Conversation with BRA's Richard Shaklik

On Thursday May 5, the BRA's Richard Shaklik who is the BRA deputy director for zoning and who has been hosting the BRA meetings in the neighborhoods about the rewriting of the zoning codes, returned my previous days phone call.

I asked him about my idea to change the zoning code to what the courts ruled was the zoning code, i.e. that there must be a minimum frontage for a property. He stuck to the BRA's position that the way the BRA interprets the zoning code is the correct way, not the way the courts ruled and that they are just putting in specific language to spell that out.

I asked if the BRA could change their stance to be what the public wanted. He replied that they are taking down all comments from the public meetings and input to the BRA from the community. I asked if he would mind taking a vote of the people who come to the public meetings. He indicated that that information would not be pertinent to the BRA. I made sure I understood correctly that the BRA did not care what the majority of people want, and he indicated that that was correct and that he had no intention of taking a poll of the people who show up at the meetings.

Finally, I asked him if the proposal would mean more density in the neighborhoods affected. After some obfuscation he agreed with me that if more lots could be built on with this amendment, that by definition that would mean there could be more density.

Next public meeting is in Roxbury, 6 pm may 12th at 160 warren avenue