? FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS SHARON DURKIN, DISTRICT COUNCILOR AND I AM THE CHAIR OF BOSTON CITY COUNCIL'S COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND TRANSPORTATION. TODAY IS FEBRUARY 11. THE TIME IS 1005. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C DOT PLAN DEV AT BOSTON DOT GOV AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. PUBLIC TESTIMONY
WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THE HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND THEY HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET OH TWO FOR ONE MESSAGE AN ORDER TEMPORARILY EXTENDING URBAN RENEWAL PLANS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON UNTIL MARCH 31ST, 2027 OR PASSAGE OF A PROPOSED RELEVANT HOME RULE PETITION. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY MAYOR MICHELLE WU AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 29TH, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR MURPHY
AND I HOPEFULLY WILL HAVE SOME MORE SOON. I WANT TO MENTION THAT THE TODAY THERE ARE FOUR PANELISTS HERE FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. DEVIN QUIRK, DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE BOSTON PLANNING DEPARTMENT. LISA HARRINGTON GENERAL COUNCILOR FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. REUBEN CANTOR SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. AND MAX HORTON, POLICY SPECIALIST AT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON PURPOSE SPECIFICALLY ON URBAN RENEWAL. SO I'LL JUST GIVE MY OPENING STATEMENT AND
THEN WE WILL OPENING UP THE HEARING AND THEN WE'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE CHANCE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. OPENING REMARKS FOR ME I, I THINK TODAY WE'RE IN AN INTERESTING MOMENT. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE SHAPING BOSTON'S FUTURE BY EXTENDING URBAN RENEWAL PLANS FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS. AN OPPORTUNITY THAT CALLS UPON THE LEGACY OF ED LOGUE. I'M READING HIS BIOGRAPHY ONE OF THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE OF URBAN PLANNERS IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY. WHEN LOGUE ARRIVED IN BOSTON IN THE 1960S, OUR
CITY WAS IN A DIRE STATE NEARLY BANKRUPT WITH A CREDIT RATING LOWER THAN CITIES OF ITS SIZE. BOSTON WAS STRUGGLING TO HOLD ONTO ITS FUTURE. THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR EVEN ASKED IN A HEADLINE IS BOSTON WORTH SAVING? ED LOGUE BELIEVED IT WAS. AND HE PROVED IT THROUGH BOLD URBAN OR NORMAL INITIATIVES HE HELPED STABILIZE OUR CITY. REIMAGINING ITS POTENTIAL AND LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR ITS ARRIVAL. WE'RE SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN URBAN RENEWAL PLAN AREA GOVERNMENT CENTER QUINCY
MARKET AND OTHER TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS DIDN'T JUST LIFT BOSTON OUT OF ITS CRISIS. THEY REDEFINED WHAT URBAN RENEWAL COULD ACHIEVE WHEN PAIRED WITH AMBITION AND VISION. BUT LOEB'S WORK WASN'T JUST ABOUT LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT. IT WAS ABOUT ENSURING THAT BOSTON COULD SUSTAIN AND SERVE ITS PEOPLE. THAT SAME PRINCIPLE MUST GUIDE US NOW, ESPECIALLY AS WE CONFRONT ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME HOUSING. TODAY OVER 11,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS ARE TIED TO URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS. THESE HOMES AND THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO RELY
ON THEM ARE AT RISK IF WE FAIL TO EXTEND THESE POWERS. FOR ALL THE FLAWS IN THE SYSTEM ,URBAN RENEWAL MECHANISMS HAVE PRESERVED THESE RESOURCES FOR DECADES PROVIDING CRITICAL STABILITY FOR FAMILIES IN NEED. SCRAPPING THESE TOOLS WITHOUT A CLEAR WORKABLE REPLACEMENT PLAN WOULD BE RECKLESS ESPECIALLY WHEN BOSTON IS IN THE MIDST OF A HOUSING CRISIS. YES, REFORM IS NECESSARY. URBAN RULE HAS HAD ITS SHORTCOMINGS AND WE MUST LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS HEARING IS ABOUT. THIS HEARING
IS ABOUT NOT DISMISSING THESE TOOLS OUTRIGHT. I THINK FOLKS THAT SAY THAT THESE TOOLS HAVE COMPLETELY FAILED TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE WRONG AND IT UNDERCUTS UNDERCUTS THE REAL GOOD THEY'VE DONE AND PUTS VULNERABLE FAMILIES IN JEOPARDY . THESE TOOLS HAVE STABILIZED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF UNITS OVER THE YEARS. THEY MAY NOT BE PERFECT BUT THEY'VE BEEN ESSENTIAL IN MAINTAINING AFFORDABILITY AND EQUITY IN A CITY FACING IMMENSE PRESSURE FROM
RISING COST. BOSTON WAS WORTH SAVING IN THE 1960S AND IT'S WORTH SAVING NOW. THIS TWO YEAR EXTENSION ISN'T ABOUT PRESERVING THE STATUS QUO. IT'S ABOUT ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO ADDRESS TODAY'S CHALLENGES. EQUITY INCLUSION. AFFORDABILITY AND RESILIENCE YOU KNOW ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO DO AND I KNOW I ADDED INCLUSION BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT MOMENT HIT THE CITY THAT WE'RE IN. LET US HONOR THE LESSONS OF THE PAST AND I JUST NEED TO GET REAL FOR A MOMENT AS WELL. I MOVED HERE
TEN YEARS AGO BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A GREAT CITY AND WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHY WE ALL LIVE HERE. BECAUSE WE'VE CREATED AN AMAZING PLACE TO LIVE. AND I KNOW THERE ARE CIVIC LEADERS THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT ABUSING THESE POWERS, NOT USING THEM RECKLESSLY. BUT USING THEM FOR THE CITY'S GROWTH AND FOR THE CITY'S SUSTAINABILITY. AND I THINK ALL MY QUESTIONS TODAY ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF
THOSE MECHANISMS IN DETAIL TO TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE CITY PLANS TO USE THESE TOOLS MOVING FORWARD AND WHEN WE'VE MOST RECENTLY USE THEM. BUT I WANT TO GIVE THAT CHANCE TO COUNCILOR MURPHY TO GIVE AN OPENING STATEMENT AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE PANEL TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'M HERE TO LEARN AND WE KNOW THAT URBAN RENEWAL CAUSED SOME HISTORICAL HARM TO THE WEST END AND YOU KNOW
FURTHER OUT THAN THAT AND JUST WANT TO LEARN AND HEAR WHAT YOU FEEL THIS EXTENSION WILL DO. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO SAVE OUR CITY LIKE THAT, THAT'S A BIG CLAIM. IS IT? I DON'T I DON'T THINK SO. BUT IN HEARING FROM THE RESIDENTS AND OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS OR WANT TO HEAR A BALANCED BOTH SIDES TODAY TO THINK HARD ABOUT EXTENDING IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN ON THE TOP A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MIND
FOR A LONG TIME AND TO IGNORE THE PAST HARMS AND JUST GO FORWARD I DON'T THINK IS ACCEPTABLE TO ASSUME LIKE WELL THAT'S BEHIND US. LET'S PRETEND THAT IT'S IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE DO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO REMEMBER WHERE WE CAME FROM AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND HOPING THAT AFTER LISTENING TO YOUR PROPOSAL ALL THAT I'LL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS THINKING AND ALWAYS LIKE WHAT WHAT WILL THIS POSITIVELY IMPACT? IS IT WORTH EXTENDING AND IF WE DON'T ALSO WHAT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND TO JUST GET SOME
HONEST ANSWERS ON THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR. AND I KNOW WE HAVE ROBUST ATTENDANCE FOR MY COLLEAGUES TODAY SO I'M SURE THEY THINK IT'S PRETTY CONTROVERSIAL WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. BUT I WILL LET THE PANEL INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND I'M EXCITED TO GET INTO THE CONVERSATION. SO I'LL START WITH YOU REUBEN REUBEN CANTU, SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND MAX HOLDEN, POLICY SPECIALIST
FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND DEVIN KIRK, DEPUTY CHIEF FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. LISA HARRINGTON GENERAL COUNCILOR THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY YOU WANT TO DO YOUR PRESENTATION? AND THEN IN THE MEANTIME WE'LL GO TO QUESTION TURN INTRODUCE MAX HERE WHO IS OUR URBAN RENEWAL SPECIALIST AND WANT TO SAY THANK YOU THE CHAIR FOR ALL THESE HEARING THANK YOU ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE FOR BEING HERE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE LIZABETH COHEN AT VOGUE BIOGRAPHY AS A PLACE TO START THIS. I THINK YOU SAID IT VERY WELL THERE'S A
LOT OF AMBITION AND OPTIMISM THAT THAT WAS FROM THE URBAN AREA. BUT I VERY AS COUNCILOR MURPHY PUTS OUT A VERY NEGATIVE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEGACY THAT THAT IT'S BEEN LEFT IN ITS WAKE. SO THE MATTER BEFORE YOU TODAY IS PRETTY SIMPLE. IT'S AN EXTENSION OF OUR URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS AND PLAN AREAS TO ALLOW FOR A LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION TO PASS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE THE HARMS OF THE PAST BUT ALSO BUT ALSO PRESERVES SOME OF THE TOOLS AND RESTRICTIONS THAT MATTER FOR BOSTON'S FUTURE.
SO LISA AND I ARE REALLY HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT SIR AND WRITTEN AS WELL. MAX IS OUR SPECIALIST AND ALSO HE'S IN RUNNING THROUGH OUR PROPOSAL AND THEN WE'LL MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I JUST BEFORE YOU GET STARTED, IF THE WEST END WAS BEING RENEWED AS PART OF THIS YOU KNOW OUR DOCKET I WOULD DEFINITELY BE TALKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL. BUT BECAUSE IT IS AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED YOU KNOW, I I DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE WEST END
GIVEN THAT IT'S NOT ON OUR DOCKET TODAY BUT BUT OBVIOUSLY REPRESENTING THE WEST END AND HAVING A LOT OF INFORMATION AND DOING A LOT OF READING I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE ACKNOWLEDGE ALWAYS BUT I TRY TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT'S ON THE DOCKET MOSTLY. SO THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER, FOR YOU. EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU TODAY. AS I JUST SAID, MY NAME IS MAX HOLTON AND I'M A POLICY SPECIALIST WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. I'M EXCITED TO DISCUSS THIS TOPIC TODAY AND GO TO
OUR NEXT SLIDE. THERE WE GO. SO WHAT WE WANT TO SHOW YOU HERE TODAY IS THE IMPORTANT PROTECTIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE NOW THAT WE WOULD LOSE WITH THE SUNSETTING OF URBAN RENEWAL. SO THE URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS ARE IMPORTANT IN ENSURING THE COMMUNITY MAINTAINS A SAY IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS COVERED BY URBAN RENEWAL. TODAY THERE ARE 12 ACTIVE URBAN RENEWAL AREAS WHICH YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT HERE. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO REQUEST A TIME LIMITED TWO YEAR EXTENSION TO THE POLICY OF URBAN RENEWAL SINCE THE HOME RULE PETITION HAS NOT PASSED ALL
NECESSARY LEGISLATIVE APPROVALS AND THE URBAN RENEWAL SUNSET DEADLINE OF MARCH 31ST, 2025 IS IMMINENT AND I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE MINOR CORRECTION TO THE SLIDE INTO THE STATEMENT HERE. THIS IS BEING BROUGHT BY THE BPA TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND NOT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S A LEGAL DISTINCTION THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE HERE. THANK YOU. URBAN. GO TO OUR NEXT SLIDE. WE'RE GOING TO. SO AS WE DISCUSSED THIS TODAY, WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
HARMS THAT URBAN RENEWAL HAS CAUSED FOR MANY RESIDENTS OF BOSTON MOST ESPECIALLY THOSE YES IN THE WEST END BUT ALSO ROXBURY, THE SOUTH END AND ELSEWHERE WHO WERE DISPLACED BY URBAN RENEWAL. WITH THIS IN MIND, HOWEVER, WE ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GOOD THAT URBAN RENEWAL HAS ENABLED SPECIFICALLY PUBLIC LAND FOR PUBLIC GOOD. THE LEGAL POWERS OF URBAN RENEWAL HAVE ENABLED THE CITY TO PUT RESTRICTIONS ON USE FOR THOUSANDS OF UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MILLIONS OF SQUARE FEET OF OPEN SPACE AND OTHER IMPORTANT USES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WITHOUT URBAN RENEWAL THESE
PROTECTIONS WOULD GO AWAY, LEAVING MANY IMPORTANT INSTITUTIONS IN THE CITY VULNERABLE TO RAPID CHANGE. IT'S NOT JUST YOU THAT NEVER WORKS SO. SO THIS SLIDE WHAT IS AN LDA? YOU'LL HEAR US TALK A LOT ABOUT THIS ACRONYM LDA IS IN THIS PRESENTATION. ESSENTIALLY AN LDA IS A TYPE OF AGREEMENT A COVENANT THE CITY CAN PLACE ON LAND IT
SELLS TO PRIVATE ACTORS OR OTHER PARTIES. LDA CAN CONTAIN COVENANTS WHICH ARE ESSENTIALLY STIPULATIONS IN CONTRACTS SPECIFYING THE TYPE OF USE THAT SHOULD BE BUILT ON THE LAND OR IN THE BUILDING TO WHICH IT REFERS. THIS PUTS A LEGAL OBLIGATION ON THE RECIPIENT OF THE LAND TO USE THE BUILDING OR THE SITE FOR ONLY THE INTENDED PURPOSE IF THEY WANT TO CHANGE IT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CITY. THIS GIVES THE CITY IMMENSE LEVERAGE IN ENFORCING PUBLIC LAND FOR PUBLIC GOOD LIKE OPEN SPACE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ELDERLY HOUSING AND MANY OTHER USES. THE IMPORTANT PART TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE ELDERS DERIVE THEIR LEGAL
ENFORCEABILITY FROM THE EXISTENCE OF THE OVERARCHING URBAN RENEWAL PLANS WHICH ARE THE 12 THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER . IF THOSE PLANS GO AWAY, THE VAST MAJORITY OF ELDERS ARE NO LONGER LEGALLY ENFORCEABLE AND WE CAN'T REALLY GET THEM BACK. I THINK IF YOU GO ALL RIGHT, SO WE BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THAT LDA EXIST IN THE CITY AND TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS DOCUMENTS THAT ARE RELATED TO THOSE. IN 2016 WE HAD
A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT WE HAD ON ELDERS SO WE PUT TOGETHER THIS PUBLIC FACING INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD THAT LISTS OUT EACH LDA IN THE CITY. WE ALSO MAINTAIN A PUBLIC SHARE FILE OF URBAN RENEWAL DOCUMENTS WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WEBSITE UNDER THE REAL ESTATE TAB. SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THIS SLIDE AND WE WON'T GO OVER EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF INFORMATION HERE BUT I WILL DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO SEVERAL HIGHLIGHTS.
