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West Roxbury Residents and Development Proponents Square Off

Boston - West Roxbury Civic Association Meeting Community Video - West-Roxbury, MA 02132

At a recent meeting of the West Roxbury Civic Association at St. Stephen’s church in West Roxbury, residents of Desoto and Edgemere Road and surrounding neighborhoods had their chance to let Chestnut Hill Realty know exactly how they feel about the proposed building of a 92-unit, four-story apartment complex on a vacant lot adjacent to Desoto Rd.–and the residents where not at at all shy about expressing their views on the matter.  Also on the table was a proposal to re-route both streets as one-ways to accomdate the development and reduce the impact of traffic on the area.

Representatives from Chestnut Hill Realty, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and local political representatives were present to deliver their positions on the planned development.  Illustrations of the project, traffic impact analysis, zoning issues were addressed in an effort to convey the merits of the proposal to a skeptical audience.  And then the residents spoke–in some cases shouted out–their concerns.

In the end, the community voted not to approve either proposal, and both the re-routing of the streets and a request for a variance on the height of the project from 35 feet to 60 feet were voted down.  Although the meeting lasted over 2 hours, the video above was editied in an effort to succinclty capture the heart of what was discussed.  If you’re interested in seeing the a community’s voice in action, watch this video (fascinating).

 Also, A special thanks to the Olivia Weishak and the West Roxbury Civic Association for welcoming us to the meeting and allowing us to video tape the entire event.  Hopefully it will be shared with those West Roxbury residents who were not able to attend.  Comments are welcome.

Tribute to a Fallen Hero

Funeral procession of fallen firefighter Paul Cahill along Centre steet in West Roxbury. May God bless these brave men and their families. They are truly Boston’s unsung heroes…

Real Estate Video by - Real Estate Blogger

Patty Cosby for Mayor of Roslindale!

As a member of the Roslindale Parade Committee for the past three plus years, Patty Cosby has been deeply involved in the planning, raising of funds and all other aspects of organizing the parade.  This year, Patty have been serving as the vice president of the committee.  At the urging of many dedicated residents she has decided to seek the title of “Mayor of Roslindale.”  So, for the following two months, Patty will be concentrating her time and effort in raising funds that will enable all to have the best and greatest Roslindale Parade ever.  All of the funds raised are turned over to the Committee to be disbursed for the expenses needed for the parade (i.e. the bands, the performers and the floats, etc).  These expenses are substantial and we ask you to be as generous as possible.  Also, each dollar you donate will mean a vote for Patty to be elected as “Mayor of Roslindale”.
A fund raising buffet will be held on Saturday, September 29^th located at the Sons of Italy Hall on Birch Street in Roslindale.  In addition to the buffet, there will also be raffles and some great entertainment.  Please come and see your friends and have a great time.  Tickets are just $20.00 per person:  the time from 7pm until midnight.

The theme of this years  parade is “Make it in Roslindale,”  so Patty has asked that all of us patronize all of our local merchants.  They have invested their time and money in Roslindale,  they employ many of our neighbors, and they deserve our patronage.  Patty enjoyed living in Roslindale for approximately ten years and currently resides in West Roxbury.  Patty’s business keeps her heavily  involved  in both Roslindale and West Roxbury.  And even though this is the Roslindale Parade,  Patty has thus far received generous donations  from many  of  the local merchants in both West Roxbury and Roslindale.    

To obtain tickets or make donation please feel free to call me anytime at 617-645-5965, Lou Murray at 617-699-5950 or Tom Clougherty  at 617-416-4836. 

VOTE FOR PATTY COSBY!

West Roxbury Open Spaces and Urban Wilds

Having been a life-long resident of West Roxbury, one of the area’s amenities that I’ve always had a deep appreciation for is the amount of open space available to its’ residents.  I’ve recently learned that West Roxbury, with 1,146 acres of total open space (both protected and unprotected), has more more open space than any other neighborhood of Boston.  How much more?  Lots!  By the numbers, West Roxbury has nearly 23 acres of open space per thousand residents while the city-wide average is 7.5 acres per thousand.  And considering the family orientation of this community, having as much open space available for recreational activities is a real asset.

So, where exactly is all this open space and how is it used?

The neighborhood itself is largely defined by the open spaces surrounding it. To the east are the MDC’s Stony Brook Reservation, Bellevue Hill, and West Roxbury Parkway. To the west are Millennium Park, a municipally owned urban wild at the West Roxbury High chool/Community Center, the MDC’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Parkway, Brook Farm, Havey Beach, and large private cemeteries.  To the south are two more cemeteries and the West Roxbury Quarry urban wild. To the north is the Allandale Woods urban wild.

