The latest design renderings and shadow studies on the proposed 47 story mixed use tower over Neiman Marcus showed that the structure would cast a new shadow on Copley Square in the winter, though an advisory panel reacted favorably to the tower’s place in the Boston skyline.
According to representatives from Simon properties, the tower as currently constructed would cast a new shadow on Copley Square for up to approximately two hours a day from September to March. Two hours is exactly the cutoff point beyond which the BRA considers a shadow to be a negative impact.
State Representative Martha Walz, who has generally been opposed to excessive new shadows in all developments, pointed out that the Boston parks department did not share the BRA’s view about what constitutes a negative impact, though the BRA has said that the two hours figure is codified in zoning.
Walz asked if it were possible for the developers to further reduce shadows by reducing the size of the building footprint at the upper levels. Currently, the upper levels have a footprint of 9.000 square feet, while the base of the building below the fifth story has a 16,000 square foot footprint. Walz questioned what the shadow impact would be if the upper stories footprint were reduced to 8500. “Through creative thinking and computer models we can do a lot of different things that might make improvements,” said Walz. “Let’s try to make the building as good as it could be.”
However, representatives from Simon Properties pointed out that the footprint was already incredibly small for a building of its height, and said that it was unlikely that it could be reduced.
Instead, the developers have offered to consider “rotating” the building, so that the corners of the tower are pulled back from the corner of Dartmouth and Stuart Street. The rotation, if undertaken, would create a fifteen foot setback from the corner, something the citizens advisory panel had asked the developers to consider.
Preliminary response to the possibility was positive, but panelists agreed that before weighing in on the rotation they would need to see more renderings (they were shown only one), as well as new shadow studies to reflect the change in position.
“I think this is a move in the right direction,” said panelist Dave Berarducci.
Opinion was much more universally favorable about new skyline views incorporating the tower. In particular, a view from the Cambridge side of the Charles River showed the tower neatly filling a gap between the Hancock tower and the rest of the “high spine” to the west.
“I think this is a great improvement to the skyline,” said Meg Mainzer-Cohen of the Back Bay Association.
The tower will have approximately 660,000 square feet of residential space stretching into the sky over the shopping mall. In total, the tower will have about 280 residential units. The most striking feature of the redesign will be addition of an enclosed wintergarden in the area of the current outdoor plaza that will be open to the public. There will also be new retail and restaurant frontage on Stuart Street. The developers hope to begin construction in 2010, aiming for completion of the development by fourth quarter 2012.

Boston Properties unveiled a series of updated renderings for its two ambitious development projects for the Prudential, showing designs tweaked to address the concerns of a public advisory body.
The two buildings—an office and retail mixed use tower at 888 Boylston and a residential tower on Exeter Street—have both undergone intense design review by members of the Prudential Project Advisory Committee (PruPAC), which has worked with the developers and architects since 2007.
The centerpiece of last week’s presentation were the new visualizations of 888 Boylston Street: a 17 story glass office tower with ground floor retail fronted by a sprawling new tree-lined pedestrian plaza. The images showed a redesigned building base that clearly distinguished the bottom two retail levels from the office stories stretching above. The glass façade will be transparent enough to provide a sense of activity to pedestrians in the plaza.
The response to the latest designs were generally highly positive.
“The redesign makes the resolution at the base quite nice,” said PruPAC member Eliot Laffer. “The space really works a lot better now.”
Design subcommittee chairperson David Racino said that he was impressed by the plaza. “It will help the place to be that much more active,” he said.
The ground floor retail levels of the new tower could end up being the home of a major new department store retail anchor, according to Boston Properties. Rumors have been floated that either Bloomingdales or Nordstrom’s could eventually fill the space, though the developers would not confirm that. There will be approximately 100,000 potential square feet of retail space, depending on how many floors are eventually dedicated to that use.
In addition to the tower and plaza, the 888 Boylston Street development will include the complete redesign and refurbishment of the entrance to the Shops at the Prudential Center. The new entrance will be done in the same glass design as the new tower.
“The new entrance is hands down a stroke of genius,” said Meg Mainzer Cohen, a PruPAC member and head of the Back Bay Association.
The new renderings for the Exeter Street residences also met with a generally favorable response. PruPAC members responded particularly well to the incorporation of design elements from the historic Lenox Hotel into the new building, though there was some skepticism expressed about an exterior staircase that bisects part of the building, allowing pedestrian access to a central courtyard.
Both designs will be presented at a public meeting on September 23, to be held at 6 p.m. in the mezzanine conference room of the Boston Public Library.

