South Boston Infill and Small Developments

That's a lot of projects! Do folks know if the city is maintaining the BRA development map site as much now that things are in a churn over there? http://gis.cityofboston.gov/article80_dev/

I haven't done a serious ArchBoston tour of Southie in quite some time but the BRA map only shows about 8 projects under construction in South (outside the Seaport) while Beeline's photos indicate closer to 18.
 
A lot of these projects are probably too small to have to file with the BRA.

I have to give props to the Bank of New England project (E 1st and Salem?). Great use of brick detailing to cover up the first floor garage, and the meeting-house styled upper floors are pretty unique too.
 
AmericanFolkLegend said:
Does anyone know the rules regarding air rights over a sidewalk? I ask because 405-407W First Street has bay windows that overhang nearly to the curb line. See Beeline's picture here.

Another good example is this home in Charlestown.
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For the sake of the homeowner, do not post these. The BRA has been known to spend thousands, many thousands, to extract air rights payments or subsurface payments from owners of buildings that have been in place for decades because they hang over or go under a sidewalk. They used to spend $10 to get $1 just so they could swing their swagger in everyone's face.

I remember the T went after the owners of the building on Harcourt Street where it meets the SW Corridor because the T never took the air rights into account when it laid out the Orange Line and the bay windows extended over the ROW by inches.
 
JohnCostello said:
For the sake of the homeowner, do not post these. The BRA has been known to spend thousands, many thousands, to extract air rights payments or subsurface payments from owners of buildings that have been in place for decades because they hang over or go under a sidewalk. They used to spend $10 to get $1 just so they could swing their swagger in everyone's face.
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I'm not doubting you, but do you have a source or some examples? I only ask because a most of Boston has balconies, fire escapes, bump-outs, etc that overhang sidewalks and public alleys.
 
JohnCostello said:
For the sake of the homeowner, do not post these. The BRA has been known to spend thousands, many thousands, to extract air rights payments or subsurface payments from owners of buildings that have been in place for decades because they hang over or go under a sidewalk. They used to spend $10 to get $1 just so they could swing their swagger in everyone's face.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't the homeowner have an Adverse Possession Claim if the BRA never complained in the past?
I'm more concerned with new developments than existing ones.
 
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AmericanFolkLegend said:
Wouldn't the homeowner have an Adverse Possession Claim if the BRA never complained in the past?
I'm more concerned with new developments than existing ones.
Click to expand...

They could claim adverse possession, but how many tens of thousands of dollars is a condo board or building owner going to spend proving possession when they can pay a few thousand off to the T or BRA to make them go away?
 
Its possible that the original lot line extends to the street, and the sidewalk is am easement. Back in the day, a sidewalk was often the street.

mhfrst.jpg
 
millerm277 said:
I'm not doubting you, but do you have a source or some examples? I only ask because a most of Boston has balconies, fire escapes, bump-outs, etc that overhang sidewalks and public alleys.
Click to expand...

June 1994 - The T made the Harcourt Condominium pay $6,300 for an air rights easement which extended very slightly (Bay Windows) over the SW Corridor park. Book 19185 Page 125 of the Suffolk County of Deeds. I know the appraisal done by the company I then worked for had to be at least in the high $3,000's. Then there is the second appraisal by another firm and time spent by the T.
 
Beeline, great pics! Thanks for all the photos, enjoy looking at the changes Southie's experiencing.
 
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