THAT. BUT IF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WERE TO SAY WE ONLY WANT X
AMOUNT OF SPOTS FOR YOU TO PROVIDE, WHAT IS DOES THE DEVELOPER HAVE OVERHEAD TO OVERRULE THAT OR IS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT SAY NO WE ARE ABIDING BY WE WANT YOU TO DO THAT OR WE ARE NOT APPROVING THIS PROJECT.
IT UH. CAN YOU CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? SO YOU'RE SAYING THE DEVELOPER DECIDES MHM. RIGHT. AND YOU SAID THAT THEY PUT IT FORWARD BUT IF IF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AS SUCH IF WE GET
RID OF PARKING MINIMUMS AND SOMEONE HAS TO DECIDE HOW MANY PARKING SPOTS ARE GOING TO. HAPPEN AT A. DEVELOPMENT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS THE AUTHORITY OVER THE DEVELOPER.
YOU'RE SAYING THE DEVELOPER DECIDES I DON'T THINK HE DECIDES. HE PROPOSES. THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT DECIDES YEAH RIGHT. SO THAT'S HOW IT IS NOW. YEAH THAT'S HOW IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE IF WE DID A
PARKING BAN CORRECT. UH IF WE. IF WE IF WE CAN I. CAN I JUST JUMP. >> IN AND MAKE A CLARIFICATION I'M SORRY JUST BECAUSE I. >> DO INTERRUPT YOU PROFESSOR AS WELL. BUT UM. >> SO. SO JUST TO MAKE A QUICK
CLARIFICATION, UM, THIS PROPOSAL FROM MY READING DOESN'T IMPOSE A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PARKING SPACES. UM, SO IF THE QUESTION MANY CITIES WHO IMPOSE UH WHO
ELIMINATE MINIMUMS, THEY DON'T ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE DEVELOPER WILL PROVIDE PARKING UM, AGAIN. BUT THOSE CITIES ALSO INCLUDE
PARKING MAXIMUMS WHICH ACTUALLY WOULD LIMIT ON THE TOP END THE AMOUNT OF PARKING THAT CAN BE BUILT. THIS, UH, PROPOSAL DOESN'T HAVE A MAXIMUM. UM, HARTFORD, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS
A MAXIMUM UH, ACROSS EVERY EVERY PARKING USE UM AND THAT IS REALLY TO CURB EXCESSIVE PARKING. UM, THIS PARKING PROPOSAL DOESN'T DO THAT. AND SO WHAT JESSE'S TRYING TO CONVEY IS THAT THE THE
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPERS WOULD DECIDE, UM, UNDER THIS PROPOSAL HOW MUCH PARKING THEY WOULD BUILD AND AS LONG AS THEIR PROPOSAL IS CONSISTENT WITH THE DESIGN STANDARDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO
DO THAT WITH NO MAXIMUM. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DECISION MAKING AND PROPOSAL. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT. AND THE DEVELOPER. PROPOSES SOMEBODY HAS TO DECIDE .
AND AT THE END I WANT TO KNOW WHO THAT DECISION MAKING POWER LIES WITH. UNDER THE STATUS QUO BECAUSE OF THE ARBITRARY PARKING
MANDATES WE HAVE ACROSS THE CITY WHICH RESEARCH FROM APC AND OTHERS HAVE SHOWN UH, MUCH OF IT GOES UNDER UTILIZED AND
UNUSED IN ORDER TO BUILD LESS PARKING TODAY WE REQUIRE A VARIANCE ON TOP OF MANY OTHER VARIANCES. CERTAINLY, UH, JUST TO. BUILD A. STANDARD TRIPLE DECKER THREE DECKER UH, IN THE CITY
OF BOSTON. AND SO UNDER THE STATUS QUO YES IT IS THE BPD BOARD AND ULTIMATELY THE ZBA THAT SIGN OFF ON IT. BUT WE ARE ADDING TENS TO
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF PARKING JUST TO CONSTRUCT MOSTLY UNDERUTILIZED PARKING. UH, IN ADDITION TO THE TIME AND
OPPORTUNITY COST OF GOING THROUGH A VERY EXTENSIVE PROCESS UH, TO DEBATE THIS WITH WITH WITH WITH OFTEN A SMALL GROUP OF NEIGHBORS UM THROUGH
THE THE THE YOU KNOW, THE BPD BOARD AND THE ZBA PROCESS THAT COULD ADD FOR EACH UNDERUTILIZED OR UNUSED PARKING SPACE TEND TO HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO THE DEVELOPMENT COST, WHICH INCREASES THE COST OF HOMES IN THE CITY MEANING AN AVERAGE
OF APPROXIMATELY $200 MORE IN RENT PER MONTH FOR RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY. SO YES, YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THIS IS A CHANGE TO THE STATUS QUO
THAT WOULD PUT SOME OF THE DECISION MAKING A LOT OF THE DECISION MAKING POWER IN HOMEBUILDERS IN OUR CITY RECOGNIZING THE HOME BUILDERS STILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO RENT
OR SELL THOSE HOMES IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY NEED TO BE ATTRACTIVE AND IF A NEIGHBORHOOD IS DISCONNECTED FROM TRANSIT THEY WILL BUILD HOMES. BUT THE STATUS QUO TODAY IS MAKING OUR CITY UNAFFORDABLE
FOR FAMILIES LIKE MINE AND YOURS. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD . UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO TO COUNCILOR PEPEN YET NEXT I DO WANT TO, UM, JUST READ A COUPLE
OF THINGS INTO THE RECORD. UM, SO UM THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARTICLE AID PROJECTS AND SMALL PROJECTS. SO FOR ARTICLE 80 PROJECTS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY
INSTITUTED PARKING MAXIMUMS AND SO UM, RIGHT NOW UH, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND WHERE THIS UM PROPOSAL WILL HAVE THE MOST IMPACT IS FOR SMALL PROJECTS. SO UM, I'LL JUST YOU KNOW,
NORTHEASTERN UH, IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A 1000 BED DORM WHICH THE CITY REQUIRED ZERO PARKING TO BUILD . BUT WHEN, UM, SOMEONE WANTS TO LEGALIZE A UNIT IN THEIR HOME,
THEY MIGHT BE REQUIRED TO CREATE AN ON, YOU KNOW, AN OFF STREET PARKING SPACE. ALONGSIDE THAT I PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE AND THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION UM, AS THE PERSON PUTTING FORWARD THIS
PROPOSAL THAT THAT IS AN EQUITABLE THAT SOMEONE WHO WOULD WANT TO LEGALIZE A UNIT IN THEIR HOME WOULD HAVE A WAY DIFFERENT PROCESS THAN NORTHEASTERN BUILDING AND A THOUSAND BED DORM.
BUT I MEAN WE CAN ALL YOU KNOW ,AND I THINK UH FOR THOSE THAT ARE TESTIFYING TODAY IF YOU ARE A FAN, IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO HAS A FAMILY THAT DOES SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL, IT SOUNDS LIKE
MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A FAMILY IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY WHETHER UM, YOU APPRECIATE YOU KNOW AND YOU HAVE THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE. SO, UM, COUNCILOR PEPEN, UH,
YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND I. JUST WANT TO START OFF BY AGAIN THANKING THE PALACE FOR BEING HERE. IF THERE'S ANY ANIMOSITY THAT YOU FEEL IT'S NOT PERSONAL. DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, YOUR
TESTIMONIES HERE TODAY. UM, I HAVE THREE KIDS. I HAVE ONE CAR AND I GET VERY FRUSTRATED WHEN THE LANDLORD THROWING PARK IN THEIR DRIVEWAYS THEIR VERY LONG DRIVEWAYS IN THE PARK ON THE STREET.
SO I THINK THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WE. >> NEED. TO FIX IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AS WELL. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION. I THINK. >> THIS IS MORE TOWARDS THE CHAIR. IF YOU COULD GET SOME INFORMATION FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THERE IS ALREADY AREAS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT HAS PARTS REZONING WITH NO PARKING MINIMUMS. IS THIS CORRECT? I'LL JUST CLARIFY THAT. UM, I KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN A TALKING POINT THAT THE PLANNING
DEPARTMENT NOW HAS YOUR TIME. THIS HAS BEEN A TALKING POINT THAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS MADE IS THAT WHEN THEY GO THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ZONING ,UM, THAT THEY'LL ELIMINATE PARKING MINIMUMS ALONGSIDE THAT THAT HASN'T BEEN PROVEN UM,
BECAUSE SOME PLAN CHARLESTOWN I THINK IT WAS UM SIX UNITS OR UNDER WAS UM ZEROED OUT. UM SO IT WASN'T IT WASN'T A TOTAL ABOLISHMENT OF THE PARKING MINIMUMS AND THOSE FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
UH, I THINK FOR PLAN CHARLESTOWN IT WAS SIX AND FOR PLAN EAST BOSTON IT WAS ANOTHER NUMBER BUT IT WASN'T YOU KNOW, IF YOU THAT WAS IT WAS ONLY SORT OF SMALL TIME IF YOU WERE DOING SMALL UNITS. OKAY OKAY I'LL GIVE YOU BACK
YOUR TIME OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. SO I KNOW THAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE BEEN HAVE BEEN NAMED ALREADY THAT HAVE PASSED THIS.
I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE I AM ALSO WORKING ON THE SIDE ON PARKING STRUCTURES AND CREATING CREATING UM CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO PARKING PROBLEMS. HAVE THOSE CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY KIND OF LIKE YES THEY GOT THEY GOT RID OF THE PARKING MINIMUMS BUT THEY'VE ALSO CREATED OTHER PARKING SOLUTIONS. DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF THAT ESPECIALLY IN COMMERCIAL AREAS?
I MEAN I REPRESENT A DISTRICT WITH THREE VERY STRONG LOCAL MAIN STREETS CORRIDORS AND OBVIOUSLY THE CONCERN IS HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BUILD MORE AND BE ABLE TO
CONTINUE TO BRING IN RESIDENTS TO SHOP IN OUR LOCAL SHOPS? UM, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SOME MUNICIPAL LAWS BUT I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT CREATIVE WAYS TO KIND OF UM TAKE AWAY THAT
FEELING OF WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SHOP HERE YOU. BE GOOD FOR. UM YEAH. THERE'S ACTUALLY A LOT OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THINKING CREATIVELY ABOUT
PARKING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SOME OF IT IS ACTUALLY. ABOUT INCENTIVIZING FOLKS TO PARK IN OTHER PLACES AND CREATING GOOD WALKABLE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THOSE. WE ALSO IN GENERAL.
DON'T PRICE PARKING ACCORDING TO HOW MUCH IT'S ACTUALLY THE LAND VALUE OF HOW MUCH IT'S ACTUALLY WORTH. SO SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE ALSO TAKEN INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO ACTUALLY PRICING PARKING NOT
NECESSARILY FOR RESIDENTS BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO THAT PLACE TO VISIT AND SHOP UM AND ACT AS TOURISTS. SALEM HAS ACTUALLY DONE SOME VERY INNOVATIVE WORK AROUND THE PARKING STRUCTURES THAT THEY CREATED KIND OF ON THE RING
OF THEIR DOWNTOWN SO THAT LIKE PEOPLE ARE STILL ACTUALLY VERY IT'S VERY EASY TO ACCESS LIKE DOWNTOWN SALEM AND SHOP AND WALK UM BUT THEN THEY'VE INCENTIVIZED PARKING FOR THAT
SORT OF LIKE OUTER RING UM AND CREATED INNOVATIVE FINANCING MECHANISMS TO ACTUALLY COLLECT DOLLARS THAT ARE THEN REINVESTED IN THE CITY TO UM, CREATE MORE WALKABLE, USABLE
WAYS TO GET AROUND. AND WE ARE SEEING THAT THAT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ,UM, THAT THERE'S MUCH MORE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO THINK ABOUT HOW NOT JUST HOW WE'RE RIGHTSIZING PARKING THE QUESTION BEFORE US HERE BUT
ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE DISTRIBUTING PARKING UM, AS A AS A PIECE OF LIKE LAND AND THE LAND VALUE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. YEAH. >> AND I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE IF WE
EVEN WITH THIS BEING IMPLEMENTED WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF PARKING ISSUES, A LOT OF PARKING CONCERNS IF IT'S ABOUT. ENFORCEMENT OF PARKING PEOPLE ABUSING THE UH THE TIME LIMITS TO THE TO THE SPOTS THAT ARE
AVAILABLE. WE DON'T HAVE A RESIDENTIAL PARKING PROGRAM RIGHT NOW THAT'S ACTIVE. THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT WE HAVE TO BE DOING IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE PARKING ISSUES. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT IS WHY I
BELIEVE MANY FAMILIES DO HAVE CONCERNS WITH THIS PROPOSAL BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THE EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW ISN'T GREAT BUT WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO HEAD TOWARDS IS A PLACE WHERE
NOT ONLY ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE SOLUTIONS TO THE PARKING CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE, BUT THIS IS VERY CONNECTED TO THE HOUSING CONVERSATION AND I'VE ALREADY SEEN IT FIRSTHAND WHERE THERE'S
BEEN DEVELOPED THERE'S BEEN PROPOSALS IN MY DISTRICT WHERE THE THE ZONING DOES REQUIRE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PARKING SPOTS LIKE A DUPLEX IN RENOVO REQUIRES FOUR PARKING SPOTS AND
IN THAT SPECIFIC ZONING WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS IT COULD JUST BE TWO PARKING SPOTS. JUST AN EXAMPLE AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS APPROACH HOLISTICALLY WITH NOT JUST THE
PARKING MINIMUMS WITH EVERYTHING ELSE AS WELL AS PART OF THE CONVERSATION I THINK COUNCIL SAID IT'S A PART OF THE TOOLBOX BUT I THINK THAT UM MAYBE WE COULD DO A A PARKING POLICY BRIEFING WORK IN SESSION
SOMEDAY. WITH THESE PANELISTS BUT ALSO BRING IN THE OTHER UM AREAS OF THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND OTHER FOCUS AREAS BECAUSE. THIS IS JUST ONE. PIECE OF WHAT WE WE NOT ONLY AS
COUNSELORS BUT AS RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING. BUT THAT'S I'LL JUST SAY, COUNSELOR, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THIS AND KIND OF LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR SISTER PLANNING AGENCIES IN MAJOR METROS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN BE
HELPFUL WE'D BE GLAD. THAT'D BE GREAT. UM YEAH. THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THIS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S A BIGGER OUTLYING PICTURE THAT THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT ANY PARK IN MEADOWLANDS.
IT'S THERE'S THERE'S SO MUCH MORE BEHIND THIS THAT I KNOW THAT WE WE CAN GET TO BUT THAT'S REALLY IT FOR ME IN REGARDS TO QUESTIONS I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AND I WANT THIS TO BE AN
EXTENDED CONVERSATION EVEN IF THIS GETS PASSED, IF IT DOESN'T I THINK WE STILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT PARKING IN GENERAL ON THE CITY OF BOSTON. ABSOLUTELY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR PIPPEN. UM, SO NEXT WE'RE GOING TO GO TO UM COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE.
I THINK COUNCILOR OH. OH, SORRY. WE'RE ALL SORRY. UH THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU TO PAN UP FOR BEING HERE. UM, I APPLAUD ALL OF THE WAYS
THAT THE COUNCIL AND, UH, EXPERTS ARE LOOKING TO. INCREASE HOUSING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS OR IN THE CITY. UM, BUT I DO. BELIEVE. >> UM. >> A LOT OF THESE, UH, CREATIVE WAYS ON.
JUMPSTARTING CONSTRUCTION SHOULD. >> BE BASED, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD. NOT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS THE SAME IN TERMS OF AMENITIES, WALKABILITY, ETC. RIGHT.
UM, DOWNTOWN. RIGHT. WE'RE CONNECTED BY SO MANY DIFFERENT TRAINS LINES AND THERE'S OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY THAT DOES NOT HAVE. RAPID TRANSIT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO JUST WAY MORE PARKING OUT HERE ALREADY COMPARED TO WHAT'S IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DO NOT AGREE WITH A CITYWIDE UH, BLANKET UM, ZONING REFORM ON ELIMINATING PARKING MANDATES. UM, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE UH THROUGH THE ZONING BOARD
OF APPEALS THAT RELIEF AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN QUITE FREQUENTLY IN THESE NEIGHBORHOOD CONVERSATIONS WHERE THAT TRADEOFF BETWEEN AFFORDABILITY HOUSING UNITS UM
,THEY SEE THE BENEFIT OF IT. RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT I WOULD LOVE TO JUST KIND OF GET AN IDEA RIGHT ? IS IT I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THAT
WE'RE BUILDING 1 TO 1 PARKING. RIGHT? I WOULD PROBABLY THINK THAT WE'RE MORE ON THAT 75% THAT. >> YOU THAT YOU. BROUGHT UP. >> SO IT'S LIKE IS THIS EVEN NEEDED? RIGHT.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY NOT PROVIDING UM THE PARKING THAT IS IN THE ZONING BOARD OF RELEASE. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT TO STREAMLINE THINGS BUT IT'S LIKE AT AT WHAT COST? RIGHT? LIKE HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE
SAVING? UM, AT THAT COST WHEN WE'RE, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION ON. UM HOW MUCH MORE PARKING SPACES WE HAVE. SO THIS BRINGS ME TO YOU KNOW,
TWO POINTS IS RIGHT NOW THE PARKING MINIMUM IS TIED TO THE AFFORDABILITY, RIGHT. IF WE TAKE THIS AWAY. RIGHT. THERE'S NOTHING IN THIS LAW THAT THEN SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO
PROVIDE LOWER AND THERE'S NOTHING SAYS THAT IT'S NOT TIED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IF WE WERE TO STRIP THIS AWAY NOW NOW WE'RE APPLYING TO EVERYBODY OPPOSED TO THOSE THAT ARE PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION IS UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER CITIES HERE IN THE UM STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS THAT HAVE SIMILAR OR EVEN HIGHER UM,
PARKING MINIMUMS BUT LOWER RENT AND LOWER HOUSING. SO I KNOW THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY FIND SOME CITIES UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE SAME AND ALSO LOWER
COST OF HOUSING. SO HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU SPEAK TO THAT? UH, ACTUALLY. I, I WANTED TO SPEAK ACTUALLY TO THE THE FIRST POINT THAT YOU MADE ABOUT SORT OF THE THE A DATA POINT AROUND SOME OF THE
VACANCY PARKING VACANCY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON BECAUSE I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT UM, SO WE DID OUR PERFECT UH, PERFECT PARKING STUDY. WE STUDIED UM, 55 MULTIFAMILY
SITES IN BOSTON AND WHAT. PARTS OF BOSTON. >> ALL OVER THE CITY I HAVE LIKE A LONG MY TEAM CAN SHARE WITH YOU. I THINK WE PROBABLY HAVE SOME COPIES HERE BUT WE HAVE LIKE MULTIPLE DATA THINGS WITH NUMBERS ON. >> IT AND I ONLY HAVE TWO MINUTES AND 30S BACK. I'LL BE BACK.
