2026-10-16 - Planning, Development and Transportation Committee

00:48FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS

00:50SHARON DURKAN, DISTRICT EIGHT

00:51CITY COUNCILOR AND I'M THE

00:52CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY

00:53COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PLANNING,

00:54DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION.

00:55TODAY IS OCTOBER 16TH AND THE

00:57EXACT TIME IS 10:02 A.M..

01:00THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED.

01:01IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE

01:03[email protected] BACKSLASH

01:04CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND

01:06BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL

01:07EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FIOS

01:10CHANNEL 964.

01:12WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO

01:13THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT SCORPIO

01:16LAND [email protected] AND WILL BE

01:18MADE PART OF THE RECORD

01:19AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS.

01:20PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN

01:22AT THE END OF THIS HEARING.

01:23INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON

01:24IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY HAVE

01:25SIGNED UP AND THEY HAVE TWO

01:26MINUTES TO TESTIFY.

01:27IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN

01:28TESTIFYING IN PERSON, PLEASE

01:29ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP

01:31SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE

01:32CHAMBER.

01:32IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY

01:33VIRTUALLY, PLEASE EMAIL OUR

01:35CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON SHANE

01:36PACK AT SHANE S H A AND E DOT

01:41PACK AT BOSTON.COM FOR THE LINK

01:42AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO

01:43THE LIST.

01:44TODAY'S HEARING AND EXCUSE

01:46ME I'M GOING TO BE THE CLERK

01:47FOR A SECOND.

01:48I HAVE TO READ ALL OF THESE, UH

01:50,APPOINTMENTS.

01:50TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET

01:531515.

01:53MESSAGE IN ORDER FOR THE

01:55CONFIRMATION OF THE

01:55REAPPOINTMENT OF GIOVANNI

01:57VALENCIA AS A MEMBER OF THE

01:58ZONING BOARD OF APPEAL FOR A

01:59TERM EXPIRING MAY 1ST, 2027.

02:02DOCKET 1516 MESSAGE IN ORDER

02:04FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF THE

02:06REAPPOINTMENT OF KATIE, WE WELL

02:07AS A MEMBER OF THE ZONING BOARD

02:09OF APPEALS FOR A TERM EXPIRING

02:10MAY 1ST, 2027 DOCKET 1517

02:14MESSAGE IN ORDER FOR THE

02:15CONFIRMATION OF THE

02:16REAPPOINTMENT OF ALAN ELLINGHAM

02:17AS A MEMBER OF THE ZONING BOARD

02:19OF APPEALS FOR A TERM EXPIRING

02:20MAY 1ST, 2028.

02:22DOCKET 1518 MESSAGE IN ORDER

02:24FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF THE

02:25REAPPOINTMENT OF SHERRY AS A

02:27MEMBER OF THE ZONING BOARD

02:28OF APPEAL FOR A TERM EXPIRING

02:29MAY 1ST, 2029.

02:31DOCKET 1519 MESSAGE IN ORDER

02:33FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF THE

02:35REAPPOINTMENT OF SHAMAYA TURNER

02:37AS A MEMBER OF THE ZONING BOARD

02:38OF APPEALS FOR A TERM EXPIRING

02:40MAY 1ST, 2029.

02:41DOCKET 1520 MESSAGE IN ORDER

02:44FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF THE

02:45REAPPOINTMENT OF JEAN PINTO AS

02:48AN ALTERNATE MEMBER OF THE

02:49ZONING BOARD OF APPEAL FOR A

02:51TERM EXPIRING MAY 1ST, 2027.

02:54MESSAGE UM SORRY DOCKET 1521

02:57MESSAGE IN ORDER FOR THE

02:58CONFIRMATION OF THE

02:59REAPPOINTMENT OF DAVID COLLINS

03:00AS AN ALTERNATE MEMBER OF THE

03:01ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A

03:02TERM EXPIRING MAY 1ST, 2028.

03:05DOCKET 1522 MESSAGE IN ORDER

03:07FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF THE

03:08APPOINTMENT OF CARLA MONTERO AS

03:11AN ALTERNATE MEMBER OF THE

03:12ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR A

03:14TERM EXPIRING MAY 1ST, 2028.

03:16DOCKET 1523 PASSAGE.

03:19IN ORDER FOR THE CONFIRMATION

03:20OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PATRICK

03:21WALSH AS AN ALTERNATE MEMBER

03:22OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

03:23FOR A TERM EXPIRING NOVEMBER

03:241ST, 2028.

03:27DOCKET 1524 MESSAGE IN ORDER

03:29FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF THE

03:30APPOINTMENT OF WILLIAM

03:30MASTERSON AS AN ALTERNATE

03:32MEMBER OF THE ZONING BOARD

03:33OF APPEALS FOR A TERM EXPIRING

03:35MAY 1ST, 2029.

03:36THESE MATTERS WERE SPONSORED BY

03:37MICHELLE WU AND REFERRED TO THE

03:39COMMITTEE ON AUGUST 5TH 2026.

03:41UM WE ARE JOINED BY MY

03:42COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL

03:43RIGHT NOW JUST UH,

03:44COUNCILOR ERIN MURPHY.

03:46UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST

03:48IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO.

03:49UM, AS UH AS IN OUR COMMITTEE

03:52AS THE PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND

03:54TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.

03:55IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO OVERSEE

03:56THESE NOMINATIONS TO SOME

03:57OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOARDS

03:59AND COMMISSIONS.

04:00THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEAL IS

04:01ONE OF THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL

04:03APPOINTED BODIES IN BOSTON.

04:04IT PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN

04:05SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY

04:06AND ENSURING WE CAN GROW WHILE

04:08PROTECTING OUR PAST.

04:09THE BOSTON ZONING CODE IS

04:11SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER AND MORE

04:12COMPLEX THAN OTHER CITIES

04:14OF SIMILAR SIZE, ACCORDING TO

04:15ZONING EXPERT SARAH BRONIN.

04:17IT IS BLOATED, OUTDATED,

04:19INCONSISTENT AND INEQUITABLE

04:20AND THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE

04:22BEFORE US TODAY ARE THE FOLKS

04:23THAT HAVE TO WADE THROUGH THOSE

04:24TOUGH DECISIONS CASE BY CASE AS

04:27A RESULT OF THE ZONING BOARD

04:28OF APPEALS CARRIES SIGNIFICANT

04:30RESPONSIBILITY IN DETERMINING

04:31WHEN TO GRANT RELIEF TO THESE

04:33REQUIREMENTS UM AND ENSURING

04:35THAT THESE DECISIONS SERVE THE

04:36BEST INTERESTS OF BOSTON

04:37RESIDENTS.

04:38BOSTON, LIKE CITIES ACROSS THE

04:39COUNTRY, FACES URGENT

04:41CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRE US TO

04:42BUILD MORE HOUSING AND ADDRESS

04:43OUR AFFORDABILITY CRISIS,

04:45MAKING OUR BUILDINGS MORE

04:46SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FOR

04:47CLIMATE CHANGE AND PROTECTING

04:48RESIDENTS FROM DISPLACEMENT.

04:50WE ARE HERE THIS MORNING TO

04:51CONSIDER NOMINATIONS OF TEN

04:53HIGHLY QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS

04:55WITH EXPERTISE ACROSS PLANNING,

04:57DEVELOPMENT, ARCHITECTURE,

04:58CONSTRUCTION AND HISTORIC

04:58PRESERVATION WHO HAVE

05:00DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT AND

05:01CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CITY.

05:02THEIR PRIOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS

05:04INCLUDING THROUGH UH SERVING ON

05:06WHAT THEY'RE BEING REAPPOINTED

05:08FOR.

05:08THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR

05:10YOUR CONTINUED INTEREST IN

05:11SERVING OUR CITY AND TO THOSE

05:12BEING REAPPOINTED.

05:13THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED

05:15SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS.

05:16IT IS AN HONOR TO SERVE IN THIS

05:17CAPACITY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO

05:19HEARING MORE ABOUT WHAT DRAWS

05:20YOU INTO THIS WORK AND WHAT

05:21INFORMS YOUR PHILOSOPHY AND

05:24APPROACH.

05:24UM, WITH THAT I'D LIKE TO GIVE

05:26EACH NOMINEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO

05:27INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND SHARE

05:28A BIT ABOUT THEIR BACKGROUND AS

05:29WE MOVE INTO QUESTIONS FROM

05:31COUNCILORS, WE ARE GOING TO

05:32START WITH OUR APPOINTEES AND

05:33THEN UM, SWAP PANELS TO HEAR

05:35FROM NEW APPOINTEES.

05:36UM, BEFORE WE DO THAT I WANTED

05:38TO GIVE UM COUNCILOR AND MURPHY

05:39A CHANCE FOR AN OPENING

05:40STATEMENT.

05:41THANK YOU.

05:42UM THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING

05:44HERE ON THIS RAINY FRIDAY

05:46MORNING.

05:46I APPRECIATE.

05:47YOU ALL BEING HERE.

05:49AND THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR FOR

05:50HOLDING THIS.

05:51LIKE SHE SAID, WE.

05:53GET APPOINTMENTS TO SO MANY

05:55DIFFERENT BOARDS AND

05:55COMMISSIONS ACROSS THE CITY AND

05:57IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE.

05:59GIVE YOU THE RESPECT I.

06:00THINK ALSO CALLING IN SO THAT

06:02YOU CAN SHARE WITH US WHY THE

06:04MAYOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION

06:06THOUGHT.

06:06THAT YOU WOULD BE.

06:08WELL SUITED FOR THESE

06:09POSITIONS.

06:10A FEW OF YOU.

06:11>> I DO KNOW PERSONALLY I KNOW

06:12YOU SHERRY FOR YOU WORK AT

06:14TUFTS AND.

06:15>> IN.

06:15THE.

06:15CHINATOWN COMMUNITY.

06:16I KNOW PAT AND CARLA PERSONALLY

06:18ALSO.

06:19THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO

06:21IN THAT MENTAL HEALTH SOCIAL

06:22WORK SPACE, LABOR.

06:23SPACE IT'S IMPORTANT.

06:25UM BUT OTHERS THAT I DON'T KNOW

06:27PERSONALLY I'VE READ THROUGH

06:28ALL THE RESUMES.

06:30IMPRESSIVE.

06:30>> SO I JUST WANT TO JUST AN

06:32OPENING STATEMENT BEFORE WE

06:34LISTEN TO YOUR.

06:36UM YOU KNOW, YOU SPEAK.

06:37BUT I WANT TO BEGIN BY

06:39RECOGNIZING THOSE.

06:40MEMBERS OF THE ZONING BOARD OF.

06:41APPEAL WHO ARE BEING CONSIDERED

06:42FOR REAPPOINTMENT.

06:43UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR

06:45CONTINUED.

06:45SERVICE TO THE CITY OF BOSTON

06:47AND FOR THE TIME.

06:47COMMITMENT AND THOUGHTFUL

06:49CONSIDERATION.

06:49>> YOU BRING TO.

06:50>> THIS IMPORTANT

06:51RESPONSIBILITY.

06:52I ALSO WANT TO WELCOME THOSE.

06:54WHO ARE STEPPING FORWARD TO

06:55SERVE FOR.

06:55>> THE FIRST TIME.

06:57I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS.

06:58TO TAKE ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY

06:59AND.

07:00CONTRIBUTE YOUR TIME AND.

07:02EXPERIENCE TO THE CITY.

07:03THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

07:05PLAYS AN IMPORTANT.

07:06ROLE IN SHAPING OUR

07:07NEIGHBORHOODS.

07:07IN THE DECISIONS MADE.

07:09BY ITS MEMBERS HAVE A DIRECT

07:10IMPACT ON.

07:11RESIDENTS, HOMEOWNERS,

07:13BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES

07:14ACROSS BOSTON.

07:15AND I KNOW THIS WORK IS NOT.

07:17ALWAYS EASY.

07:19YOU'RE OFTEN ASKED TO BALANCE

07:20COMPETING INTERESTS AND MAKE.

07:22DIFFICULT DECISIONS, AND I.

07:23APPRECIATE THE.

07:24>> RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES

07:25WITH THAT.

07:26I'M LOOKING FORWARD.

07:27TO HEARING FROM ALL OF.

07:28YOU AND ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO

07:30VOTING.

07:31SUPPORTING YOUR.

07:32APPOINTMENTS WHEN IT COMES.

07:33UP AT OUR NEXT.

07:33MEETING ON WEDNESDAY.

07:35SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING

07:36HERE.

07:36THANK YOU SO MUCH.

07:37AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY

07:38COUNCILOR ED FLYNN.

07:39UM HE HAS UM A SORT OF YOU

07:40KNOW, IMPECCABLE ATTENDANCE IN

07:42THIS UH, COMMITTEE.

07:43SO JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING

07:44HERE AGAIN, COUNCILOR FLYNN.

07:46AND, UH, WANTED TO GIVE YOU A

07:47CHANCE FOR AN OPENING

07:48STATEMENT.

07:48YEAH.

07:49>> THANK YOU.

07:50THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

07:51AND TO THE MEMBERS OF THE, UH,

07:54PANEL THAT'S HERE I SUPPORT I

07:57APOLOGIZE FOR BEING A FEW

07:58MINUTES LATE.

07:59UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY

08:02PROBABLY TO WORK WITH A LOT

08:03OF A LOT OF PEOPLE ON ON ON THE

08:05BOARD AND JUST WANT TO SAY

08:07THANK YOU TO YOU TO YOU FOR,

08:10UM, STEPPING FORWARD FOR THE

08:11WORK YOU'RE DOING.

08:13UM, SOMETIMES I AGREE WITH YOUR

08:15DECISION.

08:15SOMETIMES I MAY DISAGREE WITH

08:17YOUR DECISION BUT I RESPECT THE

08:18WORK YOU'RE DOING AND I THINK

08:21YOU ARE A CREDIT TO THE

08:22CITIZENS OF THE OF THE CITY, TO

08:24THE TO THE CITY ITSELF.

08:25AND I WANT TO SAY WANT TO SAY

08:27THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR

08:29LEADERSHIP AND HELPING BUILD A

08:31STRONGER BOSTON UM I DO WANT TO

08:37ACKNOWLEDGE UM.

08:40I REPRESENT DISTRICT TWO WHICH

08:42INCLUDES SOUTH BOSTON'S THE

08:44SOUTH END AND CHINATOWN.

08:45BUT I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE

08:47THE INCREDIBLE WORK AND THE

08:50COMMUNITY OF SHERRY AND YOUR

08:53COMMITMENT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

08:55NOT JUST IN NOT JUST IN

08:57CHINATOWN BUT THROUGHOUT THE

08:58CITY BUT REPRESENTING, UH,

09:01PEOPLE IN NEED SUPPORTING

09:03FAMILIES.

09:03UM, YOU'RE YOU'RE A CREDIT TO

09:05YOU TO THE ZONING BOARD.

09:08YOU'RE A CREDIT TO TUFTS

09:09MEDICAL CENTER AND YOU CREDIT

09:11YOUR CREDIT TO THE CITY

09:12OF BOSTON.

09:13SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU

09:14TO SHERRY, BUT SAY THANK YOU TO

09:16ALL OF THE MEMBERS HERE AND

09:18THOSE THAT WILL BECOME MEMBERS

09:19I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

09:20SUPPORTING UM, ALL OF THEM.

09:23UH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

09:24THANK YOU SO MUCH,

09:25COUNCILOR FLYNN.

09:26UM.

09:26AND JUST TO KEEP IT.

09:27UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY

09:29DOCKETS I'M GOING TO GO IN THE

09:30ORDER IN WHICH THE DOCKETS WERE

09:31CALLED EVEN THOUGH YOU GUYS

09:33AREN'T SITTING IN THAT ORDER.

09:34UM, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO

09:36IS GIVE EACH OF YOU AN

09:37OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MORE

09:39ABOUT.

09:39YOUR WORK.

09:40>> YOU ARE ALL REAPPOINTMENTS

09:41SO UM SO UM I ALWAYS LIKE TO

09:43ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO TALK ABOUT,

09:45YOU KNOW, WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO

09:46THIS WORK, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

09:48TO THEM WHAT ROOTS THEM IN

09:49COMMUNITY.

09:50UM, BUT I KNOW A FEW OF YOU

09:51HAVE REMARKS PREPARED.

09:52UM, AND FOR THOSE THAT DON'T

09:53FEEL FREE TO JUST SPEAK OFF THE

09:55CUFF TO YOUR EXPERIENCE, UM,

09:57WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IT

09:58TO AROUND TWO MINUTES BUT I'M

10:00NOT GOING TO TIME YOU SO THAT

10:01AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO TO

10:03ANY UH QUESTIONS FROM

10:05COLLEAGUES.

10:05DON'T BE SURPRISED BECAUSE

10:07WE'VE SEEN YOUR RESUME IS WE

10:08KNOW HOW QUALIFIED.

10:10>> YOU ARE.

10:10IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY VERY

10:11SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR YOU IN

10:13PARTICULAR, WHO KNOWS?

10:14WE MIGHT HAVE VERY SPECIFIC

10:15QUESTIONS FOR EACH OF YOU

10:16INDIVIDUALLY I DON'T KNOW, BUT

10:18UM BUT DON'T BE SURPRISED IF

10:19THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO

10:20SHARE ABOUT WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU

10:23DO.

10:23UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO START

10:24WITH GIOVANNI VALENCIA AND UM,

10:28JUST MAKE SURE TO BRING THE MIC

10:29TO YOU.

10:30YEAH.

10:30THANK YOU.

10:30ALL RIGHT.

10:31THANK YOU.

10:33YES OKAY.

10:34YES.

10:35GOOD MORNING.

10:36UM, CONSIDER.

10:37DURKAN GOOD MORNING, CITY

10:39COUNCILORS.

10:40I AM HONORED TO BE HERE WITH

10:42YOU AND TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

10:44TO REAFFIRM MY INTEREST IN

10:46CONTINUING TO SERVE OUR CITY AS

10:48A MEMBER OF THE BOSTON ZONING

10:49BOARD OF APPEAL.

10:51MY NAME IS GIOVANNI VALENCIA.

10:53I AM A PROUD COLOMBIAN AMERICAN

10:54CITIZEN WHO CHOOSE TO CALL THE

10:57CITY OF BOSTON MY HOME.

10:58HOW ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO SINCE

11:02IMMIGRATING TO THE U.S., I HAVE

11:04HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING AS

11:06A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER ACROSS

11:08MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

11:10INCLUDING IS BOSTON, JAMAICA

11:11PLAIN, ROXBURY THE SOUTH END I

11:14PARK IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD

11:16OF ROXBURY.

11:18I AM ALSO A BOSTON PUBLIC

11:20SCHOOL PARENT OF TWO KIDS AND

11:23MY WIFE WORKS FOR BPAS AS A

11:25DISTRICT SOCIAL WORKER.

11:26THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OF OUR

11:28NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.

11:29I AM AN ARCHITECT IN A PLANNER

11:32BY TRAINING AND A COMMUNITY

11:33ORGANIZER BY CAREER CHOICE.

11:36FOR MANY YEARS I WORKED FOR

11:39COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

11:40CORPORATIONS PROMOTING THE

11:42CREATION AND PRESERVATION

11:43OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL

11:45AS A REHABILITATION OF BSI

11:47DEVELOPMENTS.

11:49OVER THE YEARS I HAVE LISTENED

11:51TO THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS SHARE

11:53THEIR NEEDS, FRUSTRATIONS AND

11:55HOPES TO LIVE, WORK AND REMAIN

11:57IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.

12:00HOW AN EXPERIENCED LIFE HERE AS

12:02A LONG TIME RENTER AND NOW AS A

12:04HOMEOWNER, I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE

12:07IMMENSE CHALLENGES OUR

12:09RESIDENTS FACE IN FINDING

12:11AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR SIMPLY

12:13FINDING HOUSING AT ALL IN OUR

12:15CITY.

12:17WHEN I SUBMITTED MY APPLICATION

12:19IN 2022 TO THE CBA USING THE

12:22CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

12:23WEBSITE, I HAD NO EXPECTATIONS

12:26OF EVER RECEIVING A CALL BACK

12:28FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.

12:29BUT THEY DID AND I'M HERE

12:32BECAUSE OF THAT.

12:34I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO

12:35EXPRESS MY SINCERE APPRECIATION

12:37TO MAJOR MICHELLE WU FOR

12:39TRUSTING ME.

12:41AS A.

12:42COMMUNITY MEMBER WITH THIS

12:44RESPONSIBILITY AND FOR

12:46REAPPOINTING ME TO SERVE FOR AN

12:47OVERTURNED.

12:50OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS I HAVE

12:52ATTENDED MOST HEARINGS AND

12:53REVIEWED CLOSE TO 4000 CASES.

12:56WHILE MANY OF THESE APPEALS

12:58FOCUSED ON HOUSING, THE ZONING

13:01BOARD OF APPEALS ALSO REVIEWS

13:03CONDITIONAL USES FOR LOCAL

13:05BUSINESSES, BILLBOARDS, LABS

13:07AND MEDICAL FACILITIES, AMONG

13:09OTHER USES.

13:11EVERY PROPOSAL IS UNIQUE AND I

13:15AM CONFIDENT THAT MY COLLEAGUES

13:16AND I DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE OUR

13:19CITY MOVES FORWARD AND BECOMES

13:21MORE WELCOMING SPACE FOR

13:23EVERYONE AND FOR GENERATIONS TO

13:24COME.

13:25THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY

13:26TO SHARE MY GREAT INTEREST IN

13:28CONTINUING THIS WORK.

