Carragee speaks out on neighborhoods 13 :l Commun y Newspaper Company www.townonline.com/allstonbr ghton FRIDAY, MAY 10, 002 Vol. 6, No. 42 48 Pages 3 Sections 75¢ Pre are ye for a return to musicals • School listens to residents' many concerns Size ofTorahAcademy expansion, parking, traffic are biggest worries on Bigelow Street By Auditi Guha tmtlic study," said Bigelow Street STAFF WRITER resident Caitlyn MacDonald. ''The he battle continues between concerns of the neighborhood for the Bigelow Street resident\ and school were the same one-, from last T the Torah Academy that plans July which were clearly voiced to the to expand into the neighborhood with BRA ahd to the school representa­ a Hebrew school at the site of a for­ tives." mer nursing home. oITTJan Kram. architect for the Many residents were glad that the prqjcct, presented tlopr plans show­ developers met with Bigelow Street ing a building with a Capacity for 332 re-,idents last wee!-. and presented students at the Bigelow Street Neigh­ plan-, to the Brighton Allston Im­ borhtxxl meeting on Wednesday, provement Association, but are upset May I. Residenh were expecting as they feel their concerns have still plans for about 150 students. as per not been addressed. la'it year's meeting. The first and foremost of their de­ City Councilor Brian Honan said. mands is a tmtlic plan that the devel­ "Zoning relief i-, not required, so this oper-. promised to develop last year, plan is going in." but have failed to present so far. This set off a <;pate of ang1) come­ "We appreciate the school\ provi­ bacb from attending residents. -,ion of a timeline and current build­ '1'hen this i' a fait accompli-\\<hat ing status, but the major concerns choice do we have?" cried one resi­ have no ans'>'ers yet. We were dent promised a tratlic studq bacl-. in Jul) 1'11e Torah Academy reprcsenta­ b) the -..chool representatives and tivl'' .;aid they have 208 students in eight month;; I.it 1 ,, tn ti " Brookline school e\en after 20 t a' c re-comnutted to a BIGELOW, P'a2€4)--.:...,:. By Audltl Guha "'This is a largL roJCCt .md 1f e\cl')­ \\e cannut achie\e unanimit) hut \\e STAFF W• ll[R thing falls into plal . it "ould t:ike three hope tor ct n'en..,us ... Green isl· nd\. pe<lc-,trian boubard'>. >ear, to implemu11 ma~be C\en tour or A -.li<le hm\ ol public at1 from all 0\ er ca") tr:.itfo.: lov•. even public art i:ro m1 '>­ fi,e: said Ste\c Cccil. pnndpal of 1hc the world b' J\1a2-. Harrie,. a Cambnd!!e es to mal-.e Cleveland Circle le. s h<v­ Cecil Group of u1b.ltl de ign f\ and land­ .uti't. ge1k;,11ed idea" for (Xhsibk Cle\~- ardou'> and more beauti ful. Al hough scape architect, \~h >presented the plan~ 1,md Circle e\h1bit-.. man) n:si<lc h arc happy with the pro­ to the community Hrighton rv.. ident Jell) Collin" -..aid he po\ed ltteeli l and the ongoing conununi­ The plan addre-. 1 ng Pf\." tOl1' commu­ prefer-, ha\ ing a commemorati\ e piece ty prcx:c'"· ·unJs are not available be­ . nity concerns outhne<l traftic operation. for the ~larathon runner ''ho died there yond this co ccptual stage. pedestrian circul,1tmn. ' tn.-ei-.ca[JI! :mu on \pril I - rather than an) ,1bstraLt item. About 5 re-,idents reacted tin or.ibl) urban design el1•'11ent-. aml parking t - Others agn:1.:d a' Cle,eland Circle i' an to the .a1: thl. tuunh u.: unportant midpoint for the Bo,ton pubfie meet ng on the tb1gn segment ~f '"T ggest ch.111 ng ., µ) 111J t rnc- \larathon anll id that .in art pit: then~ the Clevcl a1 d Circle Streetscape Plan on oncile individual i ion .' \;lid Da\ 1d houl<l rellec1 1J..:nt1ty ot the aiea. Wednesday. May I at the Temple B'nai O'Connor, projed manag r v. ith th Some r1:,1dents are hoptn~ to 'e llillJOr Mo-,hc in B1~ghton. or<Jani1ed by he Ab­ Cecil Group ...We ha\e tk.::;aru 'i() mam unprO\ enienh 1 n 5e n Stn.-ct "ith erdeen and Re-,eiYoir Ci" ic As\ociation. ideas, some of them OPJX>.'-ing each u ther: m re greener).' 