Are Some Boston Neighborhoods At Risk Of Becoming 'Chainified'?

BOSTON, MA — The City Council agreed today to consider amending the zoning code to require chains get zoning-board approval before setting up any new shops in the city's "local business" districts.

"This is a proposal that would give communities a voice when chain stores are looking to open in our neighborhood districts," Councilor Michelle Wu told the City Council as she brought the petition to consider forward to the City Council.

And lest you immediately start thinking about the North End push to get Starbucks to rethink its plan to move in at the gateway there;

"This is not just about Starbucks," she said. "Although that has certainly been a high profile situation lately. But this type of ... pressure and commercial 'chainification' is happening is happening in every single business district across the city," she said.

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Wu said she and co-sponsors Councilors Kim Janey of Roxbury and Lydia Edwards, who represents the North End, East Boston and Charlestown, are proposing is not to ban chain stores altogether, but rather to adopt legislation similar to other cities that would require conditional permits, for any chains with more than 11 stores.

Wu said requiring zoning-board hearings, the measure would let residents and officials gauge how well a chain would fit into a neighborhood.

"Recently, in my district, proposal for North End Starbucks showed issues in process and transparency required under current zoning. The amendment is a step in the right direction to provide more neighborhood input on commercial development," Edwards tweeted later.

"We cannot and should not treat a Starbucks like a local coffee shop; they should be treated differently," Edwards said during the meeting.

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Previously on Patch

North End's Battle Over Starbucks

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