13:29THANK YOU.

13:30THANK YOU SO MUCH GIOVANNI.

13:31UM NEXT WE'RE GOING TO GO TO

13:32KATIE.

13:33WE WELL, UM KATIE IS MY

13:35CONSTITUENT UM AND ALSO UH,

13:37WORKS IN THIS, UH, WORK

13:39PROFESSIONALLY.

13:40SO, UM SO THANK YOU, UH, KATIE

13:41,FOR LENDING YOUR EXPERTISE TO

13:43THE CITY OF BOSTON.

13:45THANK YOU.

13:45>> GOOD MORNING.

13:46COUNCILORS.

13:46UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND

13:48WORDS IN YOUR OPENING REMARKS.

13:49IT WAS.

13:49>> REALLY NICE TO HEAR.

13:50UH, MY NAME IS KATIE.

13:52WE WELL, I CURRENTLY LIVE IN

13:54THE WEST END AND I'M THE DEPUTY

13:56DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND

13:57DEVELOPMENT.

13:58FOR THE CITY OF NEW IN.

13:59I FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN

14:01ZONING WHILE ENROLLED IN A

14:03PARALEGAL COURSE AT BOSTON.

14:04UNIVERSITY.

14:05>> UH, WHERE THE LAST MODULE

14:07WAS REAL ESTATE LAW.

14:08I REMEMBER BEING FASCINATED

14:10LEARNING ABOUT ZONING, THE

14:11BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND THE LEGAL

14:13PROVISIONS WHICH GOVERN LAND.

14:15I LATER WENT BACK TO SCHOOL FOR

14:17MY MASTER'S IN CITY PLANNING

14:18WITH THE GOAL OF WORKING IN

14:20MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT UH,

14:21BECAUSE OF HOW

14:22INTERDISCIPLINARY THE WORK IS

14:24THE INTERSECTION OF LAW,

14:26ARCHITECTURE AND GOVERNANCE

14:27OF HOW DECISIONS MADE AT THE

14:29LOCAL LEVEL IMPACT RESIDENTS

14:31HAS BEEN WHAT HAS DRIVEN MY

14:33WORK IN IDENTIFYING A CAREER I

14:35ENJOY IMMENSELY.

14:38MY EXPERIENCE IN NEWTON HAS

14:40PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON

14:41DEVELOPMENT REVIEW WHICH HAS

14:43PREPARED ME WELL FOR MY SERVICE

14:45ON THE BOARD.

14:46WHILE ZONING DIFFERS FROM

14:47COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY, I THINK

14:50OF ZONING AS ITS OWN LANGUAGE

14:51AND ONE I HAVE BECOME WELL

14:52VERSED IN OVER EIGHT YEARS UM

14:55THIS HAS HELPED ME UNDERSTAND

14:56THE FRAMEWORK AND NUANCES

14:59OF BOSTON ZONING AND THE CASES

15:01BEFORE THE BOARD WORKING IN A

15:03MUNICIPALITY ALSO AIDS IN MY

15:04WORK ON THE BOARD AS I

15:06UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT LAYERS

15:07AND ROLES OF CITY DEPARTMENTS

15:09THAT CAN BE INVOLVED IN

15:10PROPERTY SUCH AS PLANNING

15:12INSPECTIONAL SERVICES AND

15:14ASSESSING.

15:15I'VE SERVED ON THE BOARD SINCE

15:17DECEMBER 2022.

15:18I ENJOY USING MY PROFESSIONAL

15:20TRAINING AS A PLANNER TO APPLY

15:22MY SKILLSET AND KNOWLEDGE TO MY

15:23SERVICE ON THE BOARD I REVIEW

15:25ALL OF THE MATERIALS ASSOCIATED

15:27ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPLICATION

15:28AND I STRIVE TO BE FULLY

15:30TRANSPARENT IN MY RATIONALE

15:32BEHIND MY VOTES TO FURTHER

15:34TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

15:35.

15:35I ENJOY WORKING WITH MY

15:37COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD AND I

15:39RESPECT THEM.

15:39THEIR DEDICATION AND

15:41PERSPECTIVE THEY BRING TO THE

15:42BOARD TREMENDOUSLY.

15:43I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY

15:45QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU FOR.

15:46CONSIDERING MY REAPPOINTMENT TO

15:47THE BOARD.

15:48THANK YOU SO MUCH KATIE.

15:49UM, NEXT WE'RE GOING TO GO TO

15:51ALLEN LANGHAM.

15:53UM GOOD MORNING.

15:54>> I JUST WANT TO SAY GOOD

15:55MORNING TO THE CITY OFFICIALS,

15:56BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE

15:58MAYOR MICHELLE WU FOR THIS

16:01OPPORTUNITY.

16:02UM, I'M A, UH I RECENTLY.

16:04RETIRED AS A LABOR AH AT LOCAL

16:0722 OF NORTH AMERICA.

16:08MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF SERVICE.

16:10UM, I SERVED AS.

16:13BOTH A LABOR AS AN ALTERNATE

16:15FOR MORE THAN 25.

16:17YEARS AS AN.

16:18EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER AND AS

16:19STEWARD AND I.

16:21DEDICATE MYSELF.

16:22>> TO ADVOCATE FOR WORKERS

16:24HELPING THEM NAVIGATE COMPANY

16:26CULTURE AND ENSURING THEY FEEL

16:28RESPECTFUL, SUPPORTED AND

16:29VALUED AND THEIR ROLES.

16:31I'M A LIFELONG.

16:32RESIDENT OF BOSTON.

16:34I GRADUATED FROM BOSTON PUBLIC

16:35SCHOOL SYSTEM.

16:37I DID UH.

16:38>> MY SERVICE.

16:39REFLECTS AND EXTENSION

16:40INVOLVEMENT IN YOUTH

16:41DEVELOPMENT ATHLETIC COMMUNITY

16:43OUTREACH.

16:45I PARTICIPATED IN PROGRAMS OF.

16:46THE FEED MILLS FOR THE.

16:48SENIOR CITIZENS AND I ALSO

16:50COACH BASKETBALL FOR A PROGRAM

16:52CALLED NO BOOKS NO FOR MORE

16:54THAN TEN YEARS I ALSO COACHED

16:56THE BOSTON RAIDERS POP WARNER

16:58PROGRAM UNDER THE WILSON

16:59FAMILY.

17:00COACHING FOOTBALL IS

17:02RECOGNITION FOR HIS OUTSTANDING

17:03COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND I MY.

17:06ACCOMPLISHMENT WAS WITH THE

17:07BOSTON RED SOX ORGANIZATION.

17:09I WAS AWARDED.

17:10LIKE A COMMUNITY.

17:12ADVOCATE HELPING OUT YOUTH.

17:13UH, BUT I'M ALSO.

17:16INVOLVED IN MY CHURCH.

17:17I GO TO GRANT AME CHURCH

17:19LOCATED AT 1906 1906

17:22WASHINGTON.

17:22STREET AND.

17:23>> I HAD BUT I DID A LOT

17:24OF ROLES IN THERE.

17:25I MEAN I STARTED A MENTOR

17:26PROGRAM FOR YOUNG KIDS

17:28BASICALLY I TRY TO HELP OUT

17:29MEANT UH.

17:30MENTORING THE YOUTH.

17:31>> IN BOSTON.

17:32UM.

17:33>> SO I JUST I JUST WANT TO.

17:34SAY THIS HAS BEEN A REAL

17:36WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY JUST EVEN

17:38WORKING WITH THESE PEOPLE HERE.

17:40AND I'M.

17:40LEARNING SO MUCH.

17:43ABOUT THE ZBA AND IT'S VERY

17:45INTERESTING.

17:46I WAS TELLING SOMEBODY.

17:47JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO I WISH

17:49I COULD HAVE.

17:50>> STARTED.

17:50THIS JOURNEY 30 YEARS AGO.

17:52YOU KNOW IT'S.

17:53VERY INTERESTING.

17:54I'M LEARNING A LOT AND I JUST.

17:55>> WANT TO SAY THANK YOU GUYS

17:57FOR TRUSTING.

17:58>> ME TO.

17:59>> HELP THIS CITY TO THE NEXT

18:00LEVEL.

18:00THANK YOU SO MUCH.

18:02UM NEXT WE'RE GOING TO GO TO

18:04SHERRY, MADAM CHAIR.

18:06GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

18:08AS YOU KNOW I LIKE TO I LIKE TO

18:09ASK OTHERS TO BE PITHY SO SO

18:11WILL I THANK THANK YOU, CHAIR

18:13DURKAN.

18:13THANK YOU.

18:14COUNCILORS UH, FLYNN AND MURPHY

18:15FOR FOR HAVING US TODAY.

18:17UH, SO MY NAME IS SHERRY AND

18:19I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE

18:20OF SERVING ON ZBA SINCE 2021.

18:22UH, FOR THOSE WHO KNOW, UH UH,

18:25I GAVE BIRTH THAT SATURDAY AND

18:26SERVED THAT TUESDAY.

18:29SO THANK YOU FOR ZOOM AND THANK

18:31YOU FOR ALLOWING UH FOR

18:33ACCOMMODATING UH FOR

18:33ACCOMMODATING THAT UH, IT'S AN

18:36HONOR FOR ME TO SERVE THE CITY,

18:37UH, THE CITY AND RESIDENTS

18:39OF BOSTON VIA ZBA I'VE LIVED IN

18:41BOSTON FOR UH, 30 PLUS YEARS,

18:43UH, IN JAMAICA PLAIN AND NOW IN

18:45DORCHESTER.

18:46AND AS FOLKS WHO KNOW ME,

18:48CHINATOWN, UH, IS MY CULTURAL

18:49HOME.

18:50IT'S MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME.

18:51UH, I HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD AND

18:53WHO ALSO KEEPS ME IN CHINATOWN

18:55,SOUTH END AND ALL OVER THE

18:57CITY OF BOSTON, UH, ALL THE

18:58TIME.

18:58AND SO, UM, AS A COLLEGE

19:00STUDENT, I WORKED ON BEHALF

19:02OF CHINATOWN AND BOSTON'S ASIAN

19:03COMMUNITY THROUGH VARIOUS, UH,

19:05INTERNSHIPS WITH THE ASIAN TASK

19:06FORCE AGAINST DOMESTIC

19:07VIOLENCE, UH ASIAN AMERICAN

19:09RESOURCE WORKSHOP AND GREATER

19:10BOSTON LEGAL SERVICES.

19:12UH, I TRANSITIONED TO BOARD

19:14SERVICE UH WITH THE COMMUNITY

19:16AFTER I BECAME AFTER I WENT

19:18INTO PUBLIC SERVICE FOR MY DAY

19:20JOB.

19:20UH SO AND I CONTINUE TO SERVE

19:22ON VARIOUS UH, BOARDS UH, IN

19:25CHINATOWN INCLUDING UH, THE

19:26CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

19:27OF NEW ENGLAND CHINATOWN

19:28COALITION AND UH CHINATOWN

19:30NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AND SAFETY

19:31COMMITTEES.

19:32UH, SO I'VE DEVOTED MY CAREER

19:34TO PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT UH

19:35SERVICE STARTING WITH THE AG'S

19:37OFFICE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS

19:38DIVISION, UH, THE CITY

19:40OF BOSTON, UH, IN OWENS UH, YOU

19:43KNOW, EVERYBODY GOTTA START

19:45SOMEWHERE, RIGHT?

19:46SO NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, UH,

19:47HUMAN RESOURCES AND BOSTON

19:49REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND AND

19:51HAVE BEEN IN UM COMMUNITY

19:53HEALTH FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS,

19:54UH, 20 PLUS YEARS.

19:55AND SO ALL OF MY EXPERIENCES

19:57HAVE BEEN IN CONSTITUENT

19:58SERVICES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

19:59AND UH, HAS ALL LED ME TO UH TO

20:03THE TO THE ZBA AND AND MY

20:05SERVICE THERE AND KIND OF THE

20:07LENSES THAT I USE.

20:08SO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THANK

20:09YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

20:10UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

20:12THANK YOU SO MUCH.

20:13UM, SHERRY JEAN PINATA.

20:18UH, GOOD MORNING, COUNCILOR.

20:19DURKAN AND CITY.

20:20COUNCILORS FLYNN AND MURPHY.

20:22UM, MY NAME IS JEAN PINERO.

20:24I PROBABLY.

20:25>> THE.

20:25LONGEST SERVING MEMBER I WAS

20:27APPOINTED IN 2020 TO THE ZONING

20:29BOARD OF APPEAL.

20:30UM.

20:31>> AT THAT TIME I, UM, HAD JUST

20:33RESIGNED FROM BEING CEO

20:34OF MADISON PARK DEVELOPMENT

20:35CORPORATION FOR 21 YEARS.

20:37UM, WHERE WE WERE.

20:39YOU KNOW, REALLY.

20:39FOCUSED ON UH, DEVELOPING AND

20:42PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

20:43AND DOING SOME COMMERCIAL

20:45DEVELOPMENT IN IN NUBIAN

20:46SQUARE.

20:47UM, I APPEARED BEFORE THE ZBA

20:49MANY TIMES IN THAT CAPACITY

20:51OVER PROBABLY OVER A DOZEN

20:52TIMES AS WE WERE DEVELOPING

20:55PROJECTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.

20:56UM, I'VE LIVED IN JAMAICA

20:58PLAIN.

20:58FOR OVER.

20:5935 YEARS AND RAISED A FAMILY.

21:01I'M REALLY PROUD THAT MY

21:02DAUGHTER MAIA GETER IS, UH,

21:03WORKS IN THE EQUITY CABINET UM

21:06.

21:06AND IS.

21:07REALLY ENJOYING HER WORK HERE

21:10WITH THE CITY.

21:10>> I DEFINITELY SEE THE

21:11RESEMBLANCE.

21:13UM, YOU KNOW, WE I KNOW ALL THE

21:15OLDER PEOPLE.

21:15SHE KNOWS ALL THE YOUNGER

21:16PEOPLE IN CITY HALL.

21:18UM, AND UM, YOU KNOW, I, UM I

21:21REALLY ENJOY.

21:21THIS WORK.

21:22UM, I'VE BEEN.

21:23INVOLVED IN OBVIOUSLY IN

21:25DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY FOR

21:26MANY YEARS.

21:26I NOW WORK AT COLLIERS WHICH.

21:28>> IS.

21:28COMMERCIAL REAL.

21:29>> ESTATE FIRM DOING UH

21:31ACQUISITION DOING UM UH SELLING

21:33PROPERTY AND I'M YOU KNOW, ONE

21:36OF THE PROPERTIES I.

21:36SAW RECENTLY WAS IN MATTAPAN

21:38SQUARE.

21:40UM, AND IT WAS ACQUIRED BY A

21:41DEVELOPER, UH, THE PRESERVATION

21:43FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEY

21:44ARE BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

21:46IN MATTAPAN.

21:47SO IT'S NICE THAT MY NEW ROLE

21:49AT COLLIERS, UM, BE ABLE TO

21:50BRING IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING

21:52DEVELOPERS INTO THAT WORLD AND

21:54ACQUIRING PROPERTIES FOR FOR

21:56THAT PURPOSE.

21:57UM, I REALLY ENJOY THE WORK.

21:59UM IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.

22:01UM, WE ALL WORK REALLY HARD AND

22:02SPEND TIME LOOKING AT ALL THE

22:04CASES.

22:04THEY ARE VERY UNIQUE UM AND

22:06LISTENING TO TESTIMONY AND UM,

22:08I THANK YOU FOR FOR THE

22:10REAPPOINTMENT AND UH, FOR YOUR

22:13INTEREST IN WHAT WE DO.

22:15THANK YOU SO MUCH.

22:16UM, NEXT WE'RE GOING TO GO TO

22:17DAVID COLLINS.

22:20I'M SORRY.

22:21SHE NEEDS A MIC.

22:22YEAH.

22:23>> OH, YEAH.

22:24YOU DON'T NEED TO TOUCH IT.

22:25YEAH.

22:25YOU'RE ON NOW ON.

22:26YES.

22:27>> GOOD MORNING.

22:27COUNCILORS.

22:28UM, DAVID COLLINS, LIFELONG

22:31BOSTON RESIDENT FROM

22:33ROSLINDALE.

22:33I'M CURRENTLY RAISING A FAMILY

22:35IN WEST ROXBURY.

22:36UM, I'VE BEEN ON THE ZONING

22:38BOARD OF APPEAL NOW FOR THREE

22:41YEARS AS AN ALTERNATE MEMBER

22:42SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT.

22:45UM, BACKGROUND AND ZONING AND

22:47PERMITTING I PARTICIPATE IN

22:49SMALLER SIZE DEVELOPMENTS TEN

22:51UNITS AND UNDER UM IN THE

22:53ROSLINDALE, WEST ROXBURY AND

22:54HYDE PARK AREA.

22:55SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE

22:56NUANCES OF BOSTON PERMANENT.

23:00THANK YOU.

23:00>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

23:01UM AND I HAVE A STATEMENT UM,

23:03THAT I'M GOING TO READ FROM ONE

23:05OF OUR APPOINTEES.

23:07UM, THAT IS BEFORE OUR

23:08COMMITTEE.

23:09I'M JUST MAKING SURE.

23:11YES.

23:11>> SHE'S A REAPPOINTMENT.

23:13UM, DEAR BOSTON CITY COUNCIL, I

23:15REGRET THAT I AM NOT ABLE TO

23:16MAKE THIS HEARING ON

23:18OCTOBER 16TH, 2026.

23:19UNFORTUNATELY I DID DEATH AND

23:20MY FAMILY AND THE SERVICES ARE

23:23HELD THE SAME DAY IN RICHMOND,

23:24VIRGINIA.

23:25I APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING ME TO

23:26MAKE A STATEMENT ON MY BEHALF

23:28IN THIS MANNER.

23:28IN THE PAST TWO YEARS IT HAS

23:30BEEN MY PLEASURE TO SERVE AS A

23:31MEMBER OF THE CITY OF BOSTON

23:32ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AS A

23:34BOSTON RESIDENT, HOMEOWNER AND

23:35CARD CARRYING UNIONS SHEET

23:38METAL WORKER I HAVE BEEN AT THE

23:40CENTER OF A COMPLICATED

23:41INTERSECTION OF HOW THINGS GET

23:42BUILT IN THE CITY.

23:43I ENJOY LOOKING AT THE FACTS

23:45AND CONSIDERING THE REAL LIFE

23:46IMPACTS OF MY VOTES.

23:48I HOPE THAT I HAVE BEEN A

23:49POSITIVE PRESENCE ON THE ZBA.

23:51MY MAIN CONCERN IS UM MY MAIN

23:54CONCERN HAS BEEN MAKING SURE

23:56THAT RESIDENTS ARE HEARD UM

23:58THAT WHAT'S BEING BUILT WILL

23:59BEST SERVE THE COMMUNITY AT

24:00LARGE AND THAT MORE HARDWORKING

24:02CITIZENS ARE ABLE TO BENEFIT

24:04FROM THE JOBS CREATED.

24:05THANK YOU AGAIN FOR GIVING

24:06ME THE CHANCE TO BE ON THE ZBA

24:08IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER

24:10QUESTIONS FOR ME I WOULD BE

24:11HAPPY TO UM APPEAR BEFORE THE.

24:13CITY COUNCIL AT ANOTHER DATE.

24:15REGARDS AND A LOT OF US KNOW

24:17HER SOMAYA TURNER HI PARKER A

24:18HOMEOWNER AND RESIDENT UM,

24:19SHE'S ACTUALLY COME BEFORE OUR

24:21COMMITTEE BEFORE UM, SO UM,

24:24GIVEN THAT SHE HAS HAD A DEATH

24:25IN THE FAMILY, I PLAN TO MOVE

24:26HER NOMINATION FORWARD AGAIN.

24:28UH, SHE SERVES WITH A LOT

24:30OF DISTINCTION AND WE'RE REALLY

24:31GRATEFUL FOR, UM, SORRY.

24:32WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR

24:34,UM, THEIR WORK AND, UH, ALL

24:37THAT THEY DO.

24:38SO, UM, NOW WE'RE GOING TO OPEN

24:40UM, UP UH, THIS PANEL TO

24:44QUESTIONS UM, AND IN NO

24:47PARTICULAR YOU KNOW, I WOULD

24:48JUST LIKE ANYONE WHO FEELS

24:49MOVED TO ANSWER THIS PARTICULAR

24:51QUESTION, UM, TO ANSWER THIS

24:55QUESTION, UM, AND I'VE ASKED

24:57THIS.

24:58QUESTION THESE ARE.

24:59>> THE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE

24:59ASKED UM, BASICALLY ALL OF THE

25:01ZBA NOMINATIONS SINCE UM SINCE

25:04I HAVE GOTTEN THIS COMMITTEE UM

25:07,HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH ZONING

25:09VARIANCE DECISIONS AND HIGH

25:11OPPORTUNITY NEIGHBORHOODS

25:12VERSUS THOSE THAT HAVE

25:13TYPICALLY EXPERIENCED

25:15DISINVESTMENT?

25:15WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS THAT

25:16YOU WOULD APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE

25:18APPEALS FOR ZONING RELIEF THAT

25:19COME BEFORE THE BOARD.

25:21?

25:21>> JUST IF ANYONE.

25:22FEELS MOVED TO ANSWER THOSE TWO

25:25QUESTIONS.

25:29MADAM CHAIR.

25:34WELL, UH.