SO THE FIRST IS NEARLY 12,000 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY ARE COVERED BY LDA AS I'M SURE YOU MENTIONED 8700 OF WHICH ARE AT RISK IN MARCH 2025 AS A RESULT OF THE EXPIRATION OF URBAN RENEWAL. I WILL ALSO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN HERE TO THE FACT THAT LDA IS ARE PROTECTING OVER 2 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF OPEN SPACE IN THE CITY WHICH IS SPACE THAT IS LEGALLY REQUIRED TO NOT HOUSE STRUCTURES AND IN MANY CASES IS ENJOYED AS LANDSCAPING AND COMMUNITY GARDENS. HERE
WE SEE HOW MANY ELDERS ARE EXPIRING IN EACH DISTRICT YOU'LL SEE THE BLUE BARS REPRESENT THE ELDERS THAT ARE EXPIRING IN MARCH 2025 WHILE THE RED REPRESENTS ELDERS THAT ARE EXPIRING LATER BETWEEN 2030 AND 2060. AND REALLY THIS IS A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF HOW MOST BUT NOT ENTIRELY ALL OF ELDERS HAVE THEIR EXPIRATION DATE TIED TO THE SUNSETTING DATE OF THE PLAN UNDER WHICH IT EXISTS IN DISTRICTS ONE, TWO AND SEVEN HAVE THE MOST
ELDERS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE THAT REALLY THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE GOING AWAY WITH THE SUNSETTING OF URBAN RENEWAL. SO AS AS YOU MAY REMEMBER IN 2023 OUR TEAM WAS BEFORE YOU REQUESTING A TWO YEAR EXTENSION TO URBAN RENEWAL. SINCE THEN THE DEPARTMENT HAS USED THE URBAN RENEWAL TOOL SEVERAL TIMES WHICH IS DETAILED ON THIS SLIDE HERE ALL FOR THE CREATION OF OPEN SPACE AND RESIDENTIAL USES. HERE YOU SEE WE HAVE A BREAK
DOWN OF INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING BY EXPIRATION DECADE. WE CAN SEE WITH THE RED RECTANGLE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE HERE THAT ABOUT 8700 UNITS OF INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING ARE PROTECTED BY ALL THE A'S AND ARE SET TO EXPIRE AT THE CURRENT END OF URBAN RENEWAL IN MARCH 2025. NOW WE MOVE TO RESIDENTIAL AND INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS BY URBAN RENEWAL AREA. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER THERE ARE 12 ACTIVE URBAN RENEWAL AREAS. YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF UNITS OF HOUSING REPRESENTED IN THIS LIST AND STRONG CONCENTRATIONS OF IT IN CHARLESTOWN SOUTH END AND WASHINGTON PARK OR RENEWAL AREAS WITH NOTABLE AMOUNTS IN THE OTHER RENEWAL AREAS AS WELL. ON THE NEXT SLIDE WE'LL LOOK AT A CONCRETE EXAMPLE A CASE STUDY OF AN INCOME RESTRICTED BUILDING THAT'S PROTECTED BY AN LDA. SO ON THE SCREEN HERE IS THE CONCRETE HOUSES IN THE SOUTH END. THIS IS A 180 UNIT BUILDING THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE 1970S. THE WHAT WAS AT THE TIME THE BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON THE LAND THAT
THE CONCRETE HOUSE CURRENTLY SITS ON AND SOLD IT TO THE REDEVELOPED BR WHICH WAS THE CONCRETE HOUSES ASSOCIATES THE COVENANT IN THE LDA THAT WAS PUT AT THAT TIME STATED THAT THE PROPERTY WOULD BE USED FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING. IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THE AFFORDABILITY HERE IS TRACKED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING AND ELDERS LIKE THIS ONE CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL COVENANTS IN OTHER AGREEMENTS THAT STACK ON TOP OF THE LDA TO HELP ENFORCE THE USE ON THE SITE. OH THANK YOU MAX. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR ED FLYNN. SORRY, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. OH, AND
SORRY. AND COUNCILOR BRIAN ROE. THANK YOU. SO IN THIS CASE OF THE CONCORD HOUSE, THE EXTRA COVENANTS EXPIRE IN THE 2030S. HOWEVER, THE LDA IS THE FIRST AND MOST FUNDAMENTAL LAYER OF PROTECTION ON THE SITE IN ADDITION TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING ,ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS OUR TEAM WANTS TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU TODAY IS THE SENIOR PREFERENCE HOUSING THAT ELDERS PROTECT IN BOSTON THERE ARE AT LEAST 13 ACTIVE
ELDERS PROTECTING 1800 UNITS OF SENIOR HOUSING THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH AGAIN IS EXPIRING BY 2030. IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT MUCH OF THE TIME SENIOR PREFERENCE ELDERS CAN GO IN HAND WITH INCOME RESTRICTION ELDERS WHICH IS A GOOD EXAMPLE TO SHOW HOW ELDERS CAN PROTECT MULTIPLE USES ON A PROPERTY. SO WE'LL MOVE TO A CASE STUDY NOW OF SENIOR PREFERENCE HOUSING UNDER URBAN RENEWAL VIA AN LDA. THIS ON THE SCREEN HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS BEING USED FOR AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY BENEFIT. THERE'S A SENIOR LIVING
FACILITY ADULT DAYCARE LOCATED IN THE NORTH END AT 70 FULTON STREET. THIS PROPERTY IS PROTECTED BY AN LDA THAT REQUIRES THE BUILDING'S USE FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING FOR SENIORS. SEVERAL YEARS AGO THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY SOUGHT TO CHANGE THE USE ON THE PROPERTY REDEVELOPING THE SITE. THE RESIDENTS CAME OUT AND EXPRESSED THE NEED TO MAINTAIN THIS PROTECTION SO THEY WOULD NOT LOSE THEIR HOMES. THE BOROUGH IN THE CITY SUPPORTED THEIR EFFORTS. THE DEVELOPER ULTIMATELY BACKED OFF AS THE CITY WAS ABLE TO USE THE LDA AS LEVERAGE TO MAINTAIN THE SITE AS LOW AND MODERATE INCOME SENIOR
HOUSING SOMETHING WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD AS MUCH LEGAL POWER TO DO WITHOUT THESE IMPORTANT TOOLS. SO MOVING US ALONG HERE ANOTHER KEY HIGHLIGHT THAT WE WANT TO POINT OUT FOR THE COUNCIL IS THAT LDA IS FREQUENTLY PROTECT PARCELS AS OPEN SPACE OPEN SPACE IS A CRITICAL RESOURCE FOR THE CITY. IT REDUCES CONGESTION, PROVIDES GREEN SPACE FOR RESIDENTS TO ENJOY AND CAN BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AS COMMUNITY GARDENS OR GATHERING SPACES. WHEN WE SAY OPEN SPACE THAT CAN MEAN PUBLIC PARKS THAT ARE OWNED BY THE
CITY OR ANOTHER PUBLIC ENTITY BUT IT CAN ALSO MEAN PRIVATELY OWNED LOTS THAT MUST BE UTILIZED FOR LANDSCAPE OR COMMUNITY GARDENS. IT'S ACTUALLY FAIRLY COMMON THAT PRIVATE RESIDENTS WILL OWN A LOT NEXT TO THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE THAT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DEVELOP AS THERE IS AN OPEN SPACE. LDA ON THAT PROPERTY. SO BY OUR CALCULATIONS THERE'S ABOUT 2 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF OPEN SPACE IN BOSTON THAT'S PROTECTED BY LDA AND OF THIS ABOUT
400,000 SQUARE FEET IS PRIVATELY OWNED LAND THAT THEORETICALLY COULD BE DEVELOPED AS OF RIGHT. IF THOSE LDA WERE TO GO AWAY NOW WE COME TO A VIEW OF WHERE THAT OPEN SPACE IN THE CITY FALLS. SO THE READ ON THIS GRAPH HERE IS THE TOTAL OPEN SPACE IN EACH DISTRICT AND THE BLUE IS ONE OF THAT IS POTENTIALLY DEVELOPABLE. WE CAN SEE THE MAJORITY OF OPEN SPACE IS IN DISTRICTS ONE, FOUR AND SEVEN AND SEVEN IS THE CLEAR FRONTRUNNER WITH OVER 1 MILLION SQUARE FEET IN THE DISTRICT. ON THE NEXT SLIDE WE'LL LOOK
AT AN EXAMPLE OF OPEN SPACE PROTECTIONS. SO THIS ON THE SLIDE HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE POTENTIALLY DEVELOPABLE PARCELS I WAS MENTIONING. THIS IS AN 1800 SQUARE FOOT PARCEL LOCATED IN CHARLESTOWN AND THAT HAS AN LDA ON IT. THE ORIGINAL LDA STATED THAT IT WOULD BE USED FOR LANDSCAPING AND STREET PARKING BUT IT'S ACTUALLY TECHNICALLY A SIDE YARD TO A HOUSE. THE PROPERTY WAS FIRST DEFEATED BY THE BOROUGH IN 1965 AND HAS CHANGED HANDS SEVERAL TIMES
SINCE THEN BUT SINCE THE COVENANTS ON THE LDA RUN WITH THE LAND IT'S NEVER BEEN DEVELOPED. IT'S STAYED AS AN OPEN SPACE SIDE YARD NEIGHBORS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY USE AND ENJOY THIS SPACE TO GATHER. SO A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN THE OWNER WANTED TO DEVELOP THE HOUSE AND THE YARD INTO THREE HOMES THEY GOT IN TOUCH WITH THE BPD OR TEAM LET THEM KNOW THERE WAS AN LDA AND THERE WOULD NEED TO BE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY. BUT WHEN WE STARTED REACHING OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE RESPONSE WAS CLEAR THAT THE COMMUNITY USED THIS SPACE AND THAT THEY DID
NOT WANT IT TO BE DEVELOPED INTO THREE HOMES. THE NEXT CATEGORY WE WANT TO FLAG FOR THE COUNCIL IS THE COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONAL CATEGORY. THIS IS A PRETTY BROAD CATEGORY OF LDA BUT IN GENERAL IT PRESERVES THE USE OF SPACE FOR COMMUNITY CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL OR RELIGIOUS USES. MANY COMMUNITY SPACES JUST SUCH AS THE ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTER IN ROXBURY OR THE BOSTON CHINATOWN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER IN THE SOUTH END ARE PROTECTED AS CULTURAL COMMUNITY SPACES BY ELDERS. THERE'S ABOUT 7.6 MILLION
SQUARE FEET OF COMMUNITY SPACE BEING PROTECTED BY ELDERS THE MAJORITY OF WHICH IS AT RISK IN 2025 WITH THE CURRENT SUNSET DEADLINE. SO ONE SUCH COMMUNITY ELDER CASE STUDY WE'D LIKE TO LIFT UP AS BOSTON CITY LIGHTS IN THE SOUTH END. THE ORGANIZATION IS LOCATED AT A PREVIOUSLY ABANDONED BUILDING AT 1154 WASHINGTON STREET. TODAY IT'S A ROTATING GALLERY SPACE WITH ARTISTS LIVE WORK CONDOS ABOVE IT. THE ELDER PROTECTS THE SPACE FOR COMMUNITY USES AND ALSO PROVIDES THE ORGANIZATION WITH A SMALL REVENUE STREAM WHICH ACTUALLY HELPS FUND
THIS ARTS ORGANIZATION. SO THIS IS A DIRECT EXAMPLE OF A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION BEING SUPPORTED BY AN LDA. SO IN CONCLUSION WE'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR TIME AND REITERATE THAT WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING TODAY IS AN APPROVAL FROM THE COUNCIL FOR A TIME LIMITED TWO YEAR EXTENSION TO THE POLICY OF URBAN RENEWAL WHICH IS SET TO EXPIRE IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. THIS EXTENSION IS DESIGNED TO KEEP THESE LAND USE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE PASSES THE HOME RULE PETITION THAT WILL MAINTAIN LDA PROTECTIONS FOR SOME YEARS TO COME.
AS WE HAVE DETAILED IN THIS PRESENTATION, IF URBAN RENEWAL IS ALLOWED TO SUNSET AT THE CURRENT DEADLINE WE WILL LOSE IMPORTANT LAND USE PROTECTIONS UPHOLDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OPEN SPACE AND MORE. WE THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR TIME AND LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS BUT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR BEN WEBER AND I DO WANT TO GIVE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES A CHANCE FOR A SHORT OPENING STATEMENT BEFORE WE GET INTO QUESTIONS. SO I'M
STARTING WITH COUNCILOR WORRELL. THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT FOR BEING HERE. I REMEMBER THIS HEARING FROM TWO YEARS AGO SO I KNOW OPENING STATEMENT. JUST A FEW QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND FIRST I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE. I WAS CHAIRING A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON ZOOM. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS
ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN AT ALL OF THE MEETINGS IN THE PAST AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS SUPPORTING THIS BECAUSE OF THE BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT IT PROVIDES TO PEOPLE THAT NEED THIS HOUSING AND ESPECIALLY OUR SENIORS OR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND LOW INCOME FAMILIES. MUCH OF IT IS TAKING PLACE IN MY DISTRICT BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO
LEARN AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT'S THE POSITIVE IMPACT THAT THIS URBAN RENEWAL EXTENSION WILL HAVE. PROTECTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPEN SPACE. WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THIS IS ONE QUESTION I'M GOING TO ASK AND WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AS WELL? HOW ARE WE ENGAGING WITH RESIDENTS IN THESE IMPACT AREAS WHETHER
THEY SUPPORT IT OR ARE AGAINST IT? AND I WOULD I WANT TO ENSURE THAT MY CONSTITUENTS I'M GOING TO SUPPORT TO SUPPORT THIS BUT EVEN IF PEOPLE ARE AGAINST IT, I DO WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN TO VOICE THEIR OPINION, ESPECIALLY MY CONSTITUENTS SINCE MUCH OF IT IS HAPPENING IN DISTRICT TWO. BUT I AM HERE TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES AND SENIORS AND PERSONS DISABILITIES AND PEOPLE OF
COLOR TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS A BOSTON FOR THEM AS WELL. SO THOSE WILL BE THAT WILL BE MY FOCUS ON MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILOR FLYNN, COUNCILOR WEBER, I THANK YOU. I APOLOGIZE I'M LATE. I WAS OBSERVING THE PROCEEDINGS AT HOUSING COURT AT THE BMC HERE. I JUST THINK YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE
A PLACE TO LIVE AND THESE ARE SECURE HERE IN THE CITY. AND SO I DO I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION AND THANK THE CHAIR FOR CONVENING THIS HEARING. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR WEBER. SO I WILL ASK A COUPLE OF MY QUESTIONS. THERE IS GOING TO BE NO TIME LIMIT I WANT EVERYONE TO JUST GIVEN HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE HERE I THINK WE'LL HAVE TIME TO HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION AND FOR EVERYONE
TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND SO I'M GOING TO ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS JUST TO KICK IT OFF AND THEN I'LL GO TO COUNCILOR MURPHY AND THEN IN THE ORDER OF ARRIVAL. SO IF URBAN RENEWAL PLANS ARE ELIMINATED, WHAT HAPPENS TO EXISTING URBAN RENEWAL DISTRICTS YOU DISTRICTS WHERE THERE'S STILL BE A WAY TO AMEND THEM IF NECESSARY. SO ESSENTIALLY I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT PARTICULARLY ABOUT YOU DISTRICTS AND IF THESE PLAN AREAS
WENT AWAY, CAN WE AMEND THEM? SORRY I'M STRUGGLING. MY MICROPHONE. IF THE PLAN AREAS WERE TO GO AWAY I BELIEVE THAT EXISTING DISTRICT ZONING WOULD BE A PRIOR NON-CONFORMING USE AND WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO AMEND THEM USING THE SAME TOOL. SO WE WOULD NEED TO USE A DIFFERENT METHOD OF OF ZONING RELIEF. WOW. OKAY. AND THAT KIND OF LEADS TO ARE THERE
SITUATIONS WHERE THE PLAN PLANS INCLUDE BUILDING AND LAND USE REQUIREMENTS THAT ALIGN WITH LGA RESTRICTIONS BUT DO NOT ALIGN WITH ZONING AND ARE THERE ARE THERE OFFERED ARE THERE PLACES WHERE THE ZONING IS SORRY THE OTHER PLACES WHERE THE PLAN AREAS LAND USE RESTRICTIONS ARE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN ZONING AND WHAT TRUMPS WHAT? YEAH AND MAX WENT THROUGH A FEW OF THOSE IN THIS PRESENTATION. ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THERE ARE
MANY AND A GREAT EXAMPLE THAT IS MIGHT BE A SITE WHERE IT'S ZONED FOR HIGH MAYBE A THREE FAMILY HOUSING CONSTRUCTION BUT WE HAVE A RESTRICTION ON IT FOR OPEN SPACES AN EXAMPLE THAT IN YOUR PRESENTATION AND IF THE PLAN AREAS WERE TO LAPSE THEN THE OWNER OF THAT LAND COULD BUILD WHATEVER ZONING ALLOWED AS OF RIGHT SO UNDER THE RESTRICTION IS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPEN SPACE OR COMMUNITY USE IF THE PLAN AREAS GO AWAY THOSE ARE THOSE ARE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE UNDERLYING ZONING AND THEN AND
WHATEVER UNDERLYING ZONING ALLOWS WOULD BE TO THE RIGHT OF THE PROPERTY HOLDER TO GO AHEAD AND BUILD AND I THINK OBVIOUSLY I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS. I THINK THAT WE NEEDED TO YOUR EXPANSION BUT SPECIFICALLY I THINK SOME OF THE CLAIMS AROUND OBVIOUSLY LGAS ARE ALSO UNDERPINNED BY OTHER AGREEMENTS SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IMMEDIATELY ALL OF THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING WOULD GO AWAY. BUT I THINK THE POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE
IS THAT OUR SEAT AT THE TABLE AS A CITY IS DIMINISHED BY NOT BEING PARTY TO THESE AGREEMENTS. SO WHILE I DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE ARGUMENT THAT LIKE 11,000 UNITS ARE JUST GOING TO DISAPPEAR LIKE POOF IF OUR ABILITY TO WEIGH IN AND CREATE PROCESS AROUND THOSE THINGS IS DIMINISHED WITHOUT THESE PLANS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT COUNCILOR. THE 11,000 AFFORDABLE
HOUSING UNITS WE'RE NOT SUGGESTING THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE WOULD GO AWAY IN MARCH IF THIS WAS AN EXTENDED BUT WE WILL LOSE A TOOL FOR PROTECTION AND IT VARIES PROPERTY BY PROPERTY. WHAT ADDITIONAL TOOLS WE CAN USE TO PRESERVE THE HOUSING SO I THINK OUR POSITION AS MAX OUTLINED IT IS WE SHOULD EXTEND THE RENEWAL FOR TWO YEARS TO ALLOW FOR A LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION THAT CARRIES THOSE FORWARD FOR ANOTHER 40 YEARS TO GET INTO PLACE. AND JUST FOR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WE
DID GET A NOTIFICATION THAT AN URBAN RENEWAL TOOL WAS USED AND THAT IS WE DO GET NOTIFICATIONS FROM THE NOW CHIEF OF PLANNING AND SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LAST USE OF AND AND THAT LAST TIME THIS WAS USED BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS ON OUR AGENDA THIS YEAR WAS TO SIGN YES WELL I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHICH
ACTION YOU'RE REFERRING TO SO WHEN THE DEPARTMENT CONDUCTS WHAT'S CALLED LIKE A MINOR MODIFICATION TO THE PLAN WHICH CHANGES LIKE THE USE FOR AN URBAN RENEWAL PARCEL, WE DO NOTIFY THE AFFECTED COUNCILORS AND THE DISTRICT. THERE WAS ONE PROJECT IN OCTOBER ON SOUTHEND THEN RENEWAL AREA PARCEL 35 ON LOTS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WHEN WE SAY THE SOUTHEND PLAN WE KNOW THAT THAT ALSO INCLUDES ROXBURY
