Allston-Brighton Olympics 2024 Community Meeting Joseph Fiorentino Community Center, 2/26/15, 6 pm Note Taker(s): Ali Carter (BMS), Michelle Meiser (ABCDC), Anthony Toppi (Resident) Live Tweets: Rich Parr (Resident), Jason Desrosier (ABCDC) o o o
Greetings and Introductions: Alana Olsen, Allston Village Main Streets Presentation: Harry Mattison
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It is expected that current bid will likely change Decision on whether Boston will host 2024 Olympics will come in 2017 Purpose of the meeting to review proposed Olympic facilities and sites in AllstonBrighton Almost all of Smith Field is currently proposed for Olympic use. The current proposed Marathon route will go around Charles River and up Market Street through Brighton Center. Media will be hosted at BU Student Village. Mass DOT’s current plans for I90 project don’t align with Boston 2024’s proposed use in area of Cambridge Street and Western Ave. Olympic Route Network: Key roads will have lane reserved for Olympic use during the games (Comm. Ave, BU Bridge, Mass Ave Bridge, and Soldiers Field Road). No spectator parking provided, however, there will be shuttle buses to take audiences to venues. City of Boston hosting a public meeting on the Olympic bid on March 31, 2015.
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Comment period: Carol Ridge Martinez, Allston Brighton CDC, moderates Focus on opportunities and challenges; outlines rules of engagement
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Please Note: The following information pertaining to potential opportunities and challenges relating to Boston 2024 are also included in the “Questions and Comments” section of this document. They have been pulled out separately for easy digestion and synthesis. o
Opportunities: Now ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Improve transit options in AB now* How do we integrate the Harvard IMP into Olympic plans? How can we make them work together? * Can we cap the budget to avoid the city taking on financial burden? “Shine a light” on what we can improve upon in AB i.e. parks ** Unite all the piecemeal development* Are there similarly sized cities we could look at? Community Contract to negotiate benefits The process is now! Let’s participate! Involving regional partners in dialogue Transportation!!! What is our strategy for addressing Boston 2024-- Letter to 2024: please address these issues!
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Opportunities: During Olympics Highlight the “walkability” of Boston to help spur investment in pedestrian facilities
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Potential for improved transit Charles River Parklands ○ Test run for 2030 ○ have Olympic bid support goals Potential for improvement for the river etc. If there is a quality planning process we can develop one cohesive neighborhood End result of what we want to be as a neighborhood Walking and biking infrastructure can be improved
Challenges: Now ● ● ● ● ● ●
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Let’s go and watch! Ticket packages for city/neighborhood residents! Local employment opportunities: how do we keep it local? NBC: “the fix is in” NBC wants prime-time Olympics
Opportunities: After Olympics ● ●
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Eminent domain powers? Modification of MEPA regulations
Loss of access to amenities prior to the games How many people can we expect? How do we get involved in the conversation ** What is the process?* Man the battlements! When we get the bid, there will be more people in AB Are we going to be considered important during the planning process? The planning process is non-binding** ○ Residents> Visitors Leadership attention: backwards planning Timeline: When will we see benefits? 2018 or 2023?* Money from the state Housing stability/ disruption during build up* ○ Speculation on prices
Challenges: During Olympics ● ● ● ●
Coordination with BPD- how will this happen Activity at bars Number of people in the neighborhood (at any given time, not just overall) No current indication of infrastructure upgrades
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Challenges: After Olympics ● ● ● ● ● ●
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Accommodations for people who work in Boston for the olympics- financial challenges for Boston residents Impact on neighborhood due to use of amenities by visitors ○ What do we get for this? Limit impact Transit issues- Boston and MA have to pay Students: increase in students over the summer and wanting to watch games Leases- 9 month leases
That all is left in good shape after (roads etc) Potential for financial challenges like the Big Dig ○ Why can’t upgrades be made without the Olympics? Effects on parklands, etc. Privatization of public space (e.g. Smith Park) Hope to avoid post-Olympic wasteland like Montreal Homeownership Opportunity
Questions/Comments Did bid say what will happen to Olympic buildings after games are over? Everything in bid designated as “temporary” will presumably go away after games. Other host cities have downsized their Olympic facilities afterward. How many people will come to the city and to Allston-Brighton for the Olympics? No overall number at this point. Bid has venue capacities listed. Number in this neighborhood less than total, but hard to say at this point. Spectators, athletes, media, and many others will be here. How long will the Olympics take? What are the dates? Hard to determine at this point when construction will begin and how long activity will continue after the games end. There is an opportunity to improve our transportation systems with the Olympics. With regard to Charles River Parklands, the Olympics provide an opportunity to look at the area holistically. Preparation for Boston’s 400th anniversary in 2030. How will Olympic plans fit into master plan for Charles River basin and extend the Esplanade 2020 vision Challenge: Get public into planning process. How to get involved in conversation. Boston 2024’s proposal conflicts with plans laid out in Harvard’s 10-Year Institutional Master Plan (IMP) and I90 project. Who is going to be the project manager to pull all of these plans together? Wear and tear on roads and sidewalks will come with construction. Is there a policy in place on payment for damages to neighborhood that may be done during games and in preparation for them? What about impacts on public safety during construction and afterward?
