FenwayResident
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First off, I figured this thread was appropriate for the Development forum since it directly talks about the BRA and its future...
Yesterday the Globe put out an article stating that both mayoral candidates want to eliminate the BRA as it currently exists and replace it with a different agency.
The Globe article linked above talks about the two candidates plans.
First off, Marty Walsh:
And John Connolly:
So it seems like both candidates want to impose term limits. That's great news for getting fresh blood into the system. I think having younger (and different) people will help make the agency more in tune with the large segment of Boston's population that is young. I also like Walsh's idea of having the City Council be a check to the BRA, although that would slow approvals down in return for less blatant favoritism.
Yesterday the Globe put out an article stating that both mayoral candidates want to eliminate the BRA as it currently exists and replace it with a different agency.
The Globe article linked above talks about the two candidates plans.
First off, Marty Walsh:
Mayoral candidate Martin J. Walsh unveiled a plan Thursday to replace the BRA with a new economic development agency whose director would work under a contract and be less beholden to the mayor’s office. He said the City Council would be given new authority to oversee the agency’s operations and finances, and members of the agency’s board would be subject to term limits.
“The BRA must be reformed for efficiency and transparency,” Walsh said during a press conference on City Hall Plaza. “It must be reformed for the residents, the investors, and the taxpayers in the city of Boston.”
And John Connolly:
Walsh’s opponent in the election, Councilor John R. Connolly, has proposed similar changes to the BRA, advocating for a separation between its planning and development arms, as well as term limits for board members. He has also called for the establishment of more specific zoning rules across the city to prevent development from becoming subject to political manipulation.
Connolly told a group of real estate professionals on Wednesday that the BRA “needs a serious injection of transparency.” He acknowledged that the BRA has many talented staff members, but said the authority suffers from a reputation of being too remote from the concerns of citizens and businesses in the city.
“I want to see a BRA that’s going to function in a transparent manner and that’s going to put an emphasis on job creation and an aggressive emphasis on housing and being bold and experimental,” Connolly said. “We’ve got to make some changes in terms of how we carry out development in this city.”
So it seems like both candidates want to impose term limits. That's great news for getting fresh blood into the system. I think having younger (and different) people will help make the agency more in tune with the large segment of Boston's population that is young. I also like Walsh's idea of having the City Council be a check to the BRA, although that would slow approvals down in return for less blatant favoritism.