Affordable Housing a Growing Concern in JP

By Beth Wolfson

JAMAICA PLAIN -- The JP housing and development committee briefed the JP Neighborhood Council Tuesday night about a construction project at 154-160 Green St. set to begin this year.

Maple Hurst Builders bought the parcel of land, which had been owned by the MBTA and vacant since around 1970, with the intention of building 4,000 square feet of retail space with 13 residential condos above and a 16-car parking garage under ground, according to the developer's website.

The housing and development committee, which promotes affordable housing in JP, has called on Maple Hurst to allot 25 percent of the units for those making 65% of the average median income in the area.

"The problem is that our guidelines are not enforceable," says Francesca Fordiani, the committee's chair. "The guidelines are a point of leverage for the community to negotiate with developers."

Fordiani says the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the MBTA have the authority to enforce the guidelines established through an invitation to bid, which is when residents' recommendations about how to develop a given parcel of land are accepted.

"As a council, we are all reluctant," she says. "We aren't excited that the BRA invited this bidding and then is not enforcing any of these recommendations."

Neighborhood Councilor Colleen Keller says that while the BRA would have more authority to enforce guidelines, Maple Hurst is not breaking any laws.

“The mayor has set guidelines that all Boston housing must be 15 percent affordable and Maple Hurst has agreed to make two units of affordable housing,” Keller says. “That puts this new development at 18 percent, which is legal.”

Originally, the highest bid for the land on Green Street was made by the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, whose goal is to "carry out community development projects that benefit low-income residents of Jamaica Plain," according to the JPNDC website. When the JPNDC backed out, Maple Hurst bought the land.

"Affordable housing is no longer being kept a priority and we believe it should be," says Richard Thal, the executive director of JPNDC. "Because we are working to be able to get several affordable housing projects under construction, we are not focusing on Green Street right now."

Other community members at the meeting said the parking garage, a new addition to the building plans, does not seem to be enough to alleviate fears among community members about traffic and parking.

Marie Turley, a member of the JP zoning committee, says that traffic is a concern because people will have to pull directly onto Green Street.

“We have been willing to work with the community and make concessions,” says Chris DeSisto, head of Maple Hurst Builders. “We’ve put the building back 8 feet and relocated the sidewalk. I’m not sure what else we can do to mitigate concerns and still make the project financially viable.”

Although the Green Street construction project has community members concerned, residents say something should be built on the land.

"We do want someone to do something with this land," Fordiani says. "But housing prices shouldn't drive people out of JP, and this has a big implication for a lot of land in JP."