BACK BAY RESIDENTS REFUSE TO BE LEFT IN THE DARK

By Jenny Speer

BACK BAY – Around noon, the Mandarin Oriental hotel and Prudential Tower divide Boylston Street into sun and shade. As soon as addresses reach the 700s, a shadow covers the rest of the street.

Now, pedestrians and residents may have an even harder time finding the "sunny side" of the block. And they're not pleased.

This Thursday, the Prudential Project Advisory Committee (“PruPAC”), in association with the Boston Redevelopment Authority (“BRA”) is holding a public meeting to discuss the latest ventures of Boston Properties, Inc.: the development of the buildings at 888 Boylston St. and Exeter Residences.

In August, Boston Properties, Inc. – the Prudential Center’s owner since 1998 - filed a Draft Project Impact Report (“DPIR”) on the proposed Exeter Residences and 888 Boylston St. The report includes a Project Development Area (“PDA”) Amendment, which describes a decrease in the most recently proposed height of both buildings.

According to the DPIR, Exeter Residences “will contain 27 residential stories, standing at a height of 311 feet, which represents a reduction of 3 stories or 29 feet from the building proposed ,” and 888 Boylston will have “…a total of 17 stories, with a height of 242 feet,” after the plan was scaled back two floors and 23 feet in August.

While the original Prudential Center Development received zoning approval for 11-story, 155-foot buildings, Boston Properties, Inc. requested the city’s permission last June to increase the height of 888 Boylston to 19 stories (265 feet) and Exeter Residences to 30 stories (340 feet). The report states that “the Proponent has listened to feedback from the BRA, PruPAC and other city officials regarding the design…and has responded accordingly,”in an attempt to convince residents that their concerns have been addressed.

But, many neighbors are still not pleased or impressed by such a “response.”

“From my perspective, I am not satisfied,” says Jackie Yessian, former chairwoman of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay and current resident. “The zoning is there for a purpose; it’s contradictory to the fundamental, official agreement that was made.”
Many businesses in the neighborhood view the development as a positive addition to the neighborhood, claiming that consequent economic stimulation outweighs the residential concerns over shadowing and an overdeveloped feel.

“Overall, new development in the Back Bay is positive for the neighborhood, the entire city of Boston, and all of New England,” says Alexander Cooper, director of membership and marketing for the Back Bay Association. “It brings revenue, shoppers and spenders into the city, and the two residential wings [of the Back Bay] are not going to be touched by big buildings."

For many residents, however, the problem extends beyond shadows and shiny buildings.
“Forget the aesthetics,” says Rick Wildt, 40, of Boylston Street. “The amount of visitors and patrons is going to be so tremendous and the infrastructure of the Back Bay is not prepared to handle that. You’re going to have gridlock all day long.”

Wildt and Yessian are both skeptical of Boston Properties, Inc.’s claims that Exeter Residences will provide affordable housing in the Back Bay.

“The BRA is expected to make a presentation on what ‘affordable housing’ means [on Thursday],” Yessian says. “There have to be standards about that. Is it going to be an absolutely fair project? I don’t know."

Andrea Simpson, marketing director for Boston Properties, Inc., declined to comment.

Not all residents of the Back Bay have such strong feelings about the proposed developments.

“When you live in a city, big buildings happen,” say Lauren Creamer, 25, of Newbury Street. “It’s loud, there are shadows, and there’s congestion. If you don’t like that, I’m sure there’s plenty of room in the suburbs.”

The Prudential Project Advisory Committee (PruPac) will meet on Thursday, Oct. 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in room 102 of the Hynes Convention Center.