OKAY. SORRY, SORRY. UM, BUT BASICALLY WE FOUND THAT IN NEARLY, UM, 3 IN 10 PARKING SPOTS AT THOSE SITES WERE VACANT OVERNIGHT. SO SO.
WE DO. ACTUALLY HAVE SOME DATA THAT SHOWS THAT THERE IS WE ARE OVERBUILDING AND WE HAVE THAT DATA ACROSS IN IN EVERY IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE
LOOKED AT THAT WAS THE CASE. IT WAS ABOUT AN AVERAGE OF 3 IN 10 SPOTS. AND I LOVE DATA BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S ALWAYS MORE TO THE STORY. RIGHT. UM DATA IS IT AGAIN IS IT? YEAH. BUT I'M SAYING THAT THERE'S
ALWAYS MORE TO THIS STORY RIGHT. LIKE IS THAT THAT SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WORKING OVERNIGHT RIGHT LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT. THE CASES WE GO WE THE WAY WE DO IT AND BUT. >> BUT I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION I DON'T WANT TO CUT YOU I JUST COULD ONLY HAVE TWO
MINUTES LEFT. RIGHT. UM AND THEN THE WAY THAT I LIKE TO CREATE UH, ANY LEGISLATION IS HAVING ALL STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE, RIGHT? I WANT TO TALK TO THE CITY.
I WANT TO TALK TO THE EXPERTS. I WANT TO TALK TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SEE THAT. CAN WE ALL GET ON BOARD? UM, YOU KNOW, CREATING A LAW THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY. WHEN YOU WAS CREATING THIS, UH
,LEGISLATION IS THIS TEXT AMENDMENT UM, HOW MANY DIFFERENT CIVIC ASSOCIATES AND PEOPLE WITHIN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS DID YOU HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITHIN?
CAN YOU SHARE WITH WHO? SO I'M A MEMBER OF BETTER. PARKING FOR BOSTON. UM OUR GROUP HAS STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS A VARIETY OF CONSTITUENCIES UM, FOLKS
THAT ARE DEVELOPERS UM, FOLKS THAT ARE A VARIETY OF ADVOCATES. UM. BUT THE THE TEXT OF THE AMENDMENT ITSELF UM HOW. CAN I ASK MY QUESTION A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY THEN DID
YOU REACH OUT TO ANY LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP OR NEIGHBORHOOD OR CIVIC ORGANIZATION OR NDC WITHIN DISTRICT.
FOR SO I DID NOT BECAUSE THE TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT IS LIKE. CITYWIDE THE TEXT OF THE DOCUMENT IS ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS.
UM, MY JOB WAS TO DRAFT A DOCUMENT THAT ACHIEVES THE GOAL OF REMOVING PARK MINIMUMS. UM THAT IS WHAT THIS DOCUMENT DOES RIGHT. WITHOUT WHETHER WHETHER WHETHER YOU AS A COUNCILOR AND THE REST
OF THE COUNCIL THINKS THAT THIS IS. YEAH, I GOT ALL THIS. YEAH I GOT. 15 SECONDS. >> YEAH, 15 15 SECONDS. UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS AROUND. I KNOW WE'RE SAYING THAT PARKING IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
BARRIERS TO PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. LIKE HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU EQUATE THAT? CAN YOU PROVIDE LIKE THE DIFFERENT LIKE THE OTHER
POLICIES IN TERMS OF LIKE A DOLLAR AMOUNT AND SHOW THAT THIS IS THE BIGGEST BARRIER THAT PARKING MINIMUMS IS THE BIGGEST BARRIER. HAVE YOU EVER DONE THAT ANALYSIS? I THINK THERE'S A VARIETY
OF FACTORS IN OUR RATHER EXTENSIVE AND CUMBERSOME PERMITTING PROCESS THAT DRIVE UP THE COST. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT COUNCILOR FLYNN MADE ABOUT OTHER AREAS THAT ARE IMPACTING
OUR ABILITY TO PRODUCE THE ABUNDANCE OF HOMES, A VARIETY OF PRICE POINTS AND SIZES THAT BOSTON RESIDENTS NEED. I THINK HE HAD A GOOD POINT IN THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT THE CITY
OF BOSTON CONTROLS. WE DON'T CONTROL INTEREST RATES OR TARIFFS OR THE COST OF LABOR OR THINGS LIKE THAT. THINGS LIKE THE TIMELINE FOR
PERMITTING UM UM, YOU KNOW, THE THE ZONING RESTRICTION THAT MAKE YOU GET NEED TO GET 910 1520 VARIANCES JUST TO BUILD A THREE DECKER IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
ALL OF THESE CONTRIBUTE TOGETHER TO THE COST. I DON'T KNOW OF A SPECIFIC STUDY THAT LOOKS AT THE EXACT PRICE POINT OF EVERY INPUT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IN
BOSTON, BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY IT IS UH, AT LEAST $10,000 TO BUILD A SURFACE PARKING SPACE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT CAN EQUATE TO AN AVERAGE INCREASE IN RENT OF $200 PER
MONTH. AND THEN. CAN I ASK THE LAST QUESTION? >> YEAH, SURE. UM, THE TEXT AMENDMENT INCLUDES UM, PARKING FOR HOTELS. >> WHY WHY. WHY WHY IT FOR HOTELS. YEAH. >> SO THE GOAL WAS TO ELIMINATE
ANYTHING THAT IS LIKE RESIDENTIAL. UM AND IT IS A SQUISHY QUESTION OF WHETHER SOMETHING IS OR IS NOT RESIDENTIAL.
UM AND THEN IN THE DRAFT DEEMED HOTELS NOT TO BE A RESIDENTIAL USE. UM, AS PROFESSOR BRENNAN HAS SAID WOULD UM IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE MINIMUM IS REMOVED FOR
ALL USES. UM THE GOAL OF THIS DRAFT WAS TO REMOVE UH PARKING MINIMUMS FOR RESIDENTIAL USES AND HOTELS WE DID NOT SEE AS A RESIDENTIAL USE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE
PARKING MINIMUMS FOR HOTELS AS WELL UM I THINK WE'D BE OPEN TO THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL. YEAH. >> THANK YOU. >> YEAH. AND I JUST THINK THAT THOSE ARE THE VISITORS, RIGHT? I MEAN THEY'RE NOT COMING HERE WITH THE CAR, RIGHT? SO UM, IT WAS JUST KIND
OF INTERESTING TO SEE THAT THAT WASN'T ELIMINATED. THANK YOU. YEAH. >> CAN I CAN I ALSO JUST. >> HAVE IT. BECAUSE I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU, COUNCILOR. WE'RE ALL IN THAT POINT ON THE FIRST POINT THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND RIGHT NOW MY
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE HAVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD APPROACH. BUT AND. THIS WAS A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD WITH OUR MEMBERS, BUT WE ALSO FELT LIKE ACTUALLY THAT WAS ITSELF NOT SUFFICIENT BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD NEW HOUSING,
SAY RIGHT ON TOP OF ASHMONT STATION VERSUS IF YOU'RE MOVING JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO DORCHESTER AND SAINT MARK'S, THOSE ARE VERY DIFFERENT TRANSIT ACCESS SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE THAT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PARKING.
AND RIGHT NOW MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE. >> CODE. DOES NOT MAKE THAT KIND OF DISTINCTION. AND SO THIS WOULD ALLOW THAT KIND OF FLEXIBILITY BLOCK BY BLOCK STREET BY STREET. >> YEAH. AND I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS LIKE I THINK THAT WHAT I'VE SEEN UM THROUGH MY FOUR YEARS
ON THE COUNCIL IS THAT NEIGHBORHOOD YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO NEGOTIATE THAT TO THE CIVIC MEETING AND THEY END UP UM LOWER THAN WHAT'S CURRENTLY AT THE TABLE BECAUSE THEY DO
SEE THE TRADE OFFS IN TERMS OF UNIT COUNT AFFORDABILITY BRINGING IN HOUSING AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO REFLECTIVE OF DORCHESTER HAVING SOME OF THE HIGHEST NEW CONSTRUCTION
PERMITS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND I MEAN IF WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE BUILDING HOUSING ELSEWHERE, RIGHT, WE. >> SHOULD TARGETED. OUR ZONING PLANS AND UH, OUR POLICIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE JUMPSTARTING THOSE THOSE
AREAS. BUT WE ARE DOING VERY WELL AND CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING IN DORCHESTER UM AND I, I MAYBE WE COULD BE DOING BETTER ELSEWHERE. YEAH. >> THANK YOU. ANNOUNCER.
WELL, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE UM BECAUSE PROFESSOR BRENNAN'S REPORT DOES TOUCH ON SOME OF THE THEMES THAT WERE SO PROFESSOR BRENNAN. SURE. I I. THINK THIS IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT CONVERSATION AND I JUST WANT TO REFLECT UM, BACK ON BY THE WAY, I DO HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND I HAVE NEVER HAD MORE THAN ONE CAR UH, DURING THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR, UH,
THEIR LIVES. SO I'M WITH THOSE WHO WHO SHARE THAT UM, BUT I WANTED TO JUST RELAY BECAUSE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A POLICY LIKE THIS?
UM, IN HARTFORD, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LOWEST INCOME CITIES IN THE COUNTRY WITH A POPULATION THAT IS 85% BLACK AND LATINO, INCLUDING MYSELF.
UM, WE HELD MORE THAN 75 MEETINGS WITH EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD UH, ASSOCIATION EVERY SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, WITH ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
ADVOCATES AND IT WAS ACTUALLY BASED ON THEIR FEEDBACK, UH, AND THEIR BUY IN WITH OUR PARKING PROPOSAL THAT WE ELIMINATED PARKING MANDATES IN
ONE NIGHT AND UNANIMOUSLY AND THE ROOT OF IT WAS THAT WE FELT IT WAS AN EQUITY AND EQUITY ISSUE TRULY. AND THERE'S A COUPLE REASONS FOR THIS AND I THINK WE GO BACK TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS. UM, WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT
EARLIER ABOUT WHETHER LOW INCOME PEOPLE ARE PENALIZED BY THIS TYPE OF POLICY. AND I WOULD SAY THAT LOW INCOME PEOPLE ARE BEING MORE PENALIZED
NOW FINANCIALLY, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE FORCED TO LIVE IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY SHOULD BE BECAUSE SOMEBODY ARBITRARILY
TOLD THEM THAT THEY HAD TO BUILD THE DEVELOPER HAD TO BUILD A PARKING. THOSE PARKING COSTS ARE NOT EATEN BY THE DEVELOPER. THEY ARE PASSED ON TO RESIDENTS WHETHER THEY HAVE A CAR OR NOT
. WE ALSO KNOW IN HARTFORD AND IN BOSTON THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES RIGHT NOW TENS OF THOUSANDS, MAYBE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HOUSING UNITS
THAT COME WITH PARKING. SO THERE IS NO PENALTY TO PEOPLE. WHO WANT TO COME AND LIVE IN BOSTON WITH THEIR CAR. IN FACT THEY HAVE EVERY OPTION
IN THE WORLD ALMOST UM IT TO BRING THEIR CAR TO THE CITY. WE'RE NOT TAKING THOSE PARKING SPOTS AWAY WITH THIS PROPOSAL. WE DIDN'T DO IT IN HARTFORD. THERE'S PARKING ALL OVER
HARTFORD THAT ALREADY EXISTED AND WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST. THE PURPOSE OF A TEXT AMENDMENT LIKE THIS IS TO SAY GOING FORWARD THE NEW HOUSING THAT IS
BUILT WHERE HOUSING IS BUILT AT ALL WILL NOT HAVE THE PARKING TAX THAT IS IMPOSED ON NEW RESIDENTS BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT THOSE COSTS ARE BEING PASSED ON.
SO I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S THE REVERSE. I THINK LOW INCOME RESIDENTS ARE MORE PENALIZED BY THE CURRENT POLICY FINANCIALLY UM, AND OTHERWISE UH THEN THE CHANGE.
. >> THANK YOU, PROFESSOR BRONIN AND THANK YOU COUNCILOR ROLL. UM, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. UH. >> THANK YOU. UM THANK YOU EVERYONE. >> FOR BEING HERE AND MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING HERE.
I WAS AT A WEEK UM, I CURRENTLY DO NOT OWN A CAR. I SHARE A CAR WITH MY MOTHER, UM, AND MY SISTERS. WE ALL LIVE SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO EACH OTHER AND EVEN MY SISTERS
WITH KIDS THEY SHARE CARS SO THERE'S A LOT OF CAR SHARING IN MY FAMILY. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION REALLY ABOUT THE 75% BECAUSE I
OSCILLATE BETWEEN DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO LIKE INCENTIVIZE UM, FOLKS TO DO LESS PARKING AND HOW WE CAN DO THAT?
UM, OR WHETHER A CITYWIDE APPROACH IS THE BEST APPROACH. UM, AND I THINK SOMEONE WAS MENTIONING THE 75% AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY
WHAT THE 75% IS. MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WAS STATED IS THAT IN OTHER CITIES THAT ENACTED LIKE A SIMILAR REFORM, YOU STILL SAW 75%
OF THE PARKING BEING BUILT COMPARED TO WHAT WAS BEING BUILT PRIOR. IS THAT THE RIGHT? YES. IS THAT THE REQUEST? I WAS. SPECIFICALLY COUNCILOR QUOTING . UM DATA THAT WE. HEARD FROM THOSE AUSTIN
COUNCILORS WHO VISITED TWO YEARS AGO UH, IN THEIR TESTIMONY HERE. AND ARE THERE OTHER EXAMPLES OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN WHERE ARE YOU SEEING THAT AND DO WE HAVE LIKE
A LONGITUDINAL VIEW SO I CAN SEE HOW LIKE MAYBE IN THE FIRST YEAR OUT FOR EXAMPLE OF HAVING UM A CITYWIDE UH UH REMOVING A
CITYWIDE MANDATE FOR PARKING PERHAPS YOU STILL SEE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF PARKING BUT MAYBE OVER TIME IT DECREASES. DOES ANYBODY SORT OF HAVE THAT LONGITUDINAL VIEW. THAT MAY BE BETTER EITHER FROM
APC OR FOR PROFESSOR BRENNAN? YEAH, I MEAN I THINK. PARTLY BECAUSE THIS IS JUST ON NEW CONSTRUCTION IT WILL TAKE YOU TO SEE SORT OF A CHANGE WILL TAKE A LONG TIME. BUT I THINK THIS THE POINT
ABOUT AUSTIN IS ALSO RELEVANT TO THE DATA POINT I WAS RAISING AS THE COUNCILOR EARLIER ABOUT IF THREE AND TEN SPOTS ARE ALREADY VACANT OVERNIGHT AND WORK.
SO WE ALREADY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S LIKE AN OVERBUILD OF PARKING UM THAT THAT ACTUALLY WOULD MAKE SENSE BUT AS WE'RE TRYING TO RIGHTSIZE THE PARKING AND WE'RE ACTUALLY
TAKING THIS DATA DRIVEN APPROACH TO IT THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY SEE DEVELOPERS MAKING PROPOSALS THAT ARE COMING IN CLOSER TO THAT 75% OF WHAT WAS WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE PROPOSED
UNDER A PREVIOUS REGIME WOULD NOW BE PROPOSED AND AND. AND YOU'RE SEEING THAT THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT YOU'RE JUST GIVING THIS EXAMPLE BUT LIKE IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE YOU USE THE THE THE MINUTE YOU SAID RIGHT
SIZE I THOUGHT ABOUT RIGHT SIZE IS THAT WHAT WHERE IS THAT WHAT IS THAT WHAT THIS YOU THINK IS ACHIEVING RIGHT SIZING AND WHY. THE REASON I THINK FOR US THAT IT FEELS LIKE RIGHT SIZING THE
QUESTION AROUND PARKING IT'S ACTUALLY DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE POINT THAT THAT SARA WAS MAKING JUST A MINUTE AGO IS THAT RIGHT NOW IF 3 IN 10 SPOTS
ARE VACANT, YOUR RESIDENTS OUR NEIGHBORS ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR THEM BUT WE'RE NOT USING THAT LAND IN ANY GOOD WAY. IT'S JUST SITTING THERE PAVED
OVERNIGHT AS A AS LIKE A CONCRETE SURFACE THAT'S NOT BEING USED FOR ANYTHING. AND SO IF WE ACTUALLY RIGHT SIZE IF WE MEET THE MOMENT OF LIKE THIS IS THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF PARKING THAT WE NEED
FOR THE RESIDENTS, OUR NEIGHBORS, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE WE CAN GET HIGHER AND BETTER USES OF THAT LAND. YES AND AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING INVESTED IN MORE GREEN SPACES WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED.