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT DOES IRK PEOPLE IN BOSTON. SO JUST FLAGGING THAT YES SO JUST CLARIFYING THAT THAT'S THE ACTION THAT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER PASS THAT'S THE LAST ONE THAT WE EXECUTED AND HAS MOVED FORWARD AND SO WHAT WAS THAT PROJECT AND HOW DID HAVING THIS TOOL AID THE FUTURE CONSTRUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING? I WOULD ACTUALLY MAYBE DEFER TO YOU TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT. SO IT'S A PUBLIC LAND DISPOSITION AND
WE WANTED THE WE WORKED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY EXTENSIVE COMMITTEE PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THE BOTH THE VISION FOR THE SITE AND THEN THE LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY AND USES AND THOSE WERE NOT NECESSARY COMPLIANT WITH UNDERLYING ZONING AND WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO USE OUR 30 D EXEMPTION FOR REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS TO PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY THROUGH THE PUBLIC LAND SALE PROCESS OR GROUND LEASE PROCESS. SO THAT'S WHY WE USE THEIR FRONT ROLL TO US. CAN I AND I JUST WANT TO ADD IF I
MAY THAT THERE WAS A TIME LIMITED PIECE TOO THAT BECAUSE OF ARPA FUNDS THAT THE CITY WAS SEEKING TO EXPAND ON THAT AND SO THE URBAN ROADS TOOLS ACTUALLY GAVE US THE THE POWER TO TAKE THE ACTION THAT WE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO EXPEND THOSE ARPA FUNDS BEFORE THEY WENT AWAY WHICH WERE DEDICATED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND I'M ALSO THE CHAIR OF COVID 19 RECOVERY SO I'M FULLY OF THAT AND I GUESS I JUST A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING THINGS WHEN PROJECTS GO BEFORE
DBA AND PERMITS ARE ISSUED, IS THERE A PROCESS FOR ENSURING THAT CHANGES ALIGN WITH URBAN PLANNERS AND ALDERS I'M HAPPY TO JUMP IN. TYPICALLY I FLAGS THE EXISTENCE OF AN URBAN RENEWAL PLAN AREA AND AN LDA AND THEY'RE ROUTED TO US FOR CLARIFICATION. I THINK TYPICALLY BEFORE THEY NORMALLY WOULDN'T I SUPPOSE SOME WOULD GO TO THE CVA ROUTE BUT USUALLY THEY GET SENT TO US FIRST. YEAH THAT'S GREAT AND I JUST IN ALONG THE SAME
VEIN WHEN A PROPERTY THAT HAS AN LDA ON IT IS SOLD IN A TRANSACTION IS PENDING I KNOW THERE'S A CERTIFICATE OF A COMPLETION THAT OFTEN PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WAS SAID WAS BUILT WAS BUILT. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT JUST ABOUT THAT PROCESS OF ENSURING THAT AND ENSURING THAT WHAT IS BUILT IT IS
IS WHAT IS IN THE LDA YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN. SORRY I'M HAVING TROUBLE TO PICK AWAY. IT'S JUST GREAT. YEAH. SO I INVITE MY COLLEAGUES TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS. WE CERTIFY THAT ALL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE LAID OUT AS PART OF THE LDA ON THE SITE HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY COMPLETED. WE ISSUE THAT CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION THAT INVOLVES A PHYSICAL SITE VISIT. I'VE ACTUALLY DONE A COUPLE OF THESE MYSELF MORE RECENTLY FOR THE JAZZ QUINCY UPPER SCHOOL IN CHINATOWN JUST TO CERTIFY
THAT YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THAT WAS COVENANTED IN THE LDA WAS ACTUALLY DONE AND THEN THAT GOES BEFORE OUR BOARD TO BE APPROVED AND THEN ISSUED AND FILED. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD? OKAY AND JUST FYI OBVIOUS LENIENT WITH EVERYONE'S YOU KNOW EVERYONE CAN GO AS HARD AS I DID IN THIS SECTION BUT I DID WANT TO JUST ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION WHICH IS I KNOW THAT URBAN RENEWAL MECHANISMS SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE. ARE THERE EXAMPLES OF URBAN RURAL
PLANNING AREAS SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT CLAIM YEAH. AND SO IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK MAX OUTLINED THE CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU KNOW LIKE LIBRARIES YOU KNOW THE QUINCY SCHOOL WE JUST TALKED ABOUT I'M NOT AWARE OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD A BIT LIKE BIG INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, URBAN ROADS OFTEN CORRELATED WITH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY MOVEMENT WHICH IS SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT AND AS I'D SAY DIFFERENT NEGATIVE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEGACY AROUND THE EXPANSION OF HIGHWAYS IN
AMERICA SO THAT THERE'S OFTEN A CORRELATION BETWEEN THE TWO BECAUSE THEY OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME. BUT IN TERMS OF HOW WE MIGHT USE IT IN THE FUTURE AND OUR OUR HOME RULE PETITION SHIFTS THE BURDEN FOR PROOF ON USING URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS FROM BLIGHT TO AND USING TOOLS FOR SLUM CLEARANCE THINGS LIKE THAT, THINGS WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYMORE. WE WANT TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT AND INSTEAD USE THE URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS TO ADVANCE AFFORDABLE CITY
BROADLY DEFINED GROWTH FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND HOUSING, CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND SOCIAL EQUITY THROUGH GOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. SO YOU COULD IMAGINE US IN THE FUTURE NEGOTIATING WITH A PROPERTY OWNER ALONG THE WATERFRONT TO PURCHASE AN EASEMENT IN ORDER TO BUILD CLIMATE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EXAMPLE. YES AND I KNOW I'M GOING TO GET MYSELF IN SOME HOT WATER HERE BUT I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE TALK ABOUT BLIGHT AND I THINK ABOUT THIS THAT GOES ON FOR INSTANCE, ALL OF THE
OTHER SIGNS SIMILAR TO THE SECO SIGN WERE REMOVED BECAUSE OF BLIGHT IN THE PAST AND NOW OBVIOUSLY WE CAN LOOK UP AT THE SECOND SIGN AND SAY THAT'S BEAUTIFUL AND WE'RE SO HAPPY IT'S HERE. BUT THE DEFINITION OF BLIGHT OVER THE YEARS HAS SO MUCH AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED IN DEVELOPMENT HAVE SAID BLIGHT DOESN'T MEAN UNSIGHTLY, IT MEANS DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP. SO YOU KNOW, HOWEVER WE CONSIDER THAT AND I, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE AND CIVIC LEADERS FEEL VERY
STRONGLY ABOUT NOT FEELING LIKE THEIR COMMUNITY IS BLIGHTED. THEY'VE WORKED HARD TO IMPROVE IT AND I THINK BEING ABLE TO EXPAND THE DEFINITION OF HOW WE CAN USE THESE TOOLS IS HELPFUL BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO BOLSTER CIVIC PRIDE. WE'RE TRYING TO BOLSTER NEIGHBORHOOD PRIDE IN THE TERM BLIGHT DOESN'T HELP US DO THAT BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A LEGAL DEFINITION TO
BLIGHT AND EVEN THOUGH OBVIOUSLY THERE'S THE COLLOQUIAL DEFINITION THAT WE ALL DON'T LIKE BEING USED TO DESCRIBE OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS SO BUT I JUST WANT TO CONCLUDE THAT EXAMPLE OF THE SIGNS THAT WERE VERY MANY SIGNS THERE'S ACTUALLY ONE YOU KNOW WHERE PREMISES IN CHARLESTOWN THERE WAS A THERE WAS A SIGN SIMILAR TO THE SECO SIGN THAT WAS REMOVED BY THE VRA BECAUSE OF BLIGHT. SO IT'S JUST THE IDEA THAT NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING TO GO BACK TO NEON SIGNS AND PEOPLE LIKE THEM
AND IT MAKES THEM FEEL AS SO IT'S JUST INTERESTING HOW TRENDS AND YOU KNOW SO I, I APPRECIATE ALL THE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS I WANT TO GET WHAT LET MY COLLEAGUES ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE. SO I'LL START WITH AARON MURPHY . I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. CAN YOU FIRST JUST EXPLAIN THE LEGAL IMPLICATION IF ANY YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS IS COMING FROM THE EPA, NOT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND IF YOU COULD JUST EXPLAIN THAT FOR ME AND THOSE LISTENING. SURE. THAT'S A QUESTION NEAR AND DEAR TO
MY HEART. SO THANK YOU, COUNSELOR AS THE LAWYER WHO'S CONSTANTLY REMINDING EVERYBODY OF THE DISTINCTION. SO THE THE URBAN RENEWAL POWERS REST WITH THE BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WHICH FOR MANY YEARS NOW HAS BEEN DOING BUSINESS AS THE EPA WHILE WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE NEW CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND PUT PLANNING BACK INTO THE CITY GOVERNMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES, MANY OF THE POWERS EXIST BY STATE LAW WITH WITH THE VRA
STILL. AND SO HOW LONG THEN WILL THE VRA HAVE TO EXIST TO MAKE SURE LIKE HOW MANY THINGS LIKE THIS ARE STILL OUTSTANDING THAT IF WE JUST ABOLISHED IT ALTOGETHER WHICH I THINK WAS THE INTENTION AT FIRST BUT THEN WE STARTED TO REALIZE RIGHT THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY THINGS CONNECTED WITH IT. EXACTLY. SO I THINK IF WE IF YOU DID NOT VOTE TO APPROVE THIS THIS EXCUSE ME AND IF YOU DID NOT VOTE
TO APPROVE THIS EXTENSION THE THE URBAN RENEWAL PROTECTIONS ON THESE PROPERTIES WOULD GO AWAY. BUT THE VRA WOULD CONTINUE TO EXIST. OUR HOME RULE PETITION ALLOWS US TO BOTH EXTEND THE PROPERTY RESTRICTIONS FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS AND ALSO ABOLISHES THE VRA AND CONSOLIDATES THEM INTO A SINGLE ENTITY WITH A REFINED MISSION FOR AFFORDABILITY, EQUITY AND RESILIENCE WHICH WOULD BE KNOWN AS THE BOSTON PLANNING BOARD. SO THE YEAR EXTENSION THAT WE'RE SEEKING IS
REALLY JUST TO GIVE US SOME TIME WHICH FOLLOWS UP ON MY NEXT QUESTION IF YOU EXPLAIN IN MORE DETAIL THE HOME RULE PETITION AND YOU KNOW WHAT IS HOLDING THAT UP AND DO WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE LEGISLATION WILL FIND A SOLUTION IN AT THAT POINT? YOU KNOW WHAT THEN WHAT YOU KNOW THAT'S THE OPERATIVE QUESTION. SO AS YOU KNOW BUT JUST TO RECOUNT FOR EVERYONE THE HOME RULE PETITION PASSED THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER TWO YEARS AGO. IT PASSED THE STATE
HOUSE AND IT DID NOT PASS THE SENATE SO IT REMAINS ACTIVE AND REMAINS SOMETHING WE WE ARE VERY COMMITTED TO AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO TRY AND ADVANCE IT TOWARDS BEING PASSED AND THE TWO YEAR EXTENSION THAT WE'RE SEEKING GIVES US THAT TIME. ARE THERE ANY CHANGES BEING MADE TO IT IN HOPE THAT IT DOES GET PASSED? WE ARE VERY OPEN TO CHANGES SO I THINK IN THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS A GOOD IDEA WE'RE ALWAYS YOU KNOW, WE FOUND IN BETWEEN TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE SAT BEFORE THIS AND ASKED FOR THE ORIGINAL PETITION WE DID MAKE CHANGES. WE
MADE SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO HELP WITH STAFF PROTECTIONS FOR PENSION BUYBACKS FOR EXAMPLE AND ANYTHING THAT WOULD DO WOULD PUT US ON A BETTER FOOTING FOR THE FUTURE. WE'RE HAPPY TO DO SO. THERE'S NOT A PLAN TO COME BEFORE US AGAIN WITH LIKE A NEW HOME RULE NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. ARE THERE OTHER MECHANISMS, GUNS OR PROTECTIONS THAT WE COULD PUT INTO PLACE TO PROTECT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING? I KNOW THERE ARE BUT LIKE WHAT
OTHER TOOLS CAN WE BE IMPLEMENTING ESPECIALLY WHERE WAITING IT MAY NOT PASS AND THIS HAS BEEN EMINENT WE KNEW THIS WAS ENDING. IT'S LIKE OUR 99 YEAR LEASES WITH THE WHITE PHONE LIKE WE KNEW 99 YEARS WERE COMING. YEAH AND WE KNEW 20 YEARS AGO IT WAS 20 YEARS AWAY AND THEN WE KNEW IT WAS FIVE YEARS AWAY AND THEN WE ALWAYS SEEM TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE IT WAS DUE YESTERDAY AND NOW WE HAVE TO SCRAMBLE AND NOW WE HAVE TO TAKE VOTES ON THINGS AND A RUSH WHERE THEY SAY WELL THIS IS GOING TO RUN OUT. SO HAVE WE
BEEN MAKING GOOD DECISIONS AND PLANS TO PROTECT ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT THIS YOU KNOW, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU AND THAT'S THE WHOLE PREMISE BEHIND OUR REQUEST FOR A TWO YEAR EXTENSION AND NOT NOT AN INFINITE EXTENSION BECAUSE WE REALLY THE PERMANENT SOLUTION THAT THE PETITION PASS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS ANYMORE I THINK GENERALLY MOST BOSTONIANS AGREE THAT THESE RESTRICTIONS THAT PROTECT OPEN SPACE, PROTECT UP AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PROTECTING THE USES ARE GOOD THINGS AND THEY
WANT THEM TO CONTINUE. UNFORTUNATELY THEY HAVE THIS EXPIRATION DATE SO THE WAY TO FIX THAT IS TO FIX THE UNDERLYING LAW WHICH WE NEED THE STATE'S APPROVAL TO DO. THAT'S WHAT OUR HOME RULE PETITION WILL DO AND THAT AND THE ACTION TODAY JUST GIVES US THAT TIME TO DO. COULD YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT THE EXPIRATION DATE BECAUSE? OFTENTIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRIVATE WAYS LIKE THERE WAS A REASON WHY IT WAS A PRIVATE WAY AND YOU GOT SOME FINANCIAL BENEFIT FOR IT, RIGHT? SO SOMETIMES THESE THINGS COME BACK TO US AND
WE FORGET THAT YOU THEN THE LEASE AND THE 100 YEARS THE 200 YEARS THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU BENEFITED FROM AT THE BEGINNING. YEAH, THAT MIGHT MEAN LEASES HELP A LITTLE BIT WITH THIS ONE BUT THERE THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR HOW LONG GOVERNMENT CAN PUT USE RESTRICTIONS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THEY CAN BE AMENDED OVER TIME AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR IN THIS IN THE HOME RULE PETITION WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXTENSION
THAT RUNS WITH THAT EXTENDS THE PLANS THEMSELVES BECAUSE THE RESTRICTIONS FOR A PARTICULAR OPEN SPACE RESTRICTION MAY SAY THAT THIS RUNS UNTIL 2050 OR THE OR THE TERMINATION OF THE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN WHICHEVER COMES FIRST RIGHT OF CLARIFY ONE THING SORRY IT DOES NOT EXTEND THE PLANS THEMSELVES BUT IT IT BASICALLY SAYS NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLANS WILL TERMINATE WHEN THE HOMEOWNER PETITION IS PASSED AND BECOMES EFFECTIVE BUT THE IT SAYS NOTWITHSTANDING THE TERMINATION OF THE PLANS THAT THE
LDA AS WELL WILL LIVE FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS. YEAH AND IT'S ON THE 30TH SO WE HAVE TO BE THINKING THE DAY AFTER IT PASSES RIGHT LIKE WHAT DO WE DO? 30 YEARS WOULD BE HERE BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE ADVOCATING TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE LIVING IN CONSTANT FEAR WHEN THAT WILL RUN OUT. TWO OTHER QUICK THINGS I'M YOU GAVE A FEW EXAMPLES BUT IF YOU COULD GIVE LIKE A FEW NEIGHBORHOOD EXAMPLES WHEN YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THESE SPACES LIKE IS THE PEACE PARK IN CHARLESTOWN
ONE OF THEM I'M THINKING OF DIFFERENT SPOTS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU MENTIONED HAVE THESE PROPERTIES SO COUNCILOR MURPHY I CAN'T SAY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHETHER THERE'S AN ELDER ON THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY. I'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU. PROVIDE A FULLER LIST FOR YOU. IS THERE A LIST ONLINE? ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. YEAH. SO THAT YOU COULD DIRECT ME TO THAT LINK THAT BEING JUST INTERESTING. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. AND THE PRESENTATION AND THE PRESENTATION
THERE'S A LINK TO A J.S. PAGE. YOU CAN DO A SEARCH FOR ALL THE ELDERS IN THE CITY. YOU CAN SEE THEM BY BY DISTRICT BY COUNCIL DISTRICT. SO THAT IS ALL AVAILABLE AND IF YOU'D LIKE I CAN PASS IT OFF PASS THAT LINK ON TO YOUR STAFF AS WELL. THAT'S AWESOME. THANK YOU. AND ONE LAST THING I GOT A COUPLE EMAILS IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THE THERE'S A FINE COM INVESTIGATION DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS ABOUT A TAX ABATEMENT IRREGULARITIES AND IF YOU KNOW WHEN THAT REVIEW WOULD BE COMPLETED I'M SORRY I
CAN EMAIL YOUR EMAIL ALONG TO YOU JUST IF YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF THERE'S ANY OUTSTANDING THINGS THAT WE'RE AWARE ABOUT DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THIS KNOWING THAT THESE PROTECTIONS NEED TO CONTINUE. THANK YOU. THANK COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILOR MURPHY. AND NOW NEXT WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR FLYNN WHO YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TINY BIT LATE BUT YOU ARE ALWAYS AT HEARINGS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PERFECT ATTENDANCE. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND OUR COLLEAGUES AND THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM. I KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION BUILDING AND OBVIOUSLY I KNOW THAT THE PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET. CAN YOU TELL ME THE STATUS OF THE I KNOW THAT YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT IT BUT CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE EXACTLY WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT? YEAH, IT'S IT'S A LITTLE LESS RELATED TO THE ACTUAL EXTENSION BUT I'M
HAPPY TO GIVE YOU A QUICK STATUS REPORT. SO AS I MENTIONED EARLIER WE DID ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OF A COMMITTEE PROCESS TO ESTABLISH A VISION FOR THOSE THE DISPOSITION OF THOSE PARKING LOTS WORKING CLOSELY OBVIOUSLY WITH THE COMMISSION BUT WITH ALL THAT COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN IN ROXBURY AND COUNCILOR FERNANDEZ ANDERSON, WE ESTABLISHED A VISION FOR PRIORITIZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THOSE SITES AND THEN THAT LED TO THE ISSUANCE OF AN RFP WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL RESPONSES TO
