Want to Ride Your Bike On the Common? City Still Says No
After discussions among top city officials and leaders, you still can't ride bikes in three major Boston parks. South End Patch News
Want to Watch Fireworks Over Boston Harbor? Well, Now You Can
Head to the waterfront over Labor Day Weekend to see the Boston Arts Festival, and stay for the fireworks show at night. South End Patch News
Do You Want a Digital Billboard in Your Neighborhood?
Are you ready for digital billboards on state land across the commonwealth? The Department of Transportation wants the glowing house-sized signs on its property across the state, and the revenue they’ll bring to the state, according to the Boston Globe. Under the current deal signed with Clear Channel, the state would get a cut of each billboard’s revenue—either 25 percent or $ 90,000 per year, whichever is higher. But other states negotiated more lucrative deals. Current state law allows these digital billboards, but prohibits any animation. So you won’t see the latest Geico lizard ad or anything like that, but you may see a rotating set of images. It also requires the sign’s owner to set aside time for public service announcements. You may have passed one of these signs already. There are digital billboards in Foxborough, Medford, Stoneham and a few other locations. Former Governor Michael Dukakis is a vocal opponent of the digital billboards (and billboards in general). He was especially angry about the lack of siting oversight for local communities. “For the life of me, I don’t understand why we need these in the Commonwealth,” said Dukakis in an interview with the Globe. “The T is hell-bent on becoming the state’s primary visual polluter.” What do you think? Should Massachusetts allow more of these digital billboards? Do you find them distracting while you drive? Should the state negotiate for a bigger cut of the profits? Or should they be banned altogether? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Billboard, Digital, Neighborhood, Want
What Do You Want in a Park? Boston Wants to Know
What makes a park great? Is it the amount of open space, the prevalence of natural features, shade trees, trails, benches, gardens or playgrounds? Is it a community garden, like Berkeley, or a nice space with benches, like Library Park? The city of Boston has begun its effort to plan for the preservation of open space and the development of parks through 2021, and wants input from residents through a new online questionnaire. The planning process will consider all of Boston’s public spaces including parks, playgrounds, squares, malls, community gardens, cemeteries, trails and harbor islands, and consider demographics and socio-economic trends and how they fit into park use, officials said. Officials also plan to target natural areas for preseracation, such as rivers, harbors, wildlife and vegetation. “Public participation is crucial to the success of the plan and the key ingredient to helping us make our parks and open spaces better,” the Parks Department said in a statement. Residents can fill out the survey here. Copies of the questionnaire are also available at the Boston Public Library branches and the Boston Centers for Youth and Families community centers through May 24, by emailing openspaceplan2015@cityofboston.gov or by writing to the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Want to Keep Bees or Chickens in Boston? Now, There are Rules
After more than a year of discussions, the city has published a draft document outlining new rules for urban agriculture in Boston. From the keeping of hens and honey bees to regulation of composting, aquaculture, rooftop farms and farmers markets, the new document sets standards for a variety of urban agriculture activities that are not currently addressed in Boston’s zoning code. The Boston Redevelopment Authority, Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives and Mayor’s Urban Agriculture Rezoning Working Group have been meeting monthly since January 2012 to work on the document. The new regulations, Article 89 of the Boston Zoning Code, will “create clarity and predictability for anyone interested in commercial food growing and creating farms in Boston,” according to a statement on the BRA website. The BRA posted a list of reasons urban agriculture is good for Boston, including bringing neighbors together, improving access to fresh, healthy food, environmental benefits and educational opportunities. The BRA is encouraging Boston residents to review the proposed guidelines and provide feedback over the summer. A series of neighborhood meetings on urban agriculture will be scheduled in the coming months, and residents can follow the conversation using the Twitter hashtag #UrbanAgBos. The new zoning regulations set standards for the “siting, design, maintenance and modification of urban agriculture activities that address public safety and minimize impacts on residents and historic resources in the City of Boston,” according to the document’s Statement of Purpose. Some highlights from the draft regulations: • Small and medium ground-level urban farms will be allowed in all city districts and subdistricts, while large ground-level farms—greater than one acre in size—are allowed only in industrial districts and as a conditional use, with special permit, in all other districts. • Rooftop farms of all sizes will be allowed by right in the city’s industrial and institutional districts, but rooftop farms of more than 5,000 sq. ft. are conditional in all other districts and subdistricts. • Most ground-level urban farms that are more than 10,000 sq. ft. in size must undergo a Comprehensive Farm Review process to make sure they are designed in a way that fits with the surrounding neighborhood. Rooftop farms larger than 5,000 sq. ft. must also go through the CFR process, with some exceptions for farms being placed in industrial and institutional districts. • Accessory composting will be allowed where any ground-level urban farm or rooftop urban farm is permitted. Ground-level composting structures must not exceed 10 feet in height and all must not cover more than 5 percent of the lot and must be enclosed and out of direct contact with flammable materials. • Article 89 does not regulate whether the keeping […]
