M Emily Rooneya s eeting with e nn pt e U M al ber 11 • A L go nq ui N Cl NABB NEWS ub SUMM e r 2 0 0 8 Proposed Copley Place Tower Raises Serious Trinity Church, and on the Back Bay and South Questions about Public Space, Shadows End Historic districts. The PNF studies indicate BY JackiE YESSIAN, jolinda taYLOR, AND PETER FLYNN that shadows would extend all the way to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall at some times of the THE proposED NEW towER ovER Copley photographed buildings in Boston. When planning year. Place Park—the plaza with the two metal horses in Copley Place, the rule of thumb, “no higher than half front of Neiman Marcus—is the latest example of a the height of the Hancock,” was used to establish Very tall buildings, such as the Hancock Tower, development project where none was ever envisioned the maximum height for the hotel and office towers. are responsible for winds that make walking in this by the adjacent neighborhoods or the City of Boston. Adhering to this principal for any building within the area difficult in many weather conditions. The It has come about because the Simon Properties area would clearly establish the new tower as part proposed tower would add to this problem. Company, one of the of Copley Place, 790 feeT The site is at a transportation hub, close to largest mall owners in hANcock and avoid visual turnpike, bus, subway, and train routes. Thus, it is Tower the world, is looking 600 feet conflict with the ripe for transit-oriented development. However, to expand, employing ProPoSed taller structures. continued on page 3 coPley the latest strategy in tower 395 feeT The location mall development— wesTiN of the proposed hoTeL high-end residences development is bare today, green tomorrow and retail space. also directly south This may make of the Boston sense in the typical Public Library suburban mall where AN essi on Dartmouth the retail buildings y ckie Street. Buildings A are surrounded by o: j T on Dartmouth acres of parking that Pho Street are held provide ample space This composite photo, shot looking south along Dartmouth Street from away from the Boylston, illustrates the approximate height of the proposed tower, based Pho for new buildings over street, creating an T the cars. In Copley on information in the Project Notification Form. (The “ghost” building o: j important north- A here does not accurately convey the project’s proposed shape.) ckie yessi Place, however, such a south boulevard proposal is much more problematic. that expands into the open space of Copley Square AN Copley Place parking is already covered by the (see box.) The proposed tower would block views of mall. There is limited open space, and that open space the sky from the Square and cause new shadows on The city of boston has begun work to renew the lawn is suspended over the publicly owned Massachusetts Dartmouth Street, Copley Square, on the adjacent and some of the masonry in copley square. see page 3 for details. Turnpike. The open space is an east-northeast fac- nationally landmarked Boston Public Library and ing park, an asset to the neighboring residents, mall shoppers, and travelers using the train station across Dartmouth Street. The proposed development will enclose this park, as well as part of the adjacent, heav- Graffiti NABBers Round-up: A Tagger, an Award, and More... ily trafficked sidewalks, and will require the acquisi- tion of the corner of Dartmouth and Stuart Streets. BY ANNE swanson AND katHLEEN ALEXANDER At the Copley Place site, a building that could QUick thinking leadS to arreSt graffiti NABBerS winS award contain the developer’s desired number of new On June 11, neighbor Penny Cherubino proved In July, the Graffiti NABBers were selected to residential units would have to be very tall because to be a Graffiti NABBer extraordinaire when she receive one of Boston’s Top Ten Crime Watch Awards the available open space is relatively small. The used her cell phone to photograph a young man for 2008. Mayor Menino attended the presentation developers are touting the views from these units. scrawling words and pictures on the Collins Statue on of the awards at the Salute to the Neighborhoods But for those of us who live in the surrounding Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Community Awards Celebration on August 4. Seven neighborhoods, the view would be less attractive. After the vandal jokingly posed for her camera, Graffiti NABBers represented the larger group at the The project is described in a Project Notification he thought to inquire what Penny intended to do event at the Venezia Restaurant in Dorchester, where Form (PNF) submitted to the Boston Redevelopment with the photo. When Penny said she planned to crime watch groups were honored for contributing to Authority (BRA) for public review