SIDEBAR: Newbury Street’s Clean to to the Curb initiative is in its final phase, with September signaling the focus shifting to Arlington to Dartmouth.
The initiative, which is sponsored by NABB City Services Committee, NSL and BBA, had assigned teams to educate sections of Newbury. The first phase was Dartmouth to Fairfield, then Fairfield to Mass. Ave. The campaign runs from May 1 to Oct. 31, although all involved hopes that their efforts creates a lasting effect.
To get the momentum going, teams target each block’s businesses, using methods such as visits, phone calls, and fliers to encourage property owners and business managers to make sure their portion of the street, from the curb to the alley, is clean by means of sweeping, scrubbing, unstickering, de-graffiti-ing, watering trees, putting down mulch, and so on.
“We have been really pleased at the response,” says NABB’s Jo-Ann Leinwand, a leader of the program. “There’s a new level of awareness. We give kudos and recognition to some, and give others the nudge. Some come back with questions.”
There’s no actual fine involved. But the peer pressure of Newbury Street pride is infectious, she says.
“We really appreciate properties with well-maintained gardens,” says Jo-Ann Leinwand. Even the alleys need love. “If the alley is trashed, that’s not really great. It impacts everyone around you. Everyone is really happy to be part of the program.”
Restaurants like Scoozi are almost daily washing their sidewalks, and the Barbershop at 245 Newbury Street has a gorgeous garden.