25:36I MEAN FOR ME, I, I LOOK AT

25:38EACH CASE CASE BY CASE SO I'M

25:40NOT I DON'T HAVE LIKE A CAN

25:42ANSWER FOR YOU UM, BECAUSE UH,

25:44YOU KNOW, EVERY CASE IS UNIQUE

25:46AND BRINGS DIFFERENT CHALLENGES

25:47AND OPPORTUNITIES TO IT SO I

25:48THAT'S THAT'S HOW I WOULD

25:50APPROACH IT WITH AN OPEN MIND.

25:52SO IT'S IN YOUR OPINION IT'S

25:53NOT NEIGHBORHOOD BY

25:54NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE IN TERMS

25:56OF LIKE OPPORTUNITIES FOR

25:58INVESTING IN CERTAIN

25:59NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH CERTAIN

26:00PROJECTS.

26:00I MEAN.

26:01WE CERTAINLY HAVE GUIDANCE UH,

26:03FROM FROM THE FROM PLANNING UH,

26:05RIGHT THERE YOU KNOW, UH,

26:07DIFFERENT STREETS.

26:07AND SQUARES AND.

26:09UH OTHER OTHER INITIATIVES THAT

26:10HELP HELP GUIDE US.

26:11SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE INFORMED BY

26:12THOSE AS WELL.

26:14OKAY.

26:14>> ANYONE ELSE WANT TO ANSWER.

26:15EITHER THOSE GOING ADD I THINK

26:17IT'S REALLY DEPENDENT ON THE

26:18SPECIFIC ZONING RELIEF THEY ARE

26:20SEEKING AND OTHER FACTORS.

26:23YOU KNOW I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE

26:24CONTEXT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO

26:25MAKE SURE IT'S YOU KNOW, SORT

26:27OF APPROPRIATE FOR THE

26:28NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE UM, PUBLIC

26:31COMMENT THAT WE RECEIVE AS WELL

26:32AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE

26:34ALSO GET.

26:36YEAH, I WOULD JUST ADD.

26:37IT IN.

26:38>> IF HIGH OPPORTUNITY

26:39NEIGHBORHOODS MEAN SORT

26:40OF DOWNTOWN OR BACK BAY, THOSE

26:43PROJECTS TYPICALLY ARE LARGE

26:44PROJECTS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH

26:46ARTICLE 80 PROCESS THROUGH THE

26:48PLANNING DEPARTMENT.

26:49AND SO UM ZONING IS SORT OF THE

26:52LAST STOP BUT THEY'VE ALREADY

26:53GONE THROUGH A VERY UH LENGTHY

26:55AND AND UH, THOUGHTFUL PUBLIC

26:58PROCESS.

26:59UM AND WE LOOK AT THE VARIANCE

27:01BUT THEY'VE YOU KNOW, PRETTY

27:02MUCH THE CITY HAS DONE AND THE

27:04NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS TYPICALLY

27:06HAVE ALREADY WEIGHED IN ON

27:07THOSE DECISIONS.

27:08THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE THAT

27:09ACTUALLY LENDS TO MY LAST

27:11QUESTION, WHICH IS HOW.

27:12>> SHOULD THE ZBA.

27:13WEIGH DECISIONS ON PROJECTS

27:14THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED BPA

27:16BOARD APPROVAL?

27:17DO YOU BELIEVE THAT.

27:18ZBA MEMBERS SHOULD EVER VOTE ON

27:19A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN VETTED

27:21AND APPROVED OR VOTE AGAINST A

27:22PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN VETTED

27:23AND APPROVED BY THE PLANNING

27:25DEPARTMENT AND BOARD AND IF SO,

27:26UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES?

27:28I KNOW THERE ARE A COUPLE

27:29OF EXAMPLES OF THIS.

27:30THAT'S WHY I'M BRINGING THIS

27:31UP.

27:32.

27:33>> SOMEBODY ELSE CAN YOU

27:34CONSIDER.

27:35ME WHEN I THINK OH I'M.

27:36HAPPY TO HAVE YOU START.

27:38>> CONSIDER I THINK FOR US IT'S

27:40VERY IMPORTANT TO RECEIVE THE

27:41UM.

27:45DOCUMENTS FROM THE PLANNING

27:46DEPARTMENT SO WE CAN SEE AND

27:48READ ABOUT THE PROCESS.

27:49SOME PROJECTS HAVE SIX MONTHS

27:51ONE YEAR, TWO OR 3 OR 4 YEARS

27:53OF PROCESS AND FOR US IS VERY

27:54IMPORTANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED

27:56FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

27:58ARTICLE 30 PROJECTS ARE

27:59APPROVED WHEN THEY COME TO A

28:01ZONING BOARD.

28:02NOW THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT

28:03PROVIDES A RECOMMENDATION FOR

28:05ALMOST EVERY PROJECT THAT WE

28:07SEE FOR ALMOST EVERY CASE.

28:10UM THE DIFFERENCE I GUESS AND I

28:12THINK IS THAT FOR US WE HAVE

28:14OPEN HEARINGS SO WE CAN HAVE

28:16MORE PEOPLE ATTENDING

28:18PRESENTING TESTIMONY AND WE

28:20HEAR SOMETIMES COMMENTS THAT

28:22REALLY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE

28:24NOT ABLE TO PRESENT AT THE

28:26PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH,

28:27HEARINGS.

28:29SO WE HAVE UM BY THE TIME THOSE

28:31CASES COME TO OUR BOARD, THOSE

28:33THOSE PROJECTS ARE MOST LIKELY

28:35READY TO BE APPROVED.

28:37BUT ALWAYS IT'S USEFUL FOR US

28:39TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND

28:40HAVE MORE TIME TO REVIEW THOSE

28:42DOCUMENTS FROM THE PLANNING

28:43DEPARTMENT, TRANSPORTATION

28:44DISABILITIES COMMUNITIES AND

28:45GIVE A SECOND A LOOK BEFORE WE

28:47UPLOAD.

28:48THANK YOU.

28:49GIOVANNI.

28:49I JUST WANT TO ADD A LITTLE

28:51COMMENT AND TO.

28:52THAT I THINK UH EVERY

28:54NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD BE TREATED

28:55EQUALLY.

28:56AND I FEEL.

28:57YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO THE

28:59ABUTTERS WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD

29:01WANT AND EVEN IF THEY APPROVE A

29:05PROJECT.

29:07SOMETIMES FOR.

29:08ME IF IT IF IT'S NOT WHAT THE

29:10NEIGHBORHOOD WANT, I MIGHT HAVE

29:12TO GO AGAINST THAT JUDGMENT AND

29:14DENY THAT PROJECT AND BECAUSE.

29:17MY MY THING.

29:18>> OF IT IS THAT.

29:19IT'S SO MUCH.

29:20BUILDINGS GOING UP IN BOSTON

29:22THAT A LOT OF.

29:24THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES.

29:25SOMETIMES GET MISSED.

29:27YOU KNOW YOU KNOW YOU KNOW, I

29:29HAD A FRIEND BEFORE WANTED TO

29:30PUT UP A BUILDING AND UH, HE

29:32COULDN'T.

29:33DO IT BECAUSE.

29:34HE DIDN'T HAVE THE REQUIREMENTS

29:35AND HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO

29:36IT.

29:37SO LIKE I SAID FOR MYSELF IF

29:39IT'S A PROJECT.

29:41THAT I DON'T THAT I THINK THAT

29:42THE COMMUNITY NEEDS OR THAT

29:44ABUT IT NEEDS.

29:46I NORMALLY WOULD VOTE YES.

29:47THANK YOU.

29:49UM I KNOW IT CAN FEEL.

29:49LIKE A.

29:50>> LOT OF BUILDINGS ARE GOING

29:51UP IN BOSTON BUT YOU KNOW BASED

29:53ON OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR AND

29:55BASED ON UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORIC

29:57LOW IN TERMS OF PERMITS, WE'RE

29:59APPROVING A LOT OF PROJECTS,

30:00YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW AND YOU

30:02GUYS ARE REVIEWING A LOT

30:03OF PROJECTS BUT THOSE PROJECTS

30:05AREN'T ALWAYS COMING TO

30:06FRUITION.

30:07SO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT UM, I

30:09GUESS FOR ME AS A CITY

30:11COUNCILOR, ONE THING THAT I

30:13HAVE BEEN.

30:14EVER.

30:15>> YOU KNOW, CONCERNED ABOUT IS

30:17THE IDEA OF MOVING THE PROCESS

30:20,MOVING THE GOALPOSTS FROM

30:22GETTING BPA BOARD APPROVAL TO

30:25GETTING ZBA APPROVAL.

30:26I FIND THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE

30:27THAT OPPOSE PROJECTS WILL TRY

30:30TO SET THEIR SIGHTS ON THE NEXT

30:32MEETING THAT IS HAPPENING,

30:33WHICH IS THE ZBA UM AND OFTEN I

30:36THINK IN ORDER TO LEVEL.

30:39SET WITH RESIDENTS IT'S

30:40IMPORTANT TO SHARE THAT LIKE AS

30:41A CITY COUNCILOR IF IF

30:43SOMETHING HAS GONE THROUGH THE

30:44BPA BOARD I PERSONALLY DON'T

30:46THINK IT'S RIGHT TO OPPOSE IT

30:49AT ZBA UM UNLESS THERE IS

30:51SOMETHING THAT WAS MISSED LIKE

30:52YOU WERE SAYING AND THE PROCESS

30:54WHICH IS VERY RARE.

30:56UM SO JUST MY OPINION AS

30:59SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO MOVE

31:00YOUR NOMINATIONS FORWARD IS

31:01THAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT

31:03SHOULD.

31:03ESSENTIALLY THAT UH, BPA BOARD

31:06APPROVAL SHOULD MOSTLY

31:07ENCOMPASS, YOU KNOW, ALL

31:10OF BECAUSE IT REALLY THE BPA

31:11BOARD APPROVAL IS SUPPOSED TO

31:13UM, HAVE BASICALLY ALL OF THE

31:15CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE ALREADY

31:17WEIGHED IN SO IT SOMETHING HAS

31:19GONE VERY WRONG IF.

31:20LIKE IF YOU KNOW IF ESSENTIALLY

31:23PEOPLE ARE OPPOSING IT ONCE

31:24IT'S GOING AND THAT'S JUST MY

31:26OPINION AND IT'S MY ONE CHANCE

31:27TO TELL YOU.

31:28THAT SO SO I WILL TAKE MY ONE

31:30CHANCE TO SAY THAT I PERSONALLY

31:32WOULD PREFER THAT THE GOAL POST

31:35FOR FOLKS OPPOSING A PROJECT

31:36NOT BE MOVED TO THE ZBA AND I

31:38FIND THAT WITH UM, ALMOST EVERY

31:41CASE THAT.

31:42THERE IS A.

31:44BPA BOARD.

31:45APPROVAL AND THEN IT GOES TO

31:46ZBA AND THERE'S.

31:47CRAZY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER

31:49IT SHOULD.

31:49>> BE.

31:50APPROVED THAT.

31:51ACTUALLY MOVES THE GOALPOSTS

31:52FOR US AS ELECTED OFFICIALS

31:54BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME WHEN

31:55YOU'VE GOTTEN BPA BOARD.

31:57APPROVAL.

31:57>> EVERY DEPARTMENT AT THE CITY

31:59HAS WEIGHED IN.

32:00YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE TO THE

32:01SCOPING SESSION, WE'VE DONE ALL

32:03OF THIS.

32:03UM, AND THERE ARE A LOT.

32:05>> OF PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE

32:06HORIZON FOR PERMITTING.

32:08BUT UM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF A

32:11LOT GOING ON IN BOSTON RIGHT

32:12NOW, I THINK WE'RE MOSTLY

32:14TALKING ABOUT BOSTON WATER AND

32:15SEWER WORK AND UM, AND

32:18DEFINITELY YOU KNOW, THERE'S A

32:19LOT OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON

32:20BUT IT'S DEFINITELY NOT HOUSING

32:22AND WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT.

32:24AND I THINK THAT THE ZBA HAS A

32:25ROLE TO.

32:26PLAY IN MAKING SURE THAT THERE

32:27IS ENOUGH HOUSING FOR OUR

32:28RESIDENTS AND THAT WE'RE

32:29LOWERING THE COST OF HOUSING IN

32:30OUR CITY.

32:31AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M

32:32EXTREMELY AND I MY COLLEAGUES

32:34KNOW I'M EXTREMELY PASSIONATE.

32:35>> ABOUT.

32:36THIS BECAUSE AS SOMEONE WHO

32:37MOVED HERE 11 YEARS AGO, UM, IT

32:40HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE TO AFFORD

32:42RENT AND UM, I FEEL REALLY

32:45LUCKY TO BE IN THIS POSITION

32:46AND BOSTON HAS GIVEN

32:48ME EVERYTHING BUT I WANT TO

32:49MAKE SURE THE NEXT PERSON WHO

32:50MOVES HERE AS A YOUNG PERSON IS

32:52ABLE TO STAY HERE.

32:53AND I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE A

32:56REAL ROLE TO PLAY IN MAKING

32:57SURE THAT UM THAT WE'RE WE

32:59MIGHT BE IN A PERMITTING FREEZE

33:01WITH THE CONSTRUCTION COST AND

33:02INTEREST RATES AND JUST SORT

33:04OF THE COST OF EVERYTHING RIGHT

33:05NOW.

33:06BUT IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO

33:07ME THAT YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT

33:10UM, AT LEAST FROM MY

33:12PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU HAVE AN

33:13IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY BUT

33:14ESPECIALLY ON THESE BIG

33:15PROJECTS, UM, THAT WE'RE

33:17LETTING THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT

33:19AND PEOPLE WHO DO PLANNING AND

33:21KATIE KNOWS THIS BECAUSE SHE

33:22DOES THIS IN ANOTHER CITY.

33:23SO, UM SO GRATEFUL.

33:25TO YOU ALL.

33:25>> FOR BEING HERE.

33:26I'M GOING TO LET MY COLLEAGUES

33:27ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY

33:28HAVE STARTING WITH

33:30COUNCILOR MURPHY.

33:32UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSONAL

33:36INTRODUCTIONS.

33:38IT JUST REASSURES.

33:39ME EVEN MORE BASED OFF.

33:41>> OF YOUR RESUMES THAT YOU'RE.

33:42ALL WELL SUITED FOR THIS

33:43POSITION, THE WORK YOU'VE DONE

33:44.

33:45UH, JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.

33:47UM, AS YOU KNOW AND AS THE

33:51MEMBERS YOURSELF, YOU PROBABLY

33:52GET THE SAME QUESTIONS WE GET

33:53AS ELECTED OFFICIALS HOW YOU

33:55KNOW, COMMUNITIES OFTEN FEEL.

33:58AND YOU.

33:58>> WHEN YOU MENTIONED YOU'VE

33:59BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR SIX YEARS

34:00THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT

34:02AWAY FROM NEIGHBORHOOD

34:04ASSOCIATIONS COMING FORWARD AND

34:06EVEN.

34:07IF THEY ALL OPPOSE OR.

34:08APPROVE A PROJECT AND ALSO THE

34:11MAYOR'S OFFICE, IT'S DEFINITELY

34:13HAS BEEN A SHIFT FROM A ONE

34:14THAT'S NOT REALLY WEIGHING IN

34:16JUST, YOU KNOW.

34:17SAYING THE PROCESS HAPPENED

34:19MAYBE.

34:19YOU KNOW.

34:21>> REFERRING TO THE ABUTTERS

34:23MEETINGS, UM, THE OUTREACH THAT

34:25MAY HAVE.

34:25OCCURRED OR.

34:26SHARING OUT HOW MANY LETTERS

34:28THEY MAY HAVE RECEIVED BUT THEY

34:29NEVER REALLY GIVE THEIR OWN

34:31OPINION.

34:32HOW DO YOU HOW IS THAT.

34:34SHIFTED OR DO YOU FEEL THERE'S

34:35THAT HAS CHANGED ANY WAY THAT

34:37YOUR BOARD MOVES FORWARD.

34:38WITH YOUR APPROVAL OR

34:41DISAPPROVAL OF PROJECTS?

34:43I MEAN.

34:44>> I THINK OTHER THAN JENNY

34:45JEAN AND MYSELF I DON'T THINK

34:46ANYONE'S EXPERIENCED ANYTHING

34:48DIFFERENT THERE.

34:49UH I MEAN I USED TO BE AN OWNER

34:51SO I CERTAINLY EXPERIENCED THE

34:52FACT THAT WE WE AND OWNERS TOOK

34:54POSITIONS SO THAT THAT

34:55CERTAINLY IS UH, DIFFERENT BUT

34:58I, I DON'T THINK ANYONE KNOWS

34:59ANYTHING UH, A DIFFERENT WAY

35:01OF SEEING THINGS SO I MEAN WE

35:02WE TAKE WHAT WE GET AND WE UH

35:04AND WE WE INCORPORATE ALL

35:06OF THAT INTO OUR INTO OUR

35:07DECISION MAKING.

35:08YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY PROCESS

35:09IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

35:10LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND

35:11ABUTTERS IN PARTICULAR ARE

35:12REALLY IMPORTANT.

35:13UH, AND AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW,

35:15UH.

35:15>> PLANNING.

35:16DEPARTMENT I-S-D LIKE YOU KNOW

35:17SO IT ALL CONTRIBUTES AND SO

35:18UH, I KNOW FOR ME FOR ME IT'S A

35:20LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE I'M

35:21USED TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT BUT

35:22I THINK FOR EVERYONE ELSE

35:23THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'VE COME

35:25TO EXPECT.

35:26YEAH I WOULD.

35:27>> SAY THE THING THAT'S CHANGED

35:28THE MOST IS THE AMOUNT

35:30OF INFORMATION WE GET FROM THE

35:32PLANNING DEPARTMENT.

35:33IN FACT, I WENT TO UM ONE

35:35OF THE PLANNING CHIEF PLANNERS

35:37ABOUT EIGHT FIVE YEARS AGO AND

35:39SAID YOU KNOW WHAT WE GET FROM

35:41THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT BACK

35:42THEN IT WAS THE THE BPA IS

35:45BASICALLY THE AGENDA AND A LIST

35:47OF THE VARIANCES.

35:48AND I SAID I THINK YOU GUYS CAN

35:51DO BETTER AT EXPLAINING LIKE

35:53YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND NOW WE

35:54GET THREE PAGES FOR EACH

35:56PROJECT AND IT'S A 100 PAGE

35:58DOCUMENT.

35:59UM BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR

36:01WHEN I FIRST JOINED.

36:03IT WAS REALLY JUST WE GOT YOU

36:04KNOW, THE AGENDA.

36:06UM, AND I THINK THE CITY HAS

36:08DONE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD WORK

36:10EXPLAINING THE RATIONALE,

36:12EXPLAINING THE VARIANCES,

36:13EXPLAINING WHAT THEY SEE ON THE

36:15BLOCK, UM, AND WHY THE THE

36:18CODE DOESN'T REALLY MATCH THE

36:20BUILT ENVIRONMENT.

36:21AND SO UH I THINK THAT'S BEEN

36:24THE BIGGEST SHIFT AND IT'S BEEN

36:25QUITE HELPFUL.

36:26THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THAT

36:28INFORMATION BUT ALSO IT'S NOT

36:30THAT YOU HAVE TO RUBBER STAMP

36:31IT BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THE

36:33PROCESSES AND THE STEPS ALONG

36:34THE WAY TO GET THE FINAL

36:36APPROVAL ARE THERE FOR ALL GOOD

36:37REASONS.

36:38SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU KNOW,

36:39YOU'RE AT THE END OF THAT STEP

36:41IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK.

36:42QUICKLY ON.

36:44IF A PROJECT ISN'T PASSED AND

36:46LIKE I SAID I DON'T.

36:47ALWAYS AGREE BUT I DO.

36:48RESPECT THAT THE BOARD AND

36:50THERE WAS MORE THAN JUST ONE

36:51VOTE WHICH I APPRECIATE THAT.

36:53WHAT IS THE UM DEVELOPERS

36:55BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE THERE IS

36:56A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIGGER

36:58PROJECTS AND THEN HERE A LOT

36:59YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE HOMEOWNERS

37:01WHO JUST WANT TO LIKE ADD.

37:02>> A.

37:03BATHROOM SO THAT THEIR MOTHER

37:05CAN MOVE IN AND LIVE ON THE

37:07FIRST FLOOR COMFORTABLY AND IT

37:08COULD BE FOUR MONTHS BEFORE

37:10IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE APPROVAL

37:11WITH THE ESD BECAUSE THEY HAVE

37:13TO GO THROUGH ZONING.

37:14IF YOU COULD JUST UM, SPEAK TO

37:17EVEN JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL

37:18RESIDENTS AND FEEL LIKE.

37:19KIND OF.

37:19>> THAT BALANCE BETWEEN YOUR

37:20ROLE OF ON ZBA BUT I UNDERSTAND

37:22THE FRUSTRATION WHERE SOME

37:23OF THESE.

37:24OBVIOUSLY THERE MAY.

37:25BE A VARIANCE BUT WE'RE NOT

37:26LIKE CHANGING THE FABRIC OF A

37:27NEIGHBORHOOD.

37:28WE'RE JUST KIND OF CHANGING A

37:29SMALL THING INSIDE A HOME.

37:31BUT IT DOES, YOU KNOW, NEED TO

37:33GO BEFORE YOUR BOARD.

37:37OKAY I CAN'T OKAY.

37:39THANK YOU.

