 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
Chinatown Sues Boston over Liberty Place
by Lydia Lowe and Michael Liu
10/1 /02
Chinatown residents and community leaders
announced today that they have filed a lawsuit against the City of Boston
over the proposed 28 story Liberty Place development in their neighborhood.
Through Greater Boston Legal Services, plaintiffs Simon So, an individual
tenant abutter, and the Chinese Progressive Association, are suing over
the zoning exemption for the project. Chinatown residents claim that
the project does not meet the three reasons for granting an exemption.
The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) approved a variance to build a project three
times the zoned height limit for the area. These heights were established by
the Chinatown Community Plan of 1990. In August, residents in Chinatown participated
in an independent community-based referendum, voting three-to-one against the
Liberty Place project. Three days after the neighborhood referendum, the ZBA
approved the project without debate.
Chinatown residents have been fighting the
Liberty Place project for the past two years. At the press conference,
Boston City Councillor Chuck Turner of Roxbury said that he was proud
to be supporting Chinatown because this issue determines whether or not
the civic participation of all city residents have mean anything. He
said that the City should be on the side of residents rather than developers.
Statement on Behalf of the Chinese Progressive Association
Andrew Leong of Campaign to Protect Chinatown Announcing
Suit
Related Links:
Chinatown Says "Respect the Masterplan" - 1/22/02