Every day, the owner of Lit of Newbury, a little boutique along Newbury Street, picks out the cigarette butts, gum and litter that flies into his little bed of flowers and grass in front of his garden-level business. He sweeps the sidewalk, checks for signs of graffiti and stickers along his area, and checks the alleyway for similar signs of trash and tagging. He puts in flowers six times a year, since trying to grow a garden from seed is a battle with the birds.
“I love this street,” says Nehal Shah, who moved his business here from Connecticut and New Jersey more than a year ago. “It’s the responsibility of everyone on this street to be the face of the street.”
“He’s been very conscious of the trash situation on the street,” says Susan Kelley, chief administrator of the Newbury Street League. “He makes a point of sweeping and hosing down the sidewalk in front of his store.”
Business owners like Shah don’t have to clean the sidewalk, or scrape bumperstickers off the street signs, or do anything but mind his own, well, business. He could say things like, “That’s the city’s job” and “That’s what my taxes are paying for.” But he doesn’t.
His little effort is just one droplet in the tidal wave of efforts being made by politicians, community activists, residents and businesses to clean and green the Back Bay.
The NABB City Services Committee is comprised of block captains who volunteer to serve as a neighborhood liaison for their city block. The team focuses on trash maintenance, alley cleanliness, rodent control, street cleaning, and sidewalk and city light repair, through programs such as Clean to the Curb, maintaining alley numbers. The NABB committee will host a Town Meeting Oct. 6 at 6:30pm at Fisher College, 1116 Beacon St., where residents can share their concerns about the neighborhood.
The NABB committee also works tightly with the city of Boston, and is anticipating the arrival of a new recycling program.
According to the city, Boston recycles only 15% of its total waste. According to waste resources statistics, New York City recycles 34 percent, 38% in Philadelphia, 55% for Chicago, and 69% in San Francisco.
City Councilor Michael Ross filed an ordinance last week to require commercial trash haulers to push recycling services to Boston businesses (see related story.) If they don’t comply, they could lose their permits, or at the very least, get fines of $150-$300 over the recycling of paper, cans, bottles, plastics and other reusable materials.
The area has a relatively low rate of recycling, because space is scarce for blue bins and recycling dumpsters. “I’d say 99 percent of recycling here is people breaking open trash bags, looking for cans and bottles,” said one business owner. “It’s a kind of grassroots recycling program.”
The city, meanwhile, has Back Bay on its list of neighborhoods due for a recycling makeover. Only four neighborhoods so far have begun the city’s new Single Stream recycling program, which allows all recyclables to be placed in a single clear bag, rather than into the bulky open blue bins.
“Single stream recycling is being mapped out,” says Frank O’Brien, DPW principal administrative assistant, who predicts the whole city will go single-stream within the next four years. “There are a number of issues involved in the Back Bay. Some can use the carts because of room, others need plastic clear bags. Transfer stations have to be phased in. We’re working diligently on this.”
O’Brien’s been working with Newbury Street’s Clean to the Curb and Alley Rally initiatives for more than 10 years, and says he’s noticed a “positive progression” in the Back Bay’s upkeep.
“The residents in the Back Bay take great pride in their neighborhood, and they’ve really partnered with the city on various initiatives,” said O’Brien. “They face a lot of the same challenges that some of the more dense neighborhoods have to face, due to congestion and parking limitations. They compare very favorably with some of the other dedicated neighborhoods in maintaining their neighborhood environments.”
To help with the rodent problem, many public alleys are getting heavy lidded trash containers. This can be a challenge, as some alleys are pretty tight for space, leaving little room for recycling bins and dumpsters.
“About two years ago it was really pretty rampant,” says O’Brien. “I was getting several calls a week. With the exception of a few weeks ago (during a construction project), It’s been pretty quiet. When construction starts again, we’re going to see what happens.”
Street cleaning is another method to rid the rats, he says.
“The less litter and debris on the street, means you’re removing the food source for the rodents, so they have to go elsewhere,” says O’Brien, who says most residents are dutifully moving their cars for street sweeping.
The city’s Graffiti Busters team works closely with the Graffiti Nabbers neighborhood group to combat graffiti. NABBers ask business owners along Newbury Street to remove every sticker and tag on every surface near them. “If we can get 100s of buildings to do this on Newbury Street, our problem will be solved,” says Graffiti NABBer co-chair Anne Swanson. “The business groups want to extend this to Boylston street and residences.” (see sidebar)
“What’s also helped us is the installation of solar powered litter barrels,” says O’Brien of the $3,000 barrels, which compacts trash for fewer pickups and less overflow along Newbury Street and other Back Bay locations, with more on the way. “We’re trying to partner with businesses and groups to have them purchase a certain amount and we’d match it. Mayor Menino is committed to expanding the placement throughout the city.”
But there’s always more that can be done. “There’s clearly been a lot of improvement, but we have a ways to go,” O’Brien says. “The mayor’s office will continue to work with the groups, whether with residential or business groups.”
“The effort to clean up the Back Bay is succeeding,” says O’Brien. “We’ve had some successes in many areas, especially trash. Problems with trash will never go away, but you can try to keep it from escalating.”
He noted part of the success lies with NABB’s City Services Committee, which he works with closely on projects such as trash maintenance, sidewalk repairs, and other issues. He is especially appreciative of its unique “Block Captains” program, where are NABB members that work with neighbors to solve problems, and check their area for litter, unclosed dumpsters, trash violations, and other problems that marr their piece of the community.
“If you have someone right there, you are less likely to have a trash violation,” O’Brien says.
City Councillor Michael Ross also applauds the program. “The block captain program is really making a difference. They tackle some of the daily problems and bring about solutions. In a dense neighborhood with a lot going on with the residents and the restaurants, it’s a lot of hard work. The city can’t do it alone. You need to have an active citizenry like this.”
Leinwand, a Newbury Street resident who works for Keller Williams Realtors, is a block captain for Alley 433, between Exeter and Fairfield on Newbury and Commonwealth Avenue.
She is co-chair of the City Services Committee with Sandi Gaskin, block captain of Alley 425 (Marlborough and Comm. Ave. at Dartmouth and Exeter.) Facing the end of her three year term at he end of the month, she looks back with pride over the progress her team has made in the Back Bay.
“Some of the changes I’ve seen are really great, some are less great. What makes a difference is people who want to get involved. This neighborhood is a cohesive unit. It’s a lot of hard work to keep up a neighborhood known for the ambiance and architecture. It’s what people move here for, but if don’t take the time and effort to keep it this way, if they want to make money and not really think about how it affects the neighborhood ... The money will not add to our beautiful neighborhood.”
“People welcome you, because you are going to help their neighborhood,” says Leinwand, who has lived here eight years. For those who are a bit more resistant to their suggestions, usually about when to put out trash or putting lids on trash cans, NABB then tries contacting them through phone calls and emails. If that doesn’t work, “We might use a flier to notify them of the problem, then send a letter, then get the city involved.”
“It’s a very hardworking committee. They want to make it a great place to live. People like that are what make the neighborhood what it is. They educate the public when they move in. Some are coming from the suburbs, where things run much differently than in the city.”