THANK YOU. UH, GOING BACK TO MY SISTERS, I HAVE A SISTER. WHO WILL LIKE BEFORE WE GO ANYWHERE. OH, IT IS LIKE SHE'S LIKE IS THERE PARKING? SHE WANTS TO KNOW WHETHER SHE
WILL FIND A PARKING SPOT, UM, WHEREVER SHE'S GOING. AND I THINK THAT IS THE CONCERN THAT IS BEING ELEVATED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, CIVIC LEADERS IS THAT OFTENTIMES YOU
REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PARKING THAT EXISTS ON SITE. THERE BECOMES MORE OF A CRUNCH FOR STREET PARKING. HOW DO WE. HANDLE THAT? LIKE WHAT IS THE RESPONSE TO THAT?
I MEAN I'LL SAY I UM I DON'T LIVE IN BOSTON NOW BUT I HAVE UM AND I HAVE TWO CHILDREN UH, AND THEY GO TO RECITALS AND ALL KINDS OF SPORTS EVENTS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND I ASK THE SAME
QUESTION YOUR SISTER ASKS IS THERE GOING TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE CAN PARK IF WE CAN'T TAKE TRANSIT THERE? UM, AND I THINK THAT YOU CAN HONESTLY RESPOND TO YOUR RESIDENTS AND SAY YES, THERE WILL BE PARKING BECAUSE A LOT
OF THIS THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY IS ABOUT RESIDENTIAL PARKING, BUT SOME OF THESE ISSUES ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE OTHER PIECES THAT COUNCILOR PEPEN WAS RAISING AROUND. HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT PARKING
AND LAND USE AND A BROADER SCALE ACROSS THE CITY THOUGH ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS ARE CONNECTED AND YOU'RE TOTALLY RIGHT TO BE THINKING ABOUT THEM TOGETHER. BUT I THINK THAT BASED ON THE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE DONE, THE
RESEARCH THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE, YOU COULD TELL YOUR RESIDENTS THAT YES, EVEN IF WE MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION AND MEET THE RIGHT SIZE OF PARKING THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED ACROSS THE CITY AND NEW DEVELOPMENT, THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE
PARKING. AND UH CAN I ADD COUNCILOR? YEAH, BUT I ONLY GOT 45 MORE SECONDS AND I GOT MORE QUESTIONS. YOU GO AHEAD QUICKLY. OKAY. UM, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL SANTANA SAID BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT AND HE AND I HAVE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE HEAR ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS THEY HEAR ELIMINATING PARKING PERIOD.
AND SO THERE IS I DON'T LIKE WHERE I THINK I DISAGREE A LITTLE BIT IS THAT WE HAVE DONE THE WORK OF EDUCATION TO EXPLAIN THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND I PERSONALLY DON'T ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE AREA
WHERE THE EDUCATION IS HAPPENING OR SHOULD HAPPEN. WHAT ARE YOU ALL WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING TO DO THAT WORK OF EDUCATION? HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MESSAGING AROUND WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE?
WE REALLY I MEAN MESSAGING IS KEY. WE TRY TO AVOID THE COMPLICATED LANGUAGE OF ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS TO BE HONEST WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT INCREASING PARKING FLEXIBILITY, DECREASING
THE AMOUNT OF ASPHALT REQUIRED FOR NEW HOUSING WHEN WE HAVE FRAMED IT LIKE THAT AS I'VE TALKED TO THIS COUNCIL AD NAUSEUM ABOUT POLLING THAT WE'VE DONE ACROSS THE CITY 550
RESIDENTS CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH IN A VARIETY OF HOUSING ISSUES WE SEE WHEN ASKING FOLKS UP IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE CITY ABOUT INCREASING FLEXIBILITY FOR
PARKING IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS UH ,70% OF BOSTON RESIDENTS EXPLICITLY SUPPORT ALLOWING FLEXIBILITY ON PAVED PARKING. NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDING 67% OF RESIDENTS IN
DORCHESTER, 67% OF RESIDENTS IN THE COMBINATION OF HYDE PARK, MATTAPAN AND ROXBURY, 65% OF JP ROSLINDALE WEST ROXBURY RESIDENTS, PORTIONS OF COUNCILOR FLYNN'S DISTRICT WE GOT 80%.
SO PARKING FLEXIBILITY AND RECOGNIZING THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OUR ABILITY TO CREATE THE HOMES THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOMES THAT BOSTON RESIDENTS NEED IS SOMETHING THAT STATISTICALLY
VALID RESEARCH HAS SHOWN IS SOMETHING THAT RESIDENTS IN EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE CITY SUPPORT. AND HOW DID YOU DEFINE PARKING FLEXIBILITY? THAT'S JUST MY LAST I. CAN GET YOU I DON'T HAVE THE THE EXACT LANGUAGE READING FROM YOU.
I CAN GET IT TO YOU ALL. THANK YOU. I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS BUT I'LL YIELD TO THE CHAIR. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO AND I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY LOST SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOW EMAILED ME THEIR PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
UM I DO WANT TO READ UM, SOMETHING FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY WERE NOT THEY ARE NOT PRESENT AT THIS HEARING. OKAY. THIS IS UM FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF REVIEW THE ZONING PROPOSAL ORDER FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT, THE BOSTON ZONING CODE WITH RESPECT TO PARKING MINIMUMS FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL ON
APRIL 13TH, 2026. OUR REVIEW FOUND THAT THIS PROPOSAL IS TECHNICALLY SOUND AND DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY SPECIFIC CHANGES TO ALLOW THE CITY TO FULFILL OUR OBLIGATIONS
AS REGULATORS. FOLLOWING THE JUNE 17TH, 2026 ZONING COMMISSION, SOME MINOR CHANGES TO THE NUMBERING OF AMENDMENTS MAY BE REQUIRED TO REFLECT CHANGES TO THE
EXISTING TEXT BY OTHER AMENDMENTS ADDRESSING CHINATOWN AND SIGNAGE. THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING TO UPDATE THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS THROUGH VARIOUS REZONING INITIATIVES CENTERING COMMUNITY
CONVERSATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT. SO THAT IS UH, FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. UM, AND I THINK THAT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS AFTER THE NEXT ZONING MEETING, WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE SOME OF THE NUMBERING OF THE AMENDMENT THAT
IF IF THIS WERE TO PASS. UM, SO UM I WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE. UM IT IS I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU AND YOUR EXPERTISE. UM, I DO THINK IT'S REALLY HARD
TO FIT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO FIT ON ON A PROPOSAL LIKE THIS ONE IN THIS FORMAT. UM, SO, UM THIS IS OUR SECOND HEARING.
UM, THIS IS OUR FIRST HEARING ON THE TEXT OF THE ZONING AMENDMENT, WHICH IS 35 PAGES AND TOUCHES ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARTICLES INCLUDING AND THE BASE CODE. UH, BUT WE DID HAVE A HEARING IN DECEMBER WHICH I ENCOURAGE
FOLKS WHO CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO GO WATCH THAT HEARING BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY WENT MORE IN DEPTH ON THE MERITS OF UM OF THE PROPOSAL AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ZONING AMENDMENT.
UM, SO UM THANK YOU, PROFESSOR BRONIN. UH, THANK YOU TO OUR PANELISTS WHO ARE HERE IN PERSON. UM, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY. UM, AND UH, BECAUSE I HAVE A COUPLE PAGES OF PUBLIC
TESTIMONY UM, AND I'M GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO UH I THINK WE HAVE UH, A COUPLE DOZEN FOLKS WHO HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED UH, PUBLIC TESTIMONY WHICH IS PART OF THE RECORD.
UM, SO OUR PANEL IS RELIEVED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, AND COULD I GET A LIST FROM CENTRAL STAFF ON WHO'S ONLINE?
THANK YOU. UM, SO FIRST WE'RE GOING TO GO IN PERSON. UM, AND I'LL JUST GIVE EVERYONE A CHANCE TO BUT I'LL JUST READ THE LAST NEAL. UM, MCGRATH.
MATTAPAN. UH, RYAN ROACH RESIN. ROACH. SORRY, I THINK IT'S RESIN ROACH. UM, FRED WATTS. SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO GET IN LINE, UM, AND YOU CAN USE
EITHER MICROPHONE. SO, UM. NEIL, ARE YOU NEIL? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. >> YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. SORRY. I'M ONE SECOND. LET ME FIGURE THIS OUT. OKAY. >> YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. HELLO. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M NEIL AT A TENANT IN
MATTAPAN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ACCORDING TO THE 2023 PLAN MATTAPAN REPORT HAS BEEN A PLACE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSING ACCESS FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED GROUPS FOR DECADES. I AM AN OBSERVER OF THIS MY HOUSING AN ACCESSORY DWELLING
UNIT WITHIN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME WAS POSSIBLE FOR THE HOMEOWNER TO INCLUDE WITH WITHOUT CONCERN FOR OFF STREET PARKING AND THE CURRENT ORDINANCE. ADUS ARE THE ONLY RESIDENTIAL USE IN MATTAPAN NEIGHBORHOOD
WITH A SPACE PER DWELLING UNIT MINIMUM OF ZERO UH AND THE GREATER MATTAPAN NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT IS THE ONLY ONE IN WHICH ADUS HAVE ANY SPECIFIED MINIMUM. IN MOST OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTS, MINIMUMS ARE CURRENTLY COUNTED BY UNIT COUNT ,WHICH MAKES MY KIND
OF HOUSING IMPRACTICAL FOR CURRENT HOMEOWNERS TO INVEST IN CREATING REMOVAL OF PARKING MINIMUMS ON RESIDENTIAL USES REMOVES A BARRIER TO ENTRY FOR HOMEOWNERS TO INDIVIDUALLY CHOOSE TO MAKE AN ECONOMICALLY BENEFICIAL DECISION FOR
THEMSELVES, AS THE AMENDMENT DRAFT EXPLAINS. IT ALSO OF COURSE DECREASES THE BARRIER TO CREATING MARKET RATE HOUSING FOR DEVELOPERS OF ALL SKILLS. I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE POINT OF THIS AMENDMENT SUPPORTING THE EXISTENCE OF A VARIETY
OF HOUSING TYPES, NOT JUST WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS. YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF SEEM TO EXCLUSIVELY PRAISE. I HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT UH DIFFERENT UH DIFFERING NEEDS FROM WHAT IS ASSUMED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH HIGHER HEARING
SENSITIVITY. WHILE I DO LOVE EXPLORING DENSE ENVIRONMENTS AND BEING PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THESE PLACES NATURALLY CREATE, I CAN'T EXACTLY STAND LIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE. I'M LIVING AFFORDABLY IN A QUIET TIGHT-KNIT RESIDENTIAL
NEIGHBORHOOD WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT MY PARENTS AND STILL LIVING CAR FREE QUITE COMFORTABLY. THIS KIND OF HOUSING IS VERY HARD TO FIND IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AND IN MY OPINION IS ONE EXISTING STRENGTH OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON FOR OTHER NEURODIVERGENT PEOPLE WITH NEEDS DIFFERENT FROM MINE, A DIVERSITY AND AVAILABLE HOUSING STOCK CAN BE A SERIOUS LIFELINE FOR QUALITY OF LIFE. I URGE THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY'S GOALS OF COST
OF LIVING CORRECTION, COST OF LIVING, CITY BUDGET AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. THANK YOU. SEE MY TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THAT WAS PERFECT TIMING. UM RESIN ROACH RYAN ROACH THANK
YOU. YEAH. >> THANK YOU. UM, MY NAME IS RYAN. I'VE LIVED IN DORCHESTER FOR A LITTLE OVER TEN YEARS BUT I'VE BEEN IN BOSTON FOR ABOUT 20 NOW. UH, I HAVE A CAR, BUT I WALK BY
AND TAKE THE T WHENEVER IT'S POSSIBLE AND I'M IN FAVOR OF ELIMINATING ALL PARKING MINIMUMS ACROSS THE CITY. UH, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD SAINT MARK'S, UH, WALKING AROUND, UH, WE HAVE LIKE A WAY HIGHER
PERCENTAGE OF THE HOMES HAVE PRIVATE DRIVEWAYS THAN MOST OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY I'VE SEEN. UH, FOR SOME REASON THEY ALL CHOOSE NOT TO PARK IN THEM AND THEN THEY ALL SHOW UP TO EVERY MEETING ABOUT EVERY DEVELOPMENT
AND PRETEND THERE'S A PARKING CRISIS WHEN REALLY 85% OF THESE HOUSES HAVE A DRIVEWAY THAT THEY'RE CHOOSING NOT TO USE. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY UNFAIR THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO USE OUR ZONING RULES.
TO GRIND DEVELOPMENT TO A HALT, UH, OVER THESE PARKING CONCERNS THAT REALLY AREN'T VALID IN A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. AND JUST BECAUSE IT'S DORCHESTER DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S TAKE FOR PARKING EVERYWHERE. UH, THE OTHER REASON I'M
AGAINST IT IS SAFETY. THE POLICE IN THE TRANSIT DEPARTMENT DON'T ENFORCE ANY TRAFFIC OR PARKING RULES AT ALL. AS A PEDESTRIAN, I'M REGULARLY ALMOST HIT BY PEOPLE WHO REFUSE
TO STOP AT STOP SIGNS WHO ARE PARKED IN CROSSWALKS WHILE THEY'RE DROPPING THEIR KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL PICKING UP TAKEOUT, DOING LAUNDRY FOR TWO HOURS, MANDATING INCREASED CAR DENSITY
THE TIDE TO INCREASE HOUSING DENSITY SEEMS LIKE IT'S COMING AT A DIRECT EXPENSE OF MY SAFETY AS A PEDESTRIAN WHEN NONE OF THESE PARKING RULES AND NONE OF THESE TRAFFIC RULES ARE BEING ENFORCED AT ALL, IT'S
JUST ADDING MORE RECKLESS DRIVERS AND THEN PRIORITIZING THE CONVENIENCE OF THEIR PARKING OVER MY SAFETY AS A PEDESTRIAN TRYING TO GET AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH RYAN OKAY
FRED WHAT AND EVERYBODY'S DOING GREAT ON TIME. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU COUNCILOR. OKAY I'M SURE THAT MY CON. I CAN CHOOSE THAT ONE THANK YOU
COUNCILOR I'M FRED WATTS AND I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS PROPOSAL IN SPITE OF THE WELL-REASONED HOLISTIC ARGUMENTS YOU'VE HEARD TODAY, I'M SURE THE COUNCIL HAS HEARD FROM MANY CONSTITUENTS OPPOSING THIS CHANGE. MAYBE YOU WORRY THAT THE SILENT MAJORITY OF CONSTITUENTS WHO
DON'T GIVE TESTIMONY FEEL THE SAME WAY. LET ME SHARE A STORY. IN JANUARY I ATTENDED A MEETING OF THE LOWER MILLS NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC GROUP BY DEMOGRAPHIC ONE OF THE MOST CAR CENTRIC SETTLED
PARTS OF THE CITY AND I TOO HAVE A HOME AND A CAR. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD WAS THERE UH, AND SO WAS A STAFFER FOR UH COUNCILOR MORRELL NAMED UH TIMOTHY IF THEY NEED TO UH,
SECOND THE STORY THERE WAS A PROPOSAL AT THAT MEETING FOR A HOME TO BE SOLD TO A DEVELOPER WHO WOULD CHANGE A SINGLE HOME INTO A FOUR UNIT BUILDING WITH THREE PARKING SPOTS. AND IMMEDIATELY IN THIS CROWD
OF LET'S SAY 60 PEOPLE ON THIS CHILLY JANUARY EVENING, MAYBE TEN OF THEM BEGAN FIERCELY OPPOSING THE IDEA THAT THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN FOUR UNITS AND THREE PARKING SPOTS.
UH, THEY ARGUED THE POINT FOR MAYBE TEN MINUTES AND THERE WERE MAYBE 1 OR 2 PEOPLE IN THIS CROWD WHO SUPPORTED IT ON THE SIMPLE PRINCIPLE OF MORE HOUSING IS GOOD. AND THIS DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THAT
BIG OF A SACRIFICE. UH, I WAS ONE OF THE TWO. AND AT THE END YOU'D EXPECT GIVEN THE DISCREPANCY OF THE LOUD OPPOSITION TO THE SMALL POCKET OF SUPPORTERS THAT THE
MEASURE WOULD FAIL BUT THEY FINALLY PUT IT TO A VOTE AND THIS DEMOGRAPHIC WHO AGAIN ARE THE SORT OF PEOPLE WHO WILL GO TO A LOWER MILLS NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC MEETING ON A WEEKDAY IN
JANUARY PASSED I THINK THE MAJORITY WAS LIKE 624723 JUST AT A WILD GUESS. SO WHAT I'M OFFERING IS THAT I THINK WHILE THERE MIGHT BE A
STEREOTYPE OF OPPOSITION TO PARKING A VERY SETTLED MINDSET ONCE THEY SEE UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS AND POTENTIAL NEIGHBORS UH, THAT AT THE COST OF MAYBE 1 OR 2 PARKING SPOTS IN THEIR ENTIRE
ZIP CODE, I THINK A LOT OF BOSTONIANS WILL ERR ON THE SIDE OF GENEROSITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> UM ELI WEINER. I THINK IT'S BEEN GREAT. EVERYONE'S BEEN SAYING THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS IF EVERYONE WANTS TO KEEP THAT UP. HI I'M ELI, I LIVE IN ROSLINDALE. UH I AM A FATHER. I HAVE LIVED IN THINK FIVE
DIFFERENT APARTMENTS IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS AND EVERY TIME I'M LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE ,UH, IT'S ALWAYS A QUESTION OF TRADE OFFS. LIKE AM I DOING LAUNDRY AT THE
LAUNDROMAT OR DOWN IN MY BASEMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE COIN UP OR DO I HAVE A IN UNIT WASHER DRYER? AND THE SAME THING PRETTY MUCH APPLIES TO PARKING IN THAT SAME
TIME PERIOD I'VE HAD NO CARS. I'VE HAD ONE CAR, I'VE HAD TWO CARS, ONE CAR AGAIN I'VE PARKED ON THE STREET, I'VE PARKED OFF STREET AND YOU KNOW THAT'S JUST
COMES DOWN TO CHOICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ME TO MAKE AND SOMETIMES I DON'T CARE AND A LOT OF TIMES I DON'T CARE ABOUT HAVING AN OFF STREET PARKING SPACE FOR A CAR.
