Top Priorities for Mayor Walsh

JohnAKeith

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Anyone want to suggest some ideas that incoming mayor Marty Walsh should consider as he gets acclimated?

PS. See the Calendar for a series of scheduled meetings being held by advisers to the new mayor to be presented to him after his inauguration.

Here's the complete list of "public hearings".

http://www.boston14.org/#involved

Here's a Boston Globe article about them.

Walsh transition committee announces public meetings
By Nicholas Jacques, Globe Correspondent | December 06, 2013

Mayor-elect Martin J. Walsh’s transition committee announced Thursday evening a series of public meetings will be held by various working groups within the committee.

The meetings will be open to the public to share ideas for improvements in various areas affecting the city. Each meeting will have one focus.

Meetings on economic development, education, transportation, environment, public health, and public service have so far been scheduled for Dec. 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, and Jan. 11, respectively.

The working groups running the meetings will integrate the ideas they collect and present them to the new mayor after he takes office, the committee said.
 
Didnt really know where this belonged... I guess I mightve set up a new thread on cultural shifts that Boston needs to get going on...

From the BRA website

The local economy gained additional support through a citywide amendment to the Boston Zoning Code. The approved amendment makes it easier for small businesses to open throughout the City, by allowing “low-impact” uses in all of Boston’s commercial districts. Art galleries, and specific entertainment, retail, service, and trade venues defined as low-impact may now open citywide, without business owners having to navigate dense, neighborhood-specific zoning restrictions. This update to the Zoning Code makes good on the Mayor’s call to streamline the permitting process for small businesses, which he discussed in a December speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. City Councilor Ayanna Pressley supported the measure, specifically as it relates to art galleries.

Surprisingly, I could find no press articles on this at all. If it actually makes a difference, then it really ought to have been printed and I wonder if the BRA did a bad job of funneling the info out. Seems like a good thing to me, though.
 
It would work going hand-in-hand with a better alcohol licensing regime.
 
Agreed. I may have said this here before somewhere, but to me, a much more important change in the city's culture would be more non-alcohol-serving places open late - like convenience stores, restaurants, food trucks... it's not that it's so unreasonable to close bars at 2 (though we need many MORE bars, and a few that are open later would be good, as well), but that the culture of of boston altogether is very much opposed to any late night activity.
 
Agreed. I may have said this here before somewhere, but to me, a much more important change in the city's culture would be more non-alcohol-serving places open late - like convenience stores, restaurants, food trucks... it's not that it's so unreasonable to close bars at 2 (though we need many MORE bars, and a few that are open later would be good, as well), but that the culture of of boston altogether is very much opposed to any late night activity.

This is so vital! It is true not just of Boston, but the entire region. You would think with the amount of 20-somethings and students living in Cambridge/Somerville/Medford, and the nightlife of the area, that there would be more food options open late on the weekends, but your options are really limited after 1:30 or 2. I live near Davis Square, and the weekend late-night (2:00 a.m.) options are:

  • The Shawarma Place - delicious middle eastern food, open until 2:30 am on weekends
  • Golden Light - crappy Chinese food that tastes delicious when drunk, open until 3:00 am on weekend

That's it. Those are the only two restaurants open for food at 2 am in the Davis/Porter/Ball/Magoun/Teele/Powderhouse area. There are a ton of people around, having been let out of the bars, but the view is, "2 am curfew! Your night's over. Everyone has to go home now." By the way, Shawarma Place and Golden Light make a killing on weekend nights.

In reality, if it's late at night and you need food, your only option is often Star Market in Porter. Don't get me wrong: it's a god-send that the Star is open 24 hours, but kind of sad that it's your only option.
 

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