AND THEN SELECTED A DEVELOPER AND THAT DEVELOPER IS PROCEEDING WITH A PHASE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE AND WE WORKING TOWARD A IDEALLY GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE FIRST PHASE IN THE NEXT HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR AFTER EVERYTHING GOES WELL MAYBE NEXT YEAR AND THEY'VE ASSEMBLED THEIR FINANCING FOR THAT PHASE INCLUDING THE ARPA FUNDS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER AND IT WILL BE WORKING FOR SUCCEEDING PHASES IN THE YEARS AHEAD. WERE THERE ANY LEGAL CHALLENGES TO THAT PROPOSAL? NOT THAT
I'M AWARE OF, NO. NO. OKAY. SO IN MY OPENING STATEMENT I HIGHLIGHTED THE REASON WHY I WOULD SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE URBAN RENEWAL BASED ON THE IMPACT IT HAS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING. HOWEVER, WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON SOMEONE WOULD BE AGAINST THIS WOULD. THAT'S THE THAT'S A
POSITIVE REASON WOULD BE A REASON SOMEONE WOULD BE AGAINST THIS SO I WOULD SUBMIT THAT I THINK THAT RELATIVELY FEW PEOPLE IN BOSTON WOULD BE OPPOSED TO THE EXTENSION ITSELF BECAUSE THE EXTENSION IT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO VOTE ON TODAY IS MERELY AN ABILITY TO IMPORTANT TO ENFORCE IMPORTANT PUBLIC LAND, PUBLIC RESTRICTIONS ON PRIVATE LAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OPEN SPACE COMMUNITIES ,ETC. AND I THINK
THAT THAT IS A PRETTY UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME WHO MIGHT THINK THAT OUR LONGER TERM SOLUTION ON THE DIRECTION OF THE ABC AND THE USE OF URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS IN THE FUTURE MAY BE SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL. WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU TO VOTE ON THAT MATTER TODAY THAT THAT WAS WRITTEN ON TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE SUBMITTED THE ORIGINAL HOME RULE PETITION. I THINK WE'RE OUR OUR POSITION IS THAT WE DO NEED SOME OF THE
TOOLS SPECIFICALLY THE 30 EXEMPTION ALLOWS US TO NEGOTIATE WITH PROPERTY OWNERS FOR ACQUISITION AND SALE OF PROPERTY AND THE TAX DISCRETIONARY TAX INCENTIVE TOOLS THAT ARE TIED TO REVENUE. WE MAY WANT TO USE THOSE AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. WE DON'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM FOR SLUM CLEARANCE AND BLIGHT. SO WE'RE ASKING REMOVING THAT THAT JUSTIFICATION FOR THE ABILITY TO USE THE TOOLS BUT WE'RE REPLACING IT WITH WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER AND TOOLS TO GIVE AS LONG
AS WE CAN PROVE THAT ACCESS TO CREATING AFFORDABILITY WHETHER THAT'S HOUSING OR SMALL BUSINESS CLIMATE RESILIENCE OR EQUITABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THOSE TOOLS WITHOUT THOSE 30 BE WITH THAT 30 BE TOOL USED IN A FOR PROFIT MANNER RECENTLY OR OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS. THAT MAY BE SOME SOME RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT ABOUT THIS WHOLE SUBJECT WAS MAYBE MAYBE YES IT DID PROTECT CURRENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IT HAD IT HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNITY PROCESS. IS THAT SAFE TO SAY? I WOULD SAY OR MAYBE NOT 15 YEARS, MAYBE MAYBE 20 YEARS, MAYBE 25 YEARS? YEAH. I THINK MAYBE A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOSTON TODAY AND BOSTON OF THE LOGAN AREA IS THE SCALE WHICH THESE
TOOLS ARE USED THE THE SCALE IN WHICH THEY WERE PROPOSED TO BE USED AND WERE USED IN THE CREATION OF THIS BUILDING AND THE DEMOLITION OF THAT STAND WAS MASSIVE AND AND HAD LOTS OF NEGATIVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH TO STAY THE SCALE OF WHICH WE USE THESE TOOLS DAY IS MUCH SMALLER SO I WOULD JUST A GREAT EXAMPLE WHERE WE USED IT RECENTLY THAT I THINK JUST PROVES THE VALUE OF IT IS AND COUNCILOR WARHOL'S DISTRICT I'M FROM BROWN STREET THERE WAS A PIECE OF PROPERTY HELD BY MLH, THERE WAS A PRIVATE PIECE
OF PROPERTY AND THEN THERE WAS A PIECE OF PROPERTY HELD BY THE PPD ALL VACANT AND THAT COMMUNITY WE HAD A COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON THESE PIECES OF PROPERTY AND THERE WAS AN ESTABLISHED VISION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CREATION. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE SMALL PRIVATELY HELD VACANT PARCEL WAS THE OWNER WASN'T REALLY AN ACTIVE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY SO WE USED OUR 30 B EXEMPTION. WE HAD TO MAKE A JUSTIFICATION FOR ADDRESSING
BLIGHT BUT WE'D RATHER HAVE MADE IT DIRECTLY ON CREATING AN AFFORDABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ENTER INTO A INDEPENDENT NEGOTIATION WITH THAT PROPERTY PROPERTY OWNER AND ESTABLISH A FAIR ACQUISITION PRICE AND BUY THE PROPERTY FOR THEM FROM THEM WHICH THEN ONCE WE DID THAT WE THEN PUT THE LAND OUT FOR SALE AND NOW WE'VE AWARDED TO A DEVELOPER WHO'S GOING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING NOW THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER TO DO THAT UNDER ITS EXISTING CHARTER WE COULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY TO ASSEMBLE THAT LAND
FOR THAT USE. WE THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE. THE THE THE THE PUSHBACK I'M RECEIVING FROM RESIDENTS IN THERE ASKING ME TO ASK THAT THEY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT IS RESIDENTS ARE ASKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PROCESS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WHAT IS THERE IS THERE A VOICE FOR RESIDENTS? ARE THEY AT THE TABLE AND THEY REFERENCE THAT WHAT THE PLAN DOWNTOWN WHERE RESIDENTS FELT LIKE THERE WAS A MAJOR SIGNIFICANT BROUGHT IN AT
THE LAST HOUR BY THE BY THE BPA BY THE BOROUGH AND THAT'S WHY THEY ARE THEY'RE A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE RIGHT NOW ABOUT ABOUT SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS. SO WHAT DO I TELL THEM AS IT RELATES TO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT ALTHOUGH PLANNED DOWNTOWN AND THERE WAS A MAJOR CHANGE THAT WAS BROUGHT IN AT THE APA AT THE 11TH
HOUR HERE AFTER SIX SIX YEARS OF PLANNING AND THE BPA ADDED SOMETHING THAT REALLY TOOK EVERYBODY BY SURPRISE INCLUDING ME BECAUSE I WASN'T I WAS NOTIFIED BY OF IT. I READ ABOUT IT IN THE NEWSPAPER AND RESIDENTS HEARD ABOUT IT IN A ZOOM I WAS ON A BACK BAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING AT THE TIME SO THAT THAT DEVELOPMENT CAUGHT PEOPLE OFF OFF OFF GUARD BECAUSE MANY FELT
THAT THE BPA CAME IN AND JUST DECIDED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE BEST FOR THE RESIDENTS, BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY, BEST FOR PLANNING WITHOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE RESIDENTS WEREN'T ENGAGED. I WASN'T UNTIL THIS DAY I STILL HAVEN'T BEEN INFORMED OF THAT PLAN BY THE BOROUGH BPA TEAM SO I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS BECAUSE IF IT HAPPENED
ON A MAJOR PIECE OF MAJOR POLICY PLANNING RECENTLY PLANNED DOWNTOWN, WHAT AM I MISSING HERE THAT MIGHT HAVE AN IMPACT ON ON RESIDENTS THAT WE DON'T SEE? SO I NEED TO BE I NEED BE CERTAIN THAT MY CONSTITUENTS ARE FULLY ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY PROCESS AND I'M ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY PROCESS AND WHY
WASN'T I INVOLVED AND INFORMED ABOUT THE PLAN DOWNTOWN? YEAH. YEAH. THANK YOU COUNCILOR. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO WHAT YOU'RE RAISING BECAUSE I THINK IT'S KIND OF IT'S ULTIMATELY THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE. IT'S IT'S YEAH, IT'S TRUST. YES, EXACTLY EXACTLY RIGHT. IT'S TRUST AND RESPECT AND I NEED TO GO TO MY RESIDENTS AND TO SAY TO MY CONSTITUENTS, WELL, I'M SUPPORTING THIS URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT BECAUSE I TRUST THE BOROUGH. YEAH, THEY'RE GOING TO THEY'RE GOING TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S THAT AFFORDABLE
HOUSING IS PROTECTED BUT COUNCIL FLYNN LET ME ASK YOU DO YOU TRUST THEM? DO YOU RESPECT THEM AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLAN DOWNTOWN AND WHAT IS MY ANSWER TO THEM? YEAH, I DON'T LIKE IT AS SOON AS YOU GUYS KNOW I DON'T LIKE TO BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND I FELT I WAS DISRESPECTED BY BY THE BOROUGH TEAM AND IF I FEEL LIKE I'M BEING DISRESPECTED I ALSO FEEL THAT IT'S A DISRESPECT TO MY CONSTITUENTS. THAT'S WHY I'M PUSHING BACK ON THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
WELL, AND AT ANY POINT IN THE PROCESS, COUNCILOR, YOU FELT DISRESPECTED. I WOULD CERTAINLY WANT TO APOLOGIZE. IT'S OUR TEAM'S GOAL TO KEEP YOU AND EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL DEEPLY INFORMED AS WELL AS ALL OUR CONSTITUENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT THEY AND DEVIN, YOU HAD A RECENT MEETING HERE WITH WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THE COUPLE OF DAYS AGO I WASN'T INCLUDED I DON'T KNOW IF I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT MEETING BUT HAPPY TO MAKE SURE YEAH. YEAH BUT DEVIN I
WASN'T INCLUDED I WASN'T INVITED AND COUNCIL ARE HAPPY TO GET YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE OR INVITED TO ANY ANY MEETING THAT YOU WANT TO BE AT. WE RESPECT YOU IN YOUR POSITION SO I'M HAPPY TO TALK WITH JEFF AND YOUR STAFF AFTERWARDS ABOUT ANY MEETING THAT OCCURRED WITHOUT YOU BUT YOU'RE YOUR YOU AND EVERY OTHER COUNCILOR IS CERTAINLY ALWAYS WELCOME YOU KNOW BUT THERE WAS THERE A MEETING DEVIN AT CITY HALL WITH MY CONSTITUENTS AND I WASN'T INVITED I FOUND OUT FROM MY CONSTITUENTS
AND THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT I WASN'T INCLUDED THE BUT AGAIN THE ISSUE I THINK THE THEME YOU'RE BRINGING UP I WOULD JUST WANT TO ADDRESS WHICH IS TRUST AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS BOSTONIANS HISTORICALLY HAVE NOT TRUSTED THE VRA HAVE NOT TRUST THE EPA . THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH A RENEWAL AND DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE MANY, MANY YEARS AGO THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO FROM AND WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD EVERY DAY TO REPAIR THAT AND PART OF OUR MOVE TO BRINGING THE PLANNING
DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY GOVERNMENT PUTTING IT UNDER YOUR BUDGETARY AUTHORITY, GIVING MORE PROVIDING MORE ACCOUNTABILITY SO YOU CAN RAISE THE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE RAISING RIGHT NOW. COUNCILOR, IS EXACTLY THAT THE REASON WHY HAVE MOVED AWAY FROM THE QUASI GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND THAT'S THAT THAT IS WHY WE ARE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT NOW. TRUST IS BUILT OVERNIGHT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE ARE GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES. BUT I DEEPLY BELIEVE IN THE INTENT OF OUR
STAFF TO DO THE RIGHT PLAN AND PLAN DOWNTOWN BOSTON THAT MAJOR POLICY CHANGE IN MY OPINION YOU LOST RESPECT FROM THE COMMUNITY. YOU LOST TRUST FROM THE COMMUNITY AND NOW MY CONSTITUENTS ARE SAYING TO ME, COUNCILOR FLYNN, ARE YOU AS OUR COUNCIL? DO YOU TRUST THEM AFTER WHAT AFTER WHAT JUST HAPPENED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. DO YOU TRUST THEM? I HAVE TO GIVE THEM AN HONEST ANSWER. I DON'T GIVE PEOPLE ANY ANSWER THEY WANT TO HEAR. I'M NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT. I'LL TELL THEM
EXACTLY HOW I FEEL THIS THAT THEY'RE ASKING ME COUNCIL FOR AND DO TRUST THEM AND RESPECT THEM AFTER WHAT HAPPENED AND IN DEVIN WHAT'S MY ANSWER TO THEM? I THINK WHAT I WOULD I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO SAY THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE WE HAVEN'T PASSED ANY NEW ZONING YET. WE CAME OUT WITH NEW ZONING. WE HEARD CONCERNS AND CRITICISM TO IT THAT THAT IS THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND NOW WE'RE LISTENING AND ARE MAKING PLANS AND AND WE'RE ADAPTING IT ACCORDINGLY.
SO WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH OUR UPDATE BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD. BUT WE DIDN'T THAT WASN'T A DIDN'T DO THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD RECENTLY TO ANNOUNCE AND TO SHARE OUR NEW ZONING STRATEGY. WE'RE NOT DECISION MAKING. THEY WERE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS TO SHARE OUR POSITION . SO SORRY I JUST WANT TO STEP IN AND COUNCILOR THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RAISING THESE ISSUES AND AS THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE I WANT TO WANTED TO LET YOU HAVE THIS CONVERSATION
RIGHT RIGHT AND I, I, I ALSO WANT TO SUPPORT YOU IN ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED REGARDING. THANK YOU. PLAN DOWNTOWN AS YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF MY CONSTITUENTS AS WELL BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR FOLKS THAT ARE WATCHING OR THAT WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO SO I WANT TO ALLOW YOU TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. THIS IS OUR TIME WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT BUT ALSO JUST WANT TO GIVE OUR OUR COLLEAGUES A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT URBAN
RENEWAL. DO YOU DO YOU NEED MY SUPPORT IN ANY WAY OR HOW CAN I HELP? I WANTED TO CONTINUE ASKING MY QUESTIONS BUT I I'M DISAPPOINTED, MADAM CHAIR, THAT THE THE BOROUGH AND THE BPA MADE A MAJOR POLICY RECOMMENDATION WITHOUT MY INVOLVEMENT IN AND WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT AND RECOMMENDATION INCLUSION OF OF THE RESIDENTS. THERE WAS A MEETING HERE AT CITY HALL
THE OTHER DAY. I WASN'T INVITED TO MY MY CONSTITUENTS WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT I WASN'T AT THE MEETING AND I HAD TO TELL THEM I WASN'T I WASN'T INVITED. SO HERE'S MY OPPORTUNITY, MADAM CHAIR, TO ASK THE BPA DIRECTLY ABOUT DEVELOPMENT. THIS THIS IS ALL RELATED THIS IS ALL RELATED WHAT HAPPENS IN MY DISTRICT IN DISTRICT TWO I NEED TO BE ON TOP OF AND I NEED TO DO MY DUE DILIGENCE. I'M NOT HERE TO BE A RUBBER STAMP THAT'S THE JOB OF
OTHER COUNCILORS. THAT'S NOT MY JOB. I DON'T THINK IT'S MY MY JOB MY JOB IS TO IS TO FIGHT FIGHT LIKE FOR MY CONSTITUENTS AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. BUT IF I FEEL LIKE I'M BEING DISRESPECTED AND MY CONSTITUENTS ARE BEING DISRESPECTED, I NEED TO ADDRESS THAT AND ADDRESS THAT IMMEDIATELY. I HEAR YOU. COUNCILOR. WOULD YOU BE OKAY IF I IF I MOVE ON TO TO OUR NEXT COLLEAGUES JUST SO THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS JUST TO GATHER WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO SUPPORT
THIS? YES. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GO TO COUNCILOR WEBER AND THEN I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND RESOLUTION. THANK YOU, CHAIR. SO JUST IF IF SO IF WE GRANT THIS EXTENSION AND THEN THE HOME RULE PASSES I MEAN IT MAY BE COUNCILOR MURPHY. YES, THAT'S RIGHT. BUT IF THE HOME RULE PASSES IN SIX
MONTHS, WHAT'S THE EXTENSION IS JUST VOID OR MOOT. SO WE HAVE BUILT INTO THE HOME RULE PETITION A I BELIEVE WE LANDED ON A SIX MONTH MAXIMUM WINDOW FOR US TO WIND DOWN THE BRE AND THE EDC SET UP A NEW BANK ACCOUNTS FOR THE NEW ENTITY THAT ALL OF THEIR RIGHTS ASSETS POWERS WILL GO INTO AND JUST TO MAKE FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND AT THE POINT
AT WHICH WE DECLARE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE LEGISLATION URBAN RENEWAL PLANS WOULD END AND THE EXTENSION OF THE DAYS WOULD GO INTO EFFECT. SO THIS EXTENSION WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE MOOT AT THAT POINT IF IT HAPPENS PRIOR TO MARCH OF 2027. OKAY. OKAY. AND THEN I GUESS I THINK COUNCILOR FLYNN BROUGHT UP OPPOSITION TO IT AS I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY WOULDN'T PEOPLE WHO
OPPOSE THIS WOULD BE PEOPLE WHO ARE RESTRICTED BY THE OLD DAYS WHO I DON'T KNOW REUBEN, I SEE YOU JUMPING UP BUT IT WOULDN'T THERE BE SOMEBODY WHO'S LIKE OKAY I'M I CAN'T DEVELOP THIS PIECE OF LAND OR YOU KNOW THIS WOULD BE GREAT IF WE CAN GET RID OF THIS RESTRICTION AND THEN I CAN SELL IT OR DEVELOP IT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT IT. THE THE EXAMPLE THAT MAX GAVE ON THE CASE STUDY IN CHARLESTOWN OF THE THE THE PUBLIC GARDEN
THE PUBLIC COMMUNITY SPACE THAT IS BEING PROTECTED BY AN LDA THAT THE THE OWNER OF THAT WANTED TO DEVELOP IT AND THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER AND ASKED TO BEAT THE BOROUGH AT THAT TIME TOO OR THE DPD I THINK TO TO PROTECT THAT AND WE DID IF THE LDA WENT AWAY IF URBAN RENEWAL SUNSET AND THE IDEA WENT AWAY THEN THE COMMUNITY WOULDN'T HAVE THE POWER THE CITY WOULD NOT HAVE THE POWER TO REJECT THAT PARTICULAR APPLICATION. SO SURE IN THAT CASE THE OWNER OF THAT