Of Play Lots and Fields

Another of West Roxbury’s open space attributes is the plethora of playing fields (e.g. baseball, soccer, football, etc) and play lots for younger children.  Playing fields include: Praught, Draper, Billings and Hynes field as well as the many fields at Millennium Park all of which accomodate your typical array of outdoor American-style sporting activities.  Additionally, the West Roxbury landscape is dotted with numerous playgrounds located at both public schools and parks, including: The Beethoven and Ohrenberger schools, and all the parks listed above.

For Adults and Nature Enthusiasts

West Roxbury has considerable resources available for walking/hiking, nature appreciation activities, and scenic enhancement. Substantial acreage is in a natural state: 680.05 protected and unprotected acres in West Roxbury. (Included in this acreage is the 8.9 acres of the Millennium Park riverside natural area, formerly the Municipal Shoreline urban wild, and the approximately 60 acres of the Millennium Park Meadow natural area along the slopes of this park.) Most of this acreage is protected. The largest unprotected parcels are the Roxbury Latin School natural area and the West Roxbury Quarry. Both have some acreage under the jurisdiction of the Wetlands Protection Act.

Over the coming weeks I intend to explore these open spaces and urban wilds in more detail.  Since I don’t get out much, this will be a welcome change of scene

History of Jamaica Plain (Part III)

The Pond side section of Jamaica Plain became a popular home for Boston politicians.  In 1915 when politician James Michael Curley’s house on 350 Jamaica Way was designed with shamrocks carved into the shutters, it was clear that the elite of Jamaica Plain and Boston politics would need to make room for the Irish.  In the 1950s and 60s, politicians such as John Collins lived in Jamaica Plain, as well as myriad police and city employees. Jamaica Plain was considered the most stable of all of Boston’s neighborhoods. While other neighborhoods rapidly lost their populations between 1950 and 1965, the population of Jamaica Plain was steady at 42,400.

The deterioration of part of Jamaica Plain was driven by the history of the Southwest Corridor, which was slated to become Interstate 95.  By the late 1960s, a final design for the highway was well underway.  The State had acquired the strip of land — dubbed the southwest corridor — and begun to demolish homes and business to clear the way for the interstate.  Between 1960 and 1968, 20% of the housing that remained had moved from sound to the deteriorating or dilapidated categories.  In 1968, due in large part to neighborhood resistance, the governor canceled the plans to run I-95 through Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and Roslindale and the cleared land was left alone.  The cleared and vacant land along the Southwest Corridor simply languished unused.  Sam Bass Warner called the corridor “a wide, unattended scab” through the neighborhoods

During this same period, many of the industries along the Washington Street corridor closed, including the Haffenreffer Brewery in 1965.  By 1965, approximately 24% of the 12,600 housing units in Jamaica Plain were unsound.  By the 1970s, arson had become a major threat in the neighborhood and the population of Jamaica Plain was declining.  Between 1970 and 1980 the total population of the neighborhood declined by 17.7%.  It became difficult to sell real estate.  A real estate broker with a Jamaica Plain realty firm described the period in this way: “The time from 1973 to ‘77 was a black hole — a void.  On some streets you couldn’t give houses away.”

The demand for housing in Jamaica Plain, particularly for affordable housing units, is high.  The supply of new housing each year is small in comparison, in part because land for new housing development and new parking is extremely limited.  In many cases, residents value small pockets of open space in their community and resist the potential for more congestion and traffic on their streets that they fear new housing development would bring.  In other cases, remaining developable land may be located on steep slopes, in awkwardly-sized lots, or near undesirable land uses.

History of Jamaica Plain (part II)

In 1851, West Roxbury, including Roslindale and Jamaica Plain, seceded from the Town of Roxbury.  West Roxbury was divided into five precincts: Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Claredon Hills, West Roxbury Village, and Germantown.  The most rural precincts were West Roxbury Village and Germantown (Bacon, Walks and Rides About Boston, 1896).  The Town of West Roxbury was at this time developing Forest Hills, a garden cemetery intended for widespread public use.  Cemeteries such as these served not only as a place to honor the dead, but also as an arboretum, a place for recreation, an antidote to the environmental ills of the city and a showcase for art.  They also paved the way for the establishment of urban parks of the late 19th century.

