The Hyde Park Bulletin Volume 17, Issue 41 October 11, 2018 HPNA digs deeper into Neponset Greenway talks development issues bike paths in Hyde Park Members of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association met and discussed the Railyard 5 Project, shown above, among other projects. COURTESY PHOTO Mary Ellen Gambon about 20-something units,” Staff Reporter HPNA president John Raymond said. “They tried to About 25 members of the confuse us by lowering the Hyde Park Neighborhood As- square footage by about 7,500 The Neponset River Greenway Council met last Wednesday and discussed its progress in Hyde Park. sociation attended the meeting square feet. But there wasn’t a PHOTO BY JEFF SULLIVAN on Thursday, October 4 to dis- big reduction in units.” cuss new development issues – The developer, Jordan D. one in the near future and the Jeff Sullivan bike lane on the streets and a na- project, which connected the Warshaw, of the Noannet ture bike path through protected Martini Shell to Mattapan be- other on the radar. Staff Reporter Group, eliminated 29 units areas of the Massachusetts De- tween the Truman Parkway and The first focus was a recap from the final plan. There will The Neponset River partment of Recreation and Con- the Neponset River. It opened in of the meeting on October 1 on be 364 for-rent apartments and Greenway Council (NRGC) met servation (DCR). Currently, there 2012 and was completed in the Sprague Street development 128 for-sale condos, according last week and discussed several are ways to bike the path, but some 2015, spanning to the Neponset project at 36-70 Sprague Street to the proposal. items regarding the Greenway areas, particularly in Hyde Park, River Parkway in Readville at in Readville. The project, “I have never seen a meet- and Hyde Park. could use some work. the southern edge of Boston. which is currently in the final ing that large in all my years of The Greenway, it is hoped, Most of the Hyde Park section comment period with the Bos- living here,” he continued. “A will connect Milton to deals with what was called in Neponset River Dorchester on a fully-protected 2009 the Neponset Trail Phase II Continued on page 6 ton Development and Planning couple of people were for it, Agency (BPDA), is now being and a lot of union guys were presented as a 492-unit, four- there. Right now people are just building, mixed-use develop- going to have to watch and lis- Fairmount Hill group talks about ment with condominiums and ten.” apartments. HPNA Meeting “This is only a reduction of Continued on page 13 gas concerns with officials Mary Ellen Gambon City Life hosts talk on Staff Reporter Despite the change of loca- displacement, tion to the Area E-18 police sta- tion, about 35 people came to the Fairmount Hill Neighborhood corporate landlords Association (FHNA) meeting Jeff Sullivan ing on in the group involves the on September 26, to discuss a Staff Reporter City Realty group, which owns possible zoning violation on dozens of buildings in Allston, Pond Street with a home that has City Life Vida Urbana Brighton, Jamaica Plain, created a parking lot on its front (CFVU) hosted a meeting last Dorchester and Roslindale, lawn for an Airbnb. week with residents facing dis- among others. “The owner has taken a placement and the press to high- Matthews said that City Re- beautiful old Queen Anne Vic- light the issues currently facing alty is increasing rents to force torian house and tarred over the residents in Boston. out current tenants, both in resi- front lawn,” said the group’s The hearing focused on sev- dential and business properties. zoning committee co-chair, Joe “They’re this really bad ac- eral residents in Hyde Park, Ja- Smith. “The house is being used tor in the Jamaica Plan/Roxbury maica Plain, Dorchester, as an Airbnb. We have discussed Roxbury and East Boston who area. They are a big corporate landlord who’s purchasing a lot this issue at previous meetings. The FHNA discussed several zoning issues at its most recent meeting in have been experiencing rent Now they are at the point of hikes anywhere from 30 percent of buildings,” she said. “During September. painting lines for four parking HOTO Y ARY LLEN AMBON to 100 percent. CLVU stated dur- the foreclosure crisis, they P B M E G ing the meeting that the organi- bought up all these buildings spaces. We are annoyed.” fice to pursue the issue with the keep reporting this issue,” Flynn zation has been fighting to stop when people were dealing with