With Central Square rally, Stand Up For Eastie steps up the pressure on City Hall

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Photo credit: Frank Conte, EastBoston.com

Two-page PDF of Speech by Joni DiMarzo

On Sept 25 2019, members of Stand up for Eastie gathered for a second rally.

Their statement:

We know development has always been going on, year after year the city expands, more people move here and that is all fine but it’s never caused East Boston such disaster and tragedy before.

So why now? Why East Boston?

There are 20 different neighborhoods in the city of Boston from Allston and Brighton to Charlestown and Chinatown, Downtown, Dorchester, Southie, continuing to Roslindale, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan plus more. SO WHY IS EAST BOSTON BEING SINGLED OUT, WHY IS EAST BOSTON GETTING SLAMMED WITH OVERDEVELOPED PROJECTS?

Something is up!! The system is being manipulated and so are we! The zoning laws that are written in black and white are being violated by the authorities. The mayor’s office, the ZBA and BPDA are putting the people of East Boston last. Although they all nod their heads and say “we hear you loud and clear” they are in fact failing us. Over and over and over, we send in our comments and concerns, and over and over they put profit over people. How many times are you going to approve variances to the same old courageous LLC’s with no demonstrated hardship? Boston, you are violating your own zoning codes!

Is it because the more that is approved then the more the city profits off of our property taxes? Is that why there are so many, tiny yet family friendly studios being built? Because more units = more money. And yet we are told to believe that the reason to keep adding in more luxury condos is because of the “housing crisis!!”

Is anyone in authority thinking how this is all affecting us, the people who actually live here?

These condos that keep getting put up, are taking away all our green and open space, knocking down all our mature trees, (and ironically during a climate crisis) our identity and history is being demolished, sayonara to the single family homes, the hell with parking, to hell with building homes for families and hello to every investors dream, goodbye to our long lived East Boston community.

Does everyone here know that the city says, people won’t own cars, they won’t need parking, because the magical MBTA will save the day. Reality check, look at the traffic, what’s the plan for infrastructure? Emergency services? There’s plenty of room in the sky to build but down here, ambulances may not make it in time to get through that slammed pack tunnel. But yet, they keep over developing because apparently our lives simply mean nothing!

Families are rapidly leaving this neighborhood, no one can afford to financially live here, unless you’re a millionaire. And no one can deal with all the stressors to continue to want to even live here. And most importantly MANY families being displaced.

Hey Boston, STOP PERMITTING developers to destroy our neighborhood.

JUST DO YOUR JOB!

STOP THE CORRUPTION AND PROTECT YOUR PEOPLE.”

Photo credit: Frank Conte, EastBoston.com