February 2021 NEWRA Meeting (February 11, 2021)

Meeting Summary
This meeting occurred as scheduled, via Zoom, on February 11, 2021.

Votes
Letter to the ZBA: NEWRA supported sending this letter by a unanimous voice vote. The final letter can be read by clicking here.
81-81A Prince Street:​ NEWRA voted 14-0 in favor of this proposal.

Video Archive
A recording of this meeting is available for viewing on YouTube.

The North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 7 pm, via Zoom. Details on using Zoom are provided at the bottom of this post. 

Meeting Agenda

7:00 pm - Welcome

7:05 pm - North End Music & Performing Arts Center 
Progress report on NEMPAC's Music Center on Tileston Street regarding proposed outside work. Presenting: Sherri Snow, executive director, NEMPAC; James Smith, DND, City of Boston. 
​
7:20 pm - State Street Traffic Reconfiguration
The City of Boston is proposing to reconfigure State Street to one lane of traffic. Many residents and business are asking for traffic studies to be completed that reflects non-COVID utilization.
Presenting: Susanne Lavoie, Wharf District Council. 

A template for contacting the city regarding this reconfiguration can be downloaded by clicking here.

7:35 Love Your Block 
Boston-based architecture firm Arrowstreet’s non-profit Environmental Design Group received a grant from the City of Boston for a community engagement project. They would like to collaborate with us and find ways of engaging with the larger community to discover the many gems of the North End neighborhood. Presenting: Alicia Tremblay and Victoria Wright. 

7:50 pm - Voting Items 

Zoning Board of Appeals - Process & Procedure
Members will review and vote on a letter regarding the process and procedures at the City of Boston Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The draft letter can be read by clicking this link.
 
81-81A Prince Street
81 Prince Street, LLC  has applied to the Board of Appeal for a change of occupancy from four apartments and one store to five apartments. The ground floor commercial space will be renovated and converted to a 2-bedroom residential unit extending into the basement. A new roof deck will be constructed over an existing ell in the rear of the property. The property is located in a Multifamily Residential/Local Services Subdistrict of the North End Neighborhood Zoning District. Violations arise under Article 54 of the Boston Zoning Code, Section 10 (floor area ratio excessive and rear yard insufficient), and Section 21 (off-street parking insufficient). The applicant advises that the existing floor area ratio is 3.82 and the proposed is 3.89 (floor area ratio applicable throughout the district is 3.0). Anyone seeking further information should contact Attorney Daniel J. Toscano at 617-391-9444 or [email protected]