THAT'S NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION FOR ME WHEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE I'M GOING TO LIVE. THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION GENERALLY IS HOW MUCH IT COSTS AND I'M WILLING TO COMPROMISE ON THINGS LIKE,
YOU KNOW, WALKING DOWN THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS TO DO LAUNDRY OR YOU KNOW, PARKING WITH COMPETITIVE STREET PARKING, UH ,THINGS LIKE THAT. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. UH, SO THAT OVERARCHING CONCERN
OF AFFORDABILITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO ME AND THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS BECAUSE THE RESEARCH, UH, ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE IS COMPLETELY CLEAR. THIS COULDN'T BE ANY MORE CLEAR.
I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A WIN FOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ELI. UM, COLIN DAMER AND THEN TAMMY ESPANOLA, CONNIE FORBES AND
VIVIAN GERARD JUST TO BE READY. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE I KNOW THAT IT'S LIKE A CRAZY MORNING TO BE HERE AT 10 A.M. ON A THURSDAY, SO THANK YOU. UH, YES. HI.
UH, MY NAME IS COLIN DIVER. I'M A RENTER IN ALLSTON. UH, I'M HERE TO TESTIFY IN SUPPORT. OF THE. >> ZONING AMENDMENT TO REMOVE THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, PARKING MANDATE CITYWIDE. UH, SO I MOVED TO. BRIGHTON IN 2017.
SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE, UH, I FOUND AN APARTMENT I COULD LIVE IN BE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE THEN NEW COMMUTER RAIL STATION AT BOSTON LANDING. UM, I KNEW THAT I DIDN'T WANT THE HEADACHE AND THE EXPENSE THAT COMES WITH OWNING A CAR IN THE CITY.
AND ALMOST TEN YEARS LATER IT REMAINS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS I'VE EVER MADE. UH. >> MY WIFE AND I ARE LOOKING TO BUY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE LOVE TO PUT DOWN ROOTS AND STAY HERE LONG TERM. UH, AND WE'VE NOTICED A CONSISTENT TREND IN THE AVAILABLE HOUSING, WHICH IS
THAT HOMES WITHOUT PARKING THAT WE FOUND ARE. FAR MORE. >> AFFORDABLE THAN THOSE WITH A SPACE OR TWO INCLUDED. UH, OUR CURRENT ZONING CODE MANDATES THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE EXPENSIVE SPOTS FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL, UM, HOUSING.
WHETHER THE FUTURE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO MOVE IN THERE NEED THEM OR NOT. UH, THAT COST GETS PASSED DIRECTLY TO HOME BUYERS AND RENTERS LIKE US. UM, SO AS A CITY WE'VE MADE SOME INCREDIBLE INVESTMENTS IN
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND MICROMOBILITY ALL OVER BOSTON. UM, BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO MANDATE THAT EVERY NEW HOME COME WITH THOSE PARKING SPACES ,WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING AGAINST THOSE INVESTMENTS. UH, WE NEED TO UPDATE THE
ZONING CODE SO THAT THE EFFORTS TO SECURE OUR NEW COMMUTER RAIL STATIONS ARE PROTECTED BIKE LANES AND OUR FREQUENT BUS ROUTES ARE NOT WASTED. UM, THE AMENDMENT DOESN'T BAN PARKING. IT ONLY ELIMINATES THE RIGID, OUTDATED ONE SIZE FITS ALL
MANDATES. UM, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, AND ELIMINATING IT WILL ACTUALLY LET OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT ADAPT IN REAL TIME TO WHAT THE PEOPLE OF BOSTON ACTUALLY NEED. UH, AND ALSO RIGHT NOW NEARLY HALF OF OUR RESIDENTS NEARLY
HALF OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS DON'T OWN A CAR. AND SO IF A IF A DEVELOPER THINKS PARKING WOULD ATTRACT TENANTS, THEY'LL BUILD IT BUT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO REQUIRE IT BY LAW. UM THANK YOU COUNCILORS, I URGE YOU ALL TO SUPPORT THIS VERY
IMPORTANT, UH, AMENDMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, TAMMY ESPANOLA. UM, AND THEN CONNIE FORBES,
VIVIAN GERARD, NATE STAHL. OH. >> GO AHEAD. HI. >> MY NAME IS CONIFERS. I'M A LONG TIME ROXBURY RESIDENT, 60 PLUS YEARS. UM, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT
THIS DECISION THAT YOU'VE MADE TO TO PUT A GENERAL, UM, CITYWIDE POLICY IN PLACE DISTURBS ME. UM, I LIVE IN ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY PACKED AND STACKED PARTS OF BOSTON RIGHT NOW. RESIDENTS WHO'VE LIVED THERE
FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS ARE FINDING THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS ARE GOING IN AND THEY'RE PROPOSING TO BUILD WITH MINIMAL PARKING. AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS RESIDENTS WHO PARKED ON THE STREET ARE FINDING THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THESE
RESIDENTIAL NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WHERE THEY MINIMIZE THE PARKING ARE NOW COMING HOME AND FINDING NO PARKING SPACES. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY IS BASED ON MULTI-GENERATIONAL NEEDS. WE HAVE FAMILIES, WE HAVE
SENIOR CITIZENS, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED AND IF YOU CAN'T IF YOU CAN IMAGINE COMING HOME TO AN AREA THAT YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR OWN PARKING SPACE TO PARK ON THE STREET YOU HAVE GROCERIES AND A CHILD IN YOUR CAR. WHAT DO YOU DO?
TAKE THE GROCERIES IN FIRST WITH THE CHILD IN FIRST. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. SO WHEN YOU'RE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT THE UM OH IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE OFF STREET PARKING I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S A MISSED UM, MISCONCEPTION.
THIS IS GOING TO BE OFF STREET PARKING IMPOSING FOR THESE RESIDENTIAL UH BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING BUILT BUT IT'S ALSO DOUBLE EDGE IT'S ALSO GOING TO AFFECT PEOPLE WILL NOT PARK IN THE PARKING SPACES BECAUSE
NUMBER ONE A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT UM COMMUNITY UM THAT HAVE BUILT THESE PARKING PLACES DO NOT ALLOW VISITORS OVERNIGHT VISITORS OR FAMILY VISITING. THEY CAN'T CUT PARKING THOSE SPACES THREE OUT OF 10TH MAY
NOT BE AN ACCURATE NUMBER. SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD START LOOKING AT THE REAL WORLD VERSUS A VIRTUAL WORLD WHICH IS BASED ON DATA AND LOOK AT HUMAN BEINGS BECAUSE IT'S CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE AGAIN WE HAVE RESIDENTS WHO'VE BEEN HERE FOR
MANY YEARS WHO ARE NOW NOT ABLE TO EVEN STAY IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEW BUILDINGS GOING UP THAT ARE BEING THEY'RE FORCING THEM OUT AND RESIDENTS WHO NEED CARS ARE BEING TOLD THEY DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE A
CAR. AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE THE CITY IS SENDING THAT THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN WHO WHO DON'T HAVE PARKING SPACES IN THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED WE'RE NOW FORCING OUR
RESIDENTS TO TAKE UP THE SLACK FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T PARKING IN THEIR BUILDINGS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, OKAY.
UH, VIVIAN GERARD, NATE STAHL, ANDREW MURRAY.
GOOD MORNING. >> UM, MY NAME IS VIVIAN SHAW AND MY WIFE AND I, WE ARE A. UH, DORCHESTER RESIDENT, SMALL DEVELOPER AND UH, PROPERTY MANAGERS. UH, THIS MANDATE REMOVAL UH,
SORRY, THIS PARKING MANDATE REMOVAL AS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE HOUSING, UH, MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE CITYWIDE. I'LL GIVE SOME EXAMPLE AS A DEVELOPER AND DORCHESTER
RESIDENT, UH, ONE OF THEM IS A UH, PROPOSAL BY UM, THE NONPROFIT DEVELOPER OF UH, 290 BOWDOIN STREET IN DORCHESTER NEAR WHERE I LIVE.
UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR OF YEAR THEY TOLD US THAT ADDING EIGHT UNDERGROUND PARKING SPACES WOULD INCREASE THE DEVELOPMENT COST BY ABOUT 1 MILLION. UH, THAT HAPPENS TO BE 150
GRAND PER UNIT. AND UH, THAT'S A PRETTY TYPICAL PRICE TAG IN MY EXPERIENCE. UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING SAID THAT WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE THAT THE CITY
WOULD NOT PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT IF THE PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE THIS EXPENSIVE. AND PERSONALLY I WOULD NOT SUPPORT IT EITHER AS I DON'T LIKE TO SEE MY, UH, TAX MONEY
GETTING SPENT ON PUTTING UH BECAUSE THIS PROJECT IS ALMOST ENTIRELY TAXPAYER FUNDED IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER. UH ANOTHER PROJECT THAT MY WIFE
AND I DEVELOPED RECENTLY, UH, WHERE WE BUILD SOME OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY UH, WITH NO TAXPAYER MONEY IN THIS CASE. AND, UH, WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO
DO THIS AFTER WE OBTAINED A VARIANCE FOR THE PARKING REQUIREMENT. THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD HAVE MADE IT TO WORK OTHER WAYS. UH, BEGINNING JUST GETTING THAT VARIANCE IN ITSELF CREATED UNCERTAINTY FOR THE
PROJECT. IT COST US TIME, COSTS MONEY AND IT MADE OUR BUILDING MORE EXPENSIVE. IT WE PROMOTE OUR AFFORDABLE APARTMENT AS COST OF LIVING WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE
TO GET A STREET PARKING PERMIT AND UH WE I'VE HAD NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER FINDING RESIDENT LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO LIVE WITHOUT A CAR AND WE HAVE A VERY LONG WAIT LIST OF OUR
THREE APPLICANTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM NATE STYLE. HI. >> UH, MY NAME IS NATE STONE. I LIVE IN ROSLINDALE. I'VE GOT THREE.
KIDS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS AND I CO-FOUNDED BETTER PARKING FOR BOSTON, WHICH ADVOCATES FOR. GREATER PARKING FLEXIBILITY AND DOING A BETTER JOB OF MANAGING OUR STREET PARKING. UM, SO I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNCILORS WHO OPPOSE THIS
AMENDMENT. THE FIRST IS WHAT MAKES BOSTON SO UNIQUE. THAT WE. CAN'T DO WHAT 111 OTHER CITIES IN THE US HAVE ALREADY DONE. SOME FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED THIS SOMERVILLE.
DENVER, SAN FRANCISCO. SAN JOSE, MINNEAPOLIS, BALTIMORE, TOLEDO. THEY'VE ALL ALREADY DONE THIS AND THEY'VE NOT. >> THEY'RE NOT LOOKING BACK. >> SO WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT US TRULY THE SECOND QUESTION IS. COULD YOU PLEASE MAKE A.
POSITIVE CASE FOR WHY THESE MANDATES ARE GOOD? CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY IT MAKES SENSE IN DORCHESTER AND JAMAICA PLAIN TO REQUIRE AN APARTMENT TO REBUILD ONE AND A HALF PARKING SPACES BUT A SINGLE
FAMILY HOME ONLY TO PROVIDE ONE PARKING SPACE? THAT SEEMS WEIRD BECAUSE EVERYONE HERE KNOWS THAT HOME OWNERS TYPICALLY OWN MORE CARS THAN RENTERS. WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? UM, AND ALSO TELL US WHY IS SIX
THE MAGIC NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES REQUIRED TO BUILD A TRIPLE DECKER AND HYDE PARK OR ROSEDALE SIX UM, I COULD GO ON BUT I THINK WE'VE MADE OUR CASE SEVERAL HAVE MADE OUR CASE HERE
THAT THESE RULES ARE ARBITRARY AT BEST AND DELIBERATELY EXCLUSIONARY AT WORST. SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR CASE FOR WHY THESE ARE ACTUALLY CONSTITUTE A THOUGHTFUL, WELL CRAFTED POLICY.
WITH THIS AMENDMENT THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING THAT WORKS AND IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST SHOT THAT THE COUNCIL HAS HAD IN YEARS TO IMPROVE AFFORDABILITY AT THE COST OF ZERO TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THIS, I GENUINELY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING TO DO INSTEAD TO LOWER THE COST OF HOUSING FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH NATE AND
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. UM, ANDREW MURRAY AND THEN UM AMAN UH SHAKUR DAS SORRY IF I'VE GOT THAT. WRONG. DARREN SPENCE AND ERIC HARROW. OKAY.
>> ALL RIGHT. UH, MY NAME IS ANDREW. I LIVE. >> IN ROSLINDALE. AND I'M. >> HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF. ELIMINATING RESIDENTIAL PARKING MINIMUMS. UM. >> AFTER I. >> GRADUATED FROM NORTHEASTERN. I CHOSE TO. >> STAY. IN BOSTON. UH, I DIDN'T OWN A. CAR AND I COULDN'T. >> HAVE AFFORDED. ONE ON TOP OF MY RENT.
FORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T NEED ONE. >> UH, LIVING. NEAR TRANSIT. ALLOWED ME TO BUILD A. CAREER. >> ESTABLISH ROOTS. AND MAKE BOSTON MY HOME TODAY MY WIFE. >> AND I OWN A HOME IN ROSLINDALE. UM. >> AND WE'RE EXPECTING HER FIRST CHILD ANY DAY NOW. UM, I STILL GET. AROUND ON PUBLIC. TRANSIT AND BY. >> BIKING AND. >> I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO
TAKING MY SON TO DAYCARE EVERY DAY ON THE TEE. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WORRY. THAT THE. >> NEW HOUSING. >> IS. ONLY FOR. >> THE. TRANSIENT POPULATION. BUT UH, MANY. OF THE PEOPLE MOVING TO BOSTON TODAY ARE THE HOMEOWNERS, PARENTS. VOLUNTEERS AND. >> COMMUNITY LEADERS OF TOMORROW. >> I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I WAS
ONE OF THEM. UM, PARKING MINIMUMS TREAT EVERY HOUSEHOLD AS IF IT OWNS A CAR. YOU GET ABOUT 35% OF BOSTON HOUSEHOLDS DON'T EVEN OWN ONE VEHICLE. UH, THOSE RESIDENTS SHOULDN'T BE FORCED TO PAY HIGHER HOUSING COSTS. THE PARKING CAN BE BUILT FOR
CARS. >> THAT. THEY. DON'T HAVE. ROSLINDALE SQUARE SHOWS THAT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY. OUR RECENT REZONING ELIMINATED PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN KEY AREAS AROUND THE SQUARE. PARKING HASN'T DISAPPEARED. INSTEAD PROJECTS ARE SIMPLY
BEING ARE SIMPLY PROPOSING PROVIDING PARKING BASED ON THE ACTUAL DEMAND. RATHER THAN A BLANKET MANDATE. OPPONENTS CALL THIS PROPOSAL ONE SIZE FITS ALL. I WOULD ARGUE THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE THE REAL ONE SIZE FITS
ALL POLICY IS REQUIRING EVERY PROJECT IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD TO PROVIDE THE SAME PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF PARKING UM, REGARDLESS OF. YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF A FAMILY MAY BE AND WHETHER THEY'RE
GOING TO USE THAT PARKING. >> OR NOT. THIS THIS PROPOSAL DOESN'T BAN PARKING IT JUST SIMPLY ALLOWS FLEXIBILITY AND I URGE THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M ON SCHUCHARD OFFICE.
