September, 2010 Eight Streets Neighborhood Association Meeting

Announcements

• September 25^th/26^th is the South End Open Studios
• October 2^nd 10-2, Friends of Peters Park are having a Fall Festival in the park
• Eight Streets memberships run from September to September. Membership renewals are now due – please fill out a new membership form, or renew through the web site with Paypal.

35 Dwight Street

While applying for permits for internal work, the owners of 35 Dwight discovered it was still zoned as a lodging house. The owners have used it as a 3 family ‘since they’ve owned it’ – and it has continually been assessed as a 3 family by the city. They wish to have the property properly re-zoned as a 3 family to match the current use.

Questions from members were answered, and letters of support for abutters were presented. Eight Streets voted to not oppose the change of zoning to a 3 Family dwelling. A letter will be sent to the ZBA.

6 Milford Street

The owners of 6 Milford wish to add a single deck onto the rear of the building as part of the building renovation. Member discussion was quite lively. The construction project has been stalled for some time. Two abutters were there who complained about the project site. Scaffolding has been in place but unused for over a year. A neighbor mentioned the back yard was also unkempt and had trash. The project contractor present, Mr., Adrian Moylette, said the owner had run out of money and stopped work last year, and everything had been left as is.

While the association and the neighbors usually have no issues with decks, there was a general concern of over lack of work progress on the site, and the face that deck approval would not guarantee that work moved forward.

Since there is not currently a hearing scheduled, Mr. Moylette agreed to withdraw the motion and re-present at the next ESNA meeting in October. Between now and then he will contact the owner and see if any site cleanup can be done within the month, as an effort to restore good faith with abutters. Mr. Moylette will try to get the building owner and project architect to attend the next meeting as well. The ESNA members present also said they would work to being more abutters to attend the next meeting.

There was no vote on this issue.

Open Member Discussion

During the discussion of 6 Milford the issue came up concerning gating of alleys. There was a gate put up on a portion of the Hanson/Milford alley to the surprise of some residents. That brought up the general discussion of alley ownership, access and who has the right to do what. It’s a legal quagmire, and the city doesn’t want to touch it with a 10-foot pole.

We’re going to put the alley on the October agenda, and try to get a discussion among Dwight/Milford alley residents as to what they have an interest in doing with the alley.

Meeting adjourned