A Big Week for C-Port Meetings

UPDATE: 24 Decatur Street has been removed from Thursday's BZA agenda (and moved to June's meeting) at the owners' request.

Here is their reasoning:

Because we have made some last-minute changes to rearrange parking and further reduce the footprint and volume of the proposed building in the back of the lot, we will be asking the Board of Zoning Appeals for a Continuance of our case. This means that it will be a waste of time if you were planning on attending the meeting to support or oppose our plans (or simply hear more about them). We regret any inconvenience this change may cause. When the Board instructs us about the new date we will spread the word.

Lots of actvity in the neighborhood lately, and there are several meetings this week to gather info and give feedback:

Monday (4/26): Western Ave Community Walk
6pm, beginning at Andala Cafe at 286 Franklin St.
The third of the ongoing series of community walking tours to inform the planned Western Avenue reconstruction, this walk will focus on traffic, signals and stop signs. Over 20 people turned out for last Monday's walk. Per the City: "These informal walks are led by city staff with occasional outside guests. The walks provide opportunities for neighbors to learn more about the project, and provide input to city staff. The walks are free and open to the public. Each walk will start near Central Square, go down Western Avenue to the Charles River, and back. All walks are on RAIN or SHINE."

Tuesday (4/27): Neighborhood Meeting for LBJ Apartments revitalization
7pm, Morse School auditorium at 40 Granite St.
The second of two public meetings to discuss the CHA's planned revitalization of the 178-unit LBJ Apartment complex on Erie Street. Spurred by a $10 million Federal stimulus grant,
the CHA and Tise Design Associates have been working to develop plans to renovate the building exterior, core buildings systems such as heating and ventilation, as well as significant improvements to unit interiors and common spaces. The meeting will provide an overview of the first meeting and also present new plans for the landscape design and site work.

Wednesday (4/28): C-Port Neighborhood Association meeting
7pm, Woodrow Wilson Court community room off of Fairmont St.
The regular CNA meeting, with a full and interesting agenda.

Thursday (4/29): BZA Hearing on 24 Decatur Street proposal
8pm, Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Mass Ave.
Come hear about a relatively small project that has garnered a large amount of neighborhood attention lately. Come especially if you have useful input for the BZA to make an informed decision on the proposed variances.

LBJ Apartments to be Renovated this Summer

The Cambridge Housing Authority held a meeting last night to review plans to renovate LBJ Apartments on Erie Street. Construction is anticipated to begin in August of this year. Having been out of town, we missed the meeting, but here's some information from the flier sent to abutters:

The Cambridge Housing Authority, residents of L. B. Johnson Apartments and Tise Design Associates have been working to develop plans for a renovated LBJ including the building exterior, core buildings systems such as heating and ventilation, as well as significant improvements to unit interiors and common spaces. A main focus has been to improve the energy efficiency of the building.

The Cambridge Housing Authority received a $10 million Federal Stimulus Grant that completed the funding necessary to proceed with modernization at L. B. Johnson Apartments.

For more information, call (617-520-6259) or email Allison Lynch in the Planning and Development for the Cambridge Housing Authority.

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

A topic for every interested C-porter:

• Tuesday, 12/1: Planning Board Meeting, including a "design review of a limited number of façade changes for the church structure phase" of the Blessed Sacrament condo conversion (aka "Dana Park Place"); 7:30pm, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway, 2nd floor meeting room
• Wednesday, 12/2: C-port Neighborhood Association meeting, with an agenda that includes a year end review/visions for next year, the city arborist discussing neighborhood street trees, Housing Authority initiatives, the Police Review Committee on policing policy; 7:00pm, Woodrow Wilson Court, Fairmont Street entrance (via ramp to basement level community room)
• Tuesday, 12/8: City Council Housing Committee meeting to review the significant ongoing and planned initiatives by the Cambridge Housing Authority; 5:00pm, Sullivan Chamber, City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue
• Wednesday, 12/9: City Council Hearing on the Stretch Energy Code, which is contemplated as an option for municipalities to increase energy conservation & energy efficiency beyond statewide code minimums; 5:00pm, Sullivan Chamber, City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue
• Wednesday, 12/16: "Envisioning Central Square," a public forum being orgainized by Mayor Simmons and Vice Mayor Seidel; 6:00pm, City Hall; contact Jeff Walker, Mayor Simmons' Chief of Staff, at JWalker@Cambridgema.gov for more info

CHA's Busy Winter

C-port contains a significant portion of CHA's housing portfolio, including Family Housing at the recently modernized River Howard Homes and Woodrow Wilson Court and Senior apartment buildings like the LB Johnson Apartments and Manning Apartments (adjacent to the Central Square Library). CHA's plans for future development and modernization, as well as property management, have a significant impact in the neighborhood, for CHA property residents, employees, and neighbors.

With that in mind, here are a number of notes about the active Cambridge Housing Authority, including a meeting notice to discuss more:

• CHA's groundbreaking Work Force program, a "comprehensive life skills and vocational training program for low-income youth" was featured in Sunday's Globe:
  
  

  [T]he agency’s unusual role as academic adviser as well as landlord appears to be catching on across the state, with Patrick administration officials encouraging public housing managers to go beyond providing tenants with clean, affordable homes and begin promoting their children’s academic progress... The move is in recognition of a growing body of research indicating that schools alone cannot bolster the achievement of the state’s poorest students.

• Councillor Craig Kelley passed along a note that the Council's Housing Committee will meet Tuesday, 12/8, "regarding the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), including multi-million dollar renovation of CHA sites, vacancy on CHA Board, potential changing of status of CHA units from being state-funded to being federally funded and any other issues regarding the CHA that may properly come before the committee."


• Wilson Court and Manning Apartments, both state projects, are among the 12 proposed properties for conversion to Federal Public Housing.