Survey: Riders Want Late-Night MBTA Service
A recent survey confirms what most of Boston was already thinking: residents want late-night MBTA service. The Boston Globe reported Friday that about 26,000 people responded to a survey saying they are in favor of late-night bus or train service in Boston. More than 85 percent of respondents said they would be willing to wait 10 to 19 minutes for a late-night bus or train, and half said they’d pay double the fare, according to the Globe. As MBTA officials scramble to close a $ 117 budget gap for fiscal year 2014, and legislators mull Gov. Deval Patrick’s 21st Century Transportation Plan, the T has said it is not making late-night service a priority. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in a Feb. 21 email that, until the state decides to implement Patrick’s transportation budget roll out, late-night service is out of the question. “Given the enormous strain on the MBTA’s limited resources, the Authority cannot even consider an extension of service hours before action is taken on the 21st Century Transportation Plan,” Pesaturo said. The Night Owl bus service, which ran buses from the end of service at 1 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., existed between 2001 and 2005 but was too costly to maintain. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Councilors Want to Use Smart Phones, Payment Kiosks to Pay Meters, Bills
The Boston City Council will be discussing whether to enable residents to use smart phones to pay parking meters or pay bills at payments kiosks throughout the city. The two ideas are separate and were proposed by different councilors but fall under the same idea of using technology to make things easier for residents. At the council meeting on Wednesday, March 6, City Council President Stephen Murphy filed for a hearing to discuss the feasibility of payment kiosks. “Several other cities and towns do this. They have kiosks that are located in heavily populated and trafficked areas,” Murphy said. “It’s like a remote satellite station to pay a municipal bill. I’ve seen them at sports arenas, libraries, transit stations, and they get good use.” “We should make it easier for people. The kiosk idea is one way that would help do this. I’m kind of ganging up on what others have done with other cities and towns on best practices. Most of our payments are done 9 to 5 in person,” he continued. Also looking to make life a little easier for Boston residents is District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson, who supported and signed onto Murphy’s proposal on Wednesday. At last week’s council meeting, Jackson proposed using smart phones to pay parking meters by tapping a sticker on the meter. Jackson said vehicle owners are alerted to their meter running out of time before it expires via their smart phone. Jackson’s proposal also includes MBTA properties. On Wednesday, Jackson spoke about his proposal as well as Murphy’s. “The people in Boston move and think fast, and as a government we have to be right there with them,” he said. “Boston is a high-tech city in a high-tech state. To keep up, we have to give people as many options to pay as possible. Parking meter smart phone applications are just one more way to move Boston into the 21st century.” Both matters were referred to the Committee on Government Operations, and no dates have been set for the hearings. What do you think of being able to pay Boston parking meters via smart phones? Or having payment kiosks to pay bills? Let us know in the comments. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Do You Want ‘Roadrunner’ or ‘Dream On’ for State Rock Song?
A little more than a week after a bill was filed to make “Roadrunner” by The Modern Lovers the state’s official rock song, two legislators responded by filing their own bill to make Aerosmith’s “Dream On” the anthem. “(“Dream On” is a) classic ballad that’s all about holding on to your dreams and seizing opportunity,” Rep. Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury) said. Cutler is co-sponsoring the bill with Rep. James Cantwell (D-Marshfield). The two songs represent very different stories, both about rock and roll, and about Massachusetts. One is a buoyant tribute to the thrill of being young in Massachusetts, speeding down Route 128. The other is a wistful look back by a Boston band that was just at its beginnings as one of the most famous in rock history. When asked, Gov. Deval Patrick told reporters Monday that he hasn’t considered which song, if any, he prefers for the state rock song. What do you think? Should “Roadrunner” become the state rock song, should “Dream On,” or should neither? South End Patch