List of Block Captains:
Cathy Youngman, 414
Marie Doherty, 415/416
Fran Duffly, 416
Elisabeth Lay, 417
Sandi Gaskin, 418/425
Fay Dabney, 421/422
Aline Cullen, 425
Ellen Steinbaum, 426
Carolyn Vandam, 426
Joanna Hochman, 428
Bill Gehan, 429
Brent Godfrey, 429
Mary Crozier, 433
Jo-Ann Leinwand, 433
Michael Branton, 434
Caryn Appelbaum, 435
Nancy Tavitian, 437
Jack Gregg, Back Street A to F
Robert Beech, Back Street A to F
Calla J. S Adams, Back Street Mass to F
Dan Avery, Back Street Mass to F
Barbara Papesch, 905/908
Tracey Smith, Newbury Extension

The Graffiti NABBers and Boston Police Detective Billy Kelley seeks the help of Back Bay property owners in their biggest graffiti bust to date.
Danielle Bremner, using the tag UTAH, will be brought from New York to Boston Municipal Court next week to face charges on a 45-count warrant sought by Detective Kelley, for tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to area buildings.
“It’s a big, hot graffiti case,” says Swanson, who is co-chair of the NABBers with Kathleen Alexander. This case is founded on photo documentation compiled by NABB’s Graffiti NABBers subcommittee.
“It would not have come to fruition if we had not assembled a notebook of evidence,” said Swanson, who maintains a thick photo album of Back Bay tags removed over the years.
Now NABB needs victims to come forward as witnesses.
“This arraignment is hugely important to us based on Bremner's worldwide graffiti vandal reputation and the fact that she victimized almost every Boston neighborhood,” says Anne Swanson, co-chair of NABBers. “Detective Kelley's coordination with police in New York has been critical in getting this accomplished.”
Swanson says Bremner is an example of hundreds of graffiti vandals who travel to urban centers all over the world to tag public and private property. “These individuals are linked to crews and networks of taggers who do a huge amount of damage collectively,” said NABBers’ press release. “These vandals are difficult to catch in the act, and when they are caught, we think they should be held accountable.”
In 2007 in Brighton District Court, Bremner from New York and her boyfriend from Toronto admitted tagging the MBTA 100 times, at an estimated removal cost of $47,000. Bremner's mother wrote a check for $8,000 and then said to Officer Kelley, "The problem is, you take graffiti too seriously in Boston." Officer Kelley replied, "Ma'am, look in the mirror--you are the problem."
While some see graffiti as just a nuisance, Swanson must convince them that it is a destructive crime. “Some of these property owners have spent up to $100,000 over 15 years repointing brickwork, and cleaning up after vandals. This is a significant cost to the city.” She actually had to convince a judge that graffiti and stickers on Back Bay property are not a protected form of expression.
“We seem to have legions of people who think it’s alright to leave a trail of stuff behind them, but it’s illegal to plaster stickers in public places,” said Swanson. “Some signage isn’t even legible anymore, it’s a safety issue.”
“We’re just trying to rally the troops,” said Swanson. “We want victims to write a statement if possible. We’re going in defense o
of the neighborhood. No neighborhood should be subjected to this sort of chronic vandalism. It’s absurd.”
Over the years, NABBers have removed thousands of tags. For the Graffiti NABBers, which has been recognized by the Boston Police as one of the city’s top 10 Crime Watch participants for 2008, it’s an unenviable job.
“It take a tremendous amount of time and labor -- We have to get permission from every property owner to remove a tag, and there are 10,000 property owners in the Back Bay. We’ve received almost 3,000 permission forms.”
“The commercial alleys were appalling,” she recalls. “We have removed thousands of tags. Today, if a half-dozen new ones go up, that’s unfortunate, but that’s progress.”

