Things to Know in the South End Today, Feb. 13: Parking Ban Lifted
1. Weather: The National Weather Service is predicting a mostly sunny day with a high of 42 degrees. Keep melting! 2. Boston Parking Ban Lifted: As of Tuesday at 6 p.m. Boston’s Snow Emergency Parking ban was lifted. You can now once again park on Columbus Avenue, Dartmouth Street East Berkeley Street, Harrison Avenue, Herald Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Tremont Street, and Washington Street, among others. 3. School’s Back Today: Boston Public Schools announced yesterday that there would be school on Wednesday for Boston students. 4. V-Day at the Beehive: Starting tonight, the The Beehive Restaurant (541 Tremont St.) is presenting “3 Days of Lovin’” a 3-day long love fest of Valentine’s Day inspired dinners accompanied by romantic live music, drink specials and as menu specials. See here for more information. 5. How to Report Issues to the City: If you’re dealing with unplowed sidewalks, unplowed streets, or huge piles of snow, reach out to the city of Boston and let them know. You can report via Twitter (@notifyboston), you can call the Mayor’s Hotline at 617-635-4500 or go online to http://www.cityofboston.gov/mayor/24/. Things you can do every day on South End Patch: Share your news with the rest of the community. Click here to add an announcement. Add your events to our events calendar. Click here to sign up for breaking news updates. Want up-to-the-minute news? Click here to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Share your thoughts on your community in a blog. Click here to get started. South End Patch
Boston’s Parking Ban Will Be Lifted at 6 p.m. Tuesday Night
The city announced on Tuesday afternoon that due to recent strides made in snow removal from city streets, Boston’s snow emergency parking ban would be lifted at 6 p.m. Tuesday night. “Our snow removal teams did great work throughout the night last night,” Mayor Menino said. “Our crews will be out there all day and again tonight as we continue to widen roads, make our schools safe for students, and respond to residents’ concerns about residential areas.” Those who parked their cars in garages during the snow emergency have until 8 p.m. to move them before reduced rates expire. The city also announced certain streets will continue to be specified as “No Parking” while crews continue to remove snow. The mayor also announced on Tuesday that Boston Public Schools would reopen on Wednesday. Snow Removal ProgressThrough the city’s concentrated snow removal efforts on Monday night, the mayor’s office reported that 1,350 truck loads of snow were removed from roadways, and 70 streets were reached for snow removal during the overnight shift. Inspectional Services issued 350 citations between midnight and 7 a.m. for snow-related violations. The city is currently utilizing several snow farms, including at Marine Industrial Park, Reservation Road in Hyde Park and Columbus Avenue, next to 1542 Columbus. If you have snow conditions or violations to report, you can reach the mayor’s office at 617-635-4500. South End Patch
Taylor Street ‘Stop Work’ Order Lifted, East Wall to Be Rebuilt
The construction at 8-10 Taylor Street will go on, decided the South End Landmarks Commission on Tuesday night. The wooden home is only one of two in the South End. It has faced controversy in the neighborhood since construction started several weeks ago, had its stop work order lifted after the commission’s review. The stop work order had been imposed due to the homeowner and contractor’s decision to take down an extra wall during the demolition process. That demolished east wall will be rebuilt based on preservation’s standards, the commission decided. “The mistake was that you didn’t call when the wall had to come down,” said commission chair Christie Gamp. “I can’t believe knowing the contentiousness of this project and the neighbors that that didn’t happen… It’s unbelievable for the neighbors and all we’ve worked for and to feel like we’re blindsided,” said Christie Gamp. Owner Ramy Rizkalla said his project had always intended to rebuild the home’s east wall. “The design wasn’t discussed very much because we were under the impression because it doesn’t give onto a public way, it’s not under the commission’s purview,” he said. “The rebuilding of that east wall was approved from a construction perspective… the wall was bowing, it was rotting, there was termite damage and it needed to be moved because of the fire code.” After some public testimony, the commission decided to lift the stop work order, pending a further review of plans to rebuild the home’s east wall up to the state’s preservation standards. “I don’t think there’s any benefit to anyone to delay the project longer,” said commission member John Freeman. “We don’t have the purview to impose fines or a moratorium, although that can be done through the legal process. I want to see this project built because I’m embarrassed, quite frankly,” he said. Neighbors in attendance agreed, noting that since the wall was already down, it was too late for a stop work order to hold any value. “I’d much rather look at a home rather than a huge pile of rubble and a shoddily held up wall,” said Taylor Street resident Kate Alessi. South End Historical Society Executive Director Hope Shannon noted at the meeting that she’s concerned that the front façade is also in danger of being demolished. “To ensure it lasts is extremely important,” she said. Several neighbors and the Landmarks Commission also suggested to the owner to make amends in the neighborhood by adding improvements to the property’s nearby park. For now, expect to see construction on the house resume in the next few days, and expect to see an update during the commission’s March […]