Written by Ed Flynn

Last week, at two community meetings – the abutters meeting on M Street and at the City Point Neighborhood Association meeting – residents expressed anxiety and concern about the destruction of a beautiful home located inside the the Greenbelt Protection Overlay District on M Street in South Boston. Despite the claims by the developer proposing a multi-unit condo building in its place, the project requires approval of variances by the Zoning Board of Appeal and approval by the Parks Commission due to its location in the Greenbelt Protection Overlay District. Both the Zoning Board and Parks Commission should reject this proposal.

As the next City Councilor for District 2, I will lead on the preservation of our communities by working with residents, homeowners, community groups, historic preservationists, and others to identify and designate historic districts to preserve their architectural character and integrity. Throughout the district, from South Boston, Bay Village, Chinatown and the South End, residents are all dealing with similar challenges of institutional expansion and overdevelopment in today’s building boom. As your City Councilor I will work to ensure that communities like South Boston, Chinatown and downtown Boston, are able to maintain their neighborhood’s character through long-term planning and historic preservation, as neighborhoods like the South End, Bay Village, Fort Point and Beacon Hill have been able to through the creation of local historic landmark districts. Working together we can preserve what’s unique and special about Boston.