PERFECT PRONUNCIATION. GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH MY NAME IS I'M ON JINGLES AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE LIVABLE STREETS ALLIANCE, AN ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING THOUSANDS OF. BOSTONIANS WHO WANT A BETTER AND MORE EQUITABLE
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. TRANSPORTATION OUTCOMES AND LAND USE POLICIES ARE CLOSELY LINKED, WHICH IS WHY OUR ORGANIZATION ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTS THE ELIMINATION OF PARKING MINIMUMS IN ORDER TO FREE UP SPACE TO PROVIDE MORE
DESPERATELY NEEDED HOUSING AND SHARED PUBLIC SPACE IN BOSTON. I, LIKE MANY MEMBERS OF MY LIVABLE STREETS, CHOOSE NOT TO OWN A CAR OR USE ONE TO COMMUTE AROUND. I WALK, USE THE BUS, TRAIN AND BIKE WHATEVER IS EASIEST,
CHEAPEST AND OFTENTIMES THE FASTEST DURING PEAK COMMUTING HOURS. I'M SPEAKING FOR THOUSANDS OF BOSTONIANS WHO HAVE ALREADY MADE THIS CHOICE AND DO NOT USE, NEED OR WANT THE EXPENSIVE PARKING SPACES THAT CURRENT
REGULATIONS FORCE DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE. SO LET US NOT WASTE PRECIOUS SPACE IN OUR CITY. BOSTON'S COST OF LIVING IS AT A BREAKING POINT THAT IS FORCING PEOPLE OUT AND BY MANDATING PARKING WE ARE EFFECTIVELY
ADDING A CAR TAX TO THE COST OF THE BUILDING HOUSING THAT ULTIMATELY INCREASES RENT OR MORTGAGE COSTS FOR RESIDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, WE SHOULD NOT BE INCENTIVIZING OR WORSE REQUIRING THE MASSIVE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF CAR OWNERSHIP FOR LOW
AND MIDDLE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO STAY IN THE CITY. EVERY SQUARE FOOT REQUIRED BY A CAR IS SPACE STOLEN FROM A POTENTIAL HOME, SMALL BUSINESS OR PARK. BY REMOVING THESE OUTDATED PARKING MINIMUMS, WE TELL
DEVELOPERS INSTEAD OF USING YOUR MONEY FOR PARKING SPACES, BUILD SOME MORE HOMES FOR BOSTONIANS. BY REMOVING THESE MANDATES, WE MAKE IT CHEAPER TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LET RESIDENTS LIVE CLOSER TO WORK.
OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ARE AND HABITS ARE SHIFTING HERE IN BOSTON, RESIDENTS WANT MORE WAYS TO GET AROUND LIKE WALKING BIKING AND THEY WANT RELIABLE BUSSES AND TRAINS THAT GET THEM THERE WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT FINDING PARKING AND PAYING FOR IT.
THE CAR IS NO LONGER THE MAIN CHARACTER AND TRANSPORTATION STORY IN BOSTON. WE SEE LOTS IN LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SIT EMPTY OR USED FOR CHEAP UNMANAGED OVERNIGHT STORAGE TELLING US THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LACK OF PARKING.
WE HAVE A LACK OF VISION OF HOW TO EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY USE OUR LAND. SO LET'S UPDATE THAT VISION TO REFLECT BOSTON'S CHOICES. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. UM, DARREN SPENCE, ERICA ROWE,
ELVIRA MAURA AND RYAN BABB. OKAY, THOSE THAT'S THE ORDER. HI, I'M DARREN SPENCE. I'M HERE TODAY AS A FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE. DIRECTOR OF THE YOUTH. AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION, A
FELLOW AT ABUNDANT HOUSING MASSACHUSETTS AND ALSO A UMASS BOSTON STUDENT. I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO ECHO THE STRONG SUPPORT OF REMOVING PARKING MINIMUMS IN THE YOUTH AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION. WE HAVE A SMALL GROUP
OF PASSIONATE RESEARCHERS IN VARIOUS ACADEMIC STAGES AND AREAS THAT COMPLETE RESEARCH TOPICS ON A BROAD RANGE OF TOPICS REGARDING THE HOUSING CRISIS. ONE OF OUR RESEARCHERS, NAMED ISAAC GARELICK FROM TUFTS
UNIVERSITY CREATED AN EXEMPLARY RESEARCH REPORT ADDRESSING PARKING MINIMUMS. I BELIEVE THE BEST WAY TO KIDS CONVEY THE NECESSITY OF REMOVING THIS REGULATION IS TO DIRECTLY CITE THAT RESEARCH LED ME TO QUOTE A REPORT ON
STREAMLINING HOUSING REGULATIONS AND PERMITTING FROM A YOUTH AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION RESEARCHER QUOTE THERE IS A BROAD ACADEMIC CONSENSUS THAT PARKING MINIMUMS ARE UNNECESSARY AND REDUNDANT,
UPHOLDING A FALSE NOTION EVERY HOUSING UNIT MUST HAVE A CAR AND THEREFORE NEEDS PARKING. THIS REGULATION ACTIVELY INCREASES CONSTRUCTION COSTS WHICH ARE THEN PUSHED ONTO THE CONSUMER WHILE ALSO CAPPING CONSTRUCTION.
OF COURSE THIS ASSUMPTION IS NONSENSICAL MANY PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE AND OR DO NOT WANT A CAR YET THEY STILL MUST PAY THE COST FOR AN EMPTY SPOT. IT SHOULD COME AS LITTLE SURPRISE THEN THAT IN THE
RECENT METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COUNCIL SURVEY OF COMMUNITIES WEST OF BOSTON, 40% OF THE PARKING SPACES SAT VACANT OVERNIGHT. LIKEWISE WHEN CMM INVESTIGATED IT'S NOW A PERMITTED PARKING
REFORM. THEY FOUND THAT FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING 38% OF PARKING SPACES WERE VACANT BEYOND INCREASING COSTS OF HOUSING. PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
ACTIVELY PRIVILEGED CARS OVER SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY WHILE THE WORLD IS FACING A CLIMATE CRISIS IN EFFECT THEY CREATE THEIR OWN PROBLEM IF IT IS ASSUMED THAT EVERYONE NEEDS A CAR, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND
BIKING INFRASTRUCTURE IS THEN DISCOURAGED AND THEREFORE RESIDENTS NEED A CAR TO ACCESS THEIR. COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC TERMS. A PARKING MINIMUM FREE WORLD IS NOT A WORLD WITHOUT PARKING. RATHER IT IS A WORLD WHERE
PARKING IS DETERMINED BY MARKET INSTEAD OF EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVELY SUBSIDIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT. PEOPLE WILL STILL WANT PARKING BUT NOW THE SUPPLY WILL BE ABLE TO ACCURATELY MATCH THE DEMAND AND FACE OF OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE.
MANY CITIES HAVE BEGUN TO REFORM THEIR PARKING MINIMUMS. FOR EXAMPLE, SALEM RECENTLY SCRAPPED PARKING MINIMUMS FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS. SORRY. >> JUST AT TIME. OKAY I APOLOGIZE UM, THANK YOU FOR. NO NO OF COURSE. UM. ERIC.
HELLO? UH, HI. MY NAME IS, UH, ERIC HARIT. I AM A. RESIDENT OF JAMAICA PLAIN. UM. >> SO WHEN I. FIRST MOVED TO BOSTON. WELL. ACTUALLY I SHOULD SAY WHEN I. FIRST MOVED OUT. >> OF MY.
>> PARENTS HOUSE SINCE I WAS RAISED HERE. UM, ABOUT 20. >> YEARS. AGO. >> I DID. >> NOT OWN A. >> CAR LIKE. SO MANY. >> OTHER PEOPLE. UM, AND FOR. >> THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT 20 YEARS UNTIL I WAS ABOUT. 40 YEARS OLD I STILL DIDN'T. OWN A CAR. UM, AND DURING THAT ENTIRE TIME I WAS REALLY GRATEFUL.
>> TO BE. >> ABLE TO FIND PLACES THAT I COULD AFFORD ALL OF WHICH INCIDENTALLY DID NOT HAVE OFF STREET PARKING. UM. >> WHEN WE. WERE FINALLY. READY TO HAVE A. KID UM, WE. DECIDED YOU KNOW, WE WENT OUT
AND LOOKED FOR PLACES WITH ENOUGH BEDROOMS SO TO. UH AND. WE LOOKED FOR A PLACE THAT WE DIDN'T WE DID NOT ACTIVELY SEEK A PLACE THAT HAD A PARKING SPACE, BUT IT. >> TURNED OUT. >> THAT THAT WAS WHAT WAS AVAILABLE TO US AT THE TIME. UM. >> BUT WE WERE REALLY GRATEFUL
TO BE ABLE TO FIND THOSE AFFORDABLE PLACES THAT WE COULD LIVE. UH, AT THE TIME. >> IN OUR LIVES WHEN THAT WAS WHAT WE COULD WE COULD AFFORD UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WE DON'T UH.
JUST AS WE DON'T WANT TO FORCE PEOPLE OUT KIDS TO PAY FOR. BEDROOMS. >> UH, THAT THEY DON'T NEED. UH, WE ALSO SHOULDN'T BE. FORCING PEOPLE THAT A CAR OR. >> DO. NOT YET HAVE A CAR, UH. TO PAY FOR. >> PARKING SPACES THEY DON'T NEED. UM. >> YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE ISSUE. I JUST WANT TO. I'LL CEDE MY TIME.
THANKS. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM. ELVIRA MORA. HI. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, COUNCILORS AND EVERYONE ELSE. >> WHO. STUCK AROUND. UM, MY NAME IS ELVIRA MORA. I'M A. >> COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AND.
>> I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE A LIFELONG DAUGHTER OF BOSTON. I AM HERE. >> TODAY. TO IMPLORE YOU TO. CONSIDER PARKING FLEXIBILITY. I COME FROM. AN IMMIGRANT WORKING CLASS FAMILY. MY LATE FATHER WORKED. AT THE HILTON BY THE LOGAN AIRPORT. HE RELIED. >> ON. THE.
TEA EVERY. SINGLE DAY TO GET FROM ROSLINDALE TO EAST BOSTON. MY MOM IS NOW RETIRED AFTER SERVING AS A TEACHER FOR OVER. 30 YEARS. SHE RELIED. >> ON A CAR TO PICK. UP SNACKS, MATERIALS AND OTHER ITEMS THAT SHE PAID OUT OF POCKET TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE
HER STUDENTS. I CURRENTLY. AM STILL ABLE TO RESIDE IN THE. >> TRIPLE DECKER THAT RAISED ME WITH. AN ATTACHED ADU THAT WELCOMED MY. BROTHER AFTER HE CAME. >> BACK FROM COLLEGE IN PROVIDENCE AND I ALSO HAVE A. DRIVEWAY ATTACHED.
>> THAT CAN FIT TWO CARS. I'M A. FIVE MINUTE WALK FROM A COMMUTER RAIL STATION AND THREE BUS LINES SERVICE MY STREET. I OWN A CAR MYSELF SO I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND TELL YOU THAT OWNING A CAR OR USING.
>> A CAR IS THE ENEMY. THIS IS ALSO NOT AN INITIATIVE PRESENTED BY THE CITY OF BOSTON. THIS IS JUST SMART. POLICY THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE. ALREADY ENACTED NATIONWIDE. . >> CITIES WITHOUT A ROBUST
TRANSIT SYSTEM LIKE WE DO, THE T. >> IS NOT. PERFECT BY. >> ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, BUT IMAGINE IF WE WERE ABLE TO FILL THOSE GAPS AND FOCUSED ON OUR PEOPLE. I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE NOT BEEN. >> PRICED OUT OF. >> MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I HAVE SEEN THE GROWTH OF OUR
MAIN STREETS. THERE'S A RESTAURANT THERE THAT STILL IS HAPPILY INHABITED BY A LOT OF DIFFERENT UM CONSUMERS AND CUSTOMERS. THIS WAS A DESTINATION LOCATION
ONCE BEFORE. IT IS NOW NO LONGER RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO. WALK BY, USE IT, CHERISH IT AND HAVE IT BE A PART OF THEIR DAILY LIVES. THERE IS STILL PARKING.
I ACTIVELY FIND A SPACE IF I. >> USE A CAR. I HAVEN'T UM HAD A LICENSE UNTIL I WAS LEGALLY ENOUGH TO DRINK. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR ME TO RELY ON A BUS. WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO MITIGATE OUR HOUSING CRISIS. LET'S USE THEM.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ELVIRA. OKAY. UM. RYAN, BETH AND THEN DYLAN. KELTON. ALLISON GARY. KATE PHELPS AND JARED
RICHARDSON IS THE ORDER. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND COUNCILORS. UM, I JUST WANNA INTRODUCE MYSELF BRIAN BEM I'M A PREVIOUS RESIDENT. >> OF THE. EAST BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, I ALSO RUN THE MASSACHUSETTS. YIMBY ACCOUNT ON TWITTER.
UH, IT'S A PLATFORM THAT I THAT I STARTED BECAUSE I REALIZED THERE WASN'T ENOUGH DATA AND INFORMATION. BEING SHARED AMONGST PEOPLE AND OR HAVING MORE PARKING
FLEXIBILITY IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT THE DATA JUST REPEATEDLY BACKS UP IS GOOD FOR HOMEOWNERS AND FOR PEOPLE THAT DRIVE CARS. BOSTON WAS FOUNDED AS A
EUROPEAN CITY BASICALLY. STILL BASICALLY IS WE STILL HAVE MORE TRANSIT THAN MUCH OF THE COUNTRY DOES. WE HAVE MORE WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS IN MUCH OF THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE MORE OF AN ABILITY TO BIKE AND MUCH OF THE COUNTRY.
SO ONE OF OUR COMPETITIVE. ADVANTAGES AS A CITY IS LEANING INTO THIS PLACE BEING. WALKABLE AND TRANSIT ORIENTED. AND EVERY TIME I HEAR THAT
THERE IS LIKE THIS PUSH FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO MANDATE HOW MANY PARKING SPACES SOME PLACE SHOULD HAVE, IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE TRYING TO STEP AWAY FROM THAT AND TAKE A MORE LIKE LOS ANGELES. APPROACH THAN A BOSTON
APPROACH. UM, AND I HEAR A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT ONE OF THEIR CONCERNS IS OH WELL IF I CAN'T GET TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD UM BY THE T THAT I NEED A CAR AND I SORT OF FLIP
THAT BACK TO THEM AND SAY, WELL, WHY ARE WE NOT MAKING THOSE LONG TERM INVESTMENTS? AND EVEN IN COUNCILOR FLYNN'S NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE HE WAS SAYING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN SOUTH BOSTON IN THE SOUTH END NEED CARS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T
GET TO CERTAIN PLACES. WELL, IN THE CASE OF THE SOUTH END THEY USED TO HAVE THE ORANGE LINE GOING THROUGH DEEPER INTO THE SOUTH END THAT WAS LATER MOVED SLIGHTLY FURTHER UM NORTH WEST.
TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE VARIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE. PROJECTS THAT WERE. HAPPENING AT THE TIME. SO I THINK THERE'S JUST A LARGER CONVERSATION TO BE HAD ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE. ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS. >> IS ONE OF THEM.
SINGLE STORY RESIDENTIAL HOUSING, SHRINKING SIZES OF ELEVATE OF RIDICULOUSLY SIZED ELEVATORS THAT WE HAVE LEGALIZING BROWNSTONES AGAIN LEGALIZING GROW HOUSES AND MANY OTHER THINGS.
UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO VOICE THAT MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE MY AGE IN THEIR UH LATE 20S AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT HAVING KIDS THEY WANT TO STAY HERE. THEY WANT TO FIND PLACES THAT ARE AFFORDABLE. THANK YOU.
UH, DYLAN? DYLAN QUILTING. SORRY. UH, ALLISON. GARY. KATE PHELPS, JARED RICHARDSON. GO AHEAD. HELLO, DEAR COUNSELORS, MY. NAME IS DYLAN. UM.
I LIVE IN 21. REVERE STREET IN. >> BEACON HILL. AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT REMOVING. PARKING MINIMUMS. UM, LET ME JUST SAY. THAT TIMES. ARE CHANGING, RIGHT? UH, SINCE THE 1980S.
>> IT'S BEEN PRETTY POLITICALLY BENEFICIAL. TO BE. MORE CAREFUL. TO NOT ROCK THE. BOAT AND I'LL PUSH FOR CHANGE. THAT'S BEEN. >> PRETTY REWARDED. YEAH. UM. >> BUT THAT'S. >> VERY REMINISCENT. OF ANOTHER TIME IN. AMERICAN HISTORY.
THE 1880S. DURING THE 1920S, THE GILDED AGE WHERE IT WAS ABOUT. NOT ROCKING THE. BOAT. >> PROTECTING WEALTH AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT IN THE. 1920S WE SAW. >> A CHANGE.
WE SAW. >> PEOPLE WAKE UP. WE SAW PEOPLE. UM. >> REALIZE THAT THE. POLICIES OF YESTERDAY DID NOT. BENEFIT THE. PEOPLE OF TODAY. UM AND I. >> THINK WE ARE. SEEING A SIMILAR. CHANGE TODAY IN.
2020S UM THE SAME. MOVEMENT THAT HAPPENED IN THE 1920S. TODAY IN THE 2020S. AND PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP. PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THAT THE. POLICIES OF YESTERDAY. DO NOT BENEFIT THE PEOPLE
OF TODAY. AND SO. IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. I ASK YOU, DEAR COUNSELORS. UM, ARE YOU. GOING TO. CONTINUE SUPPORTING. >> A POLICY THAT. IS OVER 70 YEARS OLD AND HAS NOT PROVEN.
TO BENEFIT. ANYONE. >> LET ALONE THE PEOPLE OF TODAY? UM OR. >> ARE YOU GOING TO PUSH FOR MORE. FOR BETTER. FOR THE RESIDENTS OF TODAY. AND THE RESIDENTS OF TODAY. ARE WAKING UP AND THEY. >> CAN.
SEE WHAT YOU. DO OR DO NOT DO TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JAYLEN UH, ALLISON GREGORY. KATE PHELPS. AND THEN JARED RICHARDSON.
UM HELLO. MY NAME IS ALLISON. UM, I'M. A HOMEOWNER IN BEACON HILL. UM. SO I WAS GONNA SAY SOMETHING ELSE. UM. >> FOR. THIS BUT SOME OF. >> THE COMMENTS ABOUT YOUNG. FAMILY IS MADE.