1u1.: u .. \JI·" and lat"> CLEVELAND, page 7 This is the project site plan for what the new Cleveland Circle may someday look like. W st End House is open for business ~nd fun Shedding some light ByWillKllbum CORRESPONDENT on mystery building When the West End House Boys & Girls Club reopened its doors Theres nothing illegal, but some residents Apri l 22 after 10 months of re 1ova­ tions, bo h the kid., and the staJf had feel left in the dark about what is going on the same feeling. ''It's j st home for so many 1-. ids­ By Audltl Guha what is happening at the old Y site. all the ki s that came back last week. STAfTWRITER Many had no clue until a project pre­ just the . i1i les on their faces, they all The old Yrv1CA building on 470 sentation wa~ made at the BAJA meet­ came ' ·k and were like, 'We're Wa~hington St. W<L'> recently rated to ing la'it week on Thursda>- home,'~ 're home'," says Ass·x:iate the ground. A huge hole wa\ then dug. There is nothing illegal happening Director Alex Danesco. "Kids of all Now new foundations are being built. in all this. 111e project fits well within diffen!nt ages. all ditlcrent every­ Until la~t week. resident~ in the area wning laws, and there is no rule that thing - l is is home." were wondering what is going on forces the developers to approach the All di erent eve1ything'! there. Sever.ii called the TAB to make community with their plans in this "Whe we say there's great diver­ inqui1ies, and while some residents are case. But people who live in the area sity he , there's diversil) in every happy to get ~orhe infoITTJation, other would rather know what\ coming up rather than having to deal with a sur­ way im, oinable. There\ a my1iad of people are not thrilled. "Your article [from lm;t week's prise building later. differen reasons why they come," issue] is incredibly inaccurate," com­ While the Boston Redevelopment says D esco, who began working at plained architect Gary Hendren. "We Authority might be satisfied with this a bran of the club farth~r up have been to the Brighton-Allston Im­ projec" some residents are still not sat­ Comm. ve. seven years ago while provement Association twice a'i well isfied. he wa'> student at Boston College. a<; the Parks Commission. We do have ''The building seems to lack detail," "Some kids come because they a building pennit and have basically said Brighton resident Theresa Hynes. know~ at they're going to get into gone through the process at every "We are trying to improve Brighton if they' not in here. ~ome kids just Ptl')T • nr point." Center. This looks like a strip mall." Shahquay Cross and Dominque Jones are in a dance class at the West End House Boys &G irls Club which recently He did not refute the fact that a lot of "It's such a long building - it's im- W~ST END, page 9 reopened. neighbors were left in the dark as to MYSTERY, page 6 , {\~ 14 €.J _Also •P« iol l""'P• INSIDE _,,~-- - · ~ MAEL c:.~\~~'1,0<'" , ~~::-,,,,fy (OT kids£/ l<<n«g.... ;/ ' S IMPLY FREE -:.~\~~ ,~-'"' ~! 11 l"" Around City 27 '~ MARSHALL INSURAN CE . <:11 IR<) l,H.\( :·r1 (: ~\,)'\("' C'(X'fh:rlCC l I I N C Y CHECKING 10 !E Learn to dance C li Customer Service Pnvate and group lessons with or without commttY Notes 5 Sports SERVING ALLSTON/BRIGHTON SINCE 1984 -~~ IE for more details partner • weekly dances • low rates ~21. Wedding preparation specials Shawmut Properties Crime 4 \i_ Auto AUTO/HOME INSURANCE lf ercantile Bank· FREE 11"''',.. ~®llW @!J'ltW 134 Tremont Street• Brighton Enterta nment 15 ' Work lnjurie Call For Rates Today! MMUN ,. IANll: 617-566-7850 423 Washington Street • Brighton DanceSport Academy Your Neighborhood Realtor® 23 Ubrary es 556 Cambridge !'It., Bri.. ht on 61 7-783-3500 of Net'v England 617-782-3000 384 Harvard St. Brookline (617) 787-2121 Polltlc~I Notebook 27 Www.bankatmercantile.com www.DanceSport-NewEngland.com • (617) 787-8700 331 Washington SI. (Brighton Center) Member FDIC t .., 24 Friday, May I0, 2002 www.tnwnonline.com/allstonbrighton Key contacts: THIS WEEK on townonline. com - f Echtor . Wayne Braverman (781) 433-8365 Wei me to the Allston-Brighton TAB! We are - • . \'lbravennan'~.com The Allston-Brighton TAB published online at www.townellllne.com/allstonbrlghton and America Online Key­ eager to serve as a forum for the community. is Repor1er •. AOOiti Gulla (781) 433-8333 worb: Town Online. Town Online features news from more U'l/IJ 45 local publications, profiles of more• than 200 Plea. send U!> calendar li-;tings, social news and •• . • • aguha-~.com Eas em Massachusetts communities, and items of regionil interest. any thcr items or comm mity interest. Please Edrtor m clue! . : . • . Greg Rebman (781) 433-8345 mail he infom1ation to Wayne Braverman, -. .. I . .. gre1bman@cnccom Coffee­ edito , Allston-Brighton .,... AB, P.O. Box 91 I 2, ~Director . .• Cns Warren (781) 433-8313 houses ~sales • Harriet Steinberg (781) 433-7865 Nee am, MA 02492.