With the recent expansion of the Beacon Hill Historic District, the city’s Office of Historic Preservation is sponsoring a public outreach event to help inform those impacted by the changes on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, Room 801, which will take place both in-person, as well as virtually.
Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill sponsored by Rep. Jay Livingstone (H.4076, ‘An Act enhancing the Historic Beacon Hill District’) to expand the boundaries of the Beacon Hill Historic District into law during a special ceremony on July 3 at the State House. The law mirrors a home-rule petition sponsored by then District 8 City Councilor Kenzie Bok, which was passed unanimously by the City Council and then signed by Mayor Michelle Wu last year. It enlarges the district to include all of the North Slope via the addition of an approximately 40-foot-wide area running from Charles Circle to Bowdoin Street along Cambridge Street on the Beacon Hill side, which isn’t currently included in the district. This omission apparently came in response to concerns that including the entire North Slope in the Historic District could impede the city’s plans for the Engine Company 4 and Ladder Company 24 fire station, which subsequently opened at 200 Cambridge St. in 1965.
Nicholas Armata, senior preservation planner for the city’s Office of Historic Preservation and Beacon Hill Architectural Commission staff, will be among the commission representatives on hand for the upcoming outreach event.
“Having general regulations for the entire neighborhood makes the neighborhood more cohesive in terms of design and aesthetics,” said Armata. “”The new district boundary will also allow for the redevelopment of several non-contributing properties on Cambridge Street in a manner that will be sensitive to the historic nature of the neighborhood. To folks impacted by the change, this meeting will also help you understand what it means to live in a historic district.
Armata encourages both newcomers to the neighborhood, as well as long-timers, to attend the event, either in-person or virtually.
“If people are looking to familiarize themselves with the processes, said Armata. “Even if they’ve lived the district for a while, they’re welcome to attend.”
While Mark Kiefer, chair of the Architectural Commission, might not be on hand due to a scheduling conflict, he strongly encourages interested parties to attend the upcoming outreach event.
“The Historic District has been expanded several times since its creation in 1955, motivated both by growing awareness of the historical significance of the North Slope and Flat of the Hill portions of Beacon Hill, as well as the increasingly destructive impacts of urban renewal on nearby neighborhoods,” Kiefer wrote in an email. “Consistent with that history, this latest expansion incorporates the south side of Cambridge Street, the last piece of the neighborhood that had until now remained outside the District.”
Moreover, Kiefer added: “The public outreach event will provide a great opportunity to learn more about and ask questions about this important change to Cambridge Street. It will provide a detailed overview of this latest Historic District expansion, including why we’ve made this change, how the approval process for proposed architectural changes will work in practice, and what the application of the Historic District Guidelines will mean for the Beacon Hill side of Cambridge Street going forward.”
Attend the Sept. 26 meeting in-person at City Hall, or virtually by visiting https://zoom.us/j/99264943408 ( Meeting ID: 992 6494 3408).