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Ringer Park (85 Allston St) Closure

On Friday, project manager Nelle Ward announced that Ringer Park will be closed, starting Wednesday (October 15) until further notice. Construction for Ringer Park began on October 2, and arborist work started the following Monday. In an earlier email, Ward had stated that the team would work to preserve access to some parts of the park while renovations were ongoing. They state that Omasta Landscaping, which was recently awarded the contract, requested to close the full park to “safely complete tree removals and install site-wide drainage structures.” 

James H. Roberts Playground (112 Hooker St) Begins Initial Design Stage

An announcement to renovate James H. Roberts playground was made on September 30. Kenya Thompson, the project manager at Parks & Recreation Department, explains such renovations were not prompted by any general concern about the neighborhood, but rather by funding availability. “We just want to make sure, when we have funding available, that we’re able to continue our commitment to reinvesting in our parks across the city,” she says.

A design contract with Weston & Sampson, who worked on projects for the City at Jamaica Plain’s Arnold Arboretum and at Dorchester’s Ronan Park, began on October 1. Surveys of the park, as well as neighborhood meetings, will be conducted, and plans for what in particular will be renovated will be announced after. “We know there is a splash pad or water element, so that will be what we will focus on first,” says Thompson. “With the splash pad, we’re also trying to improve our drainage. That’s why the sidewalks and the actual play area matter, because you have to figure out how water flows for safety, and then anything we’re improving in the park or changing, we have to be very like cautious of our most valuable asset, which is our trees.”

Looking forward, Thompson projects that community meetings will start in December. “We are so in the early phases of Planning that community meetings will start most likely this winter — probably a meeting in December, January and February. Our January, our first meeting will be more of sharing some site analysis and probably getting feedback from the community. Our second meeting will probably be more of a schematic plan for the overall plan of the park, and maybe the third meeting will be like more final details and input and like a more concrete plan for what will happen going forward,” says Thompson.

Zoning Board of Appeals

During their Tuesday meeting, the Zoning Board of Appeals met and voted on three developments in Allston-Brighton:

1082 Commonwealth Avenue: The proposal will convert a vacant commercial unit into a two bedroom apartment. This will add to the building’s current 40 units and make it fully residential. The developer previously held an abutter’s meeting in August and received a letter of support from the Allston Civic Association. The Board of Appeals approved the project unanimously, allowing it to move into the design stage. 

17 Bradley Street: 

The Zoning Board of Appeals also unanimously approved a proposal to construct a new three-story residential condo with three units and three parking spaces at 17 Bradley Street in Allston. The space is currently an asphalt parking lot, and the developers wished to convert the lot into a residential building at the recommendation of the Allston-Brighton Needs Assessment, which highlights the need to create housing from underutilized lots. The proposal also aims to plant two trees in the front and one tree in the back to promote green space. During the meeting, Anthony D’Isidoro (President of the Allston Civic Association) and Moira McCrove, on the behalf of District 9 City Councilor Liz Breadon, spoke in support of the development. The project received two letters of support, and one letter of opposition after its abutters meeting. 

26 North Crescent Circuit: 

The developers at 26 North Crescent Circuit requested to withdraw their proposal, which sought variance in zoning code to construct a parking lot in front of a house. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved the request to withdraw unanimously. ■