37:40>> UM COUNCILOR MURPHY I AGREE

37:42I AGREE WITH YOU IN WHAT YOU

37:45WERE MENTIONING ABOUT SOME

37:46CASES I UNDERSTAND THAT WE

37:49SPENT A LOT OF TIME THROUGH IN

37:51DOCUMENTS FOR BIG DEVELOPMENT

37:53THAT ARE GOING TO CHANGE AND

37:55HOPEFULLY IMPROVE THE CITY, BUT

37:59SOMETIMES THERE ARE VERY SMALL

38:00CASES THAT I'M WONDERING WHY WE

38:01ARE SPENDING THAT CONSTITUENTS

38:03TIME IN OUR TIME REVIEWING IS

38:06MORE DETAILS FOR THAT REASON WE

38:07HAVE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON

38:09THURSDAY IS THE REVIEW OF SOME

38:10OF THOSE SMALLER PROJECTS AND I

38:12THINK THE CITY'S WORKING HARD

38:14AND IS IS WORKING HARD TO

38:15ENSURE THAT THEY REDUCE THE

38:17PAPERWORK IN THE STEPS,

38:19ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL PROJECTS.

38:22I UH SOME RESINS ARE TRYING TO

38:24BUILD ABUS ACCESSORY DWELLING

38:26UNITS IN BOSTON AND THAT IS

38:28SUPPOSED TO.

38:28>> BE A FAST PROJECT.

38:30I KNOW THIS IS A NEW CONCEPT

38:32FOR MANY OF US AND THE CITY IS

38:35WORKING HARD TO IMPROVE THE

38:36STEPS SO IT SEEMS IT GETS

38:38EASIER.

38:39BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME

38:41OF THOSE UM UH PROJECT OWNERS

38:44ARE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THAT HAS

38:46BEEN TAKING SO MUCH TIME FOR

38:47SOMETHING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO

38:48BE EASY.

38:49THE CITY'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT

38:51DIRECTION, I THINK I HOPE THAT

38:53UH AT SOME TIME WE JUST FOCUS

38:56ON PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO

38:57REALLY IMPACT THE ENTIRE CITY.

39:00BUT UNTIL THEN WE ARE HAPPY TO

39:01REVIEW EVERYTHING THAT COMES TO

39:03US.

39:03YEAH.

39:04>> I THINK IS UH, CHAIR DURKAN

39:05SAID AT THE BEGINNING WE HAVE

39:07AMONG THE MOST COMPLICATED AND

39:09CODE LIKE THICK THICK ZONING

39:11CODES.

39:11AND SO UH, YOU KNOW, WE SEE

39:13WHAT'S BEFORE US WHERE WE'RE

39:15WE'RE NOT THE ONES CHANGING THE

39:17CODE, BUT I YOU KNOW, THAT'S A

39:19PROCESS THAT'S UNDERWAY THAT

39:20UH, WITH BPD THAT HOPEFULLY UH

39:23,WILL STREAMLINE THINGS.

39:24YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING A LOT

39:25YOU KNOW, PLAN DOWNTOWN PLAN

39:27YOU KNOW, MATTAPAN PLAN THAT

39:29THAT ARE INTENDED TO SIMPLIFY

39:31CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THAT YOU'RE

39:32DESCRIBING THAT SHOULD NOT COME

39:34BEFORE US AT ALL.

39:35UH, AND AND SHOULD JUST BE AS

39:37OF RIGHT.

39:37AND SO I THINK THAT PROCESS

39:38NEEDS TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD TO

39:40TO HELP US SEE THE CASES THAT

39:41REALLY, REALLY NEED SOME SORT

39:43OF UH, EXTRA EYE ON IT.

39:45AND THANK THANK YOU.

39:47UM, I'LL ADD THAT IN MY FULL

39:49TIME JOB I'M MUCH MORE FACE TO

39:50FACE WITH RESIDENTS.

39:51SO I DO HEAR OF THOSE STRUGGLES

39:54TO GET AN ADU PERMITTED TO DO A

39:56SIMPLE ADDITION.

39:57UM, SO I DO TRY TO TAKE THAT

40:00EXPERIENCE WITH ME TO THE BOARD

40:02BUT I DO THINK AS MY COLLEAGUES

40:04HAVE NOTED, YOU KNOW WHAT'S IN

40:05THE ZONING DOESN'T ALWAYS MATCH

40:07WHAT'S ON THE GROUND.

40:08SO YOU KNOW AND EVEN THE WAY

40:10THINGS ARE COUNTED LIKE TO

40:11FINISH A BASEMENT WILL OFTEN

40:13TRIGGER FLOOR AREA RATIO.

40:15SO I THINK KIND OF THE ZONING

40:17REFORM PIECE IS ALSO REALLY

40:19KIND OF IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER.

40:21THANK YOU.

40:23UM THANK YOU.

40:23CHAIR THANK YOU.

40:24AND I'M.

40:25LOOKING FORWARD TO VOTING.

40:26SUPPORTING ALL OF YOU AND

40:28SOMETIMES I SEE YOU ON.

40:29>> THE.

40:30ZOOM HOPEFULLY ONE DAY WE'LL BE

40:31BACK IN PERSON.

40:32MAYBE YOU DON'T ALL WANT THAT

40:33BUT UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU

40:35DO.

40:36THANK YOU SO MUCH,

40:38COUNCILOR MURPHY,

40:38COUNCILOR FLYNN AND, UM, JUST

40:40SO YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN PUTTING

40:41TIME UP BUT IT'S JUST A GUIDE

40:43AND I'M NOT IT'S THERE'S NO

40:44BEEP.

40:45SO THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

40:47AND AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE.

40:52THE PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE THAT

40:55WILL BE ON THE BOARD UH SOON BE

40:57ON THE BOARD UH THAT ARE ON THE

40:58BOARD WANT TO SAY SAY THANK YOU

41:01TO FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AGAIN

41:02AND HELPING BUILD OUR CITY.

41:05WE WE MAY DISAGREE ON I DO WANT

41:10TO SEE THE ZBA GET BACK BACK IN

41:13PERSON.

41:14I DO LIKE WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN

41:16CITY HALL.

41:17I LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE IN CITY

41:19HALL DOING THE JOB ENGAGING

41:22WITH EACH OTHER.

41:23I LOVE SEEING ARCHITECTS HERE.

41:24I'VE I'VE SEEN UNION MEMBERS

41:26HERE, NEIGHBORS HERE.

41:27I LOVE THE DEBATE.

41:29UM I LIKE GOING UP THERE AND

41:32HEARING THE DISCUSSIONS HERE IN

41:35THE ARGUMENTS HEARING THE

41:36FIGHTS SAID I LOVE THAT UM BUT

41:39IT ALSO IT ALSO SENDS A MESSAGE

41:42TO THAT.

41:43YOU KNOW.

41:45WE WANT PEOPLE IN DOWNTOWN

41:46BOSTON AND I, I ENCOURAGE I SEE

41:49BUSINESS PEOPLE ALL THE TIME

41:50AND I TELL THEM IT'S TIME FOR

41:52YOU GUYS TO TO GET BACK TO

41:54WORK.

41:54I REPRESENT MOST OF THE

41:55DOWNTOWN BOSTON.

41:56I SAID WE YOU GUYS GOT TO GET

41:58BACK TO WORK.

41:59UM, FILL UP THOSE OFFICE

42:01BUILDINGS SO WE CAN BUILD MORE.

42:02I WANT TO SEE MORE BUILDINGS

42:03GOING UP.

42:04THERE'S A LOT A LOT

42:05OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE PERMITTED

42:06.

42:06BUT I WANT TO SEE I WANT TO SEE

42:07CRANES IN THE SKY.

42:08THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE.

42:10UM, WE DON'T NECESSARILY SEE

42:12THAT, BUT I JUST THINK HAVING

42:15PEOPLE BACK INTO WORK AT CITY

42:17HALL VISITING THE COFFEE SHOPS

42:18OR GOING OUT FOR LUNCH COMING

42:20OFF A DINNER UM DOES SEND A

42:23SIGNAL A CLEAR SIGNAL THAT

42:24WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

42:27UM, I I READ THROUGH THE

42:30RESUMES.

42:31I LISTEN CLOSELY TO EVERY

42:33PERSON HERE RESPECT THE WORK

42:36YOU'RE DOING AND I THINK YOU'RE

42:38ALL GOING TO CONTRIBUTE GREATLY

42:39TO THE TO THE CITY AND I'M

42:43GOING TO I'M GOING TO ASK A

42:45COUPLE QUESTIONS AND I'M NOT

42:47GOING TO CALL ALAN.

42:49UM ALAN I'M GOING TO CALL HIM

42:50COACH.

42:51IS THAT ALL RIGHT?

42:52YES, SIR.

42:52OKAY OKAY OKAY.

42:54UM AND RESPECT THE PASSION AND

42:58YOUR COMMITMENT AND YOUR HARD

43:00WORK THAT YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED

43:03,UM, THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE

43:04LIFE.

43:05SO WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU, ALAN

43:07.

43:07AND, UM, I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO

43:09BE A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS

43:10ASSET TO THE TO THE ZONING

43:12BOARD.

43:14MAYBE MY QUESTION IS AND THIS

43:18THIS CAN BE FOR OUR IT COULD BE

43:20ALSO FOR EVERYBODY JUST HOW DO

43:21YOU BALANCE.

43:23HEARING FROM RESIDENTS HEARING

43:25WHAT'S BEST FOR THE ECONOMY

43:27RESIDENTS OWN ABUTTERS BUSINESS

43:29PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SEE

43:30SOMETHING GO FORWARD UM THE THE

43:33THE PROPONENT HOW DO YOU HOW DO

43:36YOU BALANCE ALL OF THAT TO TO

43:38COME TO A A DECISION THAT MAKES

43:40THE BEST FOR THE CITY?

43:41I THINK.

43:42>> I THINK SOMETIMES UH A LOT

43:44OF TIMES YOU KNOW, WE GET.

43:46BLUEPRINTS, WE GET YOU KNOW,

43:47THE.

43:48INFORMATION WE NEED.

43:48YOU KNOW, I LISTEN.

43:50TO THE ABUTTERS I LISTEN TO.

43:52>> I TAKE TIME OUT TO.

43:53LISTEN YOU KNOW, EVEN MY KIDS.

43:54I LISTEN TO EVERYBODY AND I

43:57HAVE TO MAKE THE.

43:58DECISION ON.

43:59I THINK FOR ME IS WHAT'S GOOD

44:02FOR THE CITY OR.

44:03WHAT'S EVEN GOOD FOR THE.

44:05UM, ABUTTERS YOU.

44:06KNOW.

44:07>> IT'S NOT IT'S NOT JUST.

44:08ME MAKING THE DECISION.

44:10I ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, UH,

44:11BEFORE I.

44:12CAST MY DECISION IS WHAT'S GOOD

44:14FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON.

44:16NOT WHAT'S.

44:17>> GOOD FOR.

44:17ALLEN LANGHAM.

44:20ANYONE ELSE?

44:21UM, ANYONE ELSE WANT TO WEIGH

44:24IN?

44:25OR MAYBE I'LL JUST ASK.

44:27UM, LET ME ASK.

44:30LET ME ASK A QUESTION.

44:31UH, TO JANE AND JANE RESPECT

44:33THE WORK YOU'VE DONE AND I KNOW

44:34YOU'VE YOU'VE BEEN THE LONGEST

44:36MEMBER OF THE OF THE ZBA.

44:41KNOWING THAT YOU'RE THE LONGEST

44:42MEMBER.

44:43WHAT WHAT TYPE OF MENTORSHIP OR

44:46TYPE OF SUPPORT CAN YOU PROVIDE

44:49SOME OF THE NEW MEMBERS THAT

44:52THAT MIGHT NEED A LITTLE BIT

44:54OF UM, YOU KNOW, GUIDANCE AND

44:57SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS

44:58?

44:59IS THIS SOMETHING UM, THAT YOU

45:01AND SHERRY ARE THINKING ABOUT

45:04AND ARE ABLE TO WORK ON?

45:06YES, I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN.

45:09A FEW SESSIONS UM, EVERY YEAR

45:13WHERE WE CAN'T REALLY MEET WE

45:15CAN'T MEET IN PERSON BECAUSE

45:17OF OPEN MEETING LAWS.

45:18WE CAN'T MEET TOGETHER.

45:19>> WE CAN'T JUST CALL A MEETING

45:20AND.

45:21>> DO TRAINING.

45:21BUT WE'VE ENCOURAGED I-S-D TO

45:23HOLD TRAININGS FOR ALL THE

45:26MEMBERS WHERE THEY KIND OF WALK

45:28THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS

45:30OF ZONING AND WE GET TO ASK

45:32QUESTIONS AND THEY PRESENT SORT

45:33OF INFORMATION AND I THINK MORE

45:35OF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

45:37UM, PARTICULARLY AS WE SORT

45:38OF LOOK AT NEW TYPES OF ZONING

45:40LIKE SQUARES AND STREETS AS A

45:42WHOLE NEW ZONING CONSTRUCT IN

45:43THE CODE.

45:45UM, AND SO I THINK AND I THINK

45:47ALSO THE NEW MEMBERS GET TO

45:49HEAR OUR COMMENTS AND OUR

45:51QUESTIONS AND SO REALLY TAKING

45:53THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE PLANS

45:56UH, YOU KNOW, READ THE

45:57RECOMMENDATIONS, LOOK ON YOU

46:00KNOW, WE SORT OF GO AND LOOK IN

46:01THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND REALLY

46:02GET TO YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE THAT

46:04YOU CAN DO UM MAPQUEST AND ALL

46:06THOSE THINGS THAT GET YOU TO

46:07LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND

46:09AND REALLY THINK ABOUT IT AND

46:11WE SPEND YOU KNOW, I SPEND IT A

46:13DAY BEFORE THE HEARINGS REALLY

46:14LOOKING AT THE CASES, UM, AND

46:17UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT

46:19OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

46:20AND I THINK OUR QUESTIONS HELP

46:22GUIDE SOME OF THE NEW MEMBERS

46:24UNDERSTANDING OF OF OUR

46:25THINKING.

46:26EXCELLENT.

46:27>> YEAH.

46:28>> AND YOU KNOW, UM, I MEAN I

46:29WORK CLOSELY WITH THE

46:30COMMISSIONER AND STAFF AND

46:31CERTAINLY WHEN THERE ARE NEW

46:33UH, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS

46:35CONSIDERING UH, PARTICIPATION

46:37UH, AS A MEMBER, YOU KNOW, I'M

46:39I MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE.

46:40I'M HAPPY TO MEET WITH UM, I

46:42I'VE CHATTED WITH UH, SEVERAL

46:44WHO, UH, ARE NOW BEFORE YOU AND

46:47OR DECIDED NOT TO BECAUSE YOU

46:49KNOW, THEY REALIZED OKAY, IT

46:50MIGHT BE A BIT TOO HEAVY YOU

46:51LIFT UH, I ALSO ENCOURAGE, UH,

46:54WATCHING PAST, UM, HEARINGS.

46:56I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL AVAILABLE

46:57ONLINE AND YOU CAN SEE A WHOLE

46:59ARRAY OF OF DECISION MAKING AND

47:02PROCESS UH, THROUGH THAT AS

47:03WELL.

47:03AND AND LIKE JEAN SAID, I MEAN

47:04JUST OBSERVING LIVE MEETINGS UH

47:06,YOU KNOW, AS THEY'RE

47:07HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE

47:09EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON AND

47:10OUR LIFE PROCESS.

47:11THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

47:12MAY I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION?

47:14OF COURSE.

47:14OKAY.

47:15UM AND BEFORE I ASK A QUESTION

47:17,I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE

47:19YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE.

47:20I THINK THEY'RE BROUGHT IN BY

47:22COUNCILOR BRIAN WORRELL.

47:23UM, POWELL CORSO, WE WANT TO

47:26SAY THANK YOU TO THESE YOUNG

47:27PEOPLE, YOUNG ADULTS FOR

47:29OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN THE

47:30CITY AS WELL.

47:32UM.

47:35MY MY MY MY FINAL QUESTION, UM

47:39,WOULD BE MAYBE MAYBE TO

47:41SHERRY OR TO JANE OR TO WHOEVER

47:43WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER AND SHERRY

47:47KNOWS THIS AS WELL AS I DO

47:48PROBABLY THE ISSUE I FOCUS MOST

47:51ON AS A CITY COUNCILOR IS

47:52LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

47:53ACCESS.

47:54I THINK IT'S CRITICAL, UM, IN

47:56THIS CITY TO COMMUNICATE NOT

47:59JUST IN ENGLISH BUT IN SO MANY

48:01OTHER LANGUAGES.

48:03I REPRESENT A LARGE CANTONESE

48:05SPEAKING COMMUNITY, REPRESENT A

48:07LARGE SPANISH SPEAKING

48:08COMMUNITY AS WELL ON THE SOUTH.

48:09AND UM, CAN YOU TALK TO

48:13ME ABOUT AND THIS IS FOR ANYONE

48:16THAT WANTS TO ANSWER CAN YOU

48:17TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT

48:18LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

48:19ACCESS IS TO THE ZONING BOARD

48:22OF APPEALS AND WHAT STEPS ARE

48:24YOU TAKING TO ENSURE THAT

48:26RESIDENTS THAT DON'T SPEAK

48:29ENGLISH, UM, ARE ALSO INCLUDED

48:32IN IN THE DISCUSSION AND THAT

48:33THEIR VOICES IS HEARD AND

48:35RESPECTED?

48:35YEAH.

48:36>> THAT'S A THAT'S A GREAT

48:37QUESTION.

48:38UH, WE DON'T WE DON'T END UP

48:40SEEING.

48:41THAT MANY UM CASES WHERE WHERE

48:44THE LANGUAGE PART IS NEEDED.

48:46BUT WHEN WE DO IT'S IT'S

48:47CRITICAL THAT IT'S THAT IT'S UM

48:50APPROPRIATELY APPLIED.

48:51RIGHT.

48:51SO BECAUSE WE DON'T WE DON'T

48:53KNOW UNTIL THE CASES BEFORE US

48:55THAT SOMEONE NEEDS, UH, NEEDS

48:57AN INTERPRETER AND SO THE STAFF

48:59DOES AND SO HOPEFULLY, YOU

49:00KNOW, WE CAN COORDINATE ON THAT

49:01FRONT.

49:02I'VE SUGGESTED UH AND I DON'T

49:05BE HONEST I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT

49:06STANDS RIGHT NOW, BUT I'VE

49:07SUGGESTED SIMULTANEOUS

49:09TRANSLATION.

49:09YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN

49:11INTERPRETATION IS NEEDED

49:12BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, UH, BEING

49:14IN A LOT OF THOSE MEETINGS WHEN

49:15IT IS NOT SIMULTANEOUS IT

49:18STRETCHES THE MEETING OUT

49:19IMMENSELY.

49:20AND AS PEOPLE KNOW, THE VOLUME

49:21OF OUR CASES THAT JUST MAKES IT

49:24THAT MUCH LONGER.

49:24AND SO I THINK THAT'S THAT'S

49:26IMPORTANT SO THAT BOTH UH THE

49:29APPLICANT AND UH THE ANY ANY

49:31COMMENTERS, YOU KNOW, ANY

49:32RESIDENTS CAN BE HEARD I THINK

49:33THE CHALLENGES FOR FOR THE

49:35STAFF THEY ONLY KNOW ABOUT THE

49:37APPLICANT.

49:37THEY KNOW IF THERE'S AN

49:38APPLICANT WHO NEEDS IT THEY

49:40DON'T THERE'S NO WAY FOR THEM

49:41TO KNOW IF A RESIDENT NEEDS IT

49:43UNLESS THEY REQUEST IT IN

49:45ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.

49:46SO IF SOMEONE JUST POP ON THAT

49:48THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY EQUIPPED

49:49TO DEAL WITH IT.

49:50BUT NO ONE HAS POPPED ON

49:51RECENTLY.

49:52>> BUT.

49:52YOU KNOW, JUST TO.

49:53>> SAY.

49:53IS THERE A WAY THOUGH IF YOU IF

49:55YOU'RE WATCHING IT ON

49:56TELEVISION UM A CABLE

49:58TELEVISION THAT AND IF YOU'RE

50:00SPANISH SPEAK SPANISH PERSON

50:02SPANISH SPEAKING PERSON UM IS

50:05IS THE TICK IN THE TEXT DOWN

50:08DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE

50:09TELEVISION SCREEN?

50:10CAN THE TEXT BE IN SPANISH OR

50:13COULD THE COULD THE TEXT BE IN

50:16CHINESE OR ANOTHER LANGUAGE

50:18JUST SO.

50:19THAT'S LIVE STREAMED.

50:20>> WHILE IT'S LIVE STREAM?

50:21YEAH.

50:22JUST SO PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO UM

50:25AROUND ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND

50:27YOU KNOW WE WE THINK OF UM YOU

50:33KNOW, THE SPANISH SPEAKING

50:34COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE

50:35ENTIRE CITY.

50:36UM, SO THEY MIGHT THEY MIGHT BE

50:39INTERESTED IN WATCHING THE

50:40WHOLE THE WHOLE DISCUSSION.

50:43UM AND MAYBE THEY CAN'T BECAUSE

50:45OF THAT LANGUAGE BARRIER.

50:47BUT I'M NOT SAYING WE WE NEED A

50:49DECISION NOW BUT I'M JUST

50:50SAYING IS THIS SOMETHING WE

50:52COULD WORK ON DOWN THE ROAD?