and comment. send it directly to the a safer and friendlier (Copies are available for viewing at the BRA and at police, the tagger fol- city for all of us! the Boston Public Library.) As illustrations in the lowed her aggressively. graffiti BusterS to PNF show, the basic idea is to expand the retail space Fortunately, two nearby on the lower levels and construct the residences clean reSidential postal workers came to alleyS in a 600-foot-tall tower above. For reference, The her aid by escorting the Prudential Tower is 749 feet tall. The nearby John The City of young man back to his Boston’s Graffiti Hancock Tower is 790 feet. The neighboring Westin, friends. the Marriott at Copley, and the new Clarendon Busters has agreed to Penny immediately building are 395, 382, and 375 feet, respectively. The clean the residential emailed the perpetra- Pho alleys north of T typical Back Bay/South End brownstone is only about o: To tor’s photo to our long- Commonwealth 65 feet tall. M s time ally, Detective hi LL Avenue in early i The location of the proposed tower is close to the N Billy Kelley, who drove g LA September. In iconic John Hancock Tower, which is widely regarded to the Mall and made w as one of the best high-rise buildings in the world. preparation, Graffiti the arrest. This is the Graffiti NABBers co-chairs, Kathleen Alexander and Anne Swanson NABBers has Along with Trinity Church, it is one of the most (left to right) accepted a Crime Watch Award as BPD officers, ultimate in community contacted residents including Sergeant Kevin Power and Officer Richard Litto (left to policing and a great for permission forms use of technology to right next to Anne), look on. AnnuAl Meeting And Street SAle and will post flyers on help us enforce the law tagged surfaces. Graffiti Busters will also clean new > THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 at 6:30 p.m. in our neighborhood! While we do not recommend tags in the commercial alleys south of Commonwealth nabb annUal Meeting at the Algonquin club, confronting vandals, we salute Penny for her forti- Avenue. Completing the cleaning of all Back Bay 217 commonwealth Avenue. guest speaker will be tude and quick thinking! (And thanks to the Parks emily rooney of wgbh-TV’s “greater boston” alleys will be a huge milestone after our two-and-a- Department for quickly removing the graffiti.) half-year effort to eradicate graffiti from the historic > SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. We need to educate young people that defacing nabb Street Sale on the dartmouth street Mall. district. public or private property for entertainment is continued on page 2 call 617-247-3961 for information. unacceptable. We Will Miss Dick Brayley And Fred Mauet Graffiti NABBers, continued from page 1 his spring the Back Bay neighborhood lost two stalwart defenders with the passing of Richard Brayley on March We urge owners of cleaned properties to 9, aged 83, and Fred Mauet on April 19 at age 55. Both men were longtime NABB board members and both had express their appreciation to Mike Bartosiak been honored with NABB Community Service Awards. and his crews. While we all pay taxes for T At the time of his death, Dick Brayley had lived in the Back Bay for over 50 years and in his soft-spoken, these services, Graffiti Busters serves 22 selfless way had been a knowledgeable advisor and helpful participant in many of NABB’s endeavors. In the mid-1980s, neighborhoods and receives 100 calls a day! Dick built a model of the proposed Prudential Center redevelopment project that pointed up By facilitating the cleaning of entire alley Richard the need for project guidelines, influencing the establishment of the citizen’s group, PruPAC. corridors, Graffiti NABBers has worked With fellow NABB activist, Paul Prindle, Dick called attention to poor conditions in our alleys together with Graffiti Busters to combat Brayley and worked with the City on much-needed improvements—an effort that continues to this this chronic vandalism as never before. Our 1924–2008 day. Dick also served over a decade as a NABB representative to the Back Bay Architectural photographic record of the original condition Commission. of these alleys shows that the transformation In 2007, Dick received NABB Mary Natale Citizenship Award in recognition of his is astonishing and reminds us how very far sustained dedication and significant and unheralded service to our neighborhood. (See NABB we’ve come! NEWS, Winter 2008) e.J. clean reacheS higher Neighbors and family gathered to remember the life of Dick Erik Barry of E.J. Clean is continuing to Brayley on April 27th at the Boston Architectural College across Fred Mauet contact property owners to provide graffiti Newbury Street from his home and the NABB office where for many removal for upper stories and rooftops.