Moving Charlesview

Charlesview presents housing proposal
By Susan Haverson, Correspondent
Thu Feb 21, 2008, 12:36 PM EST
Allston-Brighton Tab

Allston-Brighton - The developer who will relocate the Charlesview housing complex from its current location to land that includes part of the Brighton Mills shopping center has filed a proposal for the project with the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Both the BRA, as well as an independent neighbors group that is calling for change to the plan, are asking residents to chime in with their opinions.

The proposal filed on Feb. 11, with Community Builders Inc., the developer, provides for 400 residences, including 282 rentals and 118 units available for purchase, and 454 parking spaces, including underground ones. Approximately 75 spaces are available for on-street parking within the site.

The present Charlesview development, at 51 Stadium Way, has 213 housing units and 185 off-street parking spaces. As part of a land swap with Harvard University, the current 4.5-acre Charlesview site will be exchanged for about 6.9 acres at Brighton Mills and in the Telford Street and Soldiers Field Road area, plus the cost of constructing 213 apartments in the new location, to replace the housing lost in the old location.

The existing and proposed developments offer mostly one- and two-bedroom housing units.

The plan includes 42 townhouses, with terraces and roof decks, in the southern part of the site. Proposed buildings increase in height toward the north, reaching six stories along Western Avenue.

The proposed tree-lined development has three play areas, including an outdoor basketball court, pathways that go through the site and are open to the neighborhood, and one floor of multiple-use community space.

The Allston-Brighton North Neighbors Forum distributed fliers calling for changes to the proposal in order to reduce the project’s population density and building height, and to increase the amount of economic diversity among residents. They also requested an increase in the amount of housing available for purchase rather than rental, given the low rate of homeownership in North Brighton and North Allston. More units with at least a few bedrooms, in order to accommodate families, more public open space and more first-floor retail space were also suggested.

What do you think of the plans?
· The Allston-Brighton North Neighbors Forum invites residents to a March 4 meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Gardner School, 30 Athol St., to offer their opinions.

· The Boston Redevelopment Authority will hold public meetings on March 10 and 24 at 6 p.m. in the second-floor cafeteria at New Balance. The PNF is available on the BRA’s Web site and at the neighborhood libraries. Comments can be sent to Jay Rourke at the BRA, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201, or e-mailed to Jay.Rourke.BRA@cityofboston.gov. The comment period for the project ends on March 31.