SBOL_Jeanne

by Rick Winterson First, a brief backstory: “CPA” stands for “Community Preservation Act”, an act that the Massachusetts state legislature passed in 2000, seventeen years ago. Brief ly stated, this involved levying a 2% surcharge on existing property taxes, which would then be earmarked for funding preservation projects. “Community Preservation” was loosely defined; it included three general types of project – 1.- Historic, 2.- Parks & Open Space, and 3.- Affordable Housing. In the following year, 2001, the CPA’s 2% levy failed to pass in Boston. Fifteen years later in 2016, with the CPA surcharge being cut in half to 1%, the preservation levy passed, garnering an impressive 74% of the vote. As of now, Boston’s surcharge generated $20 million ($20,000,000) in preservation funds for [...]

By Richard Campbell This past Tuesday evening a packed meeting at District Hall in the Seaport featured a forum sponsored by Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center and Venture Café on the housing crisis in Boston. It was a rather spirited presentation by development representatives, housing planners, architects, and city officials from the mayor’s innovation lab. The forum explored Boston’s current housing crunch in considerable detail, to provide some possible solutions to the exploding housing shortage impacting community neighborhoods. This is a subject near and dear to Mayor Walsh’s policies for the future of Boston, as he has repeatedly made plans for ramping up more affordable housing in the city. Presenters touched on the the real estate building boom in the Seaport, the effects of student [...]

Until Sunday, February 25 (at any time you choose), it’s “Help Clean Up The South Boston Neighborhood”. But the good news is that Dede, Lyllie, and Dyan have pitched in to help. The photo shows them cleaning up the intersection of K Street and East Broadway. You can help too! The DPW will provide brooms, trash bags, and whatever you need. When you are done dial 3-1-1 to have your bagged trash picked up. Questions? Contact Councilor Ed Flynn, Donna Brown, Kathy Lafferty, Dyan La Rosa, Gino Provenzano, or Cathe Walsh.

By Richard Campbell Some trade shows at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center may be more dazzling, but it would be hard to find a more congenial group than the nautical purveyors collected this past week at the New England Boat Show as produced by Progressive Insurance. Outside of the sheer quantity of every conceivable water traveling craft, from sail boats to jet skis, yachts, fishing boats, tugs, craft cruisers; this show had plenty of vendors offering training, maintenance, and ancillary products. The show’s guide claims that the Massachusetts recreational boating industry has an annual impact of $2.1 billion a year. It seemed like I saw $2 billion dollars-worth of nautical equipment in the 250 displays at this one show. Being in the older demographic, [...]