PARTICULAR PLOT OF LAND MIGHT BE SOMEONE WHO WOULD NOT WHO WOULD BE HOPING THAT THIS EXTENSION WOULD NOT SUCCEED AND THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO HAVE THE POWER TO TO USE THAT LAND AS THEY WISH. BUT IT'S ALSO PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE GIVEN YOUR QUESTION THAT THERE IS A PROCESS BY WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL OWNER WITH A RESTRICTION CAN SEEK AN AMENDMENT TO THAT RESTRICTION AND THAT WOULD NEED TO GO BEFORE OUR BOARD AND WE OCCASIONALLY DO DO THOSE WHEN IT MAKES SENSE. BUT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS RATHER THAN ALL RESTRICTIONS ACROSS ALL THE BOSTON GOING WAY ALL AT
ONCE AND AFTER A COMMUNITY PROCESS EXACTLY OKAY AND I GUESS YOU KNOW, JUST URBAN RENEWAL IT'S YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IT HAS A BAD REPUTATION AND DESERVEDLY SO. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA FOR YOU KNOW, FOR FOR UNITS AND SPACES AND WHERE THIS IS YOU KNOW, THESE LOADS ARE IN PLACE YOU KNOW,
I THINK WE SEE THE ECHO OF THAT. YOU KNOW, I GUESS PART OF MY QUESTION IS WHEN I LOOK AT THIS AND I SEE OKAY, THERE ARE INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS IN DISTRICTS SEVEN THERE'S VIRTUALLY NONE IN DISTRICT SIX YOU KNOW IS IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE THE BAD OLD DAYS OF URBAN RENEWAL OR JUST CAN I DRAW A DIRECT LINE TO THAT OR NOT SO IN THE SECOND PAGE OF YOUR PACKET YOU CAN SEE A MAP OF
THE PLAN AREAS. SO AND THEN THAT SPEAKS TO WHERE THE BOROUGH OF THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES ARE TOOK MORE AGGRESSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE OR RENEWAL ACTIONS AND SO THAT'S WHY THERE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RESTRICTIONS IN THOSE AREAS. OKAY. AND SO I GUESS WHAT I GUESS WHAT HAS CHANGED YOU KNOW LIKE WITH YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THERE WAS SOMEBODY, YOU
KNOW, SITTING HERE IN THE 1960S OR ED LOGUE OR WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT HOW GREAT THIS POLICY IS AND YOU KNOW HOW CAN WE FEEL MORE REASSURED JUST THAT NOT ONLY TIME HAS PASSED BUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY CHANGED? YEAH, EXACTLY. I MEAN AT THE END OF THE DAY WE'RE SEEKING TO TERMINATE THE URBAN RENEWAL POWER NOW URBAN RENEWAL JUSTIFICATIONS FOR USING THESE POWERS. THAT'S WHAT THE HOME
RULE PETITION DOES AND WHAT WE WANT TO KEEP IS THE RESTRICTIONS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTED TO USE OPEN SPACE AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE WE WANT TO TAKE YOU BE ABLE TO USE THESE TOOLS 30 BE EXEMPTIONS AND TAX TOOLS TAX EXEMPT TOOLS FOR REASONS THAT MIGHT BENEFIT BOSTON'S FUTURE. SO THAT'S WHAT OUR HOME RULE PETITION WOULD HELP US DO. WE'D HAVE TO PROVE AN ACCESS TO AFFORDABILITY TO A GOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN ORDER
TO USE THESE TOOLS AND THAT IN THE IN THE 1960S AND FIFTIES I'M SURE THERE WERE PEOPLE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL YOU CAN READ ABOUT IN ANGLO'S BIOGRAPHY ARGUING FOR WHY THAT THE CITY NEEDED MASSIVE ECONOMIC INFUSION TO ADDRESS BLIGHT AS THE CORE ISSUE OF ITS DAY AND BACK OF LACK OF ECONOMIC INVESTMENT. AND ISN'T THE PROBLEM THAT BOSTON HAS TODAY AND WE'RE NOT WE DON'T TODAY'S PROBLEMS ARE MORE CENTERED ON ART AND OUR NEW JUSTIFICATION AFFORDABILITY, EQUITY
RESILIENCE THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO BE DRIVING AND WE WANT TO BE LIMITED SO THAT ARE WE WE'D HAVE TO PROVE A NEXUS TO THOSE GOALS IN ORDER TO USE ANY OF THESE TOOLS BUT I DON'T SEE US USING THEM ON A IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE IN THE FUTURE. YOU SEE US USING THE EXAMPLE I GAVE ON FIRM BARROW STREET OR THE EXAMPLE I GAVE ON YOU KNOW ,FOR A FUTURE ACTION ALONG THE WATERFRONT TO HELP US NEGOTIATE FOR A CLIMATE RESILIENT BERM AND OPEN SPACE THAT'S HOW WE WANT TO USE THESE TOOLS. THAT'S WHAT
OUR HOME RULE PETITION ADVANCES AND BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT'S NOT THAT THE MATTER BEFORE YOU LET'S SIMPLY PUT THE MATTER BEFORE YOU JUST US GIVING US TWO MORE YEARS TO GET THAT LAW PASSED AND I GUESS MAYBE MAYBE SOME OF YOU'VE ANSWERED SOME OF THIS ALREADY BUT YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE AVOID A SITUATION WHERE 60 YEARS FROM NOW YOU KNOW, THE AIR THAT'S RUNNING THE CITY OR WHATEVER THE COUNCILORS EXACTLY ARE NOT HAVING THE SAME DISCUSSION WHERE THEY'RE LIKE OKAY, WELL YOU KNOW, DESPITE SOME GOOD INTENTIONS IN 2025,
YOU KNOW, WE NOW REALIZE WHAT YOU KNOW IS OUR MISTAKE, RIGHT? SO BUT I AGREE THAT THAT WAS THE REASON FOR US ADVANCING THOSE REASONS THAT WE PUT FORWARD USING THE TOOLS IN THE FUTURE. THERE ARE THOSE WHO MIGHT ARGUE THAT WE DON'T NEED THESE TOOLS AND I WOULD OUR OUR POSITION IS THAT WE DO THERE ARE THERE ARE IF WE IF THIS IF WE WERE BOUND BY ONLY THE REAL ESTATE TOOLS
THAT THE CITY HAS, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT PROJECT ON FROM ROTARY THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT WE'RE ABLE TO ASSEMBLE PRIVATE LAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THERE. THERE IS GOING TO BE THE NEED TO NEGOTIATE WITH PRIVATE OWNERS OF PROPERTY TO ACQUIRE MORE SPACE FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE WHETHER THAT'S I'M ON THE COAST FOR SEA LEVEL RISE OR FOR HEAT THAT HEAT ISLAND AFFECTS THE CITY IS VERY LIMITED IN ITS ABILITY TO ACQUIRE
INTEREST IN PROPERTY AND AND YOU KNOW TO BE THE WAY THAT CITY HAS TO DO IT IS TO GO THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS TO SAY THAT WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN PURCHASING PROPERTY AND WE'LL SEE RESPONDENTS THAT'S NOT HOW THE MARKET WORKS IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MARKET IN ORDER TO THE REAL ESTATE MARKET ,IN ORDER TO GET LAND OFF THE SPECULATIVE MARKET FOR HOUSING OR TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC CATALYST SMALL BUSINESS SPACE OR TO BUILD PRIVATE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ACT LIKE THE PRIVATE MARKET AND
THAT'S WHAT THESE THE TOOLS THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN URBAN RENEWAL ALLOW US TO DO. BUT THE JUSTIFICATION OPTIONS AND THE SCALE OF IT IS ALL OFF WITH AN ESCORT SEEKING TO CHANGE THAT SO THAT IT IS VERY CLEAR HOW WE WOULD USE IT IN THE FUTURE. SO THEN WHEN WE'RE HAVING THE ENTRIES OR HAVING THAT COUNCIL HEARING IN 2060 THEY WILL WE'RE MORE CONFIDENT THAT THEY WERE USED FOR VERY TARGETING PURPOSES. OKAY. AND JUST ONE LAST QUESTION. SO IF IF THE
HOME RULE PETITION PASSES AND THE THESE LORDS WILL JUST CONTINUE TO THEIR TO THE POINT OF WHICH THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO EXPIRE OR WHAT'S THE LEGAL IMPACT? AND THE CONCERN IS THAT MANY ELDERS SAY THAT THEY EXPIRE WHEN THE THE PLAN AREA TERM ENDS ALL THE PLANNING AREA TERMS THEY END IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. SO ALL THOSE ELDERS THAT HAVE A YEAR OR A RESTRICTION THAT REFERENCES THE END OF THE PLAN AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS BY EXTENDING THOSE
PLANNED TERMINATION DATES BY TWO YEARS WE COULD HAVE ASKED YOU FOR A TEN YEAR EXTENSION OR A 20 YEAR EXTENSION BUT WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THAT BECAUSE WE WANT TO MOVE TO A NEW REGIME THROUGH THE HOME RULE PETITION PROCESS AND A NEW NEW LEGISLATIVE STRUCTURE. SO WE'RE ASKING FOR A REALLY LIMITED TERM OF EXTENSION TO GIVE US THE TIME TO. BUT I'D BE CAREFUL USING THE TERM REGIME. YEAH, WELL NO. SO I'M JUST SO AN OPEN SPACE RESTRICTION RIGHT NOW. LET'S SEE HOW IT GOES. IT WOULD GO TO
2027 BUT THEN ONCE THE HOME RULE PASSES WOULD IT JUST WOULD IT? AND SO THE FORMAL PETITION CONTAINS LANGUAGE THAT BASICALLY SAYS NOTWITHSTANDING THE TERMINATION OF THE URBAN RENEWAL PLANS, THE ELDERS WILL CONTINUE IN EFFECT UNTIL I BELIEVE WE LANDED ON A DATE IN 2060. I APOLOGIZE. SO WE'VE GOT ADDITIONAL YEARS TO TO DEAL WITH AND PLAN FOR THOSE EXPIRATIONS. OKAY. OKAY. THANKS. THANK YOU. CHAIR THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILOR WEBER I HAD SO MANY THINGS I WANTED TO JUMP IN ON THE THANK
YOU FOR YOUR GREAT QUESTIONS AND NOW WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL PRESIDENT RESOLUTION LOUIJEUNE THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR FOR BEING HERE. WHAT IS WHAT ALLOWS THE CITY TO ENTER INTO A LEGAL AUTHORITY THAT ALLOWS THE CITY TO ENTER INTO THESE LDS DETRIMENTAL TOOLS THEMSELVES. YET WE OWNED THE LAND IN THE FIRST INSTANCE THAT SO IT'S A CONDITION OF THE DISPOSITION WAS WE PUT A COVENANT
IN PLACE ALONG WITH IT AND OF THE ELDERS OR ANY OF THEM STILL CITY OWNED PARCELS. NO NO WHEN IF WE RETAIN OWNERSHIP OF IT WELL I'M SORRY THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT EXACTLY TRUE. PROBABLY THERE ARE MAYBE A DESIRE TO SEE. I WAS THINKING ABOUT PRIVATE OWNED PARCELS THERE. I HAD A QUINCY SCHOOL I BELIEVE HAS AN LDA IN PLACE ON THAT PARCEL THERE ARE GRASSY ON THE RIGHT SO THE LIKE THE LAND HAS TO BE CONVEYED FROM US FOR IT TO HAVE AN LDA THAT'S THE DISPOSITION
PART OF THE LAND DISPOSITION AGREEMENT SO THERE IS STILL YOU KNOW LIKE A NOT INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LAND THAT'S OWNED BY THE THE BOROUGH I GUESS IN EACH LDA AS A RESULT OF THE CONVENIENCE OF AS A RESULT OF THE DISPOSAL THERE. THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. MAINTENANCE LIKE WHAT PERCENT IS THE PERCENTAGE IS IT. I CAN'T SAY THAT OFFHAND BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW OFFHAND HOW MUCH LAND WE STILL OWN OUR CURRENT MODEL FOR DISPOSITION IS GENERALLY NO
GROUND LEASES INSTEAD OF JUST FEE TRANSFER. SO ALL THAT AND SO THERE'S NO THERE'S NO NEED FOR AN LDA AND A GROUND LEASE BECAUSE THE GROUND THIS PROVIDES THE PROJECTIONS THEN WHEN WE SELL A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND TRANSFER THE FEE THAT'S WHEN WE PLACE AN LDA ON IT. SO I DON'T KNOW I COULDN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PIECES OF PROPERTY WERE SOLD AND DIDN'T HAVE AN LDA ASSOCIATED WITH THEM BUT THE INVENTORY OF OBJECTS THAT MAX SHARED IS THE UNIVERSE OF PROPERTY THAT
WAS SOLD BY THE LIBRARY OR ABC AND CARRIES A DISPOSITION AGREEMENT SO NO LONGER OWN THOSE AND THESE ARE THE ONES THE ONES THAT ARE BEFORE US OUR LAND AND PARCELS THAT ARE NO LONGER OWNED BY THE CITY. EXACTLY. BUT THERE'S LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHICH IS THIS AGREEMENT AND THAT COMES HAS THESE COVENANTS THAT COME WITH IT THAT EXPIRE EXACTLY IS THERE ANY LIKE DO THE ELDERS HAVE ANY CLAWBACK AND ABILITY FOR OR IS IT BECAUSE SHOULD WE THINK OF THEM AS LIKE LAND TRANSFERS LIKE WITH LIKE THE DEED AND ALL OF THAT? CORRECT. CORRECT. I BELIEVE
WE COULD ENFORCE TO SEEK SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE. WE CAN TRY TO BLOCK THEM FROM CHANGING THE USE BUT THERE'S NO CLAWBACK. OKAY. AND LIKE THE SUPERMAJORITY IT LOOKS LIKE OF ELDERS ARE FOR INCOME RESTRICTED INCOME RESTRICTED LIKE SENIOR PREFERENCE THINGS ABOUT YOUR APOLOGIES I WAS A BIT LATE BUT THAT'S WHAT I GATHER IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE EAST BOSTON PREDOMINANTLY AND MY GOOD FELLOW AND A GOOD COLLEAGUE HERE FROM
DISTRICT SIX ASKED ABOUT YOU KNOW, ITS RELATIONSHIP TO LIKE INITIALLY URBAN RENEWAL. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT EAST BOSTON WE'RE TALKING ABOUT URBAN RENEWAL WHICH FOR MANY COMMUNITIES BAD THING RIGHT JAMES BALDWIN COINED IT REMOVAL FOR A LOT OF WHAT URBAN RENEWAL DID ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BUT EAST BOSTON AS I UNDERSTAND WASN'T A PLACE IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES THAT WAS THE TARGET OF A LOT OF THE URBAN RENEWAL THAT WE SEE THAT WE SAW IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. RIGHT WAS ON THE WEST END. WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT THIS PLACE OUT THERE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ROXBURY. SO PRESENTLY WE JUST WANT TO ADDRESS ONE THING YOU JUST SAID SO EAST BOSTON WAS THE LOCATION OF AN URBAN RENEWAL AREA. THAT LOCATION AS EXPIRED. SO THERE ARE LIKE LIKE THAT IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE LIKE THAT PLAN WENT AWAY BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME ELDERS THAT YOU KNOW ARE IN EFFECT AND EXIST IN THAT AREA JUST BECAUSE LIKE AS WE SAID, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE ELDERS ARE TIED TO THE PLANS LEAVES ON SETTING OF THE PLANS BUT NOT ALL OF THEM ARE SO LIKE THAT
IS AN AREA THAT EAST BOSTON JUST BECAUSE YOU INVOKED IT DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A PLAN. OH AND I ALSO APOLOGIZE I JUST ASSUMED BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WHEN I LOOK AT TOTAL OF THE EXPIRATIONS BY YEAR IN DISTRICT AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE FOR HOUSING IN THE A LOOK AT THE SLIDE THE MAJORITY ARE IN DISTRICT ONE CHARLESTON CHARLES ,I'M SORRY. OKAY. OKAY. I APOLOGIZE AND CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE LDA IS LOOK LIKE FOR SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING? WHAT ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT IN CHARLESTOWN? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN DISTRICTS 1 TO 7. BUT YEAH, SO JUST STARTING IN CHARLESTOWN SAID I WAS THINKING OF PROPERTY THAT THE BRE ONCE HELD THE THEN WENT THROUGH A DISPOSITION PROCESS FOR THE PURPOSES OF BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING THEY WERE A VERY LARGE EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THEN THE SCHWALM AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HOW MANY UNITS ARE THERE BUT 337 LOOKING BACKS IS GOOD AT THIS MAX VERY GOOD
AT THIS. I'VE SO THAT THAT MAYBE JUST A PRETTY PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A USE THAT WE WANT TO RETAIN RESTRICTIONS THAT WE WANT TO RETAIN HOUSING A LOT OF FAMILIES IN BOSTON VERY EFFECTIVELY AND WHILE THERE MAY BE OTHER MORTGAGES OR OTHER FINANCIAL TOOLS THAT HELP US PROTECT THOSE UNITS AS WELL, THEY'LL WHICH GIVES US AN ADDITIONAL PROTECTION. AND I JUST WANT TO STEP IN A LITTLE BIT AND JUST MENTION LIKE THE
BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IS OBVIOUSLY THE ONE OF THE BIGGEST LANDOWNERS IN CHARLESTOWN AND THE I JUST ALSO WANT TO SHOUT OUT MAYOR FLYNN WHO I THINK ESSENTIALLY THE HISTORY OF THE CHARLESTOWN I JUST READ THE CHAPTER ABOUT CHARLESTOWN AND THE AD LOVE BIOGRAPHY BUT ESSENTIALLY IT WAS PERFECT IN THE SENSE THAT IT CREATED AN ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND IT IS
WHY CHARLESTOWN IS SO ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE. BUT ONE FAILURE OF URBAN RENEWAL TO START WAS THE LACK OF DIVERSITY AND MAYOR FLYNN ACTUALLY INTEGRATED THE VHA TO SORT OF CORRECT FOR THAT LACK OF DIVERSITY WITHIN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND AND JUST INTEGRATION IN GENERAL. SO THAT IS WHY CHARLESTOWN IS A DIVERSE COMMUNITY. SO I THINK THAT'S THE THING IT'S URBAN RENEWAL WASN'T GOOD TO
START BUT IT CREATED ECONOMIC DIVERSITY AND WHEN A LOT OF THESE AREAS WERE CLEARED SORRY I JUST READ SO MUCH ABOUT THIS BUT WHEN THIS AREA WHEN AREAS WERE CLEARED THE MAJORITY WERE LOW INCOME IMMIGRANTS FROM EUROPE AND FROM ITALY AND FOR THE IRISH. SO IT THOUGH NATIONALLY WE HAVE SUCH A HISTORY OF OF BASICALLY OUR DIVERSITY AT THAT TIME IN BOSTON WAS
THE IRISH AND THE IMMIGRANTS AND THE ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS AND SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE DID WAS BAD AND WHAT THERE WERE BAD PARTS ABOUT THIS . BUT THE IDEA THAT OUR HISTORY IS NOT THE NATIONAL HISTORY AND I THINK PARTS OF OUR HISTORY ARE THE NATIONAL HISTORY FOR CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS I MEAN I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT. I DO THINK THERE ARE PARTS OF OUR HISTORY WHEN IT COMES TO URBAN RENEWAL BECAUSE OF SOUTH BEND AND ROXBURY THAT ARE PART OF THE OVERALL LIFE STORY AND DEPENDING ON WHO YOU
ASK. RIGHT, RIGHT. YEAH. AT THE TIME ROXBURY WAS MAJORITY WHITE AT THE TIME AND SO OUR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS THAT IT YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME INTERESTING STUFF AND I THINK WE ARE PART OF THE HISTORY BECAUSE OUR IMMIGRANT BACKGROUND IS OUR IMMIGRANT BACKGROUND IS THE HISTORY OF BOSTON AND OUR YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AT THE TIME THERE WAS JUST A VERY DIFFERENT YOU KNOW, SO IT JUST
IT'S IT'S JUST VERY INTERESTING THE MORE YOU READ URBAN IT ALL IS NOT PERFECT. IT DID NOT CREATE FOR DIVERSITY BUT IT CREATED FOR ECONOMIC DIVERSITY WHICH WE ARE STILL BENEFITING FROM TODAY AND MAYBE BRING US BACK TO THE IN THE MOTION PASS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR THAT WE ARE BY NO MEANS DEFENDING THE VIEIRA'S ACTIONS TO DISPLACE THOUSANDS FROM THEIR HOMES IN THE PAST AND ALL OF YOU AGREE WITH THAT THAT EVICTION OF FAMILIES AND BUSINESS OWNERS AND PARTICULARLY PEOPLE
OF COLOR AND IMMIGRANTS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND WE'RE STILL DOING OUR BEST TO REPAIR THAT HISTORY. I THAT SAID THERE THAT FROM THAT ERA THERE ARE RESULTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AGREEMENTS, OPEN SPACE AGREEMENTS AND COMMUNITY USE AGREEMENTS THAT TO SERVE BOSTONIANS TODAY IN A IN A HELPFUL AND PROGRESSIVE WAY WE WANT TO CONTINUE THOSE THE WAY WE GOT THERE MAYBE NOT SO GOOD BUT BUT WHAT WE HAVE TODAY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE AND SO MY QUESTION WAS ACTUALLY WITH