At this time, the population of Jamaica Plain was growing rapidly and becoming increasingly foreign-born.  Between 1865 and 1880, the population grew from 5,450 to 32,750.  By 1880, 25% of all households in the area were Irish.  Jamaica Plain also became home to a large number of German Americans, Progressive reformers, and mainstream politicians.  The remaining upper-middle-class Protestants were the local social elite and included farmers, the wealthy elite, and business commuters.  Jamaica Plain finally became annexed to the City of Boston in 1874, after first being part of the Town of Roxbury, and then being a part of the Town of West Roxbury. 

Although Jamaica Plain retained some of its identity as a rural retreat, the centrality of industry to the life of the neighborhood increased, and Jamaica Plain became associated with industries such as the Haffenreffer Brewery.  Residents of all social levels developed deep attachments to the neighborhood through real estate deals, their proximity to work, and strong local Catholic parishes.  Social ties were also fostered through practices such as spigots outside the brewery that allowed workers to fill their containers with free beer.

JP History Part I

The Swan Boats at the Boston Public Gardens

The latest O’Keefe family inexpensive outing was (oops, I was about to say my all time favorite, then remembered I already said that about Castle Island !) one of my very favorites–Boston’s own storied Swan Boats.  The truth of it is, I truly love many of the things you can do in Boston -especially the ones for $$short money.  I’ll take you all on many of these excursions throughout the summer.  So, please, sit back and enjoy the FREE ride!

This past Friday my entire family (myself, sons: Paul (12) & Sean (10), my mom (Marion Connolly), niece Mairead (4), nephews: Tommy (7), and Patrick (5) went to The Swan Boats in downtown Boston.  We packed a lunch and took the ‘T’, which was in itself an adventure since the kids are used to being driven everywhere.  We got off the Orange Line at Downtown Crossing, walked across the Boston Common where we bumped into Ben Franklin giving tours of the Freedom Trail, passed by the Frog Pond and into The Public Gardens.  We stopped by the famous statues of ‘Make Way for Ducklings’ based on the book by Robert McCloskey. The little ones all took turns sitting on statues finally making their way to the Mother Duck.  Before we boarded the boats we had an absolute blast feeding the ducks…but sadly learned it is not allowed…and for good reasons…overpopulation and non-migration, among others.

The Swan Boat ride was extremely enjoyable.  It was paddled by nice young man.  Ducks followed along our merry water-way.  We saw swans nesting and a large turtle sunning itself on a small island.  My mom watched from the bridge to take pictures…thanks Mom!  I do have to admit though that my 12 year old felt he was a little too mature for this outing…they grow up so fast! 

After that we got ice cream and ate them by the little park in front of The Copley Library.   I have been to The Swan Boats countless times in my life and the charm is always as fresh as it was the first time.

Talk to everyone soon.  And here’s a hint about the next outing:  Fire, Water, Peace.

Brave New Roslindale

The neighborhoods of the City of Boston have gone through significant changes in the last 30 years.  As the demographics have changed, so indeed have the neighborhoods changed…radically.  Traditionally,  most of the city neighborhoods were ethnic enclaves onto themselves, each with it’s predominant social character and political power base.  The Italians populated the North End, The Irish populated South Boston, African Americans populated Roxbury.  Roslindale was different than many of the other city neighborhoods. Roslindale accepted everyone. Roslindale was always ethnically diverse and attracted people from all backgrounds. Roslindale opened it’s arms to Greeks, Lebanese, Irish, Italians, Hispanics, African Americans and many others.  Roslindale’s tradition was as a family-oriented, blue collar community.  Roslindale was always a pretty easy going community.  It was affordable.  It’s nature was accepting and forgiving.  Living in Roslindale was uncomplicated and, in general, everyone got along.  Roslindale’s sense of community embraced people of all races, ethnic backgrounds and of varying economic status.

Like other parts of the city, change is coming to Roslindale. Roslindale is in the process of a major re-zoning process which will affect the character of the future of the neighborhood.  The question is: Will Roslindale retain it’s easy going nature or change into something unrecognizable to itself?  Will Roslindale lose it’s community identity?  Will it change dramatically as the South Boston community has in the last few years?