There is potential for financial disaster. Worried about people making a wish list and not thinking about if we can afford to do this. Why can’t transit be improved without the Olympics? Boston 2024 leadership has stated publicly that there is no intent to upgrade infrastructure. Other host cities have had agreement ahead of time to accrue no debt. Can we cap the budget? Fears about privatization of the public sector. Wealthy non-Bostonians are dictating changes in neighborhood and we only get to respond to plans laid out in bid. Opportunity to shine a light on issues in neighborhood. We will be accommodating something bigger than ever anticipated. DO NO HARM. How can we use planning/vision to improve neighborhoods? What can we learn from the process? Propose permanent improvements. We can’t change the bid, but we can change what actually happens. Opportunity for holistic development as opposed to usual piecemeal planning. What about accommodations for workers during the Olympics? Is there a past host city that we can look at as a model? Atlanta or LA? Will the T be 100% back by 2024? Right now this is a business-driven exercise. Hope the city realizes that they need to do more than have meetings. The impact will be immediate as soon as Boston is chosen as host city in 2017, if it is in fact chosen. We deserve proper planning and transportation without the Olympics. We are important in planning process. Concerned about opportunity cost of leaders attention on Olympics. The Olympic planning needs to be leveraged for future improvements beyond 2024. Right now planning is very top-down. Opportunity to turn a corner in a good or bad direction. Come up with our own plan and let Olympics adjust to that. Vote taken and many in the room in favor of a referendum on Olympics by citizens of Boston Negotiate a community contract. Use our power to negotiate community benefits packages as is commonly done with developers. Opportunity to invest in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure improvements Can people in Boston go to Olympic events for free or at a discounted rate? Planning can be an opportunity for big picture neighborhood improvements Can things be upgraded in an order that is beneficial for residents (e.g. transportation first) The Olympics will cost taxpayers money. It could delay us reaching our goals by prioritizing Olympic goals. Are colleges going to have classes during the summer of 2024? How can we trust that Olympic committee will honor any commitments they make to neighborhood? Does city or state have plan for local employment? Concerned about privatization of public space, particularly Smith Park. If they use it, the neighborhood gets it back after in as good a shape or better than before Olympics.
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It takes three years to build an Olympic aquatic facility What do we get in return for losing amenities for some time? Will they leave it better than when they found it? Fear of unintended consequences. What will it look like in 2025? What will Olympics do to housing prices? Neighborhoods losing opportunity to participate in process even now. Really planning for 2017 Concerns about partying at bars Security for citizens. How will Olympic security work with BPD? WHAT ABOUT THE GREEN LINE?
Next steps Find allies in neighboring cities and towns Need to make sure things are sound on city and state level. Will Boston 2024 have powers to levy tax and eminent domain? Create strategy in advance of meeting on 3/31-strategy should be informed by things addressed at this meeting. How did last 5 games perform? See an income/expense projection Frame questions in a positive light. Let’s dream a bit. Begin asking current development projects in neighborhood how they will deal with Olympics Ex: no 9 month leases How will Harvard respond Boston 2024’s plan impact on their IMP? Ask Boston 2024 what they will do to assure West Station will be built Make sure local elected know how neighborhood feels/wants Ask for things to be done the way we want them to be done. Think about what you want by 2017, not 2024. Demand guarantees Use Boston 2024 to make plans better Ex: Mass Pike Project Corporate sponsors in Atlanta reduced community involvement. Invite people to participate in public meetings Give everyone emails Invite and involve friends/neighbors/family to join the conversation! Be ready to protect the neighborhood If this winter isn’t a sign that things need to be fixed with the T, maybe the Olympics will be? We’ll have to make sure that changes are good for neighborhood and not just Olympics