Bryan Flynn, Hyde Park’s Inspectional Services Depart- continued. “I cannot stress this said displacements. this really big crisis, and they liaison from the Mayor’s Office ment (ISD). enough. If you keep calling 311 CLVU Communications Di- took advantage of it by scooping of Neighborhood Services, said “I have spoken with Lisa or using the 311 app with pic- he has “double teamed” with Coveney,who is an official with tures, they can potentially be put rector Helen “Homefries” City Life Fairmount Hill Matthews said one of the main Continued on page 11 Steven Maguire from City ISD,” Flynn said. Fairmount Hill campaigns they have been work- Councilor Tim McCarthy’s of- “But the community needs to Continued on page 12 Page 2 The Bulletin October 11, 2018 SWBCDC hosts Doyle Playground update and Block Party Jeff Sullivan We’ve been here in Hyde Park Staff Reporter the whole time,” she said. “The ground had just been left The Southwest Boston and it was just a waste. I used Community Development Cor- to see kids play here a little poration (SWBCDC) recently bit, I mean it was a little some- hosted a block party and thing for the kids around the progress update for the pro- neighborhood, and this addi- posed playground and park at tion to it would help a lot.” the site which is currently Simeon said it was amaz- known as the Doyle Play- ing to see the community ground. come together around this The party, which was held piece of land and the other on Saturday, Sept. 29, was to playgrounds around the show the community what has neighborhood. been done on the planning for “I mean before you had to the playground. The SWBCDC go to other neighborhoods gave out fliers, updated the Residents came out during the last week of September to celebrate the progress of the Doyle Playground and just to go to a playground,” community, provided free food see what's on the docket for the future. she said. “It’s amazing, it feels and hosted a live DJ for the day. PHOTO BY JEFF SULLIVAN like people want to stay here. SWBCDC Board Chair out equipment, as there is no “We’re all friends and we all down, that’s awesome and I mean this area was dying out Mimi Turchinetz said it’s been option like that in the neigh- grew up together, I mean Gabe that’s what we’re doing,” he and they’ve brought new life amazing to see the community borhood. and his family grew up in that said. “Today’s going really to it. There’s the Ross Play- rally around this project and Currently, the group has house right over there,” Whyte well, we’re seeing a lot of ground now and this play- throw their support into it. been able to clean up the area said, pointing to the house on people coming out of their ground... I used to go all the “There’s a lot of stuff go- along the Neponset River and the western border of the par- homes and coming by and I’m way to Jamaica Plain to go to ing on here and this is great,” create mulch paths to and cel. “So when I was younger, excited about the progress that a playground and now we she said. “We’ve been work- along the river. we used to play at this park we’ve made and the progress have our own.” ing really hard for a lot of SWBCDC Board Member when it still had the swings and we can make for the future... I Resident and founder of months and years to get the Sheila Burke said it was good all that stuff. When I was go- was having kind of a rough New England Bike Life playground where it is right to see so many people come out ing around recruiting people for morning, and when I came here Maurice Thomas said he had now.” to support the park and have a a cleanup day, we stopped at and saw how open it was and no idea this was happening on Currently, the group’s hired good time. another friend’s house and he the progress we’ve made with that Saturday, but he was glad landscape architect Offshoots “Today is very beautiful, the saw the playground idea and the pathing and mulching, to see it. Inc. and has put together sev- weather has been good to us they were able to come to that that’s like two years of work. “I live next door and I heard eral plans for the park, and and I haven’t seen the plans for very first cleanup day.” It was refreshing and it just the music, and I just wanted to though nothing is set in stone, the park in the last few months Whyte said the group has made me feel excited.” come out, check it out and sup- residents said they’re happy so it’s been good to know narrowed down the artist at Resident Sophia Simeon port the community,” he said.