ME PRETTY. DEEPLY ANGRY. UM, I AM A 27 YEAR OLD WOMAN AND THE. CLOSEST PEOPLE TO ME IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW ARE ALL HAVING CHILDREN.
OUR THINKING ABOUT IT AND THEY LIVE ALL OVER UM AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD. >> THE PROBLEM. THEIR NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A STROLLER YOU HAVE TO WALK IN. >> THE STREET. BECAUSE THE SIDEWALKS. ARE INACCESSIBLE.
IF YOU LIVE IN DORCHESTER UM, THEIR NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IS NOT PARKING BUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. THEY CAN'T STAY IN THE CITY BECAUSE ON TWO TEACHER SALARIES THEY CAN'T THEY DRIVE AROUND
EVERYWHERE THEY FIND PARKING. IT'S FINE. UM FOR MY FRIENDS WHO BIKE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT LIKE THERE'S SUCH AN INCONSISTENT PLACEMENT OF BIKE LANES IN THE CITY.
UM, AND I THINK WE REALLY SHOULD BE ALLOWING AND VIEWING ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT. STYLES OF FAMILY AS VALID AND AS IMPORTANT AND ALLOWING UM, THE.
WAY WE BUILD. TO FLEX TO MEET THOSE DIFFERENT APPROACHES. UM, BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ONE FORM OF FAMILY LIVING IN BOSTON
AND UM YEAH. I THINK IT'S. UPSETTING WHEN OUR GOVERNMENT FORCES UM ONE APPROACH TO THAT AND OUR POLICY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND NICE TO MEET YOU. UM, OKAY. KATE PHELPS I'M LIKE SOME EXTRA SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY CONSTITUENTS FOR BEING HERE. GO AHEAD. UH, KATE.
MY NAME IS KATE PHELPS. I LIVE IN HIGHLAND PARK IN ROXBURY AND I'M NOT SURPRISED ALTHOUGH. I'M DISAPPOINTED. THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING A.
KIND OF ZONING. PERSPECTIVE WHICH WANTS, UH, STREAMLINING. AND I REMEMBER. READING CRONIN'S. UM. >> PAPER ABOUT REZONING BOSTON WHEN IT WAS COMMISSIONED.
BY MAYOR WU AND. WAS FRANKLY HORRIFIED BY WHAT IT SPOKE TO IN MY COMMUNITY. SO LIKE. COUNCILOR WU. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A. NEIGHBORHOOD APPROACH.
I LIVE NOT FAR. FROM NUBIAN. SQUARE AND. WE HAVE. PROBABLY JUST. SHORT OF A THOUSAND. NEW UNITS. THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT AND ARE.
PROPOSED TO BE. BUILT JUST IN A ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF SQUARE. RESTRICTING PARKING. DOES NOT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM
BRINGING THEIR CARS IN THE NAME OF BEING NEAR. UH TRANSPORTATION HUB THEY'RE CALLING THE BUS DEPOT IN NUBIAN
SQUARE A TRANSPORTATION HUB THE BUSSES CAN'T GET OUT OF NUBIAN SQUARE. IT'S HARD TO GET TO ANY PLACE ON TIME AND MANY RESIDENTS WHO
HAVE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR YEARS AS I HAVE UM ALREADY HAVE THEIR CARS AND ARE WATCHING NEW NEIGHBORS COMING IN WITH MORE
UM SENSITIVE TO THE UH, ALLEGATION OR SUGGESTION THAT THIS MIGHT BRING MORE FLEXIBILITY BUT FLEXIBILITY FOR WHOM ALREADY THE CRONIN
APPROACH SAYS GET RID OF ARTICLE 80 STOP THE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVING ANY SAY ABOUT THESE THINGS AND IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT MEANS. WE CAN'T CONTROL HOW MANY
HOUSING UNITS ARE GOING UP. IT DOESN'T AFFECT AFFORDABILITY BECAUSE WHAT IS BEING BUILT IS NOT AFFORDABLE FOR THE PEOPLE OF ROXBURY IN THE MAIN AND IT DOESN'T KEEP THE PLACE GREEN.
THEY'RE CUTTING DOWN TREES TO BUILD MORE HOUSING. SO AT WHAT POINT DOES THE CITY COUNCIL EVER CONSIDER THE BOSTON RESIDENTS WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE? THANK YOU. >> KATE.
UM AND I WE SHOULD CHAT AFTER. I WOULD. LOVE TO CHAT WITH YOU. UM, JARED RICHARDSON. >> YEAH. AFTERNOON, COUNCIL. UM, CHAIR DURKAN AND COUNCILORS. MY NAME IS JARED.
I AM. A I'M A WINCHESTER RESIDENT. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE BOTH MY PARENTS WORK AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY AND MY SISTER LIVES IN ALLSTON.
AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ELIMINATING MINIMUMS. ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF. US IN. THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY TO WHICH I AM A MEMBER OF UM.
ACCORDING TO. UM DISABILITY ADVOCATE. MEGAN LEE WHO. >> ACTUALLY FOUNDED. YOU SEE. UM ACCESS NOW. UM. >> WHENEVER WE TALK. ABOUT PARKING.
REFORM IT'S ALWAYS. DISCUSSED AS DISABLED. PEOPLE NEED A PLACE TO PARK THEIR CARS. HOWEVER, NOT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD A CAR AND. DISABLED PEOPLE MAKE. >> A LOT LESS MONEY WHICH IS
TRUE AND WE I BRING THIS. >> UP BECAUSE ONE. FOR UM. AMERICANS ARE UM. >> HAVE A DISABILITY WHETHER THAT'S PHYSICAL, NEUROLOGICAL
AND THAT AFFECTS. EVERY HOUR EVERY DAY. AND FOR MANY OF US WE EVEN NEED SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION SUCH AS
UM ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOTS. AND TO BE CLEAR THIS WOULD NOT REMOVE ANY. ACCESSIBLE SPOTS BECAUSE THAT IS MANDATED BY THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT WHICH.
>> SO UM I'M VERY. PLEASED TO HEAR CELEBRATE IT'S 36TH BIRTHDAY. AND SO. IN ADDITION TO THAT THE OTHER PROBLEM ALSO COMES WITH WITH.
>> MORE PARKING THERE'S. >> A. MORE AWARE HILL EFFECT WHICH. AFFECTS DISABLED PEOPLE IN. LARGER NUMBERS ESPECIALLY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE ALL AND WHEREAS SO UM SO MY.
AGE IN. PARKING AND BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOT FULLY INSULATED. AND I. >> URGE YOU TO PASS IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NICE TO MEET YOU. UM OKAY SO WE'RE GOING TO GO TO
SEBASTIAN BELLEFONTE. GOOD TO SEE YOU, SEBASTIAN. I'M HOPING YOU'RE DROPPING SOME HISTORY ON US. YEAH. >> SO, UH, HI. MY NAME IS TRASH AND I'M JIM, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. UH, THE WESTERN MUSEUM.
UH, WE'RE THE ONLY URBAN PLANNING MUSEUM IN THE UNITED STATES OR THE AMERICAS AT LARGE . UH. >> AND WE TRACK DEVELOPMENT CITYWIDE UH, AS WELL AS GLOBALLY. PARKING MINIMUMS ARE A REALLY INTERESTING ANIMAL IN THAT
WORLD IN THAT THEY ARE OPPOSED BOTH BY COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AND PRO-GROWTH INTERESTS UH, MOST COMMONLY REPRESENTED BY HARVARD ECONOMIST ED GLAESER.
UH, TO THOSE TWO GROUPS DON'T GET ALONG. THAT OFTEN. UM AND IT'S UH IT IS REALLY A UNIQUE THING UM, THAT THIS IS
SORT OF UNIVERSALLY OPPOSED UM BY PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. UM, AS DOCTOR BRONIN NOTED, BOSTON UH CREATED ITS PARKING MINIMUMS IN THE MID 1950S.
UH, THAT WAS DONE IN AS PART OF ENVISIONING THE QUOTE UNQUOTE NEW BOSTON THAT DOOMED WORKING CLASS, UH, RESIDENTS OF NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE WEST
END IN WASHINGTON PARK IN THE WEST END'S CASE, CHARLES RIVER PARK UM PARKING MINIMUMS ENCOURAGED LOW DENSITY HIGH RISE COMMUNITIES UH, THAT
SUBURB IN THE CITY AS IT WAS CALLED AT THE TIME HAS HAD LASTING AND LARGELY INTRACTABLE ISSUES MOST NOTABLY BECAUSE OF ITS SORT OF DUAL HIGH
DENSITY BUILDING AND LOW DENSITY UM AIRY UH UH DESIGN UH HAS UNDERMINED THE UH ABILITY
TO MAKE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. UH AND UH LIMITED THE UNITS OF HOUSING UH PREVENTING MANY DISPLACED WEST ENDERS FROM EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO RETURN.
I CURRENTLY LIVE IN THE WEST END UH, IN WORKFORCE HOUSING. UH, THAT, UH, SITS ON TOP OF TWO LARGELY UNUSED FLOORS OF PARKING.
UH, FUNCTIONALLY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN 26 TO 52 SUBSIDIZED UNITS UH, THAT WERE LOST. INSTEAD THEY JUST KIND OF PROVIDE PARKING FOR TD GARDEN EVENTS.
AND I WILL NOTE THAT UH THAT IN THE WEST END IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN WE HAVE NEVER ONCE UM IN THE PAST 70 YEARS FILLED ALL OF OUR PARKING SPACES NOT
FOR ANY EVENT AT ANY TIME. UM, AND IT'S JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE TOO MANY. WELL THANK YOU SEBASTIAN. OKAY. UM. BEN. GOT ER.
OKAY. BEN COULD ER JAMES CORDERO, UH ,ANGELA WILLIAMS MITCHELL AND HAYDEN SEAGER AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE SOME FOLKS ONLINE I'M GOING TO DOUBLE CHECK WHO'S
ONLINE AND THEN AND THEN WE'LL WE'LL BE CLOSING THE HEARING. SO BEN HI. THANK YOU. UH MY NAME IS BEN KODAIRA. UH AS. >> SOME OF THE. >> COUNCILORS MENTIONED EARLIER. UM, I TO.
AGREE THAT THE. CITY SCALE. >> IS. NOT THE RIGHT. SCALE TO ADDRESS PARKING. REFORM IS. TOO ARBITRARY. BOSTON IS A PROUDLY DIVERSE CITY. UH. >> AND THERE'S NO ONE. SIZE FITS ALL. SOLUTION. >> AS MR FAROOQUI. UH, POINTED OUT. NEIGHBORHOODS AS.
>> WELL ARE VERY. DIVERSE INTERNALLY. AND SO I'M. >> NOT. SURE THAT A. NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE. SOLUTION TO PARKING IS A GOOD. IDEA EITHER. I THINK THAT. >> EACH INDIVIDUAL UNIT AND EACH INDIVIDUAL STREET. BLOCK HAS SUCH UNIQUE.
CHARACTERISTICS TO IT. THAT PARKING CANNOT BE. BROADLY DEFINED FOR ANY ONE OF THEM AND MUST BE. DETERMINED BY ANY INDIVIDUAL. PROJECT WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT. THIS REFORM WOULD DO. THIS IS REPEALING.
BROAD SCALE. ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT. INTERVENTION AND. PROMOTING UNIQUE AND UM. PLOT SPECIFIC. INVESTMENTS. >> ADDITIONALLY TO THE COUNCILOR. WHO ASKED.
UM SUPPORTERS OF. THIS REFORM. WHO LIVE IN BOSTON WITH. CHILDREN I DO NOT. . >> AND IF. THE CITY. REFUSES TO ADDRESS HOUSING COSTS. THROUGH ZONING REFORM. I NEVER WILL. THAT'S SOMETHING. VERY UNFORTUNATE FOR ME.
I LOVE BOSTON I'VE LIVED HERE FOR. FIVE YEARS. WHEN I WAS HERE. >> FOR SCHOOL OF BRIEFLY. >> LEFT. TO GO TO AMHERST TO. STUDY URBAN. PLANNING AND I'M HERE FOR THE SUMMER WORKING FOR. THE MBTA. I THINK BOSTON IS A WONDERFUL. CITY AND I WOULD. >> LOVE. TO RAISE FAMILIES HERE. UH, BUT AT THE.
MOMENT IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO. >> EVEN ENVISION THAT. UH, I THINK. THAT REMOVING THIS ARBITRARY PARKING. MANDATE IS A GREAT STEP. TOWARDS ACHIEVING. AN AFFORDABLE AND THRIVING BOSTON. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY.
JAMES CORDERO, ANGELA WILLIAMS MITCHELL AND HAYDEN SEAGER. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO THE COUNCILORS. >> AND. EVERYONE PRESENT. FOR MAKING THIS HEARING HAPPEN AND ALL THE. >> WORK YOU DO IS ALWAYS. UM SO I'M JAMES CORDERO I'M A RESIDENT OF DORCHESTER.
LIVED IN DORCHESTER. FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. HOPING TO BE THERE IN THE. NEXT 65 YEARS. UM. >> SO I'M HERE. BECAUSE I'M ALSO. >> A. TEACHER IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I ACTUALLY TOOK THE DAY. >> OFF BECAUSE SOME OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER. >> I WAS HERE AT THE. BUDGET TESTIMONY. TESTIFYING ABOUT. >> THE. SCHOOLS LAST WEEK.
>> WE ARE LOSING 400. STUDENT FACING POSITIONS AND I KNOW THAT IF WE HAD THE. MONEY YOU. >> ALL WOULD GIVE US THE MONEY. BUT THE CITY HAS A HUGE. REVENUE ISSUE. AND THERE'S A CONNECTION TO THAT. BEFORE I. ELABORATE ON THAT.
THOUGH, I WILL SAY THAT EDUCATORS IN BOSTON ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND UH, OF THE PETITION THAT BETTER PARKING FOR BOSTON HAD AT LEAST A DOZEN SIGNATORIES. ARE EDUCATORS IN BOSTON AND ONE
OF THEM THE REASON SHE SIGNED WAS SHE HAS A YOUNG DAUGHTER WHO SHE DRIVES AROUND AND SHE SAID, WELL GEEZ, I'M IN TRAFFIC ALL THE TIME AND IT MAKES IT HARD FOR ME TO GET HER TO CHILDCARE.
SO IF WE'RE BUILDING WAY MORE PARKING THAN WE NEED TO, THAT'S GOING TO MAKE MORE CARS GET ON THE ROAD AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME AWAY FROM HER AND HER FAMILY AND THAT'S THE MOST. PRECIOUS THING TO HER. SO THERE ARE PLENTY OF FAMILIES
WHO SUPPORT THIS ISSUE NOW ON THE REVENUE PIECE. WE'RE NOT BUILDING A LOT OF NEW HOUSING AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE AND THAT IMPACTS OUR BUDGET NOT JUST THIS ONE YEAR BUT IT'LL IMPACT AT TEN YEARS DOWN THE
LINE. THE EXAMPLE IS THE SEAPORT. WHICH WAS. >> BUILT OVER ABOUT TWO DECADES AND NOW ACCORDING TO. THE GLOBE ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT $350 MILLION IN REVENUE. SO EVERY UNIT OF HOUSING THAT
WE'RE NOT BUILDING BECAUSE WE BUILT AN UNUSED PARKING SPACE, IT'S SHORTCHANGING OUR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. IT'S SHORTCHANGING THE STAFF. THEY'LL HAVE THE SERVICES THEY'LL HAVE NOT JUST THIS YEAR
BUT TEN YEARS DOWN THE LINE. AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE GOALS TO MAKE OUR SCHOOLS STRONG AND MAKE OUR SCHOOLS THE BEST SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. SO WE NEED TO HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO DO THAT, WHICH IS WHY I URGE YOU TO TO UH ALLOW
FOR PARKING FLEXIBILITY. AT THE END OF THE DAY CARS DON'T ATTEND SCHOOLS. KIDS DO AND WE NEED TO GIVE THOSE SCHOOLS FUNDING. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, ANGELA WILLIAMS MITCHELL,
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. HELLO. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I PUT YES THAT TIME OF DAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. WHY BOSTON NEEDS CUMULATIVE
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT STUDY GREETINGS TO EACH, UM, CITY COUNCIL AND EVERYONE PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER. AND ONLINE. MY NAME IS ANGELA WILLIAMS MITCHELL. I'M A. MEMBER. >> RESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. >> OF THE BOSTON JOBS.
COALITION, SOON TO BE BLUEPRINT FOR JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY. I WANT. TO BEGIN BY BEING VERY. CLEAR I AM NOT I AM NOT HERE TO OPPOSE HOUSING PRODUCTION. BOSTON NEEDS HOUSING AND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BOSTON NEEDS THOUGHTFUL GROWTH . MY CONCERN IS NOT IN ONE POLICY STANDING ALONE. MY CONCERN IS THE CITY MOVING FORWARD WITH MULTIPLE MAJOR
POLICY CHANGES AT THE SAME TIME WHILE ASKING RESIDENTS TO TRUST THAT EVERYTHING WILL WORK TOGETHER AS INTENDED. TODAY WE ARE DISCUSSING DOCKET
0809 TO PROPOSE TEXT AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING CODE INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL SHARON DURKAN, HENRY SANTANA AND SUPPORTED FROM SEVERAL UM WITH SEVERAL OTHER
COUNCIL IS AIMING TO ELIMINATE RESIDENTIAL PARKING MINIMUM CITYWIDE AT THE SAME TIME THE CITY IS ADVANCING SQUARES AND STREETS ZONING CHANGES AND BROADER.