50:53I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO THAT,

50:55UH, COUNCILOR FLYNN, UM, IT'S I

50:58DO THINK THAT AS A SETTING ON

50:59ZOOM I DON'T KNOW IF THAT

51:01EVERYONE HAS THAT ACTIVATED OR

51:03HOW THAT'S I KNOW AT THE

51:04BEGINNING OF A LOT OF PLANNING

51:05DEPARTMENT HEARINGS, UM, THEY

51:08HAVE THAT OPTION TO YOU KNOW,

51:10YOU CAN HIT THAT SETTING.

51:11THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN

51:12LOOK INTO AND GET YOU AN ANSWER

51:13ON BUT UM GO AHEAD.

51:14SURE.

51:14YEAH.

51:15I MEAN I WAS GOING TO REALLY

51:16SAY WE CAN'T ANSWER THAT

51:17QUESTION.

51:18THAT'S REALLY IS THAT A STAFF

51:19QUESTION WHETHER THERE'S

51:20CAPACITY TO DO SO BECAUSE THE

51:21THE BUTTON THAT YOU'RE TALKING

51:22ABOUT THAT THAT ASSUMES THAT WE

51:24KNOW THAT UH INTERPRETATION IS

51:26NEEDED AND SO THERE IS AN

51:27INTERPRETER AVAILABLE TO DO IT.

51:29SO I MEAN IF THERE'S NO ONE IN

51:30THE BACK END THAT'S GOING TO BE

51:31DOING THE SPANISH, THE CHINESE

51:32OR WHATEVER I MEAN.

51:33YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE PRESSING TOO

51:35NOBODY.

51:35YEAH.

51:36>> AND TECHNOLOGY HAS REALLY

51:37IMPROVED IN THAT RESPECT.

51:39UM, IN THE SENSE THAT A LOT OF.

51:41PEOPLE HAVE ADD ONS THAT THEY

51:42CAN ADD ON TO THEIR OWN

51:43TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER TO DO

51:45TRANSLATION.

51:46UM, AND I KNOW THAT THAT IS

51:49BENEFICIAL TO A LOT OF FOLKS IN

51:50MY DISTRICT.

51:51THEY HAVE CERTAIN APPLICATIONS

51:52ON THEIR COMPUTERS AND ON THEIR

51:53PHONES THAT DO THAT

51:56SIMULTANEOUSLY ALMOST LIKE.

51:57GOOGLE DATA LIKE.

51:58YOU KNOW THE BEGINNING OF THAT

51:59HOW COULD BABBLE YOU COULD TALK

52:01TO YOUR PHONE AND THEN IT WOULD

52:02TRANSLATE.

52:03SO THERE ARE A LOT

52:04OF TECHNOLOGIES COUNCILOR FLYNN

52:05WE WILL LOOK INTO THAT AND

52:06THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

52:07DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS

52:08?

52:09NO JUST I'LL MAKE A FINAL

52:10POINT.

52:10UM, I WORKED WITH THE BRE BPA

52:17WHEN THE BRE UM DIDN'T HAVE ANY

52:21UM, CANTONESE SPEAKING UH,

52:25PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO

52:27COMMUNICATE BUT I WORKED WITH

52:29THE BRE IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT

52:33LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

52:34ACCESS WAS CRITICAL AND AND ONE

52:36OF THE THINGS I DID WAS ENSURE

52:38THAT THE AND I HAVE RESPECT FOR

52:41ALL OF THE COMMUNITY

52:42ORGANIZATIONS IN CHINATOWN BUT

52:44I I MADE SURE THAT THE UM THE

52:48THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM WOULD

52:49SPEAK BEFORE THE CHINATOWN

52:51RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION BECAUSE

52:54THAT GROUP, THE CHINATOWN

52:55RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

52:58PREDOMINANTLY THE ENTIRE

52:59CONVERSATION IS IN CANTONESE

53:02AND THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO

53:03THAT MEETING ARE UH OBVIOUSLY

53:05CANTONESE SPEAKING.

53:07UM, SO THAT SYSTEM WORKS.

53:09WELL, I'M JUST I'M JUST

53:10THINKING OUT LOUD.

53:11I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT

53:12ALL OF MY CONSTITUENTS, UM, ARE

53:15HEARD DURING THE PROCESS AND

53:17AGAIN, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK

53:20WITH THE ZBA JUST TO SEE IF WE

53:22CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON

53:23LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

53:24ACCESS.

53:25MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR

53:26GIVING ME AN EXTRA COUPLE

53:27OF MINUTES TO UM, GO OVER.

53:28THE COURSE.

53:29THANK YOU SO MUCH.

53:31UM, AND I KNOW, UM THAT YOU ALL

53:34HAVE SERVED WITH DISTINCTION

53:35AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL

53:36THAT YOU DO.

53:37UM, I DID HEAR SO ONE THEME

53:40OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE.

53:41HAD IS.

53:42THAT IF.

53:43>> WE.

53:43FIX THE ZONING CODE,

53:46POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE CASES

53:47THAT COME BEFORE YOU WOULD BE

53:49UNNECESSARY, WHICH I THINK IS

53:51VERY IMPORTANT IN CERTAIN

53:52RESPECTS.

53:53AND UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY

53:55REGARDING THE ACCESSORY

53:57DWELLING UNIT CONVERSATION, I'M

54:00EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT

54:01ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS THOUGH

54:03VERY FEW WOULD PROBABLY BE.

54:04PERMITTED IN DISTRICT EIGHT.

54:05WHERE I REPRESENT THE WEST END,

54:07BEACON HILL, BACK BAY, FENWAY

54:08AND MISSION HALL.

54:09THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT BUT

54:11THERE.

54:11ARE A LOT.

54:12>> OF UM, LEGALIZED APARTMENTS

54:14THAT MIGHT BE ABLE.

54:15TO BE LEGALIZED.

54:16>> WITH CERTAIN ZONING REFORMS

54:17.

54:18UM, AND I KNOW HOWEVER

54:20CONTROVERSIAL UM ONE OF THE

54:23ZONING AMENDMENTS THAT IS

54:24BEFORE OUR COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW

54:26UM, IS TO ELIMINATE UM, PARKING

54:29REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW

54:29RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, UM,

54:31FOR ALL NEW RESIDENTIAL

54:32DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE

54:33CITY.

54:34UM, THAT OBVIOUSLY UH, YOU

54:37KNOW, WE HAD TALKED TO A LOT

54:40OF DIFFERENT UM, LAWYERS AND

54:43FOLKS IN THE DEVELOPMENT

54:44COMMUNITY AND THERE WAS A

54:46CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER IT

54:48SHOULD BE CLOSED OR TRANSIT OR

54:50EVERYWHERE.

54:50AND THE REASON THAT WE ENDED UP

54:53DECIDING TO DO IT EVERYWHERE IS

54:54BECAUSE PLACES THAT, UM, ARE

54:57LESS CLOSE TO TRANSIT ARE MORE

54:59LIKELY TO HAVE SPACE FOR ADUS.

55:03SO ESSENTIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW,

55:06IF WE'RE MAKING INDIVIDUAL

55:08RESIDENTS IN ORDER TO CREATE AN

55:09ADU FIGHT THROUGH A.

55:11PROCESS WHICH THEY'RE GOING TO

55:13HAVE.

55:13>> TO.

55:13FIGHT THROUGH SOME SORT

55:14OF PROCESS BUT UM, IN ORDER TO

55:17UH AND WE'RE REQUIRING A

55:19PARKING SPACE FOR THAT

55:21ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT THAT IS

55:23GOING TO SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS.

55:24AND IT'S JUST INTERESTING.

55:26UM.

55:28OBVIOUSLY IT'S.

55:30>> STILL PENDING IN OUR

55:30COMMITTEE SO UM SO AND I WON'T

55:32YOU ARE NOT THE ZONING

55:33COMMISSION SO I WON'T ASK YOU

55:35TO WEIGH IN ON THAT PROPOSAL,

55:37BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY

55:38IMPORTANT TO READ INTO THE

55:39RECORD THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS

55:42OF PROPOSAL LIKE THAT COULD

55:42HAVE ON MAKING ACCELERATE

55:44ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS

55:46POSSIBLE.

55:47UM, AND I THINK LEGALIZING

55:48APARTMENTS YOU KNOW, ATTICS

55:50THAT YOU KNOW, HAVE A KITCHEN

55:51AND A BATHROOM AND A SECOND

55:53EGRESS.

55:53OTHERWISE YOU'D.

55:55>> HAVE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT AS

55:55WELL.

55:56SO UM BUT JUST REALLY GRATEFUL

55:58FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS DO

56:00EVERY DAY AND ALL THE CASES.

56:02I MEAN TO HEAR GIOVANNI, YOU'RE

56:04JUST ONE MEMBER BUT TO HEAR.

56:06>> O YOU REVIEWED 4000.

56:08UH, DID YOU SAY 4000 CASES?

56:10IT'S ABOUT A THOUSAND PER YEAR

56:12.

56:13THOUSAND PER YEAR?

56:13YEAH.

56:14SO THAT'S I MEAN THAT'S PRETTY

56:15IMPRESSIVE.

56:16IT'S UM AND YOU JUST THINK

56:17ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT GOES

56:19INTO THAT ON THE BACK END AS

56:20WELL.

56:20SO I WANT TO THANK ALL THE

56:21STAFF THAT WORKS WITH THE ZBA

56:23AND UM SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE

56:26ON TO OUR NEXT PANEL.

56:28UM DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OTHER

56:29COMMENTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO

56:30MAKE BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE

56:31NEXT PANEL?

56:32UH YES.

56:33>> I HAVE ONE UH, SMALL

56:34QUESTION AND I'M SURPRISED I

56:35DIDN'T SEE IT THE OTHER DAY.

56:37IT'S A REAL HONOR.

56:38>> TO WORK TO BE ON THE ZBA

56:39BOARD, BUT IT'S AN HONOR TO

56:41WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE HERE IS

56:43GREAT.

56:43I'M LEARNING A LOT AND I JUST

56:45THANK THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK

56:46WITH THESE PEOPLE ON THE ZBA

56:48BOARD.

56:48THANK YOU SO MUCH.

56:49AND I YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU

56:51GUYS ARE REALLY IT'S ACTUALLY

56:53NICE FOR YOU TWO GUYS TO BE

56:54TOGETHER IN PERSON AND THAT'S

56:56YOU KNOW THAT'S.

56:57ONE THING THAT WE'RE.

56:57ALL AGREEING IT'S ACTUALLY

56:58REALLY NICE TO SEE YOU IN

57:00PERSON BECAUSE WE'RE USUALLY

57:01SEEING YOU ON A ZOOM SCREEN.

57:02GIOVANNI I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN

57:04TAKE A MINUTE TO I WANT TO MAKE

57:05A COMMENT ABOUT CONCEALER AND

57:07UM QUESTION ABOUT

57:09INTERPRETATION.

57:10I DIDN'T SPEAK ANY ENGLISH WHEN

57:11I CAME TO BOSTON AND FOR MANY

57:13YEARS I DIDN'T PARTICIPATE IN

57:16ALMOST ANYTHING BECAUSE FIRST

57:17OF ALL I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND.

57:20FINALLY WHEN I WAS ABLE TO

57:21UNDERSTAND I DIDN'T FEEL

57:22COMFORTABLE SPEAKING UM

57:25PRACTICING MY BOSTON ACCENT

57:26THAT WAS CONSIDERED OH, YOU GET

57:28IN THERE.

57:29UH, BY THE WAY THEY CAN TELL

57:30YOU IS THIS IF I REMEMBER

57:32CORRECTLY, OVER THE LAST 40

57:33YEARS WE HAVE HAD MAYBE FIVE

57:36SIX CASES THAT REQUIRED

57:38INTERPRETATION.

57:39THAT TELLS ME THAT WE HAVE TO

57:42DO SOMETHING BETTER AS A

57:43SOCIETY TO ENSURE THAT EVERY

57:46PERSON WHO DOESN'T SPEAK

57:47ENGLISH OR IS NOT COMFORTABLE

57:49WITH THE ENGLISH LEVEL HAS

57:51ACCESS TO A MEETING WITH

57:52MATERIALS IN THAT THEY COME TO

57:54A HEARING THIS UH, THAT TENANTS

57:56FEEL EMPOWERED TO PARTICIPATE

57:59BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE

58:00PERCEPTION IS THAT ONLY

58:01HOMEOWNERS HAVE THE POWER TO

58:03WEIGH IN IN PROJECTS.

58:04AND OF COURSE.

58:07HOW INTERPRETATION IS THAT

58:08TECHNICAL UM DETAIL THAT IF

58:10STAFF CAN FIGURE THAT OUT ON

58:12ZOOM MUST CONSIDER THERE WAS

58:13MENTIONING THAT IT'S A BOTTOM

58:14THAT YOU CAN HEAR IN DIFFERENT

58:16LANGUAGES BUT IF PEOPLE DON'T

58:18COME TO A HEARING THEY ARE NOT

58:19GOING TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND

58:21OR PARTICIPATE.

58:22I THINK THIS IS FOR THE CITY

58:23OF BOSTON AND THE CITY

58:24COUNCIL TO TELL YOUR

58:26CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY HAVE A

58:27VOICE REGARDLESS OF THEIR

58:30LANGUAGE SKILLS OR THEIR UH,

58:31INCOME STATUS OR HOMEOWNERSHIP

58:34OR TENANCY.

58:34THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO

58:35PARTICIPATE AND THEY SHOULD.

58:37THANK YOU SO MUCH GIOVANNI.

58:38AND I KNOW UM I WENT TO A

58:40SQUARES AND STREETS MEETING.

58:41IT WAS ACTUALLY CHIEF AT THE

58:43TIME ARTHUR JEMISON AND UH,

58:45MAYOR WU AND THE PERSON WHO WAS

58:47I'M SEEING WAS JOSE MASSO

58:49SENIOR AND HE ASKED FOLKS TO

58:52RAISE THEIR HAND IF THEY WERE A

58:53HOMEOWNER.

58:54HE ASKED THEM TO RAISE THEIR

58:54HAND IF THEY WERE A BUSINESS

58:55OWNER, IF THEY WERE WHITE, IF

58:57THEY WERE A PERSON OF COLOR, IF

58:58THEY WERE A BUSINESS OWNER UM

59:01IF THEY WERE AND IT ONCE HE DID

59:04THAT IT WAS A VERY POWERFUL

59:06DEMONSTRATION OF WHO COMES TO

59:07PUBLIC MEETINGS AND UM, IT

59:10REALLY CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE

59:12OF LIKE WHO WE NEED TO BRING

59:13INTO THE FOLD OF PUBLIC

59:14MEETINGS BECAUSE IT IS VERY

59:16IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A

59:18REPRESENTATIVE ENVIRONMENT.

59:19AND I REMEMBER WHEN HE ASKED IF

59:21THERE WERE ANY BUSINESS OWNERS,

59:22NOT A SINGLE PERSON RAISE THEIR

59:24HAND AND UM WHEN HE ASKED WHO

59:26WAS A HOMEOWNER, EVERYONE

59:27RAISED THEIR HAND AND THERE

59:28WERE VERY FEW RENTERS IN THE

59:30ROOM TO TALK ABOUT SQUARES AND

59:31STREETS AND SOMETHING THAT

59:33WOULD REALLY IMPACT A LOT

59:35OF RENTERS AND A LOT

59:36OF BUSINESS OWNERS.

59:37SQUARES AND STREETS WAS ALL

59:38ABOUT MAIN STREETS AND

59:39BUSINESSES AND SO IT WAS VERY

59:42IMPACTFUL ON ME AS AN ELECTED

59:43OFFICIAL OF MAKING SURE THAT WE

59:45ARE WIDENING YOU KNOW, OUR

59:47OUTREACH AND I KNOW THAT THAT

59:49WORK IS UNDERWAY AND IT'S

59:51INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

59:52UM, BUT I'M GRATEFUL TO YOU ALL

59:55FOR HEARING ALL THE TESTIMONY

59:57WEIGHING IT, UM, YOU KNOW,

59:59LISTENING TO US AS WELL WHEN WE

1:00:01WERE COMING BEFORE YOU.

1:00:03UM AND UM SO I WANT TO RELIEVE

1:00:05YOU REALLY OF THIS PANEL AND

1:00:06THEN WE'LL GO UH, TO THE UH TO

1:00:08THE NEW APPOINTEES AND UM SO

1:00:11I'LL GIVE YOU A SECOND I'M

1:00:12GOING TO GO AHEAD AND READ

1:00:13THROUGH UH, THOSE UM SO CARLA,

1:00:16PATRICK AND WILLIAM IF YOU'D

1:00:18LIKE TO COME AND I JUST WANT TO

1:00:20THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR

1:00:21LEADERSHIP AND YOUR SERVICE TO

1:00:22THE CITY.

1:00:22THANK YOU.

1:00:31OKAY, OKAY.

1:00:34AND FOR PATRICK, UM, NOT TO

1:00:36EMBARRASS YOU, I'M GOING TO

1:00:37READ A LETTER ON BEHALF OF THE

1:00:39BUILDING TRADES UNION THAT WAS

1:00:40SENT TO THE MAYOR.

1:00:42UM, DEAR MAYOR RUE ON BEHALF

1:00:44OF THE BUILDING TRADES

1:00:45EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION I AM

1:00:47WRITING UNDER CHAPTER 665

1:00:49OF THE ACTS OF 1950 1956

1:00:51SECTION EIGHT TO SUBMIT A

1:00:53LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR

1:00:54PATRICK WALSH, BUSINESS MANAGER

1:00:56FINANCIAL SECRETARY OF THE

1:00:58MASSACHUSETTS LABORERS DISTRICT

1:00:59COUNCIL LOCAL 223 FOR THE

1:01:02VACANT ALTERNATE SEAT OF THE

1:01:03ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS THE

1:01:05MASSACHUSETTS LABOR DISTRICT

1:01:07COUNCIL LOCAL 223 IS LOCATED AT

1:01:0912 A ABERDEEN STREET,

1:01:11DORCHESTER.

1:01:12MR WALSH BECAME A THIRD

1:01:14GENERATION CONSTRUCTION SHAFT

1:01:15LABOR CONSTRUCTION CRAFT

1:01:17LABORER WHEN HE JOINED THE

1:01:18RANKS OF LABORERS LOCAL 223 AND

1:01:20A FACILITY OF LIUNA.

1:01:21BECAUSE OF HIS DEDICATION AND

1:01:22COMMITMENT TO HIS FELLOW

1:01:23LABORERS, MR WALSH WAS ELECTED

1:01:25TO THE POSITION OF SERGEANT AT

1:01:26ARMS FOR A LOCAL UNION 223 AND

1:01:28HELD THAT POSITION FOR SEVEN

1:01:30YEARS UNTIL BEING ELECTED TO

1:01:31THE EXECUTIVE BOARD IN 2024.

1:01:33MR WALSH BECAME THE BUSINESS

1:01:35MANAGER OF LOCAL 223.

1:01:36MR WALSH ALSO RECENTLY ELECTED

1:01:38TO THE BOSTON LABOR

1:01:40COUNCIL EXECUTIVE BOARD.

1:01:41MR WALSH IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO

1:01:43OUR BOSTON COMMUNITY AND WORKS

1:01:45TIRELESSLY ON BEHALF OF HIS

1:01:46UNION AND THE GREATER BOSTON

1:01:47UNION TRADES.

1:01:48HE IS ADMIRED BY HIS PEERS AND

1:01:50AS ALWAYS A VOICE FOR FAIRNESS

1:01:51AND INCLUSION.

1:01:52I HOPE THIS NOMINATION MEETS

1:01:53YOUR APPROVAL AND WE RECOMMEND

1:01:55APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION

1:01:55FOR THE REPRESENTATION GIVEN

1:01:57THE UNION CONSTRUCTION

1:01:58INDUSTRY.

1:02:00UH VERY YOURS TRULY.

1:02:01THOMAS GUIDING EXECUTIVE

1:02:03DIRECTOR JUST WANTED TO READ

1:02:04THAT THEY ASKED ME TO READ THAT

1:02:05INTO THE RECORD.

1:02:06SO WE'LL START WITH UM,

1:02:08PATRICK, JUST BECAUSE I GAVE

1:02:09YOU A GREAT UM, INTRODUCTION

1:02:11AND THEN WE'LL GO TO CARLA AND

1:02:13WILLIAM.

1:02:14THANK YOU.

1:02:14GOOD MORNING, CHAIR DEREK AND

1:02:15GOOD MORNING, COUNCILORS.

1:02:17UM, MY NAME IS PATRICK WALSH.

1:02:19I AM A LIFELONG RESIDENT

1:02:22OF DISTRICT THREE.

1:02:23I'M THE BUSINESS MANAGER

1:02:24OF LABORERS LOCAL 223 AND

1:02:26DORCHESTER.

1:02:26UM, THROUGH THAT CAPACITY I

1:02:28REPRESENT THE, UH ALL THE UNION

1:02:31LABORERS IN CONSTRUCTION THAT

1:02:33WORK IN THE SEAPORT SOUTH

1:02:35BOSTON, DORCHESTER, ROSLINDALE

1:02:37,ROXBURY, MATTAPAN, HYDE PARK

1:02:40,UH WEST ROXBURY AND UM HALF

1:02:44OF CHINATOWN AND THE FINANCIAL

1:02:46DISTRICT.

1:02:47EVERYWHERE BUT DISTRICT EIGHT I

1:02:48GUESS.

1:02:49I COVER ABOUT HALF OF THE CITY

1:02:50AND I COVER THE BOSTON HARBOR

1:02:51ISLANDS.

