Oh my god the pearl clutching. Scared about "shadows" from a development almost entirely north and west of existing buildings (people on A street sad they're gunna lose their city view). "Losing green space" to a proposed civic space within the proposed waterfront park area when the entire area is a paved parking lot right now. Dude came up 3 times to complain about "back channeling" and not getting enough community input.
I was the guy that went up three times. Why? Because we were limited to 2 minutes and I wanted to provide 5 minutes of input. The least you could do is be honest in your disagreement with me.
For the record, I only occasionally return to ArchBoston because of the intolerance and tired NIMBY vs. YIMBY complaints. There's a world out there where alternative views of planning and development extend beyond whether or not people like glass, or whether FAR is maximized.
Contrary to your description, my concerns were as follows:
The mix of uses is absolutely pathetic.
My proposed mix:
Minimum 33% housing.
(Proposed residential: 30% of GFA)
33% office/lab.
(Proposed office/lab: 61% of GFA)
23% other including retail, hotel.
(Proposed retail use: 3.5%, 200ksf)
10% civic and cultural uses.
(Proposed: 0%)
I raised concerns that 25% of the public park will be lost to sea level rise because Gillette is not elevating the existing Harborwalk and, instead, has proposed a new, inland Harborwalk.
I raised concerns about inattention to South Bay Harbor Trail cycle lanes along the Harborwalk, an initiative my community has been advancing for 25 years.
Retail use at 3.5% of GFA should be troubling to anyone interested in a vibrant city. The 20 towers proposed by Gillette are proposed to have less total retail space than two towers (One Seaport) at comparably sized Seaport Square.
Overall Vision: I raised concerns about the lack of a signature civic and/or cultural destination for all Bostonians as a centerpiece of the master plan. Gillette has avoided a deeper discussion during PDA approval by pointing to the public park and suggesting such a building could be built there. Having been involved in PDA approvals for decades, that's not how it works, nor should waterfront public park space, already somewhat limited, be sacrificed. I stated that a site needs to be identified for a future client (museum, performance arts center, municipal facility, etc.); and I pointed to the two most optimal possible sites within the proposed plan. The square footage for a building on this site, with development paid for by a future client (as occurred with ICA on Fan Pier), could be included in the 10% of GFA that I identified above, with at least 5% of GFA reserved for civic and cultural spaces and uses banked for future use within the remaining buildings.
The "backchanneling" you refer to dismissively was a reference I made to private wrangling during 244-284 A Street permitting. That backchanneling resulted in changes to a long-planned amphitheater that had been intended for viewing large watersheet events. As a result of that backchanneling, the amphitheater approved will be built at 15.5' BCB (lost to sea level rise); focused on a small, elevated stage that required an "overlook" and guardrail that obstructs views of the watersheet from every seat in the amphitheater; and replaced long-planned grassy ledges with uncomfortable, tightly-packed rows of bleacher seats. I could go on here about backchanneling during permitting, especially with respect to private sweetheart deals that were routine under prior administrations.
As for your suggestion of my NIMBYism, I didn't say a single word about height or proposed massing. I spoke about uses in terms of percentage of GFA. But I do have respect for others when building a district and think these approvals are far better served than by labeling everyone who isn't gung ho as NIMBY.
I have no problem with disagreement with my POV above, none. It has long been clear that there's little for me to offer ArchBoston, having felt the disdain for such discussions in the past. I'm weighing in today because I won't abide by dishonest mischaracterizations.
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