As I sat in my seat at the last Community meeting on re-zoning June 20th at the Knights of Columbus Hall, I was struck by the make-up of the 15 member neighborhood council members.  Clearly, these are concerned citizens with the best of intentions.  However, it did not appear to me that the committee represented ‘old” Roslindale.  In other words, Roslindale citizens with Roslindale roots.  My impression was that the 15 member committee represented the “new” Roslindale.  The committee appeared to be comprised of white collar professional-types.  Where were the bus drivers, policemen, laborers & firemen?  I don’t think “old” Roslindale was present on the board.

Change is inevitable.  I lived in Roslindale before Sushi came to the Village.  I like Sushi, but I do hope that the “new” leaders Roslindale do not effect such a dramtic change that the “old” Roslndale is lost in the process.  I hope that the new Roslindale is sensitive to the old community identity which fared quite well over the years…on it’s own.  Roslindale Village has a lot of charm & I can see why it has become attractive to young white-collar home buyers.  However, zoning has often been used a mechanism by wealthy communities to keep the undesirable out.  A couple of remarks were made the meeting that had a possessive quality to them which concerned me a little.  My hope is that the re-zoning of Roslindale does not result in over protectiveness of this easy going Boston neighborhood.  I hope that the “new” Roslindale does not become exclusionary, upscale and unaffordable. This would be antithetical to the reasonable nature of this city neighborhood and disrespectful to it’s tradition.  Despite all the good intentions, I hope this will not be Roslindale’s fate.

History of Jamaica Plain, MA

Note:  No one is quite sure how Jamaica Plain acquired its unusual name. Some attribute it to the legend that people here had a fondness for Jamaica rum and asked for it “plain.”  Others attribute the name to an Indian chief who lived here more than two centuries ago whose name was Kutchamaiken.

Before 1630, the land around Jamaica Pond was a summer home to the Wampanoags , Native Americans who spent their winters nearby in Mattapan.  In 1630, Puritan settlers built the first road in the area — which today is called Perkins Street.  In the late 1630s, the settlers constructed a road to Dedham as well as the Dedham Turnpike (now Centre Street and Washington Street).  The modern Boston neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, and Roslindale were, until 1851, part of the Town of Roxbury.  The area that would become Jamaica Plain was settled slowly and was not even mentioned in Roxbury town records until 1683.  The rich, fertile land along the Stony Brook Valley was attractive to farmers.

The Jamaica Plain area became a wealthy rural village.  One of the next major streets to be laid out was South Street in 1662.  In 1689, the local reverend John Eliot donated 75-acres of his land to establish a school for children of all ethnic backgrounds.  The school still exists today.  The area at the intersection of South Street and Eliot Street was then and continues to be a focus of community life in the Jamaica Plain area.

The first wave of gentrification of Jamaica Plain began in about 1740, when the wealthy elite of Boston built their country summer homes on sprawling rural estates in the Pond side area of Jamaica Plain.  One of these was the Loring-Greenough House, which was built in 1740, was later used as a hospital for Washington’s men during the Revolution, and still stands today at the corner of Centre and South Streets.

Public transportation dramatically changed the development pattern of Jamaica Plain.  In 1826, Omnibuses (known as “The Hourlies”) ran to Boston each hour for a fee of 25 cents, opening up access to what had been an exclusive rural area.  By 1832, the roads in the area had increased dramatically, and included Centre, South, and Walter Streets, the Dedham Turnpike (now Washington Street), and Perkins, Canterbury, Walk Hill, Seaver, Back, Warren, Bourn, Elliot, and Burrough.

In 1834 the Boston and Providence Railroad was completed. The railroad brought settlers to the area in even greater numbers and the first suburban homes were built. With the suburbanization of the neighborhood came industrialization of the Stony Brook corridor. Beginning in the 1840s, and continuing for the next several decades, factories such as textile mills, print shops, foundries, lumber and stone yards, and twelve breweries were built along Stony Brook (roughly parallel to what is now the Southwest Corridor).

Urban Coyotes

In my West Roxbury neighborhood, the wild turkeys were once a frequent summer visitor. The summer of 2007 seems to be the year of the coyote. Throughout the area, there have been coyote sightings.  One recent afternoon,  my neighbor watched and photographed a coyote make it’s way through our backyards and on to Lagrange Street.   

Last month, both the Boston Globe and the West Roxbury Bulletin reported that a family of coyotes were seen on Francesca St. in West Roxbury.  For now, people seemed to be fascinated to see these animal up close.  Experts remind us that attacks on humans are rare, though precautions should be taken with pets and young children.  I wonder if the construction on the VFW Parkway may have driven the coyotes out of their leafy homes along the Parkway???

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