1:02:52UM, SO THROUGH THAT CAPACITY I

1:02:55REPRESENT, UH, PEOPLE LOOKING

1:02:57FOR FAIR WAGES, UH, FAIR

1:02:58EMPLOYMENT, UM, GOOD HEALTH

1:03:00BENEFITS.

1:03:01UH, I ALSO AM A PARENT OF TWO

1:03:03CHILDREN THAT ATTEND BOSTON

1:03:04PUBLIC SCHOOL.

1:03:05THEY ATTEND ELLIOTT SCHOOL A

1:03:06FEW BLOCKS FROM HERE.

1:03:08UM, I AM AN ACTIVE MEMBER IN

1:03:11THE COLUMBIA SAVIN HILL CIVIC.

1:03:12ASSOCIATION AND I AM A, UH,

1:03:15LIFE ALMOST LIFELONG LITTLE

1:03:17LEAGUE COACH OF UH, DORCHESTER

1:03:20BASEBALL NOW WHICH WAS ONE

1:03:21SEVEN HILL LITTLE LEAGUE.

1:03:23UM I ALSO SERVE IN CAPACITY AS

1:03:25A MEMBER OF THE BOARD

1:03:26OF DIRECTORS FOR THE MASTERS

1:03:27OF WATER AND UH, WATER

1:03:29RESOURCES AUTHORITY.

1:03:30UM, I SIT ON THE WORKERS COMP

1:03:32ADVISORY COUNCIL ON BEHALF

1:03:33OF THE GOVERNOR.

1:03:34I WANT TO THANK MAYOR WU AND I

1:03:36WANT.

1:03:36>> TO.

1:03:36THANK THE BUILDING TRADES

1:03:37EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION FOR MY

1:03:39RECOMMENDATION FOR NOMINATION,

1:03:40UM, TO THE CBA.

1:03:42THANK YOU.

1:03:43>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

1:03:44UM, AND YOUR NOMINATION

1:03:45DEFINITELY HIGHLIGHTS THAT UM,

1:03:48BASED ON THE WAY THAT A LOT

1:03:49OF THESE UM, NOMINATIONS WORK,

1:03:51IT'S LIKE SPECIFIC

1:03:52ORGANIZATIONS PUTTING FORWARD

1:03:54SO WE DON'T ALWAYS UM, YOU

1:03:57KNOW, DISCLOSE LIKE WHO WAS

1:03:59NOMINATED BY WHO BUT UM, IT'S A

1:04:01VERY COMPLEX PROCESS AND I KNOW

1:04:02JUST WANT TO THANK UH, MAC AND

1:04:04BONNER WHO I KNOW ACTUALLY USED

1:04:06TO BE IN OUR OFFICE AND NOW

1:04:08HE'S RUNNING BOARDS AND

1:04:09COMMISSIONS FOR THE CITY.

1:04:10SO I WANT TO CONGRATULATE HIM

1:04:11ON HIS FIRST BOARDS AND

1:04:12COMMISSIONS HEARING.

1:04:14UM, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO

1:04:16CARLA.

1:04:17SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

1:04:18GOOD MORNING, COUNCILOR DURKAN

1:04:19.

1:04:20UM, COUNCIL OF UM.

1:04:21COUNCILOR MURPHY, UM, THANK YOU

1:04:23SO MUCH FOR HAVING MEJIA TODAY.

1:04:24SO I AM CARLA MONTEIRO.

1:04:25I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT

1:04:27OF DORCHESTER.

1:04:28UM I GREW UP IN FIELDS CORNER

1:04:29AND NOW LIVE CLOSER TO MORE AND

1:04:31STREET AND, UM, I'M A MOM, I'M

1:04:33A HOMEOWNER, I'M A COMMUNITY

1:04:36ADVOCATE.

1:04:36I'M ALSO A SOCIAL WORKER AND I

1:04:38HAVE UM SERVED ON MANY BOARDS

1:04:40AND CURRENTLY SERVING ON THE

1:04:42BOSTON STATE HOSPITAL COMMITTEE

1:04:44AND UM, JUST YOU KNOW, AND JUST

1:04:47BECAME INTERESTED IN THE ZONING

1:04:49BOARD AFTER HAVING MY OWN

1:04:50EXPERIENCE UM, WITH, YOU KNOW,

1:04:52PARTICIPATING IN THE ZONING

1:04:53BOARD HEARINGS, UM, AS A

1:04:55COMMUNITY MEMBER AND AS A

1:04:56MEMBER OF UM HARVARD UM

1:04:59COMMUNITY GROUPS AND SO AND

1:05:01ALSO PARTICIPATING WITH THE

1:05:02MATTAPAN COMMUNITY GROUP.

1:05:03SO I'LL PASS THERE.

1:05:04I WAS I'M THANK YOU SO MUCH,

1:05:06CARLA.

1:05:07OKAY.

1:05:07UM, WILLIAM.

1:05:09GOOD MORNING.

1:05:10>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

1:05:11UM, MADAM CHAIR, NICE TO SEE

1:05:14YOU BOTH CITY COUNCILORS.

1:05:15UH, MY NAME IS BILL MASTERSON.

1:05:17I'M HONORED TO BE, UM, HERE AND

1:05:18CONSIDERATION FOR A NOMINATION

1:05:20FOR THE ZONING BOARD

1:05:21OF APPEALS.

1:05:22ALSO VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE

1:05:23CURRENT MEMBERS AND THE PASSION

1:05:25THAT THEY HAVE FOR WHAT THEY DO

1:05:27AS WELL AS THE EXPERIENCE THAT

1:05:28THEY BRING TO THE BOARD.

1:05:29UM.

1:05:31I GREW UP IN MALDEN, UM, NOT

1:05:33TOO FAR FROM HERE, RAISED A

1:05:34FAMILY IN NORTH ANDOVER AND

1:05:36MOVED TO DISTRICT ONE IN EAST

1:05:37BOSTON UH, IN 2019 UM, I MY

1:05:41CAREER WAS WITH THE GILLETTE

1:05:42COMPANY IN BOSTON FOR 30 YEARS

1:05:45UM, WHERE I UM RAN THROUGH A

1:05:48BUNCH OF DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES

1:05:50SALES, UH, FINANCE, MARKETING,

1:05:51BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.

1:05:53UM, SO I HAVE A LOT

1:05:54OF CORPORATE EXPERIENCE.

1:05:55I HAVE A DEGREE I WAS DAY

1:05:57STUDENT AT NORTHEASTERN, UM,

1:05:59COMMUTED THERE FOR FIVE YEARS

1:06:00FROM MALDEN AND I HAVE MY MBA

1:06:01FROM SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY UM,

1:06:04SINCE GRADUATE SINCE UM,

1:06:06LEAVING GILLETTE, UM, I'VE

1:06:09SPENT MOST OF MY TIME

1:06:10VOLUNTEERING.

1:06:11SO UM MY CURRENT ROLE UH, IS UM

1:06:15UH WHAT TAKES UP MOST OF THE

1:06:16TIME MY TIME DURING THE DAY IS

1:06:18UM I FOUNDED AND UH, RUNNING A

1:06:20UM, URBAN FORESTRY NONPROFIT IN

1:06:22EAST BOSTON CALLED TREE ESTY.

1:06:24UM, IT'S ALL VOLUNTEER.

1:06:26UM, OUR MISSION IS TO PLANT

1:06:27TREES, MAINTAIN THE TREES THAT

1:06:29ARE ALREADY IN THE GROUND AND

1:06:30THEN EDUCATE RESIDENTS ON THE

1:06:32BENEFITS OF TREES.

1:06:33SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE

1:06:34EAST BOSTON COMMUNITY.

1:06:35I'VE ATTENDED UM, ALL OF THE

1:06:37CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETINGS.

1:06:39UM, WHEN I MOVED TO EAST BOSTON

1:06:41SEVEN YEARS AGO, IT WAS JUST AT

1:06:43THE START OF PLAN EAST BOSTON

1:06:44WHICH I THINK TOOK ABOUT FIVE

1:06:46YEARS.

1:06:46SO I WAS INVOLVED IN THAT

1:06:47PROCESS ALL ALONG THE WAY.

1:06:49I'VE ALWAYS HAD AN INTEREST IN

1:06:51UM IN DEVELOPMENT AND UM I AM

1:06:55ON TOP OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH

1:06:56BPA UM IN THEIR ON THEIR

1:06:58NEWSLETTER AND KIND OF KEEP MY

1:07:01UM FINGERS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING

1:07:02WITH DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE

1:07:03CITY OF BOSTON.

1:07:04IT'S JUST AN AREA OF INTEREST

1:07:05FOR ME WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY

1:07:06COOL.

1:07:06I'VE SAT ON TO IAG'S IN EAST

1:07:09BOSTON UM AT SIX CHELSEA STREET

1:07:11WHICH WAS JUST A COUPLE

1:07:12OF MONTHS AGO AS WELL AS THE

1:07:13LARGE UM COMPLEX THAT'S GOING

1:07:16IN UH UNDER DEVELOPMENT RIGHT

1:07:17NOW IN DAY SQUARE.

1:07:18UM, I'M ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE

1:07:21CONDO ASSOCIATION.

1:07:22THE CONDO WHERE I LIVE IS AN 80

1:07:24UNIT BUILDING.

1:07:24UM, SO I'VE GOT SOME EXPERIENCE

1:07:27THERE AS WELL.

1:07:28UM, BUT THE WORK THAT I DO WITH

1:07:30TREES IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

1:07:31UM, VERY.

1:07:33MUCH UM, AND PASSIONATE ABOUT

1:07:35THE ENVIRONMENT.

1:07:36UM, I RECEIVED AN AWARD LAST

1:07:38YEAR FROM THERE WILL AN

1:07:39INDIVIDUAL AWARD FOR A CLIMATE

1:07:41UH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD UM, FOR

1:07:42THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE.

1:07:44UM, I PARTICIPATED IN THE

1:07:45CLIMATE ACTION PLAN REVEAL ON

1:07:47THE PRESS IN LOPRESTI PARK UM,

1:07:49THIS PAST APRIL.

1:07:50SO A LOT OF MY FOCUS IS REALLY

1:07:52ON DOING UM ON DOING THAT WORK.

1:07:54UM, I HAVE TO HAVE A REASON TO

1:07:56GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING,

1:07:57SO THAT'S WHY I STAY BUSY DOING

1:07:59THAT TYPE OF CIVIC WORK.

1:08:00WHEN I WAS LIVING IN NORTH

1:08:01ANDOVER I WAS A MEMBER

1:08:02OF SEVERAL BOARDS NONPROFIT

1:08:04BOARDS THERE AS WELL.

1:08:05SO UM I'VE GOT A FAIR AMOUNT

1:08:07OF BOARD EXPERIENCE AS WELL.

1:08:08THANK YOU WILLIAM AND I KNOW

1:08:10YOUR GAME BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO

1:08:11SAY THEY'RE RETIRED OR NEVER

1:08:13RETIRED THEY'RE ALWAYS LIKE THE

1:08:14BUSIEST PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET.

1:08:16SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT

1:08:18YOU DO AND, UM, I JUST GIVEN

1:08:21YOUR, UM, WORK WITH CLIMATE AND

1:08:23YOUR REPUTATION PRECEDES YOU

1:08:24WITH ALL THE TREES, YOU KNOW?

1:08:26UM, SO I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING

1:08:28TREES AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE OUR

1:08:30OWN UM WE TREE IN THE WEST END

1:08:33THAT IS DOING GREAT SIMILAR

1:08:34WORK AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE

1:08:35BEEN ABLE TO I.

1:08:36>> DO.

1:08:36KNOW THEM.

1:08:37YEAH.

1:08:37WORK WITH THEM.

1:08:37UM, CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR

1:08:40PHILOSOPHY ON ZONING AND LAND

1:08:41USE IN BOSTON, PARTICULARLY IN

1:08:43LIGHT OF THE CITY'S HOUSING

1:08:45AFFORDABILITY AND CLIMATE

1:08:45RESILIENCE GOALS?

1:08:47WELL, I MEAN LIKE I SAID, I PUT

1:08:49CLIMATE UM VERY HIGH IN THE TOP

1:08:51OF THE LIST BUT THAT IS DOESN'T

1:08:52ALWAYS COME INTO PLAY WITH THE

1:08:53ZONING, UH, REQUIREMENTS I

1:08:56GUESS YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO TAKE

1:08:57EACH CASE UH, ON A CASE BY CASE

1:08:59BASIS IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S

1:09:00PRESENTED AT THE MEETINGS.

1:09:02UM, I TRY TO SEPARATE THE

1:09:04PERSON FROM THE PROBLEM SO TO

1:09:05SPEAK SO THAT IT'S NOT BECAUSE

1:09:07THE WAY THAT, UM, SOMEBODY IS

1:09:09PRESENTING I MIGHT NOT LIKE BUT

1:09:10IT'S REALLY THE FACTS THAT YOU

1:09:12NEED TO MAKE BASED YOUR

1:09:13DECISIONS ON.

1:09:14UM AND SO LOOKING AT IT THROUGH

1:09:16THAT LENS I THINK WILL HELP

1:09:17ME BE ABLE TO BE A GOOD MEMBER

1:09:19AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.

1:09:20UM, BUT LIKE I SAID IT

1:09:22DEFINITELY IS ON A CASE BY CASE

1:09:23BASIS.

1:09:24I WISH I HAD SOME I HAVE

1:09:26ATTENDED THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS

1:09:27BEFORE SO I KIND OF HAD NO UH

1:09:29THE PROCESS UM I WISH I HAD A

1:09:31LITTLE BIT MORE EXPERIENCE TO

1:09:32BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION

1:09:33MORE INTELLIGENTLY, BUT I THINK

1:09:34IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT

1:09:36UM, I'LL LEARN MORE, YOU KNOW,

1:09:38AS I GO ALONG.

1:09:38NO, I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL

1:09:40TO HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE

1:09:41OF WORKING ON A NEIGHBORHOOD

1:09:42PLAN BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE SORT

1:09:44OF LIKE FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW

1:09:46,OKAY, THESE ARE THE CONCEPTS.

1:09:48I MEAN, YOU SEEM LIKE YOU'VE

1:09:49YOU'VE DONE A LOT IN THIS

1:09:51RESPECT.

1:09:52UM, DO YOU UM, IN TERMS OF UH

1:09:55WOULD WOULD EITHER OF YOU LIKE

1:09:56TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND I

1:09:58CAN SAY IT AGAIN, HOW WOULD YOU

1:10:00DESCRIBE YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON

1:10:01ZONING AND LAND USE IN BOSTON,

1:10:02PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE

1:10:04CITY'S HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

1:10:05AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE GOALS?

1:10:07>> I THINK FOR ME THROUGH MY

1:10:08LIVED EXPERIENCE OF LIVING IN

1:10:09UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THAT IS

1:10:10OFTEN FORGOTTEN WHEN IT COMES

1:10:11TO CLIMATE CHANGE OR YOU KNOW,

1:10:13ANY ANYTHING RELATED TO CLIMATE

1:10:15OR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

1:10:16UM, I WOULD LOOK AT IT THROUGH

1:10:18THAT LENS OF UH THE EXPERIENCE

1:10:20OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING LESS TREE

1:10:21CANOPY AND UM ALSO YOU KNOW,

1:10:24THIS TREE THERE'S CERTAIN

1:10:25NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE'S

1:10:25TREES THAT ARE GOING UP THAT UM

1:10:27,NEIGHBORHOODS AREN'T OR

1:10:29PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE

1:10:30NOT CONSIDERED LIKE I'M AN

1:10:31ASTHMATIC.

1:10:32SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I

1:10:32ALWAYS THINK ABOUT.

1:10:33UM, IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, WHAT

1:10:35CAN YOU KNOW, TRIGGER

1:10:36ALLERGIES.

1:10:37I'M CALLED LIKE THE TRIAD WHICH

1:10:39IS ASTHMA, ECZEMA AND UM,

1:10:41ALLERGIES.

1:10:41AND THAT IS THE CASE FOR MANY

1:10:43PEOPLE LIVING IN BOSTON.

1:10:44AND SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS

1:10:46THAT I WOULD ALSO TAKE INTO

1:10:47CONSIDERATION, UM, THROUGH MY

1:10:48OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.

1:10:50THAT IS SO INTERESTING BECAUSE

1:10:52I UM, HAVING I REPRESENT UH,

1:10:55MISSION HEALTH AND I WENT

1:10:56THROUGH A WALK WITH THE MISSION

1:10:57MAIN TENANT TASK FORCE.

1:10:59UM THERE WERE THERE WAS SOME

1:11:00MONEY LEFT IN THE BUDGET AT THE

1:11:02END OF THE YEAR.

1:11:03SO THEY WERE FIGURING OUT LIKE

1:11:04WHERE DO WE PUT TREES SORT

1:11:05OF IN A YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE

1:11:07HAVE THIS TREE CONTRACTOR THAT

1:11:09WE'VE BEEN YOU KNOW, THAT'S

1:11:10BEEN HIRED AND I KNOW UM ONCE

1:11:12THE SIDEWALK STARTED TO GET CUT

1:11:14INTO PEOPLE WERE LIKE WHAT'S

1:11:15GOING IN HERE?

1:11:16WHAT'S THE PLAN?

1:11:17WHAT TYPE OF TREES, HOW LONG

1:11:19UNTIL THEY REACH THE FULL

1:11:21CANOPY?

1:11:21SO I ACTUALLY DID A WALK WITH

1:11:22THE MISSION MAINTENANCE TASK

1:11:23FORCE WITH OUR URBAN FORESTRY.

1:11:27UM, YOU KNOW TODD MR WHO DOES

1:11:29SUCH A GREAT JOB BUT IT WAS

1:11:31LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF DESCRIBING

1:11:33LIKE THIS IS WHAT THIS TREE

1:11:34WILL BE IN TEN YEARS.

1:11:36IT WAS LIKE LOOKING AT SORT

1:11:37OF THE HERE'S WHERE IT IS NOW

1:11:39AND HERE'S WHERE IT WILL BE.

1:11:40AND THIS WAS UM AND IT WAS IN A

1:11:42COMMUNITY THAT HAD NEVER HAD

1:11:44NEVER GOTTEN, YOU KNOW, 25 NEW

1:11:46TREES.

1:11:47SO THEY WEREN'T SURE WHAT TO

1:11:48EXPECT.

1:11:48THEY WEREN'T SURE WHAT THE

1:11:49CLEANUP WOULD BE.

1:11:50A LOT OF THE MISSION MAINE IS

1:11:51PRIVATELY MAINTAINED.

1:11:53SO IT WAS LIKE THOSE

1:11:54CONVERSATIONS ARE SO IMPORTANT

1:11:55AND NOT NECESSARILY RELEVANT

1:11:57EXACTLY TO LIKE THE INDIVIDUAL

1:11:59DECISIONS OF BUT AGAIN YOU'RE

1:12:01REVIEWING A LOT OF PROJECTS

1:12:02THAT HAVE A LOT OF BENEFITS

1:12:03ASSOCIATED WITH THEM AND UM,

1:12:05AND FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENT

1:12:07PROCESS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

1:12:09IN THAT AND I YEAH, I HAVE A

1:12:11FRIEND WHO HAS THAT TRIAD AS

1:12:12WELL AND IT'S NEVER IT'S NEVER

1:12:14EASY.

1:12:14SHE'S ALSO ALLERGIC TO SEAFOOD

1:12:16SO IT'S JUST LIKE SHE HAS A

1:12:17REALLY TOUGH TIME SO I KNOW

1:12:19EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE

1:12:20EXPERIENCING BUT UM AND I KNOW

1:12:22UH PATRICK, YOU'RE COMING AT

1:12:23THIS MORE FROM THE SORT OF, UH,

1:12:27UNION LABOR LENS.

1:12:28UM, CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT

1:12:30HOW YOU FEEL?

1:12:31I OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT

1:12:32OF GREAT JOBS COMING WITH

1:12:33CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND OTHER

1:12:34THINGS AND JUST CURIOUS SORT

1:12:36OF YOUR LENS ON THAT AND YES.

1:12:38SO MY LENS ON IT IS IT

1:12:39DEFINITELY DOES HAS TO BE TAKEN

1:12:41CASE BY CASE BASIS.

1:12:42UM, I HAPPEN TO LIVE IN ONE

1:12:43OF THE MOST AFFECTED AREAS

1:12:46OF BOSTON IN CLIMATE CHANGE.

1:12:48UM I LIVE IN SAVIN HILL AND I

1:12:50WORK AT THE CORNER OF FREEPORT

1:12:50AND MARSHALL BOULEVARD AND

1:12:53THREE DAYS A WEEK I NEED TO

1:12:54TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO WORK

1:12:55BECAUSE MORRISSEY BOULEVARD IS

1:12:56FLOODED.

1:12:56RIGHT?

1:12:56RISING SEA LEVELS.

1:12:58UM, I DO THINK IT NEEDS TO BE

1:13:00CASE BY CASE BECAUSE I I THINK

1:13:01A DEVELOPMENT ON MORRISSEY

1:13:03BOULEVARD NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT

1:13:04A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A

1:13:05DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'RE GOING

1:13:06TO PUT AT THE TOP OF A HILL ON

1:13:08ON CLIMATE ON ON SEA LEVEL

1:13:10STUFF LIKE.

1:13:10IS IT FLOODED TODAY WITH THE

1:13:12RAIN?

1:13:12UH CAME INTO TOWN EARLY ENOUGH

1:13:14AND CAME DOWN AND THROUGH AND

1:13:16DOWN THE STREET.

