On Wednesday, July 17, the Community Alliance of Mission Hill (CAMH) met for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
On the agenda was a vote on the 376 Riverway St. development, a presentation about new regulations relating to short-term rentals, a presentation about the city’s Community Preservation program, and a formal vote for CAMH officers.
-376 Riverway St.
The current design for the project at 376 Riverway is seeking variances for the following: some residences are at basement level, it doesn’t meet the required square footage of off-street parking or usable open space, and the floor area ratio (FAR) exceeds limits. Community members present voted on whether or not to approve the development with the known variances. As of the deadline for this publication, the results of this vote were not clear.
-Short-Term Rentals
A representative from Inspectional Services was slated to give a presentation about short-term rentals in the city of Boston. Speaking directly to Gazette, Brittany Silva of the Inspectional Services Department explained that short-term rentals were subject to a new citywide ordinance as of January 1, 2019. All short-term rentals within the city have to be registered like any other business. Short-term rentals are those that are available to guests for 28 consecutive days or fewer. This is especially concerning to the operators of short-term rentals managed through online booking sites, like Airbnb and Vrbo. Residents can learn more about the new ordinance at boston.gov/departments/inspectional-services/short-term-rentals.
-Community Preservation Program
Thadine Brown, the Director of Community Relations for Boston’s Community Preservation program, gave a presentation that included an overview of the Community Preservation Act (CPA). This was followed by a discussion on the CPA process, historic preservation and affordable housing, and projects financed with CPA funds. Read about the CPA at mass.gov/service-details/community-preservation-act.
-Formal Vote for CAMH Officers
Community members participated in a formal vote for CAMH officers. As of the deadline for this publication, the results of this vote were not clear.
-Neighborhood Sound Study
Maryann Nelson from Mission Hill Health Movement (MHHM) reached out to the Gazette to provide an update on their sound pollution study, which was discussed at the May meeting of CAMH. MHHM decided to postpone installing sound monitors around town until late August or early September. In addition, the Community Noise Lab along with the Computer Department at BU will be releasing a new version of the mobile app Noise Score. The app measures and maps sounds and allows users to rate their reaction to noise. It is set to be released next month along with a community event to mark the launch.
Community Alliance of Mission Hill meets on the third Wednesday of the month in auditorium G-3 of the Kresge building at the Chan School of Public Health at 677 Huntington Ave. from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Their next meeting will be on Wednesday, August 21. All members of the Mission Hill community are invited to attend. Email [email protected] to get on their email list.