REFORMS. >> EACH PROPOSAL MAY HAVE BEEN STUDIED INDIVIDUALLY. MY QUESTION WHETHER ANYONE HAS STUDIED WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THESE POLICIES. OPERATE TOGETHER WE ARE IN A
QUEUE. WE ARE IN A CUMULATIVE AND THAT WHERE IS THE CUMULATIVE CUMULATIVE ANALYSIS SHOWING THE COMBINED IMPACT ON WORKING FAMILIES SENIORS. RENTERS. >> HOMEOWNERS, SMALL
BUSINESSES, SHOPPERS, CURB ACCESS, PARKING DEMAND, TRAFFIC CIRCULATION, NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT AND DISPLACED. PRESSURES.
>> RESIDENTS ARE REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT STUDIES EXIST. I DO NOT DOUBT THAT THEY ARE. HOWEVER STUDIES STUDYING POLICIES SEPARATE IS NOT THE
SAME AS STUDYING THEM. COMBINE A A MEDICATION MACE MAY BE SAFE BY ITSELF. ANOTHER MEDICATION MAY ALSO BE SAFE BY ITSELF.
YET EVERY DOCTOR KNOWS THAT BEFORE PRESCRIBING THEM TOGETHER YOU MUST HAVE YOU MUST STUDY THE INTERACTION OF WHAT SIDE EFFECTS THEY. MAY CREATE.
WHY SHOULD PUBLIC POLICY BE HELD TO A LOWER STANDARD? THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> I AM ASKING THE COUNCIL TO PAUSE LONG ENOUGH TO ANSWER A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION BEFORE
THESE PROPOSED CHANGES MOVE FORWARD. PLEASE HAVE A STUDY NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM HAYDEN SEAGER. HELLO I'M HAYDEN. I'M A. RESIDENT OF BACK BAY. UM JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT.
THERE ACTUALLY IS A STUDY OUT OF DENVER OUT OF COLORADO THAT DOES THAT EXACT THING SO YOU COULD JUST LOOK IT UP ANYWAYS, UM, ON ONE HAND IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED DEBATE WE'RE HAVING
HERE. RIGHT ON ONE SIDE WE HAVE EVIDENCE DATA, UH, RESEARCH STUDIES, MAPS AND MODELS, STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.
WE'VE GOT SOME ADVANCED DEGREES IN THERE AND ON THE OTHER HAND WE HAVE. SOMEONE TOOK AWAY MY PARKING SPACE NEXT TO MY APARTMENT I
DON'T KNOW TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY CLEAR CUT ANSWER. THERE IS MOUNTAINS OF EVIDENCE. I'VE READ THE EVIDENCE.
BUT IT'S UM I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHEN PEOPLE SAY THEY START ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE? I DON'T JUST LOOK IT UP FIRST BEFORE. WE GET. >> THERE I DON'T. >> KNOW. UH, COUNCILOR FITZGERALD DID
THIS KIND OF LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, PUBLIC STUNT ABOUT ASKING PEOPLE IF THEY HAD KIDS IN THE CITY AND IT WAS SUPPOSED. TO PROVE THAT. WOW. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE KIDS OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT. IN MY OPINION IT PROVED THE EXACT OPPOSITE IS LIKE YEAH, NO ONE HAS KIDS HERE BECAUSE NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO HAVE KIDS. I THINK BEN UH TALKED ABOUT
THAT POINT UH A LITTLE BIT TO ME LIKE I DON'T KNOW SARAH RONAN'S COST IS SOMETHING LIKE $500 AN HOUR OR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SHE DID THIS WHOLE STUDY PRO BONO TO THE CITY.
WE SHOULD LISTEN TO THE STUDY. OF COURSE. I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE. UM, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> HAYDEN. UM, OKAY. WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS ON LINE.
UM, OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO START WITH COBY FROM FRANGELA. GRACE FLETCHER IS ON DECK AND LINCOLN ALEX MCVAY IS IN THE
HALL. YEAH. >> HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. >> BEAUTIFUL. >> UH, AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS COVID VIRGIL. I'M A NEW RESIDENT OF BRIGHTON AND I MOVED TO BOSTON WITHOUT A CAR BECAUSE I WANTED TO LIVE IN
A PLACE WHERE I COULD WALK, BIKE AND TAKE TRANSIT. BOSTON SHOULD WANT MORE RESIDENTS LIKE ME. I GENERATE LESS TRAFFIC, LESS NOISE, LESS ROAD WEAR, FEWER EMISSIONS. I DON'T NEED A PARKING SPACE.
UH, I'VE HEARD SOME ARGUE THAT PARKING SHOULD BE ADDRESS NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD. I AGREE THAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE DIFFERENT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHY CITY HALL TO IMPOSE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL
PARKING MANDATE ACROSS THE CITY . IF A NEIGHBORHOOD TRULY NEEDS MORE PARKING, DEVELOPERS COULD BUILD IT BECAUSE RESIDENTS WILL DEMAND THE QUESTION IS IT WHETHER PARKING CAN BE BUILT?
IT'S WHETHER THE CITY THE CITY SHOULD REQUIRE IT EVERYWHERE. WHAT STRIKES ME ABOUT THIS DEBATE IS HOW MUCH PEOPLE TREAT MARK TREAT PARKING MINIMUMS AS IF THEY'RE THE NATURAL STATE
OF THINGS THEY'RE NOT. THERE A GOVERNMENT MANDATE IF PARKING MINERALS DIDN'T EXIST I DON'T THINK THAT ANYONE WOULD BE PROPOSING THEM TODAY WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE WOULD
RECOGNIZE THEM AS A COSTLY REQUIREMENT THAT RAISES HOUSING COSTS AND FORCES PEOPLE LIKE ME TO PAY FOR PARKING THAT WE DON'T USE. NOBODY'S BANNING PARKING. WE'RE SIMPLY ALLOWING HOUSING
AND PARKING TO BE DETERMINED TO BE DETERMINED BY THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS RATHER THAN ONE. SIZE FITS ALL MANDATE URGE YOU TO SUPPORT. THANKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM OKAY WE'RE GOING TO GO TO GRACE FLETCHER THEN LINCOLN ALEX MCVEY AND THEN RECRUITER. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
MY NAME IS GRACE FLETCHER I AM A RESIDENT OF BRIGHTON AND I'M HERE TO TESTIFY IN FAVOR OF THIS AMENDMENT AS WELL. WHILE THE COST OF LIVING CONTINUES TO BECOME UNSUSTAINABLE FOR MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE IN BOSTON AND ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE ME, THE LAST THING THAT WE NEED IS WASTEFUL REQUIREMENTS THAT DRIVE UP THE COST OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND EXACERBATE THE HOUSING CRISIS
THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING. THERE IS CLEARLY SUFFICIENT RESEARCH AND DATA TO SHOW THAT PARKING MINIMUMS PRODUCE EXCESS PARKING THAT EXCEEDS TRUE DEMAND. AND THE SAME VALUABLE REAL
ESTATE COULD BE USED IN MORE PRODUCTIVE WAYS THAT MORE SERVING COMMUNITY NEEDS LIKE ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE, RETAIL OR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. SO ADOPTING THIS AMENDMENT IS
JUST ONE EASY STEP THAT THE CITY CAN TAKE TO SHOW ITS COMMITMENT TO CREATING LESS CAR CENTRIC AND MORE WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS AND TO UNLOCK MORE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT TO
KEEP PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE LONG TERM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GRACE UH, LINCOLN ALEX MCVEY AND THEN RICK YODER AND THEN JONATHAN COHEN. HELLO COUNCILORS. >> UH MY. >> NAME IS ALEX.
I'M A RESIDENT OF BRIGHTON IN DISTRICT NINE AND I'VE LIVED IN VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY. I'VE LIVED WITH A CAR, I'VE LIVED WITHOUT A CAR. I'VE LIVED IN APARTMENTS WITH AND WITHOUT OFF STREET PARKING . THIS BACKGROUND INFORMS MY
COMMENTS PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN BOSTON. THAT IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE. PEOPLE WANT TO RENT, EAT, SHOP, PLAY, SPEND THEIR LIVES AND SPEND THEIR MONEY IN EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY. BUT EACH YEAR THAT'S MORE DIFFICULT.
THE DIFFICULTY OF LIVING IN THIS CITY IS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE HOUSING CRISIS. IT DRIVES OUR NEIGHBORS OUT ON THE STREETS THE CRISIS IT DRIVES OUR NEIGHBORS YOUNG AND OLD TO LEAVE THIS CITY IN WHICH THEY DESPERATELY WANT TO LIVE
YOU KNOW, TO LEAVE THE CITY IN FAVOR OF CHEAPER SUBURBS AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AMONG THE MANY DRIVERS OF THIS CRISIS IS THE LACK, YOU KNOW, THE LACK OF NEW HOUSING CONSTRUCTION ITSELF LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE IRRATIONALLY
DIFFICULT PARKING MINIMUMS. I COULD REITERATE THE MATERIAL HARMS OF THESE MINIMUMS OR REPEAT DATA FROM THE NPCC THAT HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF THESE SPACES ARE EMPTY. I WILL NOTE EVEN OUT MY WINDOW
RIGHT NOW I LOOK AT VACANT PARKING SPACES WHICH COULD BE YOU KNOW, COULD BE MORE UNITS OF HOUSING, COULD BE ADUS OR COULD BE COMMUNITY GREEN SPACES . THE NUMEROUS MATERIAL HARMS ARE CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND BUT
INSTEAD I WOULD LIKE TO MORE VISUALLY REMIND THE COUNCILORS HERE TODAY AND THE COUNCILORS WHO WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THIS TESTIMONY OF THE STRANGULATION THAT PARKING MINIMUMS INVITE ON OUR CITY IN 2023, THE BOSTON
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY APPROVED 69 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS PROVIDING 7346 HOUSING UNITS BUT REQUIRING 8053 PARKING SPACES WITH MANDATORY
PARKING MINIMUMS. WE ARE INVITING THOUSANDS OF CARS INTO OUR ALREADY CHOKED CITY 8000 CARS DO THE COUNCILORS WHO OPPOSE THIS UM
YOU KNOW THIS PROPOSITION SUCH AS, UH, FLYNN AND FITZGERALD, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SCALE OF THIS NUMBER? NUMBER? PERHAPS YOU'VE DRIVEN ON I-93 RECENTLY. PERHAPS YOU'VE BEEN STUCK IN
TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY INVITING 8000 MORE CARS INTO OUR CITY THROUGH PARKING MINIMUMS IS ENOUGH TO BACKUP ALL FOUR LANES OF I-90. THREE FROM THE PINES IT TO I-90 AND BUMPER TO BUMPER TO BUMPER
TRAFFIC. THE NEXT TIME YOU GET STUCK IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC TRYING TO GET DOWN TO DORCHESTER, REMEMBER WHO TO THANK. MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS. BY MAINTAINING PARKING MINIMUMS WE ARE SUFFOCATING OUR FUTURE.
>> I KNOW YOU COULDN'T HEAR THE BELL SO. OH APOLOGIES. I SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM RICK YODER, JONATHAN COHN AND THEN LOU ANN O'CONNOR AND. >> THEN YES THANK YOU.
AND THEN. SORRY IF YOU ARE IN IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO TESTIFY AND YOU DID NOT HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU SIGN UP. OKAY. THANK YOU. RICK. GO AHEAD. YEAH. >> THANK YOU.
UH, MY NAME IS RICHARD BURR. I'M A CO-CHAIR OF THE MOUNT HOPE CANTERBURY NEIGHBORHOOD AND EASTERN RODS AND THEY'RE ALL PART OF DISTRICT FOUR RIGHT ALONG THE AMERICAN LEGION.
I SUBMITTED A LETTER. I HOPE UH, COUNCILORS WILL READ IT. I WANTED TO MAKE SOME FIVE POINTS HERE. UM, WHEN TODAY'S TESTIMONY ONE
IS THAT OUR I REFER TO MANY TIMES THAT OUR ZONING CODE IS WAY, WAY TOO LONG. IT'S LONGER THAN THE BIBLE OR SOMETHING. IT'S NOT REALLY. UH, EACH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ITS OWN CHAPTER.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD IN ROSINDELL YOU GO TO THE ROSSENDALE CHAPTER IMMEDIATELY NOW CAN IGNORE, YOU KNOW, THREE QUARTERS OF THE OF THE REST OF THE DEAD ZONE.
THERE ARE SOME GENERAL RULES YOU HAVE TO CHUCK UP. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A LAWYER. I'VE I'VE USED IT I'VE READ IT ALL MY FRIENDS. IT'S IT'S NOT, UH, THAT
CUMBERSOME. UH, THE SECOND I JUST TO CLARIFY SOMETHING. IF A DEVELOPER DOESN'T HAVE TO PUT IN, UH, CHOOSES NOT TO PUT IN PARKING.
AND A AND I CONSIDER AS AN ARGUMENT THAT TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO BUILD THAT'S WHAT HE HAS TO DO. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S RIGHT BUT I UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT. HE'S NOT GOING TO LOWER THE RENTS.
HE'S GOING TO CHARGE MARKET. UM WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT THE MARKET RATE IS. THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. UH, YOU'D HAVE TO BUILD IN A LAW THAT SAYS THAT YOU'D HAVE TO LOWER IT TO SOME SOME WAY, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
ON ITS OWN. ALSO, UH, GIVE ME SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. UM. THE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WE HAVE
A 30 UNIT PROPOSAL WITH THREE PARKING PLACES AND THE DEVELOPER SAYS WELL AT ALL THAT'S WHAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TELLS ME I HAVE TO DO. WE'RE A MILE AND A THIRD FROM THE NEAREST TRAFFIC, UH, HUB AT
FOREST HILLS. THE 14 BUS WHICH I'M RUNNING IN FRONT OF THIS PROJECT PROPOSED PROJECT RUNS EVERY 45 TO 60 MINUTES FIVE AND A HALF DAYS A WEEK.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO DO? THERE'S NO PARKING ON THE ON AMERICAN LEGION OR ON CANTERBURY STREET IN THAT SECTION WHERE IT'S JUST GOING
TO BE THAT PROPOSAL IS UM I'LL GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE. SOMEONE ELSE. >> WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW IT'S TIME I JUST, UM IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO HEAR THE BELL. OKAY. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, RICK. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. UM.
JONATHAN COHN. HI. >> UH, MY NAME IS JONATHAN COHN. I'M A RESIDENT OF THE SOUTH BEND. UH, THANK, UH, CHAIR DURKAN FOR LEADING TODAY'S HEARING AND ALL OF THE COUNCILORS IN ATTENDANCE .
UH, GREETINGS FROM THE BOSTON COMMON. I'M SITTING RIGHT NOW. UH, I'M HAPPY THAT THE COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING AMENDING THE BOSTON ZONING CODE TO REMOVE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. UH, I CAN SAY I'VE NEVER LIVED IN A BUILDING IN BOSTON THAT HAS DEDICATED PARKING SPACES AND THAT WAS AN ATTRACTION FOR ME FOR THE BUILDINGS THAT I MOVED TO. UH, THE CITY MADE A GREAT STEP
A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THE COUNCIL VOTED TO ELIMINATE PARKING MINIMUMS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE SHOULD BUILD ON THAT PROGRESS. ADDRESSING IS ABOUT ADDRESSING BOSTON'S HOUSING CRISIS WILL REQUIRE INCREASING OUR HOUSING SUPPLY AND ENSURING
AFFORDABILITY OF THAT LIKE AND AND ENSURING THE AFFORDABILITY THAT SUPPLY REQUIRES NOT ONLY SUBSIDIES, CREATIVE FINANCING AND CLEAR, CLEAR REQUIREMENTS BUT ALSO REFORMS TO THE ZONING CODE TO TAKE AWAY UNNECESSARY BARRIERS.
PARKING MINIMUMS ARE ONE OF SUCH ARBITRARY UNNECESSARY BARRIERS THAT PUSH UP THE COST THE FINAL PROJECTS. THEY REINFORCE THE CAR CULTURE THAT HARMS THE CITY'S ABILITY TO REACH OUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS, AND THEY PUSH UP THE
COST OF PROJECTS IN WAYS THAT HARM OUR ABILITY TO REACH OUR AFFORDABILITY GOALS AT THE SAME TIME. ELIMINATING PARKING MINIMUMS IS NOT THE SAME. LET'S BE CLEAR AS ELIMINATING PARKING. IT JUST MEANS THAT THE NUMBER
OF PARKING SPACES PER BUILDING SHOULD BE RESPONSIVE TO THE SITUATION AND LOCATION OF THE BUILDING, AND NOT A UNIVERSAL MANDATE. IT MEANS THAT WE'RE BUILDING SMARTER WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO. THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME THIS AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, JONATHAN. UM. LOUIJEUNE O'CONNOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. >> OKAY, GREAT. >> THANK YOU. UM. I'M IN I'M HERE ON THIS, UM,
HEARING TO. OPPOSE. >> UM, THE REMOVAL OF THE PARKING MINIMUMS. AND THE REASON BEING IS THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THE PROCESS ITSELF HAS BEEN PLAYED OUT. ON THE LAST MEETING THAT YOU
HAD, COUNCILOR. UM, IT WAS VERY ONE WAY ONE SIDED AS IS TODAY'S MEETING AS WELL. SO IT'S BEING STARED IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION TO SUIT, UH, THE MAYOR'S AGENDA.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED RESIDENT PERMIT PARKING STICKERS. COUNCILOR FLYNN, UM, BEFORE HE WAS SPOKEN TO RUDELY UH, ALLUDED TO THIS AND WHAT HE
SAID WAS THAT IN SOUTH BOSTON THERE WERE LIKE 10,000 RESIDENT PRIVATE PARKING SPOTS AND 29,000 UM PERMITS BEING ISSUED.