1:13:18SO UM IT'S IT'S TYPICALLY

1:13:19FLOODED EVERY DAY AT HIGH TIDE.

1:13:22UM IT'S BUT AT THE AT THE SAME

1:13:24TIME IT IS A PROBLEM.

1:13:25UM I DO LIKE TO SEE I DO LIKE

1:13:28WHAT I SEE ON THE SEAPORT WITH

1:13:29SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT ON THE

1:13:30SEAPORT WITH THE WITH THE

1:13:31RISING UH, SEA WALLS AND AND

1:13:34DOING SOME CERTAIN STUFF I, I

1:13:36SIT ON THE BOARD SO I SEE WHAT

1:13:39WHAT'S AFFECTED OVER THERE UM

1:13:41IN AND IT IS A PROBLEM IT'S A

1:13:43PROBLEM IN THE CITY AND AND

1:13:44IT'S A PROBLEM EVERYWHERE AND

1:13:46IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT ON A

1:13:47CASE BY CASE BASIS IN, UM, WHAT

1:13:50ZONING RELIEF A PARTICULAR

1:13:51PROJECT NEEDS.

1:13:52YEAH.

1:13:53>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

1:13:54AND I WANT TO GIVE A CHANCE FOR

1:13:55MY COLLEAGUES TO ASK ANY

1:13:56QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE.

1:13:57UM, THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY NEW

1:13:59APPOINTEES.

1:14:00UM, AND SO JUST WANT TO MAKE

1:14:01SURE THAT, UM, WE KIND

1:14:03OF UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE

1:14:04COMING FROM AND JUST IT SOUNDS

1:14:05LIKE THE THREE OF YOU ARE JUST

1:14:08ONE SO QUALIFIED TWO COMING

1:14:10FROM LIKE DIFFERENT

1:14:11PERSPECTIVES, WHICH IS ALWAYS

1:14:12VERY IMPORTANT TO BRING

1:14:14TOGETHER AND UM AND THREE HAVE

1:14:16THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF LIKE

1:14:18LIVING IN THE CITY AND THREE

1:14:20DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES UM

1:14:22OF YOU KNOW COMING TO THE CITY,

1:14:23YOU KNOW, MOVING HERE, WORKING

1:14:25HERE, BEING AN EXECUTIVE HERE

1:14:27IT'S A LOT WITH LOTS

1:14:27OF DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.

1:14:29UM SO AND AND OBVIOUSLY THE

1:14:30UNION LEADERSHIP SO UM AND UH

1:14:33SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL

1:14:35AND UM THANK YOU.

1:14:36I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING

1:14:38FORWARD YOUR THREE NOMINATIONS

1:14:39AT OUR NEXT MEETING AND UM,

1:14:41COUNCILOR MURPHY AND

1:14:43COUNCILOR FLYNN LET ME KNOW IF

1:14:44YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

1:14:44>> OF COURSE.

1:14:45UM.

1:14:46THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

1:14:47THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR

1:14:50STORIES.

1:14:51I THINK IT HIGHLIGHTS THE HUMAN

1:14:54SIDE THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IN

1:14:55GOVERNMENT IN ALL OF THESE

1:14:56IMPORTANT ROLES, EVEN US AS

1:14:58ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE

1:15:01POLICY, YOU KNOW, IS NEVER FAR

1:15:03AWAY FROM THE HUMAN IMPACT.

1:15:05SO YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCES BRING

1:15:07.

1:15:07I THINK UM A DIFFERENT LENS.

1:15:10I KNOW WE JUST SAW.

1:15:11>> THE FIRST PANEL WHO.

1:15:12>> WILL BE REAPPOINTED WHO

1:15:13ALSO.

1:15:13BRING FORTH THEIR LIVED

1:15:15EXPERIENCE BUT IT'S UM YOU KNOW

1:15:17,WHAT I HEARD IS YOU KNOW,

1:15:19ENCOURAGING RIGHT, THAT WE'RE

1:15:21GOING TO BE HEARING VOICES AND

1:15:22WHEN PEOPLE GO IN FRONT OF THE

1:15:24ZONING BOARD LIKE YOU SAID,

1:15:26YOU'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF IT AS

1:15:27YOU KNOW, OWNING A THREE FAMILY

1:15:29PROBABLY AND WANTING SOMETHING

1:15:31PROBABLY SIMPLE AND JUST JUST

1:15:33HAD A CONVERSATION TOO THAT

1:15:35MANY PEOPLE ARE INTIMIDATED BY

1:15:37THE ZONING BOARD AND THEY

1:15:39EITHER SPEND MONEY THEY

1:15:40SHOULDN'T NEED TO ON LEGAL

1:15:43SUPPORT OR YOU KNOW, CONSULTING

1:15:45BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID TO PUT

1:15:47FORTH SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE

1:15:49A SIMPLE PASS AND OTHER TIMES

1:15:51OBVIOUSLY BIGGER PROJECTS NEED

1:15:52THAT.

1:15:52BUT I DO THINK THE IMPORTANT

1:15:55PART AND SOMETHING THAT I THINK

1:15:57IS IMPORTANT IN MY ROLE TOO IS

1:15:59PEOPLE NEED TO TRUST YOU.

1:16:00PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY

1:16:01CAN COME AND ASK YOU QUESTIONS

1:16:03AND THAT THEY'LL BE TREATED

1:16:04FAIRLY.

1:16:05AND I KNOW THAT ALL THREE

1:16:06OF YOU WILL BRING THAT WITH

1:16:08YOUR EXPERIENCE AND ALL OF YOUR

1:16:11AND THANK YOU FOR PLANTING

1:16:12TREES IN EAST BOSTON.

1:16:14I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE UM

1:16:16EVERY PART OF THE CITY I KNOW

1:16:18COUNCIL FLYNN WILL PROBABLY

1:16:19HAVE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THAT

1:16:20BECAUSE CHINATOWN IS HIGHLY

1:16:22IMPACTED.

1:16:23BUT LIKE YOU SAID CARLA, THAT

1:16:25WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT

1:16:26WE'RE ALLOWING TO BE BUILT

1:16:28ISN'T JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE

1:16:30HOUSING PEOPLE AND THAT THERE'S

1:16:32BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE ALSO

1:16:33THINKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE AND

1:16:35WHAT IMPACT IT HAS.

1:16:36AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE

1:16:38THAT THERE'S OPEN SPACES AND

1:16:40THAT BALANCE IS NECESSARY.

1:16:42AND PAT, THANK YOU ALWAYS I

1:16:44KNOW MY DAUGHTER IS PRIVILEGED

1:16:46I SAY IS HONORED TO BE A

1:16:47TEACHER TO YOUR KIDS AND SO YOU

1:16:51DO LEAVE.

1:16:51I KNOW SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT

1:16:52THINK IT BUT YOU DO LEAVE THAT

1:16:54HALF MILE RADIUS FROM 7LI OFTEN

1:16:56SEE YOU OVER AT THE ELLIOTT

1:16:57SUPPORTING THAT SCHOOL AND ALL

1:16:59ALL THINGS CITY.

1:17:00SO THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING

1:17:02YOUR NAMES FORWARD AND LOOKING

1:17:03FORWARD TO VOTING IN FAVOR.

1:17:05THANK YOU CHAIR.

1:17:06THANK YOU SO MUCH

1:17:07COUNCILOR MURPHY.

1:17:08COUNCILOR FLYNN.

1:17:10THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK

1:17:12YOU TO THE UM, THREE NOMINEES,

1:17:16UM, BILL KOLLAR AND PATRICK NOT

1:17:19JUST FOR COMING FORWARD FOR THE

1:17:22ZONING BOARD BUT FOR THE

1:17:23INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE

1:17:25LEADERSHIP YOU YOU ALL PROVIDE

1:17:28IN HELPING BUILD HELPING BUILD

1:17:31A STRONGER AND BETTER BOSTON

1:17:33AND, UM, BILL, I RESPECT THE

1:17:39WORK YOU'RE DOING IN ESPECIALLY

1:17:41IN EAST BOSTON ON TREE CANOPY

1:17:44ISSUES AS COUNCILOR MURPHY

1:17:47MENTIONED.

1:17:47THAT'S AN ISSUE I'VE BEEN

1:17:49FOCUSED ON IN CHINATOWN WE HAVE

1:17:51THE LOWEST TREE CANOPY IN THE

1:17:53CITY.

1:17:54UM, BUT I'M WORKING TO GET MORE

1:17:56TREES UM, THERE AND I KNOW CARL

1:17:59YOU MENTIONED AS A SOCIAL

1:18:02WORKER BUT YOU ALSO HIGHLIGHTED

1:18:04THE ASTHMA RATES OF MANY

1:18:06NEIGHBORHOODS.

1:18:07UM, AND THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE

1:18:10PROCESS OF OF LOOKING AT HOW WE

1:18:12MOVE FORWARD IN BUILDING

1:18:14BUILDING A STRONGER BOSTON.

1:18:16AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE,

1:18:18UH, PATRICK WITH A TREMENDOUS

1:18:21RESPECT FOR AND HIS FAMILY FOR

1:18:23A LOT OF YEARS ON NOT JUST ON

1:18:27LABOR ISSUES BUT REALLY

1:18:30ADVOCATING FOR SOCIAL AND

1:18:31ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR ALL

1:18:33PEOPLE.

1:18:33SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO

1:18:34TO ALL THREE OF YOU.

1:18:36UM, LET ME LET ME START WITH

1:18:39LET ME START WITH CARLA AND.

1:18:43RESPECT RESPECT THE WORK YOU

1:18:45DO.

1:18:45AS A AS A SOCIAL WORKER AND THE

1:18:47TRAINING THAT YOU HAVE HAD BUT

1:18:49KNOWING KNOWING MANY

1:18:51NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE HIGH ASTHMA

1:18:54RATES.

1:18:55RESPIRATORY RATES.

1:18:56AND BILL KNOWS THIS ALSO AND

1:18:58PATRICK DOES TELL UM BUT HOW DO

1:19:00YOU FACTOR IN UM HOW A BUILDING

1:19:04MIGHT BE BUILT WHETHER IT'S.

1:19:07MATERIALS.

1:19:08>> THE LOCATION, ANY CHANGES

1:19:10UPGRADES, HVAC SYSTEMS AND I'LL

1:19:13ASK ALL OF YOU BUT HOW DO YOU

1:19:14FACTOR THAT IN KNOWING THAT

1:19:17THIS NEIGHBORHOOD MIGHT BE IN A

1:19:19HIGH IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A

1:19:20HIGH CONCENTRATION OF ASTHMA OR

1:19:22.

1:19:23RESPIRATORY RESPIRATORY ISSUES?

1:19:25SO I'M NOT REALLY THAT FAMILIAR

1:19:27WITH BUILDING MATERIALS.

1:19:29YEAH.

1:19:30UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S

1:19:31SOMETHING THAT UM HAS TO BE

1:19:33CONSIDERED AND UM I THINK

1:19:35COMMUNITY INPUT IS IMPORTANT

1:19:36BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A

1:19:38DIFFERENT TYPE OF ALLERGY FOR

1:19:39DIFFERENT THINGS.

1:19:40UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S

1:19:42SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK

1:19:42ABOUT.

1:19:43AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN UM

1:19:44ADVOCATING A LOT ABOUT UM, YOU

1:19:46KNOW, A LOT OF THE UM I MEAN

1:19:48CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS WITH LIKE

1:19:49MICE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

1:19:51AND SO THOSE THINGS WE AREN'T

1:19:52ALLERGIC TO MICE, YOU KNOW?

1:19:53AND SO UM, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER

1:19:55WHAT'S GOING UP, HOW CONDENSED

1:19:57THE AREAS ARE.

1:19:58IS THERE SPACE TO PUT TRASH

1:19:59CANS OUT?

1:19:59ALL OF THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE

1:20:01CONSIDERED, UM, BECAUSE IT

1:20:02AFFECTS US ALL IN DIFFERENT

1:20:03WAYS.

1:20:04UM, I THINK THAT YOU KNOW,

1:20:06ESPECIALLY IN MY COMMUNITY

1:20:07WHERE YOU KNOW, THE AIR QUALITY

1:20:08IS POOR AND LIFE EXPECT

1:20:10EXPECTANCY DECREASES IN OUR

1:20:11NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE I WALK, YOU

1:20:12KNOW, A CASTLE ISLAND OR UM I

1:20:14WALK IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND

1:20:15I CAN FEEL IN MY LUNGS THE

1:20:17DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WALKING OVER

1:20:19THERE AND WALKING ON BLUE HILL

1:20:20AVE IN MY COMMUNITY.

1:20:21AND SO UM, I THINK THAT THOSE

1:20:23ARE THINGS THAT ARE EXTREMELY

1:20:24IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER.

1:20:26BUT AGAIN IT'S CAN YOU KNOW,

1:20:28EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS A SLIGHTLY

1:20:30DIFFERENT KIND OF ALLERGY OR I

1:20:31MAY IMPACT THEM MORE THE CATS

1:20:33AFFECT ME MORE AND YOU KNOW,

1:20:34MIGHT YOU KNOW, CLOSE UP MY

1:20:36LUNGS MORE THAN THAN BEING

1:20:37AROUND A DOG YOU KNOW AND SO

1:20:39SAME THING WITH BUILDINGS AND

1:20:40BUILDING MATERIALS AND UM

1:20:42VENTILATION AND ALL OF THAT.

1:20:43THINK ABOUT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

1:20:45AND ALSO YOU KNOW THAT BEING A

1:20:47PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT AND THE

1:20:49LACK OF VENTILATION THERE YOU

1:20:51KNOW, HOT SUMMER DAYS, NO AC

1:20:52ALL OF THOSE THINGS UM AFFECT

1:20:54US AS WELL.

1:20:55SO JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE

1:20:56THINGS, YOU KNOW?

1:20:57THANK YOU.

1:20:58>> COME ON.

1:21:00YEAH I MEAN UM CHILDHOOD ASTHMA

1:21:02IS A IS IS IS A BIG BIG

1:21:05CONCERN.

1:21:05EAST BOSTON HAS ONE OF THE

1:21:07HIGHEST CHILDHOOD ASTHMA RATES

1:21:09IN THE STATE.

1:21:09UM, LOGAN AIRPORT DOESN'T HELP

1:21:12BEING RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

1:21:13I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO

1:21:14SEE, UM, THE MASSPORT IN FRONT

1:21:16OF THE EPA BUT I MEAN OTHER

1:21:18PROJECTS THAT YOU WEIGH UM,

1:21:21DECISION IN TERMS OF WHETHER

1:21:22YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD ON

1:21:23THEM OR NOT ARE GOING TO BE

1:21:24DIFFERENT.

1:21:25RIGHT?

1:21:25SO IF UM WE HAVE A PROJECT IN

1:21:27FRONT OF US THAT'S A SMALL UH,

1:21:29PROJECT THAT DOESN'T HAVE AN

1:21:30OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO

1:21:31INSTALL, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT

1:21:33TYPE OF HEPA FILTERS, UM,

1:21:35THAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT

1:21:36FROM A LARGER PROJECT WHERE

1:21:37SOME FILTERING, YOU KNOW, CAN

1:21:39IMPROVE UM, YOU KNOW, THE THE

1:21:41AIR THE QUALITY OF AIR THAT THE

1:21:42RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE

1:21:43BREATHING.

1:21:43UM, WE GO BACK TO TREES AGAIN.

1:21:46UM I MEAN TREES ARE KNOWN TO BE

1:21:48ABLE TO SEQUESTER CARBON AND

1:21:49HELP WITH ASTHMA RELATED ISSUES

1:21:51.

1:21:52UM, SO IT'S NOT A BIG ASK FOR

1:21:55THESE DEVELOPERS TO PUT A PLANT

1:21:56A TREE IN FRONT OF THEIR UNITS.

1:21:58UM, I'VE WORKED WITH DEVELOPERS

1:22:00IN EAST BOSTON AND NOW THEY'RE

1:22:02ATTORNEYS BASICALLY BEFORE THEY

1:22:04GO BEFORE THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD

1:22:05ASSOCIATIONS KNOW THAT I'M

1:22:07GOING TO BE ASKING THE QUESTION

1:22:08CAN WE FIT A TREE ON THE

1:22:09SIDEWALK?

1:22:10AND IT HAPPENS MOST OF THE TIME

1:22:11BECAUSE IT'S A ROUNDING ERROR

1:22:13THE SIZE OF THE BUDGETS FOR

1:22:14SOME OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS TO

1:22:15PLANT A TREE IS GOING TO COST A

1:22:17THOUSAND COUPLE THOUSAND

1:22:18DOLLARS.

1:22:19SO UM I WOULD BE ADVOCATING FOR

1:22:20TREES.

1:22:21I HAVE DONE SO IN ZBA MEETINGS

1:22:23BEFORE THAT FOR DEVELOPMENTS IN

1:22:25EAST BOSTON WHERE I KNEW THAT

1:22:27THERE WAS DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS

1:22:28ON THE BOOKS AND ARE ON THE

1:22:29AGENDA, UM, THAT POTENTIALLY

1:22:31COULD FIT A STREET TREE AND

1:22:32IT'S AN EASY ASK UM, BECAUSE

1:22:34MOST OF THE TIME THE SIDEWALKS

1:22:36ARE DUG UP ANYWAY, RIGHT.

1:22:37FOR UTILITIES.

1:22:38SO TO PUT IN A COUPLE OF UM

1:22:40TREE PITS IS NOT A BIG ASK.

1:22:42SO THAT'S ONE WAY I THINK THAT

1:22:44WE CAN ADDRESS, YOU KNOW,

1:22:45HELPING TO IMPROVE THE ASTHMA

1:22:47CHILDHOOD ASTHMA LEVEL IN EAST

1:22:49BOSTON AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

1:22:51I'LL BE ADVOCATING FOR THAT IN

1:22:52EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD.

1:22:54YEAH.

1:22:55>> SO UM GREEN SPACE NUMBER ONE

1:22:58IS IS UH PROBABLY THE BIGGEST

1:23:01PRIORITY IN REDUCING ASTHMA

1:23:03RATES?

1:23:04I I'M THE PARENT OF ONE CHILD

1:23:05WITH ASTHMA.

1:23:06UM, SO, UH, AS FAR AS BUILDING

1:23:09MATERIALS, UM, IT'S NOT NOT SO

1:23:11MUCH THE ACTUAL MATERIALS THAT

1:23:13GO INTO THE BUILDING IS AS MUCH

1:23:15AS THE UM THE SYSTEMS THAT ARE

1:23:17PUT IN PLACE INSIDE THE

1:23:18BUILDING.

1:23:18UM, YOU HAVE GREEN LEAD

1:23:21BUILDINGS.

1:23:21YOU HAVE YOU HAVE CERTAIN AND

1:23:23FOR THE MOST PART THE

1:23:24MASSACHUSETTS BUILDING CODE IS

1:23:25VERY, VERY GOOD FOR UM THE

1:23:28ACTUAL BREATHING AND

1:23:29RESPIRATORY HEALTH OF CHILDREN

1:23:30AND PEOPLE IN GENERAL.

1:23:32NO THANK YOU BILL THANK YOU CAR

1:23:34AND THANK YOU.

1:23:36PATRICK I, I DO SOMETIMES UM.

1:23:42FOCUS A LOT OF MY ATTENTION ON

1:23:45ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

1:23:46ISSUES UM AND AND I'M GLAD I'M

1:23:49GLAD TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE UM

1:23:53YOU TAKE THIS AS SERIOUSLY AS

1:23:55WELL AND I KNOW THAT'S PART

1:23:58OF THE DISCUSSION IS THE IMPACT

1:24:00DEVELOPMENT HAS HAS ON THE

1:24:02ENVIRONMENT AND.

1:24:06MY MY ONE OF THE REASONS I

1:24:09HIGHLIGHTED IT NOT JUST BECAUSE

1:24:10CHINATOWN IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST

1:24:12ASTHMA RATES OF ANY

1:24:13NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS IN THE

1:24:15STATE REALLY UM ALONG WITH

1:24:17ROXBURY.

1:24:18UM, BUT.

1:24:20I WAS.

1:24:20EXPOSED WHEN I WAS IN THE

1:24:22MILITARY TO A UM TO.

1:24:24>> AN AREA WHERE.

1:24:25>> WE WERE BREATHING IN TOXIC.

1:24:26TOXIC FUMES.

1:24:28AND WHEN I LEFT BEFORE I LEFT I

1:24:31DIDN'T HAVE ASTHMA AND WHEN I

1:24:32CAME BACK I HAD ASTHMA.

1:24:34BUT I DO KNOW IT IMPACTS

1:24:37ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE AND

1:24:38COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN BOSTON.

1:24:41AND I DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON

1:24:44PUBLIC PUBLIC HEALTH.

1:24:45UM, BUT LET ME LET ME JUST ASK

1:24:47ONE FINAL QUESTION IF I MAY UH,

1:24:49MADAM CHAIR, UM TO.

1:24:52TO ALL THREE JUST TELL ME WHAT

1:24:53.

1:24:54YOUR GENERAL PHILOSOPHY MIGHT.

1:24:56BE IN TERMS OF BALANCING

1:25:00COMMUNITY INPUT BALANCING

1:25:02BUSINESS INPUT, BALANCING

1:25:05ENVIRONMENTAL INPUT, BALANCING

1:25:07WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY,

1:25:08WHAT'S BEST FOR THE

1:25:09NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT'S BEST FOR

1:25:11THE ECONOMY, HOW DO YOU HOW HOW

1:25:12WILL YOU.

1:25:14FACTOR ALL OF THOSE.

1:25:16UM INTO.