THE LIKE SO THESE DAYS WE EXTEND THEM WHAT HAPPENS AND I THINK THE HOME RULE PETITION PASSES HOW DO HOW DOES THE INCOME PROJECTIONS AND THE OTHER PROTECTION AND THE OTHER BENEFITS THAT COME OUT OF THE THESE ELDERS HOW DO THEY CONTINUE THEIR EXTENDED UNTIL 2060? OKAY. RIGHT. IS THERE AND IS THE LDA THE ONLY MECHANISM THROUGH WHICH TO MAKE IT PERMANENT THAT SO THAT'S A THAT GETS
TO A LIKE CASE BY CASE YOU CAN SEE IF SOMEONE WANTS TO JUMP IN HERE BUT THERE'S A YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT PARTICULAR LDA PARTICULAR PROPERTY TO SEE WHAT OTHER PROTECTIONS MIGHT BE ON THE SITE SO THERE MIGHT BE SOME OPEN SPACE PROPERTY OUT THERE THAT'S PRIVATELY OWNED THAT HAS AN LDA ON IT THAT RESTRICTS IT FOR OPEN SPACE THAT MAY BE ZONED FOR OPEN SPACE GREAT. IF THAT LDA WENT AWAY TOMORROW WE'D HAVE NO ISSUE BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY PLENTY OF BUILDINGS THAT HAVE AN OPEN SPACE RESTRICTION HELD BY
A PRIVATE OWNER THAT ARE IN A MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DISTRICT AND OR ARE IN A COMMERCIAL ZONE OR WHATEVER AND THAT WOULD ALLOW AS OF RIGHT FOR FOR THE OWNER TO BUILD THAT WHATEVER WHATEVER IS ALLOWED UNDER ZONING AND MAYBE IN THE FUTURE MAYBE WE MAY WANT THAT IS A PROCESS BY WHICH WE COULD EARLIER THROUGH A COMMITTEE PROCESS DISCUSS WHETHER WE WANT TO LIFT THAT LDA FOR A DIFFERENT USE BUT WE'D RATHER THAT BE DONE SURGICALLY AND THROUGH A COMMITTEE
PROCESS RATHER THAN EVAPORATE IN MARCH. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MR TRIP MANAGER. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. AND I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THE MOMENT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE AS I KNOW I THINK WE'RE TALKING MOSTLY ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT I THINK ONE POINT THAT WAS MADE THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE AMOUNT OF TRAVEL BUBBLE OPEN SPACE THAT
WITHOUT A RESTRICTION COULD BE DEVELOPED THAT BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, I THINK OUR TREES AND OUR PARK SPACE ARE THE LUNGS OF OUR SOCIETY AND OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND IT'S WHY THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND IT'S INTERESTING JUST I THINK COULD YOU SORT OF CHARACTERIZE WHAT 350,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE LIKE YOU KNOW,
LIKE I JUST THINK IT'S KIND OF HARD TO IMAGINE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THAT IS THAT THAT'S SORT OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF JUST THE LAND. BUT OBVIOUSLY THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD TAKE PLACE WITHOUT WITHOUT THESE RESTRICTIONS MILLIONS OF SQUARE FEET OF NEW DEVELOPMENT WHICH IN SOME AGAIN IN SOME CONTEXT MAYBE THAT MIGHT BE OKAY WHO WOULD WANT TO TALK ABOUT ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND LIFT THAT RESTRICTIONS SURGICALLY RATHER
THAN HAVE TO HAVE IT AND JUST DISAPPEAR WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL PROCESS? AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE PUBLICLY OWNED OPEN SPACE THAT ALSO INCLUDES OPEN SURFACE PARKING LOTS THERE ARE SOME SORRY IN PUBLICLY OWNED OPEN SPACES SORT OF IS DIFFERENT BUT PUBLICLY OWNED OPEN SPACE. IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, 880 SQUARE FEET IS ONE IS THAT INCLUDING SOME OF THE OPEN SPACE OPEN SURFACE PARKING LOTS THAT THAT THAT THE
VRA OWNS? SO MADAM CHAIR, I'M NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THAT CLARIFICATION. I JUST LOVE TALKING ABOUT OPEN SURFACE PARKING LOTS. I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING HAVING HAVING SORT OF BEEN AT THE HELM OF THIS SORT OF PROJECT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE OPEN SPACE THAT WE'RE FLAGGING LIKE IS MOSTLY PARKS COMMUNITY GARDENS ,SIDE YARDS. I WOULD WANT TO CONFIRM FOR CERTAIN THAT THERE'S NO OVERLAP WITH SURFACE PARKING LOTS BUT
YOU KNOW I WOULD SAY PRETTY CONFIDENTLY THAT THAT NUMBER WE'RE FLAGGING IS MOSTLY LIKE GREEN OPEN SPACE AND I THINK AS WE'RE AND THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION IS BECAUSE WE OFTENTIMES HAVE NOT THOUGHT OF A LOT OF OTHER CITIES ARE DOING DISTRICT PARKING SO THEY'RE BUILDING LIKE ONE PARKING LOT FOR AN ENTIRE AREA AND OBVIOUSLY THE CITY OWNS A LOT OF OPEN SURFACE PARKING LOTS. WE FOUND OUT IN THE TRANSITION JUST HOW MANY AND
I CAN'T SAY IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BUT THE IDEA THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY CREATE A YOU KNOW I THINK US KNOWING THE AVAILABILITY OF PUBLICLY OWNED OPEN SPACE AND HOW MUCH OF THAT IS A PARKING LOT VERSUS ACTUAL GREEN SPACE WOULD JUST BE AN INTERESTING THING FOR US TO KNOW. SO I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU AND YOU KNOW AND I THINK YOU'RE REFERENCING THAT THE LAND AUDIT OF A MAYOR ASKED
US TO DO AROUND PUBLIC LAND AND WHERE WE CAN WE HAVE WE OWN LAND THAT COULD BE REPURPOSED FOR HOUSING OR FOR BETTER HIRING BETTER USES. IT'S REALLY EXCITING WORK. WE'VE BEEN ENHANCING AND INCLUSIVE OF WATER AND SEWER LOTS THAT COUNCILOR FLYNN WAS SPEAKING TO. THAT'S THAT IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE THOUGH IS THAT'S THAT'S LAND THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT TODAY WE'RE WE'RE FOCUSED TODAY ON LAND DISPOSITION AGREEMENTS THAT ARE PRIVATE OWNED AND I THINK I'M LEARNING THAT THROUGH ACCESS RESEARCH HERE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES
WHERE WE'VE DISPOSED OF LAND FROM THE VRA TO ANOTHER PUBLIC OWNERSHIP BUT THOSE ARE VERY RARE. THAT'S A VERY SMALL PIECE OF THE OVERALL SET OF TRANSACTIONS HERE. IF WE DID THAT AT THE DISPOSITION AGREEMENT IT ISN'T REALLY THAT RELEVANT BECAUSE IT'S STILL IN THE HANDS OF A PUBLIC OWNER. SO THAT'S AN INTERESTING SIDE TOPIC FROM THE FOCUS OF TODAY'S CONVERSATION WHICH IS REALLY THE MILLIONS OF SQUARE FEET THAT ARE HELD BY PRIVATE OWNERS WHERE WE WANT TO
ENFORCE CAN YOU ENFORCE RESTRICTIONS? YES. I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE I DO THINK WHEN WE'RE HAVING ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT IS THE BEST USE OF OF ANYTHING IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT THE CITY HAS, IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR US TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND AND ALSO JUST THE IDEA THAT LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED OPEN SPACE BUT IT REALLY IS JUST A PARKING LOT BEING ABLE TO
JUST WEIGH SORT OF LIKE YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU KNOW IT'S IT'S MY OWN PERSONAL PROJECT SO SO THANK YOU AND I THINK I DO WANT TO JUST IN A MOMENT WE'RE IN IN OUR NATION HIGHLIGHT THAT SOME OF THE HARMS OF URBAN RENEWAL WERE FEDERALLY INCENTIVIZED AND THAT THE DECIDER OF THE DEMOLITION OF
THE WEST END WAS THE VHA, THE VA AND THE EDC AND VRA DID NOT EXIST AT THAT POINT AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SPEAK INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE INTO THESE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS PERPLEXING. WHEN I MOVED TO BOSTON MY IMPRESSION OF WHAT TOOK PLACE TO GET US TO THIS POINT IS SO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I AM READING AND THE
BENEFITS OF SOME OF THE I MEAN I THINK ABOUT THE ABILITY TO FOR THE CITY TO ACTUALLY DO A TAKING FOR THE PUBLIC TO DO TRANSFORMATIVE THINGS, TO BUILD PARKS, TO CREATE OPEN SPACE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES IS A POWER THAT I DO NOT WANT THE CITY TO RELINQUISH AND I THINK THAT IN THE MAYOR'S PROPOSAL WHICH I DID
NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON, WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE PRIORITIZE THE TOOLS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN USED IN DIFFERENT WAYS FOR GOOD AND HOW WE KEEP THE GOOD AND GET RID OF THE BAD. AND I KNOW THAT JUST SOUNDS SIMPLE BUT I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT AND SO I WANT TO GIVE A CHANCE FOR ANY OF
MY COLLEAGUES TO ASK ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. I DO ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE BECAUSE IT HAS NOT BEEN SAID THAT THE LAST TIME THIS WAS VOTED ON THE VOTE WAS UNANIMOUS AND THE CITY COUNCIL REALLY AT THAT TIME I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL NOW AT THE TIME THE CITY COUNCIL THOUGHT IT WAS COMPELLING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MY COLLEAGUES TODAY. SO I AM PLANNING GIVEN THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD TO MOVE THIS FORWARD AT
OUR NEXT MEETING AND I DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND OR HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS I WANT TO ASK THEM TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE. I KNOW OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ARE DOING SOMETHING ELSE AND THEY HAVE TO WATCH US AFTERWARDS SO I'M ENCOURAGING ANY COLLEAGUES WITH ANY PRESSING QUESTIONS TO GET THOSE TO ME AND WE WILL TRY TO GET YOU AN ANSWER BEFORE THE VOTE ON WEDNESDAY AND I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME FOLKS WAITING TO TESTIFY SO I WANT TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY
TO TESTIFY. BUT IF YOU CAN PUT YOUR LIGHT ON IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. COUNCILOR FLYNN YEAH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND BEFORE I ASK THE ADMINISTRATION A QUESTION AND I I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION, MADAM CHAIR. I KNOW YOU MENTIONED YOU WANT TO HAVE THIS FOR A HEARING I MEAN FOR A VOTE TOMORROW. I'M SORRY. AND AGAIN I AM VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS. HOWEVER, I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR FROM RESIDENTS BEFORE WE SCHEDULE A
VOTE. I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT RESIDENTS TO THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT AND THEN OH, BY THE WAY ,IMPACT OF COMMUNITY NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO VOTE. WE NEED TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THEIR OPINION AS WELL. I WOULDN'T WANT TO RUSH THIS FOR TOMORROW. I WANT MAKE SURE MY CONSTITUENTS AND RESIDENTS THE CITY ARE
HEARD AND RESPECTED IN THIS PROCESS. I THINK THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE DISCUSSION IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE COMMUNITY PROCESS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF THE THE PAST HISTORY OF THE OF THE BOROUGH. SO I MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO WAIT A WEEK AND GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THIS BODY SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT. WE CAN WE CAN LISTEN WE CAN TALK TO THEM AND READ
THEIR PROPOSAL. THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCILOR FLYNN. THE REASON AND I'LL JUST GIVE MY REASONING FOR FOR WHY I WANT THIS TO BE VOTED ON IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE AND DEVIN IF YOU COULD CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG IT IS GOING TO GO TO THE BOARD OR I GUESS MAX, IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION I CAN ANSWER MY REASONING IS OKAY, I GUESS I'LL JUST BE COMPLETELY FRANK I DID NOT WANT
THIS TO GO TO THE VERY BPA EDC FOR WIDTH SORRY I SEE AS DIFFERENT BUT I DIDN'T WANT IT TO GO TO THE BPA BOARD WITHOUT THE CITY COUNCIL HAVING APPROVED IT AND THE TIMING IS SUCH THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO VOTE ON IT IN ORDER FOR US TO VOTE ON IT BEFORE GOING TO THE BOARD COUNCILOR OH SORRY. CAN I JUMP IN? YES I WE WE WOULD HOPE TO TAKE THIS ACTION TO OUR MAR BOARD MEETING NOT OUR BOARD MEETING THIS WEEK SO OKAY SO WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING WEEK. YEAH AND WE DO HAVE
A MEETING THE WEEK AFTER THAT BUT I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE DO HAVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE THAT ARE TESTIFYING TODAY. I HAVE GOTTEN EMAILS TO OUR COMMITTEE EMAIL ABOUT THIS ISSUE SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY IN THE SENSE THAT WE ARE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING SO I GUESS I'LL TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT AND COUNCILOR AND I WILL GET BACK TO YOU NOW I RESPECT THAT BUT MUCH OF THIS IS HAPPENING IN MY DISTRICT, MADAM
CHAIR AND I JUST CAN'T SIT BACK AND AND NOT ADVOCATE FOR MY CONSTITUENTS. I THINK THEIR VOICES HAVE TO BE HEARD IN THIS DISCUSSION AND WHEN I HEAR THAT IT'S GOING TO BE TAKEN UNDER ADVISEMENT, THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO GO FOR A VOTE IMMEDIATELY AND THAT THE VOICES OF RESIDENTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE FACTORED IN THAT'S THAT'S HOW IT USUALLY GOES. MADAM CHAIR. I DON'T I DON'T WANT IT TO BE CHARACTERIZED THAT WAY JUST BECAUSE I'M SERIOUSLY TAKING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING UNDER ADVISEMENT AND I'M
GOING TO THINK ABOUT IT BUT I ABSOLUTELY RESPECT YOUR OPINION. I HAVE HEARD FROM MY CONSTITUENTS ONE OF MY ONE OF THE PLANNED AREAS IS IN MY DISTRICT. I HAVE HEARD FROM MY CONSTITUENTS. I DO THINK THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE MOST ARE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE COVENANTS ARE PROTECTED SO THAT THAT THOSE ARE THE VOICES THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE HERE. AND I KNOW YOU'VE SUCCESSFULLY DONE THAT AS
WELL TODAY. THANK CHAIR SO MY MY QUESTION TO THE TO DEVIN DEVIN CAN YOU TELL ME I JUST WANT TO LOOK AT THIS A LITTLE CLOSER THE IMPACT THIS WILL HAVE IN CHINATOWN. MM TELL ME ABOUT THAT. GIVE ME GIVE ME A GENERAL OVERVIEW. YEAH I THINK MAXIM PROBABLY PULL UP ONE FOR YOU THE NUMBER OF
ELDERS IN CHINATOWN BUT WE WE HAVE SEVERAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDINGS THAT WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY CREATED IN AND IN CHINATOWN. WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE ADVANCING THAT WILL USE OUR RENEWAL TOOLS INCLUDING THE R-1 AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WHICH THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY FOR THAT PROJECT THAT INCLUDES AS YOU KNOW, A LIBRARY ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ABOVE AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ASIAN CDC. THESE ARE THE TYPES OF USES AND PROJECTS WE
WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE IN THE FUTURE TO SEPARATE PROPERTY GEOGRAPHY. YOU TEND TO LOOK AT WHAT THIS URBAN RENEWAL DEBATE HAVE ANY ANY IMPACT ON THE CONTROVERSIAL CHINATOWN HOTEL PROJECT? NO, I CAN'T THINK OF A NEXUS. YOU KNOW THE PRODUCTS I'M FAMILIAR TO ABSOLUTELY. OKAY HERE. OKAY. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I CAN CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE ISN'T A PREVIOUS LDA ON THAT PROPERTY JUST TO CONFIRM BUT I DON'T THINK THERE IS. OKAY. I WANT TO AGAIN THE COMMUNITY
PROCESS HAS TO BE HAS TO BE RESPECTED. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY ON MY ON BEHALF OF MY CONSTITUENTS TELL ME OKAY TELL ME ABOUT THE SOUTH STATION URBAN URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT TOP OF MY HEAD. I DON'T KNOW THE PRECISE HISTORY OF HOW THE URBAN RULES TOOLS WERE
DEPLOYED TO ACQUIRE LAND FOR SOUTH STATION AND I WOULD PROBABLY GUESS THAT IT'S FOR TRACK EXPANSION AND ABUTTING PROPERTY USES METHOD YEAH YEAH. ANYTHING MORE PLEASE JUMP IN AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON THE LAND THE DISTRICT AND IN IN THE CHINATOWN COMMUNITY. SO I GUESS I'M GOING GO ON IT AND CONTRIBUTE BUT I THINK WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO POINT YOU TO BUT ALSO TO EVERY CONSTITUENT OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING
THAT THIS COUNCIL ADVOCATED FOR IS THE MAP BASED TOOLS WE HAVE ON OUR WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT ANY PROPERTY YOU CAN TURN ON IN THE LDA LAYER YOU CAN SEE LIGHT UP IN YELLOW EVERY PROPERTY IN THE CITY THAT HAS AN LDA ON IT AND YOU CAN CLICK ON THAT PROPERTY AND GET A PDF COPY OF THE LDA. SO IN TERMS OF WHAT THE THE VOTE WE'RE ASKING YOU TO TAKE BUT EXTENDS THOSE PLANNING AREAS YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE PROPERTY. YEAH WELL HERE'S HERE'S MY QUESTION OF ALL OF THIS IS THERE SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO BENEFIT TO
A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT BEFORE A VOTE ON THIS? IS THERE A DEVELOPER THAT IS LOOKING AT THIS AND HE OR SHE IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS APPROVED, WHAT IMPACT WILL THIS HAVE ON MY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OR A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PROJECT? IS THAT IS THAT IS THAT A SCENARIO THAT IS IS TAKING PLACE? I, I DON'T THINK SO AND HERE'S WHY WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO TODAY IS NOT A CHANGE IN COURSE. IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING WE'VE WANTED TO DO FOR THE
PAST TWO YEARS AND IT CONTINUES LAND DISPOSITION AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE IN SOME CASES FOR 40 YEARS. SO WHAT I THINK WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO IS VOTE ON SOMETHING THAT PREVENTS A PROBLEM FROM HAPPENING BUT REALLY CONTINUES THE EXISTING RESTRICTIONS AND TOOLS WE HAVE TODAY TO PREVENT ANY COMPLICATIONS FROM ARISING. OKAY. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?
