I can't make all these meetings, and a lot of people that go to these done't want to write about it, for good reason. It's weird how being a blogger ends up being a lot more like being a spy for the public than being a journalist.
Anyway, feel free to go to this and comment or write in.
Final reminder that the MPIC meets tonight, 6 pm, at BCNC.
Suggested agenda items:-next steps regarding Parcel 25/26
-hotel proposals
-historic preservation of CCBA building
Encourage everyone to submit comments on the proposed Oxford/Essex Street hotel project. Information summarized below, including key points from MPIC discussion.
2 OXFORD STREET/73-79 ESSEX STREET HOTEL
Submit comments by Monday, June 6 to:
Raul Duverge
Project Assistant
Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201
Contact: Raul.Duverge@boston.
PROJECT PROPOSAL:
250-room, 8,095 s.f.. hotel
17 stories, height 186', floor area ratio (FAR) of 15.8
Fitness center, second floor restaurant
No parking; loading area on Oxford Street
Proposed community benefits:
-two public meeting rooms roughly 600 s.f.
-local hiring for jobs
-required linkage contribution
LOCATION:
at the corner of Oxford and Essex Streets (site of the Ho Toy Noodle Factory).
KEY POINTS FROM MASTER PLAN DISCUSSION:
-Project far exceeds Chinatown zoning of 100' and FAR of 7 – about double the guidelines
-Does not address community priorities of affordable housing, library/community facilities or affordable small business space
- Major concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety; traffic will run through the heart of Chinatown on Oxford Street, a narrow, residential street.
-Developer's traffic analysis, increase of 4-8 more cars for a two-hour window, doesn't seem realistic for 250-room hotel.
-Construction management plan also must address traffic and pedestrian safety concerns
- Height of project will leave neighbors in shadow
-If project built at smaller scale, community needs first source hiring agreements with clear goals and early public reporting, funding to expand training opportunities for local residents
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