Participation in the court case includes a written statement, to be included in the NABBer notebook, and hopefully a court visit, at a time to be announced, and. To participate, contact Swanson at anneswanson@verizon.net.

List of properties specifically cited in the court case:



1. 12–14 Commonwealth Ave.

2. 74 Commonwealth Ave.

3. 110 Commonwealth Ave.

4. 160 Commonwealth Ave.

5. 264 Commonwealth Ave.

6. 279 Dartmouth St.

7. 26 Exeter St.

8. 30 Fairfield St.

9. 30 Gloucester St.

10. 11 Newbury St.

11. 29–31 Newbury St.

12. 83 Newbury St.

13. 91 Newbury St.

14. 93–95 Newbury St.

15. 99–101 Newbury St.

16. 103–105 Newbury St.

17. 111 Newbury St.

18. 115 Newbury St.

19. 119 Newbury St.

20. 121 Newbury St.

21. 123 Newbury St.

22. 127 Newbury St.

23. 137-145 Newbury St.

24. 159 Newbury St.

25. 161 Newbury St.

26. 171 Newbury St.

27. 175 Newbury St.

28. 179 Newbury St.

29. 205 Newbury St.

30. 207 Newbury St.

31. 253 Newbury St.

32. 265 Newbury St.

33. 271 Newbury St.

34. 297 Newbury St.

35. 327 Newbury St.

36. 331 Newbury St.

37. 339 Newbury St.

If you’ve ever had a craving for a fois gras terrine and petit fours at 1:30 in the morning, you may be in luck.
L’Espalier, the grand dame of the Back Bay’s restaurant scene, will christen its gleaming new modern space at the Mandarin Oriental hotel this week, and, if everything goes to plan, it will have a new closing time of 2 a.m.
Chef Frank McLelland bid fareweel to the old Gloucester Street townhouse at the end of August, bringing a close to an iconic era of Boston dining. Everything will be just as good, if not better, at the new space, McLelland promises: the only differences will be the efficiency of a kitchen now blessed with state of the art space and equipment, and the hour to which one can dine.
The 2 a.m.closing hour, which must be approved by the city licensing board, is meant to match the other establishments in the Mandarin, which has a general hotel operating license of 2 a.m, according to attorney Karen Simao, who is representing the restaurant in licensing and zoning issues.
On Thursday, L’Espalier’s licensing change got the support of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay’s licensing and building use committee. Committee member Steven Feinberg was particularly ebullient in his praise. “I’m quite familiar with Chef McLelland’s Gloucester Street operation, and I can only say that on a scale of 100, he should get about a 110.”
The new L’Espalier space will try to pull of the neat trick of matching the intimacy of the Gloucester Street townhouse in what is, essentially, a billion-dollar mega hotel. There will be three dining areas, meant to evoke the three different rooms at the old Gloucester Street location, each with its own particular atmosphere.
The L’Espalier opening will also coincide with the opening of a new branch of McLelland’s more working class Sel De La Terre, a French brasseries and boulengerie known for its affordable French comfort food and its fresh baked bread. Both establishments will share a license, a kitchen, a prep area, and bathrooms; essentially, according to Simao, the will operate as a single restaurant with two distinct “brands.”
The openings were originally slated to take place in the summer, until a serious fire on the new building’s fourth floor resulted in serious construction delays. The rest of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, including the hotel’s own bar and lounge, is scheduled to open on October 6.