AND I AGREE WITH WITH WHAT DEVIN SAID YOU KNOW, THIS IS EFFECTIVELY JUST KEEPING THE STATUS QUO UNTIL THE PETITION COMES IN PLACE. SO I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD BE WAITING FOR THIS THAT WOULD WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE EXTENSION. YEAH, I WOULD WOULD AGREE WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT. I MEAN THE COVENANTS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING ARE REALLY RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS SO RESTRICTING USE CERTAINLY NOT ENCOURAGING YOU KNOW LIKE THE EXAMPLE YOU GAVE SO THIS THIS WILL HAVE NO
IMPACT ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AT ALL IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT'S A BROAD COULD JUMP IN FOR A MINUTE COUNCILOR I CAN'T HELP BUT OVER LAWYER THIS QUESTION A LITTLE BIT SO BEAR WITH ME BUT IT'S IT IS CERTAINLY CONCEIVABLE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE OUR ARE YOU DISTRICT ZONING RELIEF POWERS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS WHICH WILL BE PRESERVED AS A RESULT OF THIS ACTION? SO I DON'T WANT TO BE MISREPRESENTING ANYTHING. I DON'T THINK THERE IS A DEVELOPER WAITING IN THE WINGS AND YOU KNOW, RELYING ON THAT
NECESSARILY. BUT FOR EXAMPLE WITH THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER LOTS THAT WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TOOL WE HAD TO QUICKLY ADVANCE PHASE ONE OF THAT PROJECT IN ORDER TO DEPLOY THE ARPA FUNDS AND GET THAT PROJECT GOING. SO WE CHOSE THAT TO USE OUR URBAN RENEWAL POWERS TO GRANT ZONING RELIEF IN ORDER TO ADVANCE AN AFFORDABLE PROJECT. OKAY. AND HERE'S MY LAST QUESTION I WANT MY COLLEAGUES TO SPEAK TO
I DON'T WANT TO MONOPOLIZE THE CONVERSATION. SO WITH THE BPA NOW UNDER THE OVERSIGHT OF THE OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WHO IS MAKING THE DECISION AS AS IT RELATES TO THESE TYPES OF MAJOR AND CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSALS IS THAT THE BPA BOARD THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THE
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OR IS IT THE MAYOR'S OR IS IT THE MAYOR? SO IT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION REQUIRES PRECISION ON WHAT TYPE OF ACTION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT IN TERMS OF WHEN WE WERE TO TODAY'S ACTION WHICH IS ABOUT URBAN RENEWAL PLAN AREAS AND LDA IS THAT IS THE AUTHORITY OF THE EPA BOARD AND SO THEY THE DECISIONS LIES WITH THEM IN THE FIVE MEMBERS NOW WHAT I KNOW WHAT THE MAYOR'S NOT WHAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE STAFF THAT ARE SITTING
AT THIS TABLE TODAY AND WILL BRING RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THE BOARD ARE PART OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND UNDER THE OVERSIGHT OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR. BUT THE BOARD ITSELF AN INDEPENDENT BODY THE THE PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED THE THE PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED AND OR THE LAND THAT'S OWNED BY THE BPA IS SIGNIFICANT IS THAT NOW UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE BPA OR IS IS IT
THE MAYOR'S DECISION IN ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBILITY? WHAT HAPPENS ON BPA ON THE LAND AND A PROPERTY? AND AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AND I START WITH THE CONTEXT OF VOTE TODAY'S VOTE IS FOCUSED ON LAND DISPOSITION AGREEMENTS WHICH IS PRIVATE PROPERTY NOT OWNED BY THE EPA OR THE IRA OR OR ANY PUBLIC ENTITY. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE LAND THAT WAS THEN TWO YEARS AGO IT WAS HELD BY
THE EDC OR VRA AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT IS STILL HELD BY THE BOARD AND THEN THAT DECISION OF WHAT TO DO WITH THAT LAND IS THE AUTHORITY OF THE EPA BOARD. WE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AGAIN STAFFED BY CITY EMPLOYEES . WE'RE WORKING ON TRANSFERS OF LAND INTO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENTS OVER CARING CUSTODY STUDIES THAT WOULD BE HELD THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THE COUNTY HAS THE
IT PLANNING DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH ON SOME PARTICULAR PARCELS WHERE WE WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER POSITIONED TO PLAN FOR THEM. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING WHICH ALSO OWNS SIGNIFICANT PARCELS THAT CAN BE USED FOR HOUSING CREATION. WHAT WORD OUR TEAM IS WORKING HAND IN HAND TO LEAD DISPOSITION EFFORTS THE IF IF THE DEED IS HELD BY THE CITY OF BOSTON THEN THE DISPOSITION THE DISPOSITION IS THE AUTHORITY OF THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMISSION AND IF THE DEED IS HELD BY THE EDC OR THE VRA THE DECISION IS WITH THE BPA BOARD. OKAY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR FLYNN AND I, I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. I THINK THAT QUESTION ABOUT ARE THERE ANY, YOU KNOW, AREAS WHERE THIS WOULD HELP A DEVELOPER I DO THINK URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS CAN UNSTICK CERTAIN SITUATIONS AND I THINK IF THE WEST END LIBRARY WAS NOT IN AN URBAN OR AN OPEN AREA THAT
DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON TOP OF A LIBRARY WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. AND I DO THINK THESE TOOLS ARE JUST PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT. BUT I ALSO THINK THE NOTIFICATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THEY'RE BEING USED IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. SO I I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROJECT AND KNOW THAT WITHOUT THIS THESE TOOLS WE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. AND SO THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR THAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT IT KIND OF CENTERED ME IN A WAY OF LIKE A PROJECT THAT I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT
WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT WITHOUT THIS. SO I DO JUST WANT TO ASK IN THE HOME RULE PETITION OBVIOUSLY THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS IN MY DISTRICT THAT I THINK BENEFIT FROM THE POWER TO USE URBAN RENEWAL TOOLS AND AS WE'RE CHANGING THOSE TOOLS TO BETTER FIT OUR CITY, I
GUESS JUST I THINK THE CORE QUESTION WHICH I KNOW THE ANSWER TO BUT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS IN ORDER AREN'T THE POWERS IN THE HOME RULE PETITION STILL DRY FROM THE INITIAL POWERS THAT THAT WERE THAT ARE GIVEN TO THE CITY FROM THE STATE AND ISN'T IT A IS IT DOESN'T THE STATE HOUSE HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN MAINTAINING THEIR OWN POWER AND THAT'S WHY
WE'RE AT A STALEMATE WITH OUR OPPOSITION. SO TO ADDRESS THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION AROUND THE TOOLS THEMSELVES AND THE THE HOME RULE PETITION ALLOWS US TO RETAIN THE THE EXEMPTION FROM 30 B FOR REAL ESTATES TO ACT LIKE A PRIVATE DEVELOPER IN THE PRIVATE LANDOWNER IN THE REAL ESTATE SPACE AND IT PRESERVES THE ABILITY TO DO DISCRETIONARY TAX AGREEMENTS. BUT THOSE ARE TOOLS RIGHT,
THAT THEY ARE A PARTICULAR THING YOU CAN DEPLOY FOR A REASON AND THE REASONS ARE WHAT IS WHAT IS CHANGING IN THE HOME RULE PETITION WE WANT TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE ERA OF URBAN RENEWAL AND THE REASONS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO BOSTONIANS TO TAKE TO USE THOSE TOOLS. I THE REASONS THAT HISTORICAL REASONS FOR BLIGHT AND SLUM CLEARANCE AND DECADENCE AND SUBSTANDARD HOUSING THESE ARE NOT THE ISSUES THAT BOSTON FACES TODAY ARE OUR FUTURE ISSUES AGAIN OR AROUND CLIMATE RESILIENCE
AND THE AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY OF SMALL BUSINESS SPACE AND OUR ABILITY TO DO INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THOSE ARE THAT THOSE ARE THE TOOLS. SO TO THE HAMMER JUST TO HAMMER RIGHT AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S HOW YOU DEPLOY THE HAMMER AND FOR WHAT REASON THAT IT MAKES IT A JUSTIFIABLE ACTION. SO WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THE JUSTIFIED ISSUES BY WHICH BUT NOT HAVING THE HAMMER IS A PROBLEM WHEN YOU NEED A HAMMER. YEAH EXACTLY. THAT'S AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT
TO KEEP THAT TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX. BUT I GUESS I WOULD YEAH AND I GUESS I WON'T ASK YOU TO COMMENT ON THE POLITICS. I GUESS IT'S MERELY A COMMENT THAT I THINK WE HAVE THE ANSWER OF WHY THIS ISN'T DONE AT THE STATE HOUSE AND THE ANSWER IS NO. THE STATE HOUSE NOT WANTING TO RELINQUISH THEIR OWN POWER OVER BOSTON AND I THINK THAT'S WELL MAYBE YOU CAN'T COMMENT ON THAT BUT AND I DON'T KNOW IT'S MY JOB TO TO COMMENT ON THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
BUT I WILL JUST STATE THE FACTS AND THE HOME RULE PETITION HAS PASSED THIS CHAMBER. IT'S PASSED THE HOUSE AT THE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND IT HASN'T YET PASSED THE SENATE. AND SO THAT'S WHERE IT STANDS AND I THINK I RIGHTFULLY SO. I THINK THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME HAVE NOT BEEN AGAINST THE RENEWAL OF THESE OF THE EXTENSION BUT
THEY HAVE BEEN HAD COMMENTS ABOUT THE HOME RULE PETITION ITSELF. AND I DO ENCOURAGE THOSE FOLKS TO REACH OUT TO THEIR STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE IT LIES NOW AND SO I THINK I KNOW OH SORRY COUNSELOR WEBER, YOU HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS. SORRY. YEAH. JUST QUICKLY THE PRESIDENT IN THE PRESENTATION MENTIONS QUANTIFYING THE YIELDS. SO ARE ARE YOU DONE WITH THAT PROCESS?
SO I, I CAN CHAT ABOUT IT SO I THINK THAT WE YOU KNOW HAVE ASSEMBLED WE'RE IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE TODAY THAN WHERE WE WERE IN 2016 WHEN MY PREDECESSOR CHRIS BREEN STARTED YOU KNOW, GATHERING A LOT OF THIS DATA AND PUTTING IT INTO THE PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE VERY OLD AND YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO KIND OF RESEARCH THEM AND WE LOOK IN THE REGISTRY OF DEEDS AND WE YOU KNOW, RECORD DIFFERENT INFORMATION AND WILL ANALYZE
IT AND PUT IT IN OUR DATABASE AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AN ONGOING PROCESS. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE EXTREMELY CONFIDENT IN THE DATA THAT WE DO HAVE. WE'RE TRACKING ALMOST 850 IDEAS IN THE GI DASHBOARD THAT RUBEN MENTIONED EARLIER. AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE KEY DATA POINTS ABOUT THE PRIMARY TYPES OF USE THE EXPIRATION DEADLINES, THE SPECIFIC LEGAL LANGUAGE THAT'S ENFORCEABLE IN THOSE WORDS THAT YOU KNOW, WE FOR THIS
PROCESS. SO I HAVE WE HAVE WE QUANTIFIED THEM ALL THAT OR I DON'T THINK THERE'S THE ELEMENT OF THE LDA THAT WE ARE AWARE OF WE HAVE QUANTIFIED AND I THINK I NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO CELEBRATE MAX AND ZACH WOULD APPRECIATE THEM IN DUE PROCESS WORK ON THIS THEIR THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN 2017 2018 IT WAS A CHILD CAN'T TAKE UNDERTAKING TO DIGITIZE ALL THOSE TO FIND ALL THOSE RECORDS AND DIGITIZE THEM AND MAKE
THEM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE IN A WAY THAT ANYONE CAN FIND THEM AND IN A MINUTE OF SEARCHING. SO I WANT TO ADD ONE THING THE TEAM AND I THINK THE MAYOR ACTUALLY DEMANDED THAT AS A CITY COUNCILOR AND THEN IT WAS KIND OF QUICK WORK AND IT WAS DONE VERY QUICKLY AND I DO THINK IT'S NEAT WE'RE THE ONLY CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS PUT ALL OF THOSE DOCUMENTS ONLINE AND. THE FACT THAT A REAL ESTATE AGENT, A CONCERNED NEIGHBOR CAN GO TO THAT
DASHBOARD AND ACTUALLY LOOK IT UP IT IT'S TRANSPARENT, IT'S ACCOUNTABLE AND I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. BUT I DON'T THINK EVERYONE HAS GONE ONLINE AND LOOKED AT THAT. SO OFTENTIMES TIMES I THINK I HAVE RESPONDED TO CONSTITUENTS SAYING OH, WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY. AND I'M LIKE THERE'S A WHOLE WEBSITE OF EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT. SO I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT AND I APPLAUD THE MAYOR FOR ASKING FOR THAT AS A CITY COUNCILOR AND DELIVERING ON IT . OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU CHAIR THANK YOU. COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY LIKE THE EXTENSIONS UNTIL 2060, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY YOU KNOW, SO WHAT WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN IN 2060? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION FOR THESE TO CONTINUE. YEAH I THINK IT GOES TO THE PERMANENCE QUESTION RIGHT THAT THE MAYBE THE EASIEST WAY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IS WE WOULD HAVE MADE THEM PERMANENT IF WE COULD BUT THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A
TAKING IN WHICH AND SO WE NEEDED TO HAVE AN ESTABLISH AN END DATE. COULD YOU HAVE A COVENANT THAT RIDES WITH THE DEED LIKE CAN THAT BE BEEN UP LIKE LAWYER BRAIN TURNING ON LIKE COULD THAT HAVE BEEN ENACTED AT LEAST WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISH THE PERMANENCY OF IT THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS UNDER STATE LAW AS TO THE TERM OF RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS. SO WE BUMP INTO THAT ISSUE AND AS STEVEN SAID TO EXTEND THEM IN PERPETUITY ARGUABLY IS A TAKING OF PRIVATE PROPERTY INTEREST. SO I THINK YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THIS
VERY LONG RUNWAY TO FIGURE IT OUT AND MY GUESS IS WE'LL HAVE TO START FIGURING OUT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS IF THERE CAN BE A FURTHER NEGOTIATION AND YOU CAN THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A TAKING WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST LIKE A IT WAS A IT WAS A DEAL. IT WAS A DISPOSITION. YEAH. YEAH. RIGHT. BUT YEAH I AGREE WITH YOU BUT WE WE JUST THINK ABOUT IT IN A PARTICULAR CONTEXT BECAUSE YOU COULD SAY LIKE UPON LIKE UPON THE SALE OF YOU KNOW YEAH BUT WE DID ALWAYS THE AGREEMENT THAT THAT THIS
PROPERTY OWNER MAY HAVE SIGNED SAID HEY YOUR YOUR RESTRICTION ENDS IN 2050 OR THE EXPIRATION OF THE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN WHATEVER COMES FIRST WHAT WE'RE DOING IS EXTENDING THE RESTRICTIONS THAT TO 2016 SO THAT THAT 2050 THING COMES FIRST. THE DEAL THAT YOU SIGNED RIGHT THERE THAT GIVES US PLENTY OF TIME. SO IN THE CASE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SHEILA CHIEF DOLAN HAS A WHOLE TEAM
OF PEOPLE WHO WORK ON EXPIRING THESE PROJECTS TO FIGURE OUT NEW WAYS TO EXTEND RESTRICTIONS. SO THAT GIVES US PLENTY OF RUNWAY TO ADDRESS THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE AND THE OTHER ISSUES WERE PROBABLY BEST COVERED UNDER ZONING AND IN THE ZONING AMENDMENTS. BUT IN SOME CASES WE MAY NEED TO LET THEM GO BUT. THAT ESTABLISHES A FAIR MECHANISM BY WHICH THAT THAT DATE THAT YOU HAVE A TERMINATION DATE THAT YOU SIGNED THAT YOU AGREE TO WITH THE PUBLIC LAND OWNER SELLING THE PROPERTY
IS HIT FIRST RATHER THAN THIS ARBITRARY PLAN . DEADLINE YEAH, OKAY. I UNDERSTAND. I'M JUST I THINK MY MY MY MY MAIN QUESTION STILL REMAINS BUT I THINK THAT'S LIKE A DISCUSSION A LONGER TERM UNDERSTANDING LIKE THE RESTRICTION UNDER STATE LAW FOR WHY YOU YOU COULDN'T HAVE THIS RESTRICTIVE COVENANT. NO THANK YOU. THESE USES ARE IMPORTANT. I THINK IT'S REALLY POINT I JUST WANTED TO PUT OUT ON THE TABLE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BOOKS THAT CAROLYN CROCKETT WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW YEAH TWO DAYS AGO SO OUR SEVEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEBUT OF HER BOOK PEOPLE BEFORE HIGHWAYS THAT TALKS ABOUT THE DESTRUCTIVE ROLE
OF URBAN RENEWAL IN WORKING CLASS BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AND WHO WAS THE CITY'S CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER AND TALKED ABOUT HOW REGULAR PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER TO STOP THE RAISING OF HOMES IN THE SOUTH END IN ROXBURY EVEN THOUGH SO MANY OF THEM HAD ALREADY IT HAD ALREADY STARTED TO BUILD A HIGHWAY THAT WAS GOING TO BENEFIT SUBURBIA AS WE KNOW SO MANY OF OUR HIGHWAYS DO. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER SCHOLARSHIP AND OUR WORK IN EXPLAINING THE ROLE THAT URBAN RENEWAL HAD HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON EVEN AS WE RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE POWER OF EXTENDING SOME OF THESE
LDA SO I JUST WANTED TO REALLY PUT THAT OUT THERE IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING BOSTON'S HISTORY. THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCILOR PRESENT AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM TO PREVENT THAT FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. AND I THINK YEAH, THAT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT AND IT IS THAT HIGHWAYS ARE OFTEN CONFLATED WITH THE ACTUAL ORIGINAL POWERS WHERE THEY AREN'T THEY AREN'T THE SAME BUT IT HAPPENED DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD SO IT'S THE SAME IT'S THAT DESTRUCTIVE NATURE OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CREATING INCENTIVES THAT THAT TEAR APART COMMUNITIES AND DO HORRIBLE THINGS. AND I KNOW I WAS TALKING FOR A LONG TIME WHICH I'VE THOMAS ABOUT LIKE JUST THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SEPARATE BUT THEY'RE THE SAME BECAUSE THEY'RE DONE DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TOOLS THEMSELVES AREN'T YOU KNOW EMINENT DOMAIN DID YOU KNOW IT'S THE SAME TOOL THAT WAS USED BUT FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE AND SO I THINK IT'S INTERESTING TO
ADD LOGS HISTORY BECAUSE HE WASN'T AROUND FOR THE DEMOLISHING OF THE WEST END BUT HE WAS THE PERSON WHO BUILT IT BACK UP AND MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT HE WAS THE ONE WHO DEMOLISHED THE WEST END WHEN REALLY WAS ACTUALLY THE VHA DIRECTOR AT THE TIME THAT SIGNED OFF ON IT. SO JUST IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE DO OUR HOMEWORK AND LEARN AND AS SOMEONE WHO'S NOT FROM THE CITY BUT BENEFITS GREATLY FROM ALL THE WORK
THAT HAS BEEN DONE KNOWING WHEN TO GIVE PAST KUDOS TO THOSE PAST LEADERS WHO MADE TOUGH DECISIONS BUT ALSO THOSE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NOT BE CELEBRATED AND FIGURING OUT WHO THEY ARE AND AND ALSO WHAT DECISIONS IN OTHER PLACES LED TO THOSE DECISIONS THAT THEY MADE BECAUSE IF YOU WERE GIVEN A LOT OF SUBSIDY TO DO SOMETHING THEN YOU HAVE YOU KNOW AND WE ALL KNOW I MEAN JUST WITH THE COVID 19, OUR RECOVERY MONEY,
WE WERE GIVEN AN INCENTIVE TO DO GREAT THINGS IN THE CITY AND WE DID GREAT THINGS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS AND BUT WHEN THOSE INCENTIVES ARE, YOU KNOW, MADE AND YEAH YOU KNOW AND IT ENDS UP BEING DESTRUCTIVE TOWARDS COMMUNITIES AND IT COULDN'T BE A MORE CONVERSATION IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE HAVE AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT . SO SO I WANT TO GIVE A CHANCE FOR ALL MY COLLEAGUES TO SAY ANY
