Brighton Community Builds Consensus on BC Expansion Plans

The first meeting of the grassroots, unaffiliated group, the "Boston College Neighbors Forum," occurred on Thursday, April 12. Approximately 65 residents attended.

The goals of the meeting were:

1. Let all the voices of the community be heard.
2. Build community consensus on one or more topics.
3. Draft joint letters to the BC Task Force, BRA, BC, and elected officials to convey if consensus were reached on any topic.

Twenty-four possible consensus statements were considered, and seven were adopted. A number of other consensus statements appeared to be within reach, but were deferred to a future meeting pending additional information, additional discussion, or improved wording.

Two letters were drafted to include the consensus statements reached at the meetings. Attendees were free to sign onto the letters at the meeting; other members of the community are invited to join, too, following instructions below.

Letter #1 was drafted in response to BC's proposal to demolish three houses at 188-192-196 Foster Street, and build 70 beds of seminarian, townhouse-style housing on the 5-acre property currently designated as "open space."

To sign onto letter #1, send an email by clicking here.

Letter #2 was drafted in response to BC's proposals for building and demolishing undergraduate housing, and particularly addressed the issue of putting two of those undergraduate dormitories in the "Brighton Campus" (the former Archdiocese property aka "St. John's Seminary grounds"). It also deals with issues of open space, since the property is currently a Conservation Protection Subdistrict zoning overlay.

To sign onto letter #2, send an email by clicking here.