Joseph Cornish, director of design review for the Preservation Team of the city’s Environment Department, detailed a draft for proposed changes to the Bay Village Regulatory Standards at the July 1 meeting of Bay Village Neighborhood Association executive committee at South Cove Plaza.
“It allows for more change and scope of protection and more of a clarification of what’s there now,” Cornish said, adding that the new regulations provide more oversight for the rear elevations of buildings and also take into consideration the impact of potential climate change, as well as “climate resiliency.”
The public comment period for the proposed changes is open until Aug. 6 and can be submitted to Cornish at [email protected]. Public hearings on the new guidelines that will incorporate the public comments are then scheduled for Aug. 13, Sept. 10 and Oct. 8, when anyone is welcome to provide feedback.
Also, Bethany Patten, president of the BVNA, said the group was working with an attorney for Nahita at 100 Arlington St. to finalize language in the cooperative agreement for the restaurant, which is currently seeking a full-year entertainment license.
Following a recent special event at Nahita, which Patten characterized as “loud and obnoxious,” BVNA executive committee members requested that the restaurant provide a point of contact who is available at all hours and suggested that the matter be revisited once the restaurant has gone 60 days without any complaints.
(The BVNA previously voted not to oppose the city granting Nahita its entertainment license with a 60-day review period, which would go into effect in October.)
In another matter, Nancy Morrisroe, co-chair of the BVNA’s City Services/Traffic Committee, said although trash pickup in the neighborhood was slated to begin at 6 a.m. rather than the traditional 7 a.m. starting July 1, she had received word that it wasn’t collected until 3:30 p.m. in Bay Village and after noon on Beacon Hill.
“It’s a disaster for Bay Village to try and force us to put out our trash the night before…which causes rats and scavengers,” Morrisroe said. “The downtown neighborhoods are going to be disgusting…and [calling] 3-1-1 is going to be our only ammunition.”
After polling those in attendance, Morrisroe recommended that Bay Village wait to participate in a six-to-eight-week pilot program in the South End whereby the city would provide collapsible and sealed trash containers to participating residents until after the new initiative’s effectiveness can be adequately gauged.
Meanwhile, the Bay Village Block Party is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26, which like last year, will be catered by Blue Ribbon BBQ.