Back Bay Resident Jim Hill says he usually walks to work, but when it comes to raising money for a worthy cause, it’s hard to beat a bike ride.
Hill will participate in the 10 mile Hub On Wheels bike for charity on September 21st, part of an effort by the organization to raise money for Boston Public Schools. Hill has also sent out a call for other Back Bay residents to join him as part of a special Back Bay team for the event.
“I thought I’d like to do something for the city,” said Hill, who is also a member of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, so he formed what he is calling NABB Friends & Neighbors team. For $45, neighborhood residents can join the team and help contribute to this year’s cause.
“This year it’s a very focused benefit,” said Hill. The money will go to benefit Technology Goes Home, an organization that aims to help introduce modern technology into underprivileged public schools.
According to the organization’s web site, TGH, “while teaching technology skills to underprivileged families, brings students, parents, and teachers together at school in an atmosphere that fosters trust and community building, particularly between parents and teachers.”
For Hill, the ride also is an opportunity to continue what has become an annual part of his life. Although this is his first time participating in Hub on Wheels, he has for the past several years participated in a 100 km ride to benefit the Special Olympics of Massachusetts. This year, he was aiming for something a little bit closer to home, where friends and neighbors could join him.
“I’ve invited everyone I bump into to join with me,” said Hill, adding that he has already recruited several team members, and that even his 75 year old father was planning to join him on the 10 mile route before he was sidelined with a knee injury.
People interested in joining the NABB team can do so through the Hub on Wheels website, hubonwheels.kintera.org, and clicking on the “register now” link. Registrants can then choose to join the NABB Friends and Neighbors team via a pull down menul.
Hill, who bikes weekly, said that he enjoys a mostly car independent life, saying that the city needs to do more to make Boston a bike friendly environment.
“Things are getting better,” said Hill, referring to new bike lanes and bike rack installations, “but this is still a very bike unfriendly city. “There are very few dedicated lands, and it’s a contest between bikes and cars. It’s dangerous.”

History repeating itself

The great philosopher and historian Emmanuel Kant wrote that history repeats itself, that even though all of history is idiosyncratic, that historical events have replicated themselves and will always do so as a natural part of the eternal flow of the river of history.
Four years ago, one of our own, Senator John Kerry, was in a very close race to become the next president of the United States.
President Bush’s presidency was already in serious question. Iraq was a mess and a question. Our foreign policy initiatives – the Bush Doctrine – was proving to be a disaster with nearly all of our closest allies strained at trying to remain our friends.
The economy was readying to implode. The divided nation was growing increasingly divided. The Congress was at odds with itself and so was the Senate.
In such a scenario, the Democrats were smacking their lips and counting the weeks and days until the election. While doing so, the Republicans were doing what they tend to do best – that is – they were plotting Kerry’s demise.
First, they managed to take a bonafide Vietnam War hero and reduce him to bum status in one of the cruelest turnarounds in the annals of recent presidential elections.
Then they piggy backed on that turnaround and made the case that only President Bush could lead us through these difficult times when the nation needed a strong and uncompromising commander and chief in order to survive.
The long and short of this discussion is that Kerry, who might have been president, lost. And in reviewing the events of the past four years, itg is believable and likely that he was the better man.
If there was a question about his heroism in Vietnam, there is no question that Senator Kerry’s historic appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971 helped to end the Vietnam War sooner rather than later. The echoes of his famous words decrying the war before the late Senator Fulbright’s Foreign Relations Committee will go down through the ages as Senator Kerry’s greatest moments.
Fast forward four years.
Now the Republicans are busy destroying Senator Barack Obama’s reputation in an effort to discredit his ability to think, to reason and to speak in order to win the presidency for another four years.
The Republicans winning another four years, frankly, would be a national tragedy.
The Democrats deserve the win this time around.
But thinking you are going to win, as Kerry did, and winning, as Obama wants to do, are two entirely different things.
The Republicans are presently fighting with all their know how to clutch victory out of the mouth of defeat.
And once again, they seem to be doing a much better job of it than the Democrats.

Get out and vote

There is a primary on Tuesday that is of importance to our neighborhood.