Brighton-Brookline Residents Oppose Kimco's Whole Foods Project: Pt.2

The Kimco real estate firm, which purchased in 2014 the commercially-zoned land site at 15-35 Washington Street in Brighton--upon which a Whole Foods grocery store and parking lot is currently located, wants to construct on its land a high-rise, luxury apartment building complex exceeding 35 feet, as part of a Whole Foods Reconstruction project between Corey Road and Allston Street, near the border of Brighton and Brookline.

Yet zoning laws in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, between Corey Road and Allston Street, on Washington Street, prohibit construction of apartment buildings exceeding 35 feet—unless a property owner and developer can provide sufficient evidence that the neighboring community will benefit from a proposed project.

Most of the over 200 neighborhood residents who have submitted comments to the City of Bosotn’s Boston Planning and Development Agency [BPDA]’s website, however, have expressed opposition to Kimco’s proposed Whole Foods Reconstruction luxury apartment project and indicated that the project will harm, not benefit, the neighboring community.

A fourth neighborhood resident opposed to the project, for example, argued against the City of Boston approving Kimco’s proposed project in Brighton, by writing the following:

“The traffic around this area already terrible, especially around 5 pm. Think about adding 300
cars in this area. It will be a nightmare everyday! Only solution is canceling this project!
Please consider the interest of current residents in this area! I am strongly opposed to this
project!!!”

And a fifth neighborhood resident opposing Kimco’s proposed age-unfriendly project also wrote:

“I am really concerned about the traffic. Every day I have to drive through Washington Street
to go to work and come back. Right now the traffic is already really heavy.. Sometimes it will
take me more than 30 minutes from Mass Pike exit to my home. I strongly oppose the plan
to build more buildings in Washington Street. The Washington Street, Allston Street, Corey
Road are all too narrow to hold more people and traffic."

In addition, a sixth neighborhood resident indicated opposition by writing the following longer comment:

“I currently live in the Washington Square Condominiums in an apartment that only faces the
Whole Foods (and the former Citizen's Bank that is now empty). The only time that my
apartment gets natural sunlight is in the morning from about 9am-11am and that's it. This is
due to the tall buildings already around the Washington Square Condominiums. If this
building project moves forward as is then I will have no natural sunlight in my apartment at
all. Myself and my plants will wither to nothing.

“This area is also known for terrible traffic and cars not respecting pedestrian space. In the
few years I've lived in the Washington Square Condominiums I have witness several car
accidents and pedestrians being hit by cars. I wish I could say it was only once, but I have
seen FIVE SEPARATE PEDESTRIANS HIT BY CARS IN THE CROSSWALK AT THE
CORNER OF ALLSTON ST. AND WASHINGTON ST.

“These road and car issues need to be dealt with before a building that will increase the
traffic incredibly is built. I ask that you please take the safety of the pedestrians SERIOUSLY
before you even think about another building on this block.” (end of part 2)