A plan by developers to construct a high-end apartment building in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood has some residents crying foul over the process by which abutters and concerned citizens are informed about upcoming projects.
After hearing concerns from Fenway residents about the process, the proposed developers of 183-185 Massachusetts Ave. agreed to postpone a variance hearing in front of the Board of Appeal from Dec. 14, 1999, to Feb. 15, 2000. In the meantime, community meetings have been scheduled to inform residents and listen to concerns.
According to a Board of Appeal notice, Boston Realty Trust is looking to erect a nine-story, 31-unit apartment building with one retail space and basement parking. The new building would be located on the present site of a hair and skin care center and Chinese food restaurant.
According to Tom Scanlon of the Fenway Community Development Corp., the idea for the apartment complex was first hatched by Boston Realty Trust trustee Jerome Dangel, who passed away last year. The project was then picked up by a team that includes, among others, Chris Kelly of Insight Partners and William Smith from Boyd Smith. The current development team purchased the building, built in 1910, on Sept. 2, 1999, for $1.2 million. The property was last assessed at $377,000.
When reached for comment, Kelly declined to speak about the specifics of the apartment building project because it had not yet received BOA approval and some aspects could still change pending upcoming meetings with abutters.
Right now, we’re taking the month of January to make sure [the abutters’] concerns are met and taking into account all of their feedback, Kelly said. I don’t know if what we have planned today will be what we end up with. We want to go through the whole process first and make sure everything is appropriate.
If the process is completed and the project receives approval, Kelly said it would take about 12 to 14 months to build the structure. He declined to give a cost estimate, only saying it would be more than $1 million.
Though some have termed the project as consisting of luxury apartments, Kelly wouldn’t describe the units as luxury, pointing out that 10 percent of the available units will be marketed as affordable. I hesitate to call them luxury, he said. We’re just being faithful to the demand in the marketplace. I can tell you it’s not like Trinity Place.
However the project eventually turns out, the path being taken to get there is anything but smooth. While the developers did arrange community meetings with some groups representing Fenway interests last year, some neighbors and other groups, including the Fenway CDC, maintained the groups contacted did not adequately represent those living closest to the Massachusetts Avenue location.
A lot of abutters were left out of the process, Scanlon said of the earlier meetings. Their lawyer went to community groups, but they represented business interests and residents who lived at the other end of the Fenway. Of course they thought it was a great idea.
Once people on the closer streets got word of this, they had a number of concerns, he continued. But by then they had no venue to see the plans and address their concerns.
We had met with groups and enlisted their support, but we had some other groups come along late in the process, Kelly explained.
It’s a situation of an arbitrary system that was put in place, and there’s no efficient public process around it, Scanlon said. People two doors down [from the project] didn’t get notice [of the meetings] but people 10 or 12 doors down did.
Before the original December hearing date, Scanlon said the developers scheduled a meeting with abutters and concerned community members, but he described it as hastily put together five days before the hearing without 48 hours notice. Scanlon added that residents felt it was difficult to address issues on such short notice, prompting the request for another delay.
[The residents] felt there was not enough time to sit down and have a dialog, so the developers deferred, Scanlon said. The two sides will meet Jan. 12 in the Fenway to continue discussions.
Students Feared
One of the chief concerns of Fenway residents, Scanlon said, was that they did not want the apartment building to become another outlet for student housing. Like other Boston neighborhoods such as Allston/Brighton, one of the main issues Fenway residents have faced in recent years is students moving into higher-priced apartments, forcing longtime residents out. The developers have said they would work to make sure the units were available to full-time residents.
There are concerns about the setback and making the building look more historic, Scanlon added, but other folks are concerned about the height of the building. They’re worried about this having an domino effect down Mass. Ave. and casting shadows over the side streets.
Another issue Scanlon said needs to be addressed is what he called a lingering bitterness about what residents perceive as a double standard on the part of the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
The BRA stands to profit from [the project], he said referring to a fee the developers pay the authority. The BRA is all behind this project, but they gave other people with smaller plans a hard time when they wanted to do something. Scanlon cited several examples of nearby business that spent years trying to get approvals for roof extensions or other modifications.
Scanlon stressed that Fenway residents are not necessarily against the project, they just want some answers to their concerns. This is not a bad project, he said, it definitely has some merit. It’s just been a frustrating process.
Of course, the developers also see their project as having merit, and Kelly hopes the new apartments will benefit the neighborhood.
We think what’s at that location now is not enhancing the appearance of the neighborhood, Kelly said. We hope to enhance the neighborhood, and we know that housing is needed in Boston and especially in the Fenway.
Kelly also said that the portions of Massachusetts Avenue near Symphony Hall as well as near Cambridge receive a lot of attention, but now a new apartment building could give a boost to the area in between.
One factor Kelly said should work in their favor when meeting with the community is Smith’s reputation as manager of the nearby Church Park apartment complex. He’s been involved with that project for 25 years, and he’s managed it in a first-class fashion, he said. He’s good in the community and a good neighbor, and I think people have confidence when the proponent of a project has that much invested in the neighborhood.
