Smuttynose
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- May 26, 2006
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Residents who testified split between support and opposition for the project, which underwent three years of discussion before the BPDA finally approved it last year. The project also needed zoning-board approval because, among other reasons, it would be taller and denser on the site than allowed by the lot's zoning....
Opponents said the building was simply too big - nearly twice as tall as allowed under Greenway zoning - , which would mean shadows on both the Greenway and nearby residential units as well as even more congestion on local streets.
We limit buildings on the Greenway to 6 stories!? The city needs to get serious about zoning reform. To the extent that zoning is a reflection of values this is just embarrassing, painfully embarrassing. Who wrote these zoning requirements? Did we hire the NIMBYs of Weston to draft the zoning code? It's frustrating that we employ an army of planners, and have lots of politicians who pay this lip service, but there's no political or institutional will or drive to move reform efforts forward. Also, nothing should take three years just to get land use approval, especially for a relatively modest project like this one.