Dear Ted and Linda:


Lenny and Jay suggested I send to you our comments that I had sent to them
yesterday. My apologizes for the lateness but I was in Boston away from my
computer today.

 

Dear Jay:

At the last public hearing you had generously offered to assist with
questions/comments from the public during working sessions so I am taking
you up on your offer.

 

It is clear that much work has been done since the last hearing, and that
much of the alderman's and publics comments have been heard and incorporated
into the planning department March 1, 2013 memo.   Thank you for your
continued efforts on behalf of our neighborhood.  There is still some detail
that needs to be worked out.

 

I will keep me comments brief, and assume that construction related
questions to parking etc. will be handled at a later working session.  It is
unclear if the conditions will be discussed at each working session or later
so I have some put suggestions in.

 

1)      Parking Management - Red Sox game Days:  There is no mention of red
sox weekend games, only weekday.  The lot does fill on weekends, the traffic
clogs the streets, and there is overflow parking on neighborhood side
streets.  Accommodations should be made on weekends to address overflow red
sox parking on the site and some type of police presence initially to get
folks oriented and moving the right way.  

2)      Parking Management - Red Sox game Days:  The week night game night
road issues are understated and last for more than just 4:30-5:30.  More
detail needs to be included, perhaps even a traffic police detail to get
this sorted out in the summer months.  You have the following actions
occurring at the same time during the evening rush:

a.       Equity office emptying out - 4:30-7:30

b.      Red sox traffic arriving:  4:30-6:30.

c.       MBTA lot emptying:  4:30-7:30.

d.      Evening events at Hotel Indigo:  5:00-???

e.      When the new buildings are open, you will have cars returning to the
residential at that same time, as well as cars existing from the new office
building.

f.        New retail and restaurant that will have customers arriving and
leanving all day and night.

3)      Attachment B: Regarding the Hotel Indigo parking plan, we are
pleased to see that there will be a second means of egress, but the plan
still lacks detail and should be access and egress. How many staff members
will need to be parked off site at the MBTA?  Given all of the actions noted
in 2 above and that the events at the hotel happen in the summertime, will
the office building be able to handle the entire overflow from the Red sox
and the Indigo?  Where there be a statement in the permit that will be
binding and in perpetuity to the potential owner/operator of the hotel that
they need to accommodate this parking?

4)      Attachment C: Regarding the VHB letter on parking management, I
would have expected to see at a minimum, an incentive for workers that would
be a discounted MTBA pass.  When I worked at one financial center 15 years
ago, my company had this.  I agree with Candace that there is still a lack
of detail on how they are going to do this.  I would discourage any type of
reduced parking.  Our neighborhood is still dealing with the effects of not
enough parking at the assisted living and offices of New England Development
in lower falls.

5)      Roundabouts on Grove street:  It would be helpful to have a larger
visual of the proposed pedestrian crossing for the condo, along with a
before and after (perhaps overlay) of where the ramps and sidewalks are
today, and where they will be in the future.   I am asking for this because
I really do not understand what they are proposing, and because today, we
lose our sidewalk in the winter due to the snow that is plowed from the
highway ramp.  We have to pay extra for snow removal to keep our entry open
due to the highway snow.   I also think we need more than something on the
ground which will get obscured in the winter, we need large, flashing and
bold signage that has been suggested at past FST peer group working
sessions.  If the ramp is to moved farther from the condo, and a bigger
deflection point (as recommended by Planning and we agree), what will be put
from the in the space from our retaining wall and sidewalk to the new
location?  There is no mention of the crossing guard on Grove and what hours
and days it is anticipated that they would be required.  In addition to
school children, there are adults that walk to the T as part of their
regular commute and would need assistance all year round.

 

On a somewhat related note, the developer submitted some documents in
January, and one of them was related to the hotel roof antennas. I do not
know if this will make it into a working session, but it would be clearer if
the developer were to provide a list of who owns each device, and what it is
for, to go with the map so there is no confusion about what is up there, and
allowed today.

 

Thank you again for your accomplishments thus far and let me know if you
have any questions (617-571-2064).
Lynne Sweet on behalf of Woodland Grove Condominium Trust and RSNC