LAST STATEMENTS, ANY CLOSING STATEMENTS AND THEN I'M GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY. COUNCILOR FLYNN THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A CLOSING STATEMENT. I JUST WANTED TO OFFER MAYBE A QUESTION AND I'LL JUST LISTEN TO THE ANSWER THE WORD BLIGHT WE OFTEN HEAR ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO
URBAN RENEWAL THE BRAY PPD BUT UNDER THIS WORD BLIGHT WAS THERE ANY INSTANCES WHERE BUSINESSES OR DEVELOPERS WERE ABLE TO CAPITALIZE ON THE WORD BLIGHT TO DO DEVELOPMENT IN EXTRA SUPPORT FROM THE CITY FROM THE BOROUGH FROM BPCA MAYBE THAT EXTRA SUPPORT WAS FOR A TAX BREAK BUT THE WORD BLIGHT YOU
KNOW WE COULD SAY THIS THERE'S BLIGHT HERE ON ONE BEACON STREET AND IS THAT DOES THE DEVELOPER AT A CERTAIN CERTAIN PROJECTS AROUND THAT AREA PROJECTS AROUND THAT AREA? DO THEY DESERVE TAX BREAKS BASED ON THAT WORD? BECAUSE I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT AREA OF BOSTON ROAD UP THE ROAD FROM HERE ACROSS HOTEL SOME OF IT WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH THE BRP PDR PROGRAM FOR THESE POWERS. DEVON YOU HAVE
ANY HISTORICAL REFERENCE TO THE ANSWER? YOUR QUESTION IS ABSOLUTELY YES BECAUSE THAT WAS THE THE ORIGINAL INTENTION OF THESE TOOLS AND POWERS IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS TO PREVENT CITY GOVERNMENT TO BECOME AN OWNER OF PRIVATE LAND LATER ON POTENTIAL TAX AGREEMENTS AND OTHER INCENTIVES FIND AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNER AND REDEVELOP THE LAND THAT IS DESIGNATED FOR RENEWAL. THE CONCEPT BEHIND THE URBAN HALL WHERE WERE ALL THOSE ACTIONS
JUSTIFIABLE AND JUST I DON'T THINK SO. BUT DID THAT BUT WERE THERE GOOD ONES? ABSOLUTELY. YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THAT TODAY AS WELL SO THAT URBAN RENEWAL AT ITS CORE WAS AN ECONOMIC I INVESTMENT STRATEGY AND IT HAS LOTS OF NEGATIVE RAMIFICATIONS AND A TERRIBLE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEGACY AROUND DISPLACEMENT. BUT THERE ARE REASONS IN THE FUTURE WHY THE CITY MAY WANT TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY AND ADVANCE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REASONS AND THINKING OF EMINENT DOMAIN IS ANOTHER WORD THAT WE OFTEN HEAR ABOUT IN A NEGATIVE NEGATIVE SENSE WHICH I THINK IS ACCURATE. BUT LET ME ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE VRA UNDER MAY HAVE ONE FOR THE DUDLEY SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE WHERE THE CITY OF BOSTON THE VRA TOOK THE LAND EMINENT DOMAIN IN THE DUDLEY SQUARE AREA AND BUILT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR WORKING FAMILIES FAMILIES
IN NEED IN THE DNI, DUDLEY SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THIS INITIATIVE I THINK IT'S CALLED DSS AND IS STILL ACTIVE TODAY BASED ON THE VRA VPD AND A NATIONAL MODEL FOR LAND TRUSTS . YEAH, YEAH. ALSO I THINK THE TENT CITY AS WELL. YEAH. AND SO I THINK THOSE EXAMPLES AND ALIGN MUCH MORE POSITIVELY WITH THAT DIRECTION WE WOULD WANT TO SEE THESE TOOLS USED IN THE FUTURE AND AGAIN THAT IS THE JUSTIFICATION THAT WE'RE SEEKING IN
OUR OWN COMPETITION. THOSE ARE GREAT HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF YOU HAVE IN INDUS AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT YOU KNOW, HOUSING AND SUPPORT FAMILIES AND SUPPORT WORKING CLASS PEOPLE AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. BUT I ALSO THINK PART OF THE PROCESS AND MUST BE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMUNITY PROCESS OF LISTENING, RESPECTING EVEN WHEN WE'RE RIGHT IN IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE I SHOULD
SAY IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO LISTEN AND TO BE RESPECTFUL AND TO INCLUDE VOICES OF RESIDENTS IN THE IMPACTED AREA. THAT'S WHY I ADVOCATE FOR MY CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE THEY NEED TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS. THEY NEED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AND WE JUST CAN'T BE A CITY GOVERNMENT WHERE WE KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS. WE KNOW WHAT'S BEST WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM FROM RESIDENTS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR
FLYNN. AND IT'S JUST KIND OF FITTING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OPEN SPACE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE INCREDIBLE THINGS AND THE IDEA THAT URBAN RENEWAL ISN'T PERFECT, THAT CREATED ECONOMIC DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITIES AND THAT WE'RE STILL BENEFITING FROM THAT TODAY SOME OF THE RICHEST NEIGHBORHOODS ALSO HAVE A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING
AND I THINK IN MY DISTRICT I AM TRYING TO SUPPORT MORE PEOPLE HAVING OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE IN DISTRICT D THROUGH PROJECTS LIKE THE WESTERN LIBRARY PROJECT THAT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY SOME OF THESE TOOLS. AND I THINK AS I KNOW COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE HAS REALLY PUSHED FOR, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC LAND FOR PUBLIC GOOD. THOSE PROJECTS ARE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THESE TOOLS AND I, I
KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING AND I DO JUST WANT TO SAY AND PUT ON THE RECORD THAT I DON'T I THINK AT LEAST WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF BP'S LAND THERE IS A LOT OF YOU KNOW, WE WE SHOULD REALLY DO AN ASSESSMENT AND AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONSOLIDATIONS AND MERGERS AND OTHER THINGS WITH BP'S WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IS THE HIGHEST AND BEST
USE FOR PROPERTIES THAT THE CITY OWNS. AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT'S ON THE DOCKET TODAY BUT IT'S ALL INTERIOR RATED BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CITY AND HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE TOOLS THAT MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN LEVERAGED FOR THINGS THAT PEOPLE LIKED IN THE PAST BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT THERE WERE CHANGE MAKERS IN THE PAST WHO FOUGHT FOR THAT ECONOMIC DIVERSITY AND IT WAS NOT WELL RECEIVED WHEN THEY DID IT KNOWING THAT WE
ARE PART OF THAT LEGACY AS WELL IN MAKING SURE THAT YOU KNOW THERE THERE ARE DEVELOPERS THAT WOULD STAND TO BENEFIT AND IF ALL THESE IDEAS DISAPPEARED AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PROTECT RESIDENTS, PROTECT PEOPLE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SO I'M I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT A TWO YEAR EXTENSION AND I'M PROUD OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONVENE HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL TODAY. SO I DON'T SEE ANY LAST STATEMENTS FROM ANYONE. OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND
I WANT TO THANK OUR PANEL FOR BEING HERE AND ALL OF THEIR WORK AND PARTICULARLY MAX, THANK YOU FOR UNDERTAKING THIS. I KNOW THAT IT'S DIFFICULT AND TO DO ALL OF THIS WORK AND TO LEARN HOW TO DO ALL THIS WORK AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE DOING TO TO INFORM US ON AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN THIS GETS VOTED ON. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. AND SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO PUBLIC TESTIMONY EVERYONE RECEIVES 2 MINUTES I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME FOLKS
ONLINE WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE FOLKS IN PERSON FIRST. DOUG IN FROM CITY LIGHTS. YEAH, YOU CAN GO TO EITHER MIKE AND MADAM CHAIR COUNSELORS, SPEAKERS. I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU QUICKLY
HOW CITY LIGHTS BOSTON CITY LIGHTS STARTED. IT'S A FREE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM SINGING, DANCING, ACTING FILM AND SOUND RECORDING . WE'RE ON THE FIRST FLOOR IN THE BASEMENT OF A BUILDING WHEN WE'RE HERE WE TRIED TO GET A BUILDING THAT'S MY SCHOLARS THESIS FROM BOSTON COLLEGE TO CREATE A SCHOOL FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED IN THE PERFORMING ARTS SO THEY'D HAVE EQUAL FOOTING TO GET INTO A
JOB . AND WE'VE HAD CHILDREN, WE'VE BEEN ON EVERY STAGE IN THE CITY. WE WERE HERE IN COUNCIL WITH DAPPER O'NEIL WHEN WE FIRST STARTED ALL OF THIS BUT OUR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN IN THE IN THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS SCHOOL TIES THE BEST OF FRIENDS AND I COULD GO ON FOREVER BUT WE TOOK A BURNT OUT
SHELL OF A BUILDING SIX STORY BUILDING BECAUSE AT A CERTAIN POINT I WASN'T GETTING ANYWHERE TO GET A HOME SO I WENT AFTER A BUILDING THAT NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT. YOU COULD STAND IN THE BASEMENT, LOOK THROUGH ALL SIX FLOORS THROUGH THE ROOF. IT HAD A SEVEN ALARM FIRE AND HAVE BEEN EMPTY 35 YEARS AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT 1154 WASHINGTON STREET WELL, THE ORANGE LINE WAS
STILL RUNNING ON THE TRACKS BACK AND FORTH WITH THE HELP OF HERBERT WATCH AT THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK AND JOHN HAMEL AT SHAWARMA BANK WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE FINANCING TO DO THE BUILDING OVER AND WE ALSO RECEIVED QUITE A BIT OF ALMOST $1,000,000 IN DONATED LABOR FROM ALL THE TRADE UNIONS . IT TOOK TEN YEARS TO GET THE BUILDING. IT TOOK FIVE YEARS TO
COMPLETE THE BUILDING SO I'M SURE THE SPACE IS A WONDERFUL SPACE. WE'VE HAD HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN OVER THE YEARS AND MY SON IS NOW THE NEW DIRECTOR SO I CAN KEEP GOING. BUT WE'RE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF FOUR MAJOR HOUSING PROJECTS AND WE'RE RIGHT ON THE SILVER LINE
SO WE'RE QUITE ACCESSIBLE AND THOSE ARE THE KIDS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRAINING OVER THE YEARS AND THAT'S IT. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS. LEAH THANK YOU SO MUCH. DUGAN AND THANKS FOR GIVING A PERSONALIZED STORY THAT AN ANECDOTE OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BENEFITED THE CITY AND AS OF POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE COVENANTS THAT
EXIST. SO I'M SORRY I DON'T KNOW IS IT TEN OR CHRISTIAN TEN? YEAH. SO NICE TO MEET YOU. YOU 2 MINUTES? YEAH, I'LL BE VERY QUICK. I WON'T REPEAT ANYTHING HE SAID. I'LL JUST SAY WE'RE WE'RE A LIVING EXAMPLE OF THE LOCAL PUBLIC GOOD THAT ALL THESE ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT. WE DO HAVE AN ALL VOLUNTEER STAFF. WE HAVE $150,000 A YEAR BUDGET. WE DO EVERYTHING WE DO ON $150,000 A YEAR. SO OUR SPACE IN THE SOUTH END WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY EARNED FROM THE BRE WE
RENOVATED IT, WE SOLD THE UPPER FLOORS TO FINANCE THE RENOVATION AND THE LDA PROVIDES A SOURCE OF ONGOING FUNDING FOR US VIA CONTRIBUTIONS TO AN ENDOWMENT FUND THAT HELPS THE SCHOOL TO KEEP GOING. IT'S ESSENTIAL FOR OUR RESILIENCE, FOR OUR ONGOING STABILITY SO THAT WE CAN KEEP OFFERING TO KIDS WAY INTO THE FUTURE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN OFFERING FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS. AND I WILL JUST QUOTE MAYOR WU REALLY QUICKLY ENSURING THAT OUR ARTISTS AND CREATIVES HAVE STABLE LONG TERM SPACES TO ELEVATE ART AND BUILD COMMUNITY IS CRITICAL IN OUR
WORK TO MAKE BOSTON A HOME FOR EVERYONE AND SO WE SEE OURSELVES DOING THAT WORK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND NEXT WE'LL GO TO BEN MALLORY AND YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES TO PAY. HE WAS IT? OH YES I WAS THAT TALL WHEN I FIRST STARTED AND SINCE THEN
CITY LIGHTS HAS CHANGED LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT ME LIKE DOUG AND SAID I CAN GO ON AND ON FOREVER ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THEY DONE FOR ME. BUT I WILL SAY IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A GREAT PLACE WHERE I CAN EXPRESS MY ART. I ORIGINALLY WENT THERE TO PURSUE MY DREAMS TO BECOME A DANCER BUT I'VE FOUND MUCH MORE SKILLS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW. I'M WORKING ON A LOT OF MUSIC AND I WOULD SAY MY MUSIC IS A BEACON FOR
A LOT OF PEOPLE MY AGE THAT THEY CAN DO ANYTHING, YOU KNOW AND ESPECIALLY THE MESSAGE THAT I ATTEMPT TO SPREAD WITH WITH THE HELP OF CITY LIGHTS. UH, AND I HOPE THAT MORE KIDS MY AGE AND MORE PEOPLE JUST DISCOVER THAT AND I THINK ALSO THAT YOU'RE ENVIRONMENT SHAPES WHO YOU ARE. AND GROWING UP IN ROXBURY I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE
A LOT OF PLACES TO GO TO LIKE HELP ME STEER AWAY FROM THOSE THINGS THAT WERE DETRIMENTAL TO WHO I WANT TO BE AND WHO I THINK MY PEERS SHOULD BE. SO GOING TO CITY LIGHTS HAS DEFINITELY AND A BUNCH OF OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE CITY LIGHTS. I'M ALSO A FORMER STUDENT OF JOSIAH KENZIE SO OF COMING FROM JOSIAH QUINCY THE CITY LIGHTS DEFINITELY WAS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AND
I THINK WHAT THEY DONE TO ME AND ALL MY OTHER PEERS I CITY LIGHTS HAS DEFINITELY HELPED BOSTON AND I HOPE THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. YOU'RE RIGHT ON TIME. AND BEN, CAN YOU ANSWER ME WHERE WE CAN FIND YOUR MUSIC ? I MY STAGE NAME IS B JAM YOU CAN FIND IT ANYWHERE SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC, YOUTUBE. OKAY I CAN'T WAIT. THANK YOU FOR TELLING YOUR STORY. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. VICTOR BROGDON, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FROM NEW. HELLO, MY NAME IS VICTOR BRONYA . I'M CHAIR OF THE DESIGNING LICENSING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH WATERFRONT RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION. I HAVE TO SPEAK FAST BECAUSE 2 MINUTES PASSES QUICKLY. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ZONING, ZONING, LICENSING AND CONSTRUCTION BUT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I THINK I AM ABLE TO ANSWER A QUESTION OF COUNCILOR FLYNN WHICH IS WHY WOULD SOMEONE SAY
NO TO THIS AND I WOULD START WITH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO FEEL THAT URBAN RENEWAL IS A TOOL OF THE PAST AND THAT NEW INITIATIVES, NEW IDEAS, NEW NEW TOOLS NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO THE ISSUES THAT CONFRONT CITIES. SO STARTING FROM THAT AND I LOOK AT THIS AND I SAY IT SAYS THAT WE MUST NOT PUT AT RISK IMPORTANT LAND USE PROTECTIONS COVERED IN LDA
AND WE MUST DO THAT BY EXTENDING URBAN RENEWAL. WE HAVE HEARD GENERALITIES BUT NOT SPECIFICS AND IN ORDER TO CANDIDATE SPECIFICS I HAVE TO GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF CONTRACT LAW AND HELD HERE IS AN AGREEMENT IT IS A WRITTEN AGREEMENT. THEREFORE IT IS A CONTRACT. THE TERMS OF THE CONTRACT CONTAIN THE
POWERS, DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES THAT IS THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE AGREEMENT CONTAIN WHO CAN DO WHAT WHEN AND WHEN THOSE POWERS EXPIRE. WE HAVE NOT HEARD AS TO SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AND SPECIFIC PARAGRAPHS IN SPECIFIC LDA IS THAT EXPIRE WHEN URBAN RENEWAL EXPIRES AND THIS IS NOT AN IDLE OBSERVATION BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO HAVE A SAMPLE LDA THAT I WANT
TO MENTION IN SUPPORT OF MY POSITION. IT IS FOR A PARTIAL RC SIX IN THE SOUTH AND URBAN RENEWAL PLAN WHICH IS ONE OF THE URBAN RENEWAL PLANS LISTED ONE OF THE 12 AND MY 2 MINUTES ARE UP. I KNOW YOU CAN CONTINUE. OKAY THANK YOU. THE FORMER ASSISTANT CORPORATION COUNCILOR FOR THE CITY. YOU CAN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. KEEP GOING. AND IF MY CONTRACT LECTURE IS HAS ANY ERRORS PLEASE. I HOPE THE
ATTORNEYS WILL CORRECT ME SO I'LL PARTIAL I SEE SIX IN THE SOUTH AND URBAN RENEWAL PLAN AND THAT IS NUMBER 11 IN THE IN THE LIST ON THE LAST PAGE OF THIS PROPOSED ORDER CONTAINS AN EXHIBIT B TITLED COVENANT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I ASSUME THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON COVENANTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I ALSO ASSUME THAT THE
BRE DID NOT DEVISE NEW LAND DISPOSITION AGREEMENTS FOR EVERY PROJECT THAT IS THAT THERE IS A COMMONALITY IN THE FORM AND THAT PROBABLY MOST OF THEM INCLUDE AN EXHIBIT B WELL AS FOR THIS ONE THE EXHIBIT GOES ON FOR NINE PAGES AND THE SOUTH AND URBAN RENEWAL PLAN IS NOWHERE MENTIONED THE DATE OF EXPIRATION OF THE PLAN IS NOWHERE MENTIONED. WHAT IS MENTIONED IS IN
SECTION 17 IT STATES THAT QUOTE IT IS INTENDED AND AGREED THAT THE AGREEMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THIS COVENANT SHALL RUN WITH THE LAND CONSTITUTING THE AFFORDABLE UNIT AND SHALL BE BINDING UPON THE OWNER, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS SHALL BE ENFORCEABLE BY THE AUTHORITY AND ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS FOR A PERIOD OF 20 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE DEED. THAT'S THE EXPIRATION OF THAT. IT'S NOT THE EXPIRATION OF URBAN RENEWAL. THERE IS ALSO THE
THERE FOLLOWS A PROVISION FOR RECORDING A NOTICE OF RESTRICTION TO CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ THAT BUT BASICALLY THAT IS THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE THAT THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF THE OF THE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER THAT DOCUMENT AND THE TERMS OF THE TERMS OF THE DOCUMENT SPECIFY ITS POWERS, AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES AND EXPIRATION. IT'S ALSO INTERESTING
TO NOTE THAT THE AFFORDABLE UNIT PROTECTIONS SHALL BE BINDING UPON THE OWNERS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS AND SHALL BE ENFORCEABLE BY THE AUTHORITY AND ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS . THAT IS TO SAY THE BRAY DOESN'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EXIST THE PRA CAN ASSIGN TO ANOTHER ENTITY
AND THE CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH CONCLUDING SECTION SECTION 24 SAYS THE AUTHORITY THE BRAY RETAINS THE RIGHT TO ASSIGN ITS INTEREST IN THIS COVENANT TO THE CITY OF BOSTON. THAT IS TO SAY THAT IF THE BRAY BOARD VOTES TO ASSIGN ALL OF ITS RIGHT TITLE AND INTEREST IN THIS PARTICULAR LDA TO THE CITY OF BOSTON THE CITY OF BOSTON CAN ENFORCE IT. IT IS THE PRA ISN'T NEEDED IT CAN GO AWAY AS WELL. THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS AFTER THAT QUESTION IS
REALLY HELPFUL AND I THINK YOU SET THE PERFECT STAGE FOR THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE HORROR OF PARTITION SO I'M GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND SENDING THAT YOUR LANGUAGE THAT YOU SAID AND I CAN MAKE IT PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD. SURE I WILL AND PERHAPS I COULD DO WELL. NO, I WON'T ADD ANYTHING. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. AND IS THERE ANYONE ONLINE? THERE'S NO ONE
ONLINE TO DO. ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL THINGS TO SAY. OKAY. GIVEN GIVEN THAT AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR TONY FERNANDES ANDERSON AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? COUNCILOR FERNANDES ANDERSON WE'RE ABOUT TO CLOSE THE HEARING BUT THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS DOCKET
ON OH TWO FOR ONE IS ADJOURNED
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS DOCKET ON OH TWO FOR ONE IS ADJOURNED