Quincy Court Development Nixed by NEWRA for the Second Time

By Phil Orlandella

Feelings were high at the February 10 monthly meeting of the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) held in the Nazzaro Community Center (which was completely full) over a request by Richard Travagline who is seeking to expand living space into the basement area of the two buildings located at 13-15 Quincy Court LLC.

Plans call for construction of a one-story 8-foot high vertical addition to the building and additional 329 square-feet of living space to each of the two existing third floor units,  which are presently 578 square-feet.

The two, three-unit buildings will be combined into a single six-unit building, and will be all rentals.

A similar proposal for this site was opposed by NEWRA once before and even with some modifications the neighborhood association, the second time around, voted 11-17 not to support the applicant plans for the vacant building.

A letter of opposition will be sent to the City of Boston Board of Appeal.

NEWRA by a show of hands, voted to send three other letters basically opposing in part projects along the Waterfront, North Washington Street and Winthrop Square.

Joining several other community groups, NEWRA will send a letter commenting on the Shadow Law relating to the Winthrop Square project being changed by Mayor Martin J. Walsh through the Legislature for this one particular project.

The group feels that if the law is changed for one developer it would set a president for projects to follow. It would set a bad public policy.

Current plans would reportedly cast a shadow on the North End/Waterfront, Boston Common and the adjacent Boston Garden and Columbus Park.

NEWRA also voted to send a comment letter to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) supporting the concerns of the Harbor Towers Association and several other neighborhood agencies in and around the area calling for reasonable changes to the Municipal Harbor Plan which covers the area of the Waterfront boarded by Christopher Columbus Park and the Evelyn Moakley Bridge.

In addition, a comment letter related to the construction of a hotel at 88 Washington Street will be sent to the BRA as part of the review process.

Issues raised by NEWRA are height, building out over the sidewalk and traffic problemsas presented at public meetings.

President Mary McGee announced that Jason Aluia will chair NEWRA’s By-Laws Committee and the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park are looking into returning the fireworks over the harbor next year on New Year’s Eve.

            The next NEWRA monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, February 9 at 7p.m. in the Nazzaro Community Center. Open to the public.