1:25:17YOUR DECISION?

1:25:18WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL PHILOSOPHY

1:25:20ABOUT HOW HOW YOU CAN MOVE

1:25:21FORWARD WITH THE DECISION

1:25:22KNOWING.

1:25:23ALL OF THOSE.

1:25:24SEGMENTS ARE IMPORTANT?

1:25:27YEAH.

1:25:28>> I VIEW THE ROLE ALMOST LIKE

1:25:29A JUDGE.

1:25:29I MEAN YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO

1:25:31SIT AND LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND

1:25:33WHAT THE YOU KNOW, THE PURPOSE

1:25:35OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT SOMEBODY

1:25:36IS TRYING TO SAY, UH, AND WEIGH

1:25:38TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY UM,

1:25:40GIVEN THE FACTS WEIGH WHAT THE

1:25:42RIGHT DECISION WOULD BE.

1:25:43SO AGAIN, IT'S AN EYE ON A CASE

1:25:45BY CASE BASIS BUT YOU JUST HAVE

1:25:48TO REALLY KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

1:25:50AND YOU KNOW, TAKE INTO

1:25:51CONSIDERATION WHAT EACH PARTY,

1:25:53UM, YOU KNOW, HAS TO SAY.

1:25:55UM, SO YEAH, IT'S.

1:25:57A LITTLE MYSELF.

1:25:58YEAH.

1:25:59>> SO UM, AS FAR AS MYSELF, UM

1:26:02,IN MY DAY JOB I HAPPEN TO

1:26:04HAVE TO NOT SO MUCH WITH

1:26:05ZONING.

1:26:06I HAVE TO DO THIS A LOT IN IN

1:26:07DIFFERENT ASPECTS.

1:26:08RIGHT.

1:26:08SO, UM, YOU MAY INVOLVE A

1:26:10PROBLEM ON A JOB SITE AND YOU

1:26:12HAVE SIX DIFFERENT PEOPLE

1:26:13TELLING YOU WHAT'S GOING ON.

1:26:14RIGHT?

1:26:15SO YOU HAVE SAY ON A DIFFERENT

1:26:17ON A PROJECT YOU WOULD HAVE THE

1:26:18HOMEOWNER YOU WOULD HAVE THE

1:26:19PERSON APPLYING FOR ZONING

1:26:20RELIEF, YOU WOULD HAVE THEIR

1:26:21DIRECTOR BUT AS YOU WOULD HAVE

1:26:22NON DIRECTED BODIES IN THE

1:26:24NEIGHBORHOOD YOU WOULD HAVE A

1:26:25CIVIC ASSOCIATION.

1:26:27YOU WOULD HAVE MAYBE A

1:26:29DEVELOPER DOWN THE STREET

1:26:30THAT'S LOOKING TO DEVELOP A UH

1:26:32PROJECT AS WELL.

1:26:34UM YOU DO HAVE TO TAKE ALL THE

1:26:36FACTS AND INTO EFFECT AND UM

1:26:37YOU NEED TO WEIGH THEM IN ON

1:26:40ONE PROJECT.

1:26:41IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING MIGHT BE

1:26:42A LITTLE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ON

1:26:44THE OTHER PROJECT AND AT THE

1:26:45END OF THE DAY YOU HAVE TO DO

1:26:46YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE VOTERS

1:26:47WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY

1:26:49AS A WHOLE.

1:26:49UM, WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY?

1:26:52UM, AND WHAT'S WHAT'S BEST FOR

1:26:53THE ABUTTERS UM I MEAN IT'S NOT

1:26:55EVERY PROJECT IS DIFFERENT,

1:26:57RIGHT?

1:26:57AND UH IT MIGHT BE SIX INCHES

1:27:00OF ZONING RELIEF ON HEIGHT OR

1:27:02IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING MAJOR.

1:27:03IT MIGHT BE 40FT OF ZONING

1:27:04RELIEF ON HEIGHT.

1:27:06SO UM, EVERY PROJECT IS

1:27:08DIFFERENT JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT

1:27:11ALWAYS THE SAME COOKIE CUTTER

1:27:11PROJECT.

1:27:12IT'S NOT.

1:27:14UM I THINK ME I WANT TO ADD A

1:27:16LITTLE BIT ABOUT UM, WHAT

1:27:17COUNCILMEMBER HAD UM ASKED

1:27:19EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE

1:27:20INVOLVEMENT OF ENS IN THESE

1:27:22PROCESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

1:27:23AND SO I THINK IN MY EXPERIENCE

1:27:26I HAVE SAT IN ON UM COMMUNITY

1:27:28MEETINGS WHERE THE PROJECT

1:27:30DIRECTLY IMPACTED ME.

1:27:32I WAS THE HOMEOWNER, UH,

1:27:33DEVELOPER CAME INTO UM AND YOU

1:27:36KNOW, JUST APPEARED IN WAS

1:27:37FILING FOR A VARIANCE TO BUILD

1:27:38IN MY WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY

1:27:40LAND.

1:27:41UM AND SO I SAT IN THAT MEETING

1:27:43QUIETLY LISTENING TO MY

1:27:44NEIGHBORS TO SEE WHAT THEIR

1:27:45FEEDBACK WAS FIRST BEFORE

1:27:47SHARING THAT THIS DIRECTLY

1:27:49IMPACTED ME BECAUSE I WANTED TO

1:27:50SEE HOW YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR

1:27:52THOUGHTS WERE, BUT ALSO BEEN

1:27:53PART OF CONVERSATIONS WITH MY

1:27:55NEIGHBORS UM, WHERE YOU KNOW

1:27:56THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT A UNIT

1:27:57GOING UP OR OUT, YOU KNOW, AS

1:27:58SMALL AS 4 TO 12 UNITS.

1:28:01UM, AND THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT

1:28:02PARKING AND I'M TAKING INTO

1:28:03CONSIDERATION THE FAMILIES OR

1:28:04THE PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL

1:28:05DISABILITIES THAT NEED HOUSING.

1:28:07AND SO THAT'S THE WAY THAT I

1:28:09VIEW THINGS.

1:28:09UM, I ALSO THINK ABOUT, YOU

1:28:11KNOW, THE NEIGHBORS WHO ARE

1:28:12ALREADY THERE, HOW THAT IMPACTS

1:28:13THEM BUT ALSO THE BUSINESSES

1:28:16AND UM THE COMMUNITIES UM, AND

1:28:18YOU KNOW, INSTITUTIONS AND

1:28:19DEVELOPERS THAT ARE INVESTING

1:28:21IN THEM AS WELL.

1:28:22AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S HOW

1:28:23I WOULD APPROACH IT AND WITH

1:28:25UH, YOU KNOW, AS A SOCIAL

1:28:26WORKER AND AS A RESEARCHER, I

1:28:27LIKE TO GATHER ALL INFORMATION

1:28:28SO THAT I CAN MAKE AN INFORMED

1:28:30DECISION.

1:28:30UM, BUT ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW,

1:28:32THINKING ABOUT HOW SOMETIMES,

1:28:34YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE PERSONAL

1:28:35INTEREST THAT UH, MAY NOT BE

1:28:38THE BEST FOR ALL COMMUNITY

1:28:40MEMBERS AND I KNOW THAT WE

1:28:41CAN'T SUPPORT AND, UM, SUPPORT

1:28:44ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND NOT

1:28:46EVERYONE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE

1:28:47HAPPY WITH THE DECISIONS THAT

1:28:48ARE MADE.

1:28:48UM, THEY JUST TRYING TO MAKE AN

1:28:50INFORMED ENOUGH DECISION THAT

1:28:51YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONSIDERING

1:28:52UM, EVERYONE WHO IS INVOLVED UM

1:28:55,AND WHAT THEIR PERSPECTIVES

1:28:56ARE IS ON ON THOSE THINGS.

1:28:59WELL JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU

1:29:00TO.

1:29:00ALL THREE.

1:29:01I KNOW YOU'LL DO A TREMENDOUS

1:29:03JOB ON THE ON THE ZONING BOARD

1:29:05AND WANT TO SAY IT'S.

1:29:07A THE.

1:29:07>> OUTSTANDING APPOINTMENTS.

1:29:09LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH

1:29:11YOU AGAIN AND JUST WANT TO SAY

1:29:13THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING

1:29:14COMMITMENT TO THE RESIDENTS

1:29:16OF BOSTON.

1:29:16UH THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

1:29:17THANK YOU SO MUCH,

1:29:18COUNCILOR FLYNN.

1:29:19UM, YOU KNOW, LAST NIGHT, UM,

1:29:21COUNCILOR WEBER AND I HOSTED A

1:29:23JOINT OFFICE HOUR IN MISSION

1:29:26BECAUSE HE REPRESENTS THE BACK

1:29:27OF MISSION HALL AND I REPRESENT

1:29:28THE MAJORITY OF MISSION HALL

1:29:29AND IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING

1:29:30CONVERSATION.

1:29:31ONE THING THAT CAME UP WAS THAT

1:29:33THE LACK, UM, IT'S OFTEN HARD

1:29:37FOR RESIDENTS TO SEE THAT LIKE

1:29:39PART OF THE REASON THAT THEIR

1:29:40PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING UP IS

1:29:42THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT

1:29:44OF NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

1:29:45BUILT OR UM AND SO IT WAS AN

1:29:50INTERESTING CONVERSATION

1:29:51BECAUSE I THINK IT'S AN

1:29:52IMPORTANT THING TO CONNECT IS

1:29:55LIKE OBVIOUSLY WE SAW RELIEF AT

1:29:56THE STATE'S ON IT.

1:29:58UM AND WE FAILED UM TO GET TAX

1:30:00RELIEF FOR RESIDENTS.

1:30:02UM, BUT ONE THING THAT'S I

1:30:03THINK REALLY IMPORTANT FOR

1:30:04PEOPLE TO CONNECT IS THAT

1:30:06SOMETIMES THE POINT OF BUILDING

1:30:08NEW HOUSING IS TO CREATE THAT

1:30:10NEW HOUSING THAT'S THE BENEFIT

1:30:12OF THE HOUSING IS CREATING THAT

1:30:13NEW HOUSING AND THEN SOMETIMES

1:30:15THE BENEFIT OF THAT NEW HOUSING

1:30:17IS TO RELIEVE OUR EXISTING TAX

1:30:19BASE OF THE BURDEN.

1:30:20UM, AND OBVIOUSLY EVERY YEAR

1:30:22IT'S COMPOUNDING UM, YOU KNOW,

1:30:25TAXES ARE GOING UP FOR

1:30:26HOMEOWNERS.

1:30:26SO I THINK THAT APPROVING NEW

1:30:28HOUSING IS A REALLY IMPORTANT

1:30:30PART OF THAT EQUATION THAT

1:30:31DOESN'T OFTEN GET IT'S

1:30:33NECESSARY DO BECAUSE YOU KNOW,

1:30:35THE MAJORITY OF HOMEOWNERS

1:30:37WOULD BENEFIT IF NEW HOUSING IS

1:30:39BROUGHT ONLINE.

1:30:40AND SO I JUST WANT TO READ THAT

1:30:42INTO THE RECORD AND ALSO SHARE

1:30:43THAT WITH YOU AS FOLKS WHO WILL

1:30:45BE, YOU KNOW, CHARGED WITH

1:30:46CONSIDERING WHETHER TO ALLOW

1:30:48FOR CERTAIN UM, VARIANCES

1:30:50OBVIOUSLY REPRESENTING THE WEST

1:30:52END, BEACON HILL, BACK BAY,

1:30:53FENWAY, MISSION HILL WE HAVE

1:30:55VERY DIFFERENT UM OBJECTIVES

1:30:58LIKE IN THE FENWAY WE'RE

1:30:59GETTING SOME OF THE BIGGEST

1:31:00VARIANCES THAT EXIST WITHIN THE

1:31:02CITY IN TERMS OF HEIGHT AND FAR

1:31:04AND THEN IN BEACON HILL AND

1:31:06BACK BAY WHICH ARE UM BOTH

1:31:08HISTORIC UM LANDMARKED, YOU

1:31:10KNOW, COMMUNITIES UM WE HAVE A

1:31:12VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE

1:31:14OF YOU KNOW, UM, WE COULD BE

1:31:16TALKING ABOUT ONE UNIT AND IT'S

1:31:17THE SAME LEVEL AND DETAILED

1:31:19CONVERSATION AS AS A VARIANCE

1:31:21THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FENWAY

1:31:22,UH, FOR FOR AND THAT'S WHAT

1:31:24YOU WHAT YOU GUYS WILL ALL BE

1:31:26SORT OF DEALING WITH IS YEAH,

1:31:28THERE'S THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE

1:31:29VERY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE THAT

1:31:31ARE SMALL AND THEY'RE THINGS

1:31:32THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO

1:31:33PEOPLE AND THE CITY THAT ARE

1:31:35BIG.

1:31:35AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU

1:31:37FOR STEPPING UP TO SERVE

1:31:38BECAUSE UM, IT IS IT WILL NOT

1:31:41YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EASY TO MAKE

1:31:42YOURSELF FREE ALL THE TIME FOR

1:31:43ALL OF THESE MEETINGS BUT UM,

1:31:45YOU ARE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS

1:31:47THAT UM, THAT WE'RE GOING TO

1:31:48TRUST WITH UH WITH THIS NEW UM,

1:31:51UH, ROLE.

1:31:52SO JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL

1:31:53FOR STEPPING FORWARD AND, UM,

1:31:56WE LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING

1:31:57FORWARD YOUR NOMINATIONS AT THE

1:31:58NEXT MEETING.

1:32:00UM, SO YOU'VE BEEN NOMINATED

1:32:02AND THEN UM, THE CITY

1:32:03COUNCIL HAS.

1:32:04THE ROLE.

1:32:05>> OF APPROVING UH, YOUR

1:32:06NOMINATION.

1:32:07SO UM SO WITH THAT, UM, DO YOU

1:32:10DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY LAST

1:32:11COMMENTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO

1:32:13MAKE?

1:32:13I JUST WANT TO I JUST REALIZE I

1:32:15DIDN'T FINISH MY THOUGHT ON,

1:32:17UM, COUNCIL WHAT I MENTIONED IN

1:32:19TERMS OF THE ON THIS UM, SO I

1:32:21JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT DURING

1:32:22THOSE THOSE MEETINGS THAT WE

1:32:24HAD IN OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS

1:32:26OLIVE UH, MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS

1:32:27AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

1:32:29ASSOCIATION HAD OPPOSED THE

1:32:31PROJECT THAT WAS GOING UP.

1:32:32UM AND OH, AND AS HAD TAKEN UH

1:32:34THE STANCE OF SUPPORTING THAT

1:32:36PROJECT.

1:32:36SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT

1:32:37I'VE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE AS A

1:32:40COMMUNITY MEMBER.

1:32:40SO SORRY I SOMETIMES DON'T

1:32:42FINISH MY WHOLE THOUGHT.

1:32:42I WANT TO SAY THAT UM, BUT ALSO

1:32:44WE JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL

1:32:46FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY AND

1:32:47FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND LISTENING

1:32:48AND FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL

1:32:50QUESTIONS.

1:32:50SO THANK YOU.

1:32:51THANK YOU SO MUCH.

1:32:53AND YEAH WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY

1:32:55ANYTHING?

1:32:55OH I'M.

1:32:55SORRY I JUST HAD A QUICK

1:32:57QUESTION.

1:32:57UM TO KIND OF DISTINGUISH

1:32:58BETWEEN.

1:32:59>> I BELIEVE.

1:32:59THAT THERE'S A TERM ALTERNATE

1:33:01UM YES IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH SO

1:33:03CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE

1:33:05BETWEEN YEAH.

1:33:06SO UM YOU.

1:33:07WOULD BE CHARGED TO SET OUT A

1:33:09MEETING IF THERE WASN'T A

1:33:10QUORUM ESSENTIALLY.

1:33:11BUT ALSO YOU CAN SIT IN ON ANY

1:33:13OF THE MEETINGS SO OFTENTIMES

1:33:16YOU YOU CAN YOU KNOW YOU CAN BE

1:33:19THERE I I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH

1:33:21YOU CAN INVOLVE YOURSELF IN THE

1:33:23CONVERSATION.

1:33:23THAT'S UP TO THE CHAIR.

1:33:24UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S

1:33:26REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE

1:33:28ALTERNATES UM, WHEN WE STARTED

1:33:30WITH THIS COMMITTEE, MOST

1:33:31OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

1:33:32THAT WE OVERSEE IN THIS

1:33:34COMMITTEE WE'RE HAVING QUORUM

1:33:36ISSUES AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE

1:33:38ACTUALLY BEEN CHARGED AND I'VE

1:33:40TRIED TO DO A REALLY GOOD JOB

1:33:41OF LIKE WHEN THESE COME IN WE

1:33:43DEAL WITH THESE WITHIN TWO

1:33:45MONTHS WHICH IS UM BUT AGAIN

1:33:46THERE'S A LARGE BACKLOG PEOPLE

1:33:48GET NOMINATED AND LIKE I

1:33:50DESCRIBED WITH UM PATRICK'S

1:33:52NOMINATION THERE UM THERE IS

1:33:54IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.

1:33:56THERE'S A LOT OF EVERY SINGLE

1:33:57BOARD AND COMMISSION IS

1:33:58CREATED ON A DIFFERENT

1:33:59STRUCTURE.

1:34:00SOME ARE STATE UM THEY'RE STATE

1:34:02LAW THAT AND SO THAT'S WHY I

1:34:04ACTUALLY READ INTO THE RECORD

1:34:05THE UM THE LETTER THAT YOUR

1:34:07UNION SENT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY

1:34:09IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE

1:34:11UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW,

1:34:13THESE MIGHT BE THE MAYOR'S

1:34:14NOMINATIONS BUT SHE'S CHOOSING

1:34:16FROM A LIST THAT A LOT

1:34:17OF ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE AND

1:34:18IT'S DIFFERENT ON EVERY SINGLE

1:34:20BOARD AND COMMISSION.

1:34:21BUT YOU KNOW, I ALSO DEAL WITH

1:34:22THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSIONS

1:34:24AND IT MIGHT BE THAT, YOU KNOW

1:34:26,THE MAYOR GETS FOUR CHOICES

1:34:27AND SHE GETS TO PICK TWO OUT

1:34:30OF THOSE FOUR THAT AN

1:34:31ORGANIZATION PROVIDES SOME

1:34:33OF THAT STATE UM, YOU KNOW, UH,

1:34:36FACILITATED UM AND THAT'S

1:34:37BECAUSE OF STATE LAW AND SOME

1:34:39OF IT'S LOCAL.

1:34:40UM AND IT'S BEEN VERY

1:34:41INTERESTING I ACTUALLY SERVE AS

1:34:43A TRUSTEE OF THE ON THE BOSTON

1:34:44GROUNDWATER TRUST WHEN

1:34:45COUNCILOR FLYNN WAS PRESIDENT

1:34:47OF THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, HE

1:34:48GAVE ME THAT SEAT ON THE

1:34:50GROUNDWATER TRUST BECAUSE A LOT

1:34:51OF MY DISTRICT IS UM, YOU KNOW,

1:34:53AND A LOT OF HIS DISTRICT IS

1:34:54THAT, UM, ON WOOD PILINGS.

1:34:56SO AND THAT WAS UM THAT WAS IN

1:34:59UH, I THINK A STATE UH, LAW

1:35:02THAT THE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

1:35:04SO IT'S LIKE IT'S ALL YOU KNOW,

1:35:05IT'S ALL VERY COMPLICATED BUT

1:35:07YOU HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE

1:35:09TO PLAY AND UM, THE WAY THAT

1:35:11THIS IS ALL SET UP, UM, CAN BE

1:35:14DIFFICULT, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR

1:35:16EVERYONE TO MANAGE BECAUSE

1:35:17THERE'S JUST SO MANY PEOPLE.

1:35:18BUT WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD

1:35:19JOB IN THIS COMMITTEE OF TRYING

1:35:21TO MOVE FORWARD THE NOMINATION

1:35:23SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE QUORUM

1:35:24ISSUES.

1:35:24UM, BUT THE ALTERNATE STEPS IN

1:35:26WHEN THERE IS QUORUM ISSUES AND

1:35:28UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO

1:35:30FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH ALL

1:35:31THE DECISIONS BEING MADE

1:35:32BECAUSE YOU MAY BE CALLED TO UM

1:35:34AND THEN WHEN THERE IS A THERE

1:35:36MAY BE AN OPENING FOR.

1:35:38UH.

1:35:38>> YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN PEOPLE

1:35:40RETIRE OR WHEN THEIR TERM IS UP

1:35:43OFTEN THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE

1:35:44WHERE SOMEONE HAS SERVED AS AN

1:35:46ALTERNATE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS

1:35:47AND THEN THEY MOVE UP TO TO

1:35:48ACTUALLY SITTING ON THE ZBA.

1:35:51SO UM SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU

1:35:53FOR STEPPING FORWARD.

1:35:54UM, THIS IS JUST THE YOU KNOW,

1:35:56THE VERY BEGINNING BUT YOU GUYS

1:35:58OF ALL HAVE A STORIED HISTORY

1:36:01OF YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY

1:36:02AND AND YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE

1:36:03CITY.

1:36:04SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL

1:36:05FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.

1:36:06AND SO WITH THAT WE HAVE NO

1:36:08PUBLIC TESTIMONY.

1:36:09SO WITH THAT UM, UM DOCKETS

1:36:14151531524 UH THIS HEARING IS

1:36:16ADJOURNED.