The South Boston Zoning Initiative (cont.)
by Rick Winterson No one has to be told that South Boston is an unusual place. It was annexed to the City of Boston 215 years ago in 1804, and certain areas in Southie still retains their original names, evoking a “once-upon-a-time” connection with Dorchester. These names include Washington Village, whose brother neighborhood was Adams Village near Quincy, and of course, Dorchester Heights, the site that anchored the first Evacuation Day on March 17, 1776. After 215 years, South Boston’s historic beginnings, middles, and current-day endings have seen enormous, earthquake-like developments, accompanied by equally enormous, earthquake-like arguments between its residents and its developers. Zoning and its controlling regulations were supposed to provide the answers (or were they?). At approximately 40,000 residents, South Boston [...]