SO WHEN YOU ARE PROPOSING, UH, A DEVELOPER TO CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO DO PARKING, THAT'S LIKE PUTTING THE FOX INTO THE HENHOUSE ALL THE TIME
AND WHAT THAT'S DOING IS YOU'RE NOT MANDATING THAT IF YOU MOVE INTO ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS THAT YOU CANNOT GET A RESIDENT PERMIT PARKING STICKER. SO THEREFORE THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO HAVE CARS.
OF COURSE THEY ARE. PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GET YOUNG FAMILIES INTO UM, THE CITY OF BOSTON, THEY THEY'RE GOING TO NEED THEIR CARS. UM, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE CHILDREN, MOST OF YOU HAVE CARS.
UH, AND WITH THAT IT'S IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO WORK BECAUSE WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO PARK? THEY'RE GOING TO PARK ON THE STREET PARKING. SO ALREADY I WILL SHARE WITH YOU TWO HOURS DRIVING AROUND LAST NIGHT BECAUSE I HAD A
MEETING AND THEN I PARK IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT AND ALMOST GOT TOWED. SO WE NEED MORE PARKING NOT LESS PARKING OR YOU NEED TO PUT SOMETHING INTO PLACE LEGALLY
THAT SAYS IF YOU MOVE INTO THIS BUILDING YOU CANNOT HAVE A RESIDENT PERMIT PARKING STICKER TO PARK ON OUR STREETS, GRAB A BLUE BIKE UM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE UH MBTA AS YOU KNOW IS NOT
UP TO PAR. I MYSELF WOULD NOT GET ON THE TRAIN OR A BUS AT THIS POINT IN TIME. IT'S DANGEROUS. UH, AND IT'S DIRTY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO THIS COUNCIL. WAIT ONE SECOND.
I JUST WANT YOU TO COME ACROSS AND COME IN TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND GO NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. AND THEN WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD ARE YOU IN?
I AM FROM SOUTH BOSTON CITY POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THERE ARE MANY OTHERS THAT SOMEBODY HAD SAID 80% OF COUNCILOR FLYNN'S TERRITORY UM SUPPORTS THIS.
UH THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE I KNOW THAT IS. UM PARTICULAR ASSOCIATIONS. THAT IS NOT CITY POINT PROPERTY . IT IS NOT SOUTH BOSTON PROPER. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE QUICK THING AND THEN I WILL LEAVE YOU.
UM, COUNCILOR SANTANA, YOU GAINED A LOT OF RESPECT IN SOUTH BOSTON WHEN YOU STEPPED UP FOR THE COMMUNITY REGARDING 49 TO 51 D STREET, 70 PLUS
UNITS WITH NO PARKING AND YOU STUCK WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OPPOSE THAT. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO REMIND YOURSELF THE REASONS WHY. BECAUSE WHAT IS BEING PUT FORWARD IS BASICALLY THE SAME
THING. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LUANNE. UM, SO I JUST WANT TO I KNOW WE'VE WE'VE THIS IS OUR SECOND HEARING. UM, I JUST WANT TO SET THE
TABLE FOR US ALL. UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING, UM, FROM COMMUNITY. SO, UM, AND ALSO THE, UM, THOSE THAT ARE. I'M SORRY. >> YEAH. OH, SORRY. OKAY.
UM, ONE LAST PERSON. I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE, BUT. OH, PAM. HEY, PAM. OKAY. PAM, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
OKAY. PAM I THINK YOU'RE MUTED. OKAY, HERE WE GO. READY? >> YEAH. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY SO MUCH. THANK YOU AND SORRY FOR THAT
BEING MUTED THERE. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY INFORMATIVE MEETING. MY NAME IS PAM BEAL AND I AM A RESIDENT AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN THE CITY. AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN
FAVOR OF THIS AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING CODE TO REMOVE PARKING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS. AS HAS BEEN STATED ALREADY, THIS CHANGE WOULD ALLOW FOR THE FLEXIBILITY TO BUILD THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PARKING. >> FOR EACH PROJECT.
AND THAT IS WHAT I HAVE FOUND IN MY YEARS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS THAT HONEST DISCUSSIONS AT THE MOMENT OF PLANNING WITH THE COMMUNITY IS THE BEST TIME FOR A
DEVELOPER AND THE COMMUNITY TO FIGURE OUT THESE KINDS OF ISSUES AND WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH THIS ISSUE AND MANY OTHERS. AND HONESTLY, IT'S THE BEST WAY TO HAVE REAL CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT WHAT'S NEEDED AT THE TIME. YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO A DEVELOPMENT FIVE YEARS AGO AND NOW YOU LOOK AT IT AND DO IT DIFFERENTLY. TO ME, IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY NEGOTIATING AT THE TIME WITH
THE DEVELOPER AND YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND EVERY OTHER ISSUE AT THAT MOMENT YOU ARE GOING TO END UP WITH THE BEST DEVELOPMENT YOU POSSIBLY CAN FOR EACH AND EVERY COMMUNITY. SO I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS AND I
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE AND DOING MORE AND HOPING TO MAKE A BETTER PUBLIC PROCESS THROUGH ALL OF THIS. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH PAM.
UM, SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE . UM I ALSO WANT TO I KNOW THAT 10 A.M. ON A THURSDAY IS NOT A GREAT TIME FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO WEIGH IN.
UM, BUT I WANT TO THANK EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO CAME HERE AND SPENT THE TIME TO BE HERE WITH US THIS MORNING. SO I DO WANT TO READ A LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE EITHER GARNERED SUPPORT OR
OPPOSITION. UH, JUST SO THAT WE HAVE SORT OF AN IDEA OF LIKE WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED. UM, AND THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT EXHAUSTIVE. UM, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. UM, SO WE'VE RECEIVED SUPPORT
LETTERS FROM WALKUP, ROSLINDALE ,THE METRO AREA PLANNING COUNCIL, BETTER PARKING FOR BOSTON, ABANDONED HOUSING MASSACHUSETTS NOT MASSACHUSETTS, THE GREATER BOSTON REAL ESTATE BOARD, THE
PIONEER INSTITUTE, FENWAY FORWARD LIVABLE STREETS ALLIANCE YOUTH AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION AND THE KENMORE SQUARE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. AND THEN WE RECEIVED OPPOSITION
FROM GREATER AND GREATER MATTAPAN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, AUDUBON CIRCLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION A GROUP OF DISTRICT FIVE ADVOCATES UM CEDAR GROVE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, COMMUNITY
ALLIANCE AND MISSION HILL. AND I JUST ADDED CITY POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. UM OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE US ALL AND UM, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW COUNCILORS CAN SEE WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED BUT
NOT ALL. UM, NOT EVERYONE WHO'S WATCHING CAN. UM I UNDERSTAND I THINK UM I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOVING FAST ON THIS.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT I THINK MY FIRST HEARING ORDER ON THIS ISSUE WAS OVER TWO YEARS AGO AT THIS POINT. UM, WE HAVE HAD ONE HEARING IN DECEMBER, UH, WHICH WAS NOT
ABOUT THIS ZONING AMENDMENT. UM, WE OFFERED THE ZONING AMENDMENT UM, IN APRIL. AND SO WE'RE HAVING THIS HEARING HERE TODAY. UM, MY PLAN IS TO KEEP, UH, THIS DOCKET IN COMMITTEE AT
THIS TIME. UM, AND THE OTHER PLAN IS FOR US TO HAVE A WORKING SESSION. UM, PARTICULARLY WE RECEIVED THE FEEDBACK THAT I READ INTO THE RECORD FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT THEY MAY HAVE
ZONING AMENDMENTS THAT WILL IMPACT THE NUMBERING OF THIS AMENDMENT. SO THERE MAY BE TACTICAL, UM, EDITS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE TO THE AMENDMENT THOUGH. UM, THEY DID TESTIFY THAT THIS AMENDMENT IS UM TECHNICALLY
SOUND. UM AND I WANT TO THANK UM, BETTER PARKING FOR BOSTON UM, SPECIFICALLY UH, NATE STALL AND MIKE TAMAYO FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND WORK UM, ON ON THE
AMENDMENT AS DRAFTED. AND I DO WANT TO RESPOND TO ANY ,UH, POTENTIAL CRITICISM ABOUT WHETHER NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS ARE INVOLVED WITH THE DRAFTING.
SO THE UM IT DID REQUIRE UM ABOUT SIX ATTORNEYS LOOKING OVER THE UM THE AMENDMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS TECHNICALLY SOUND. UH, THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR THE
PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND PEOPLE WHO PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR ESD. UM, SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK UM, AND PROCESS WORK THAT WENT INTO UM, THE DRAFTING. AND SO I THINK TODAY I THINK
THE SUCCESSFUL UH, PART ABOUT WHAT WE RECEIVED TODAY FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS THAT THEY DO BELIEVE, UM, THAT THE AMENDMENT IS TECHNICALLY SOUND. UM, I DEFINITELY THINK THERE'S
UH I THINK AS A CITY, UM, THE WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UM THE THE STATUS QUO IS ALREADY REPRESENTED BY THE CURRENT LAWS ON THE BOOKS.
AND WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TODAY REALLY IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE STATUS QUO. AND SO I THINK THAT THE ARGUMENT UM, THAT YOU KNOW, IN THE PANEL THAT WAS PROVIDED
TODAY UM, IS IS BUCKING UP AGAINST THE STATUS QUO WHICH I THINK UM, YOU KNOW, THE STATUS QUO IS REPRESENTED BY THE CURRENT LAWS ON THE BOOKS.
AND SO UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE UM, I THANK SPECIFICALLY, UH, PROFESSOR BRONIN FOR HER TIME BOTH IN CREATING THE REPORT IN 2023 BUT ALSO, UH, SPENDING TIME WITH US HERE TODAY ALONG
WITH OUR OTHER PANELISTS. UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THIS WILL, UH, STAY IN COMMITTEE AT THIS TIME. UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO, UM, TO
ENSURE UH, THAT NUMBERING AND UM UH BUT I DO WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PROCESS. UM, FOR STARTERS, UM, ANY AMENDMENT TO UM THE ZONING
CODE THAT COMES OUT OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS MERELY A PETITION TO THE ZONING COMMISSION. SO THE TRUE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THE LAW DOES LIE WITH THE ZONING COMMISSION. UM, I HAVE DEFENDED ONE AMENDMENT IN FRONT OF THE
ZONING COMMISSION. THE BUFFER AND TRIANGLE ZONING AMENDMENT TO MAKE HOUSING ALLOWED USE. UM, AT THAT MEETING I UM THE THE LEAD PROPONENT WILL COME UP
WITH A LIST OF SLIDES AND ACTUALLY PETITION AND THE ZONING COMMISSION. UM, WE ARE NOT THERE YET. UM, THIS I'M NOT PLANNING TO IMMEDIATELY BRING THIS FOR A VOTE. UM, AND THERE WILL STILL BE
TIME TO DISCUSS. UM, SO, UH, I DO LOOK FORWARD TO A WORKING SESSION ON THIS MATTER. UM, I DO WANT TO SAY THE CONFINES OF MY PROPOSED
AMENDMENT WILL STAY CITYWIDE. UM, SO, UM AND I THINK I BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE VOTED ON, UM, AS A CITYWIDE AMENDMENT BECAUSE THAT IS THE INTENT OF THE UM OF THE PROPONENT,
WHICH IS ME AND MY COLLEAGUES COUNCILOR SANTANA AND BRIGHTON. UM, SO UM I WILL ALLOW FOR MY COLLEAGUES THAT UM ARE LEFT. UM, TO GIVE BRIEF ONE MINUTE
CLOSING STATEMENTS. UM, STARTING WITH COUNCILOR SANTANA. THANK YOU MADAM. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM, I WANT TO THANK, UM THE
PANELISTS. I WAS WITH IT WITH US HERE TODAY. UM, I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK ALL THE RESIDENTS. UM, REGARDLESS OF OF, UM IF YOU'RE SUPPORTING OR QUESTIONING OR OPPOSING THE
PROPOSAL. I TRULY APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING. AGAIN, AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED ON THE THURSDAY MORNING. UM, DOWN TO CITY HALL. UM, AND, UM, ALL THE PERSPECTIVES REALLY ALLOW US TO
UM, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FOR ME AS AN LARGE CITY COUNCILOR. UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. UM, SO, UH, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE.
UM, I KNOW, UH WHAT I WILL SAY IS I KNOW GROUPS AND THAT. UM, MY OFFICE AND MYSELF ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PRIVATE MEETINGS, UH, COFFEE, UM, WITH RESIDENTS.
UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE JUST EDUCATING FOLKS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. UM, THE INTENT HERE. UM, AND ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. SO, UM, I JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR FOR BEING HERE. UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, TO
THE REST OF THE PROCESS. OKAY. >> WE'RE GOING TO GO TO COUNCILOR BREADON AND THEN COUNCILOR ROWE. UH, JUST WANT TO THANK THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, COUNCILOR SANTANA FOR, UM,
CO-LEADING THIS INITIATIVE. UM, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE FOLKS WHO CAME IN AND TESTIFIED AS COUNCILOR SANTANA SAID WHETHER YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE, YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS OR YOU'RE OPPOSED. I THINK THIS IS A VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS PROCESS. UM, SO WE'RE NOT THERE YET. SO WE HAVE WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO FURTHER WORKING SESSIONS AND I'M GLAD THIS IS
REMAINING IN COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE NEED TO GET IT RIGHT. AND UH, I APPRECIATE THE DILIGENCE ON THIS COUNCILOR DURKAN. THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR BREADON. UM, COUNCILOR EARLE. UH THANK YOU.
THANK TO EVERYONE WHO. CAME IN TO LEND THEIR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION. THANKS TO THE PANELISTS. UM. >> I WANT TO JUST SAY LIKE ANY ZONING TEXT, ANY TEXT AMENDMENT GOING FORWARD.
I'M GOING TO ADVOCATE TO EXEMPT UH DISTRICT FOUR UM BASED OFF OF THE COMMUNITY GROUPS AND THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME. I BELIEVE A GOOD PORTION OF THAT LIST.
UM IN OPPOSITION. UM, ONE IT WAS IN OPPOSITION TO TO THIS TEXT AMENDMENT. UM I ALSO DO BELIEVE WHEN YOU'RE STRIPPING UH, THE NO PARKING INCENTIVE AWAY FROM
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU WILL CREATE LESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, WHICH WILL BE THE FASTEST WAY TO DRIVE OUT CERTAIN COMMUNITIES. UH, THE OTHER THING THAT REALLY
WAS CONCERNING TO ME WAS THAT THIS POLICY WAS CREATED WITHOUT COMMUNITY INPUT, WHICH I FEEL CAN CREATE THE BIGGEST HARM, UH ,WHEN YOU'RE CREATING POLICY WITHOUT UH, ALL THE
STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE AND YOU PUT IT FORWARD. UM, I THINK YOU ARE LOOKING AT YOUR WAYS. UM, THAT MAYBE WASN'T INTENDED, UM, TO CREATE HARM TO
COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT WERE NOT AT THE TABLE. UM SO AGAIN, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE TO EXEMPT DISTRICT FOUR TO DO A NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD APPROACH.
AND AND I JUST WANT THE COUNCIL TO BE CAUTIOUS OF RIGHT NOW THE AFFORDABILITY UM IN NO POCKET MINIMUM IS TIED TOGETHER . WE WILL BE STRIPPING THAT AWAY IN THIS TEXT AMENDMENT. THANK YOU.
>> COUNCIL ORAL UM, A NUMBER OF YOUR RESIDENTS DID TESTIFY IN SUPPORT TODAY AND I DO HAVE MANY EMAILS FROM THEM. BUT I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR OPPOSITION TO THIS PROPOSAL. UM, AND I DO WANT TO SHARE THAT
WITH THE CURRENT IDP THAT IS ON THE BOOKS 20% OF ALL HOUSING WILL BE AFFORDABLE. SO MORE HOUSING EQUALS MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND I THINK UM I BUT IT'S HARD
I MEAN I WOULD I WILL HAVE TO GO LINE BY LINE OUT OF THIS HEARING TO CORRECT THE RECORD ON A NUMBER OF THINGS BECAUSE IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN ARTICLE 80 UM, ZIVA AND UM SORT OF WHERE THE ACTUAL LEVERS ARE AND UM I THINK THAT'S ALL THINGS WE CAN DISCUSS WITHIN A WORKING SESSION AS WELL. UM BUT IT'S I, I WANT TO SAY
THAT, UM, I PURPOSEFULLY READ INTO THE RECORD THE GROUPS THAT SUPPORT UM AND OR AND OPPOSITION OF THIS PROPOSAL. I DO THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. UM, BUT UH, THERE IS A LOT
OF SUPPORT FOR THIS PROPOSAL AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND IT'S IN ALL OF OUR INBOXES RIGHT NOW. UM, SO I I I THIS IS BOSTON IS NOT A MONOLITH AND NEITHER IS
ANY DISTRICT OR ANY NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, WE'VE RECEIVED UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH SIDES FROM ALMOST EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERY UM AND EVERY DISTRICT UM, THROUGH BOTH THE DECEMBER THROUGH BOTH
THE DECEMBER HEARING AND THIS HEARING. SO UM, WITH THAT UM, I AM GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US TODAY. UM, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND OUR OKAY, SO THIS IS DOCKET
0809. IT'S GOING TO REMAIN IN COMMITTEE. WE'RE GOING TO HEAD TOWARDS A WORKING SESSION AT SOME POINT. UM AND BUT AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN THE HEARING ON
0809.