By adamg on Tue., 7/22/2014 - 9:06 am
Karen Cord Taylor ponders why Mayor Walsh, who came into office with such promise and youthful vigor, is taking the side of a "dictatorial public works department that decided to destroy a city’s historic fabric with no consultation with a neighborhood" rather than listen to Beacon Hill residents who are only seeking to ensure handicap access ramps fit into the local millieu, like in Cambridge.
Boston leaders are always worried - is this city really world-class or not? City agencies that operate on a level of cheap, uninspired, unvetted solutions make it clear that Boston has a long way to go before it can be "world-class."
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You are lying.
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 12:30pm
You're just flat out lying.
For starters, off the top of my head:
Complete god damned lie,Kaz.
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 12:26pm
That's an outright lie.
The question was not "Should Julie be allowed to open her burrito place an Grove Street" The question was, "Should a Grove Street property owner be allowed to convert residential space in his building into food service space, forever." The fact that the first proposed tenant happened to be Julie is completely irrelevant.
See, one reason the neighborhood organization is taken somewhat seriously by the city and has been effective for 75 years is that it operates on the basis of principle, not on the basis of personal politics. The well established principle is that the association opposes conversion of residential space to commercial space within the interior of the district. Period. Not, "Well, we'll decide case-by-case, based on whether we like the applicant or not."
If it was a barbershop, it wasn't residential space
By Ron Newman
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 12:32pm
It was not a barbershop.
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 12:42pm
It was not a barber shop. Once upon a time, decades ago, there was a barber shop at that location. Legally, that's of no more relevance than the fact that the site was once a cow pasture. Or a pre-cambrian ocean bed, for that matter.
It was residential space. There was no pre-existing nonconforming use that qualified it as commercial space.
befoer or after it was commercial?
By Ron Newman
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 2:11pm
what was the most immediate preceding use -- a barbershop or a residence?
The most recent preceding use
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 5:46pm
The most immediate preceding use, for several decades, was as unoccupied residential space. The barber shop is ancient history and legally irrelevant.
Ha, purely by force of default
By Kaz
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 5:56pm
Yes, that had mirrors on the walls at regular intervals, spots on the floor for circular-footed chairs, and paint across the window that said BARBERSHOP....
...and that was 2012!
Calling it "unoccupied residential space" is purely a lingual trick of the zoning defaulting away from the commercial zoning it had for 2 years after it stopped being a barbershop...even though it still had every other aspect of still being a defunct barbershop.
PS - If we're playing this game, then you know what else is "legally irrelevant": what the BHCA wants.
"Unoccupied" is not a use
By Ron Newman
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 11:33pm
It's a non-use.
Well,
By whyaduck
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 3:40pm
apparently Julie has a different take:
http://boston.eater.com/tags/the-saga-of-villa-mexico
"King feels that she has encountered difficulties not simply because of the typical red tape but because she is an outsider in the community despite her lengthy tenure and positive record: "My greatest mistake in these 13-plus years of having the business, six of them in Beacon Hill, has been not becoming rich."
and
"Opponents say the move "did not fit the environment of the residential street and could bring increased traffic."
Ah, yes. Did not "fit the environment" like yellow bump pads and concrete. I see a pattern.
And you really should not call people "liars". But it does not surprise me. Get a room full of those that think like yourself and I can see why the installation of ADA compliant ramps was held up for 2 1/2 years.
You're being played
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 5:58pm
First of all, anyone who said the move "did not fit the environment." is not speaking for the BHCA, which has a very simple position: opposition to any conversion of any residential space to commercial use. Period. The BHCA has always and consistently opposed such conversion, whether for a real estate office, for an accountant, for an antique shop, for MGH. That's the thing about principles: once you establish them it takes the personalities out of the picture. It's really unfortunate that Julie failed to understand this and chose to take it personally, or making it about wealth, race, or class.
You're being played. Somebody wants an exception to the rules that everyone else follows, and so they front a sympathetic character (Julie, hardworking successful immigrant owner beloved by everyone) and start painting anyone who objects, for any reason, with the "racist, snob." brush. Uncritical thinkers lap it up.
It's right out of the same playbook the MBTA used when the neighbors raised concerns about the construction of the new elevators for the Copley Square T station. ("Rich jerks hate the handicapped; go away.") Actually, the neighbors had engineering concerns about the foundations of some buildings and about a big steam pipe; they wanted to move the entrance a short distance. The neighbors' concerns turned out to be right, and the MBTA ended up spending a fortune to remediate damage that they could have avoided in the first place rather than trying to play an inept game of class war.
And, for the record, the installation of ADA ramps was not held up by the neighborhood, which, of course, has no legal power to do so. The neighborhood has simply been asking the city to consider a solution that has worked well elsewhere, and the city is being pig-headed.
Right...I have an agenda to make you all seem like assholes
By Kaz
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 4:01pm
Why would I have that agenda? You do well enough for yourselves as a group.
From an e-mail by Julie right after the BHCA meeting to discuss her desire to move into the old barbershop (which is still an old barbershop): "I am writing today to update you on the latest relocation developments. As some of you may have heard, our meeting with the BHCA was not that easy.
Unfortunately, there are some neighborhood members who do not want us to move to 12 Grove St. From what we heard last Wednesday, their concerns were around the smell and how it would affect the whole street. Additionally, they worried about rats infesting the area because of us being there. They were also worried with the noise we or our customers would make, or that people would be eating on their building steps. Lastly, the fears of decreasing property values due to having a food business nearby were also discussed." (All of which is also sourced in this Patch article from the meeting.)
Do you remember what the BHCA head said at the time? "Buy a food truck....and park it somewhere else." Paraphrasing of course, but the intent was clear.
In the meantime, when all of this was going down, you could see the dilapidated barbershop in Google Street View. It was a sore and Villa Mexico would have made it a useful part of the city again after decades of non-use (which is why it "reverted" back to residential space and needed rezoning even though it was clearly zoned commercial as its last ACTUAL usage...the rezoning was purely a technicality and how BHCA was able to step in the way and NIMBY the move against everyone else's wishes).
Now, Google Street View shows an active and vibrant.....privacy room divider. In barbershop windows with a dead store front facing the street. Because the owners have had to turn it back into some form of an apartment to make ends meet after they thought Villa Mexico would be able to move in downstairs. It's not an apartment...these people are living in an open "studio" with blockers up for privacy in their "apartment" because they're living in what is still a dead barbershop. Wow, so much better than a burrito restaurant.
And, by-the-by, your "75 years" crap is totally exposed by this very story. Who forgot to tell the BHCA to stand on principle 30 years ago when it was allowed to become a barbershop by commercial variance to the zoning? It would have remained commercial to this very day had it not gone unused for more than 2 years...at which point it went unused for 20 because even the current owners don't want to actually deal with truly converting it back into actual residence space...just the zoning group does. Congratulations...what a win for Beacon Hill to have giant blank windows with a blank privacy divider in them staring out on the street.
Put up some cites, bro
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 6:03pm
Please provide evidence to support your multiple claims that:
Julie wanted special treatment. When she was asked to abide by the same rules and laws as everyone else, she lashed out at the very same people who had been among her strongest supporters. A lot of us felt personally betrayed by her.
Who is "Everyone Else?"
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 6:10pm
Who is "everyone else"?
The BHCA has earned a reputation with the city for responsibly representing the consensus of neighbors and the long-term interests of the neighborhood. The BHCA has no legal authority to block anything. If the city truly thought that the BHCA had run off the rails, was not actually representing the opinion of the people, or was acting arbitrarily or unfairly, then the city could have simply issued the variance. The city is under no obligation to listen to the BHCA.
Because the owners have had
By Bob Leponge
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 6:07pm
Oh, puh-leeze. "To make ends meet?"
The owners let the place sit empty for a long time. Now they suddenly have an urgent need to rent it out?
Know not which you speak
By Kaz
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 8:47pm
12A was purchased by the landlord in September 2011 with the expectation that Julie would be able to move right in (she was originally told she would have to leave the gas station on Sept 1). The plan fell apart due to the BHCA.
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/beacon_hill/20...
Whitewash this all you want. It's entertaining.
Best burritos around!
By whyaduck
Wed, 07/23/2014 - 3:43pm
Gawd I loved 'em.
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