An Eagle Insider poster found this blog about Brighton with a series of posts related to BC issues. Interesting stuff. I never understood the locals' distrust and insistance on fighting BC over ever single campus expansion or renovation issue. Didn't they see the school when they moved into the neighborhood?
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Fanhouse link and Brighton Blogger
Here is a link to my Fanhouse post on a kid transferring from Va Tech. I think the kid should have to sit out but if you have good argument otherwise, let me know.
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6 comments:
Hi there,
I'm glad you think the "Brighton Centered" blog is "interesting."
You asked: "Didn't they see the school when they moved into the neighborhood?"
I believe the answer is: "Yes, we saw it over there when we moved in. But now (since 2004) BC is trying to expand and build over here in the former Archdiocese property."
I think that if you follow the developments in the future, you will find the neighbors to be reasonable, fair, and open to discussion on the issue of BC expansion. I hope you will join us in the discussion.
Sincerely,
Michael Pahre
Brighton Centered blog
Michael, i actually thought you've been living there since 1863, and therefore had a legitimate beef with BC. I guess i was sadly and profoundly wrong. Maybe you and your Brighton brethen should quit fooling yourselves into thinking you are "reasonable and fair." I concede you are open to discussion; that is, shooting down any and all BC proposals. I'll tell you this, I'll be damned if you and your clan will stop BC from becoming a premier institution after I and most other alumni spent upwards of 150 grand to go there. Have a great day.
These same issues have been going on at BC for at least 20 years and I'm sure that the same concerns came out when BC drained out half the reservoir 40 or 50 years ago.
The bottom line is that BC faces the challenge of dealing with multiple municipalities in any expansion they do. And this being Boston, the neighborhoods are very political active and will extract what they can from any developer.
it's the cost of doing business there and does put BC at a disadvantage when you look at the free reign other Universities have when they are the only game in town (I would guess that Clemson and VT have a lot more freedom in their expansion plans.)
I would say that driving around on a game day in Brighton and near the BC stadium is actually easier than it was 20 years ago. As much as the neighbors complain, you can't deny that their concerns did lead to an improved traffic flow around the campus during football games. To hear them continually complain about this is disappointing. It's hard to miss the massive facade of the football stadium and what that will mean to the area during game day. Cambridge has the same issues when Harvard has a home game (say against a sell out like Yale). It's just a fact of life living in an urban area near a Division 1 university and is compounded by Boston's incredibly cramped living quarters in general.
I just finished my Junior year, living on Foster St. When I moved in, I had a great deal of sympathy for what my neighbors had to put up with on a yearly basis but after a year of dealing with "concerned citizens" in the area I dont even have much respect for some of my neighbors.
From the harassment by Boston Police on Weekday afternoons to the notorious "clipboard lady" who follows around kids on weekends in order to report parties to the cops (and subsequently send letters to our dean and landlord with claims that are 100%) I think these people fail to recognize that we (Boston College) are residents of Brighton as well.
I am very sympathetic for the residents who have to put up with the drunken, obnoxious college students but lets be honest. These issues surround every college campus and have existed in Brighton for some time as BC has not changed drastically in scale over the last 20 or so years and the current expansion plans do not call for more students. Clowns like Mr. Pahre are duplicitous pond scum. (citation: Kevin Mannix) They set no real goal in their argument as they simply want to fight every last move by BC to the death regardless of how illogical, unrealistic or hypocritical it may be. In a recent town meeting Brighton residents called for Boston College to be able to house 95% of it students on campus (it is currently at 85%) but there is no doubt that if BC were to announce plans for a new dorm these same people would be loudest voices of dissent.
Notorious - don't forget "bigoted". If it was Brandeis looking to move into the neighborhood, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Michael - Perhaps instead of checking BC at every turn despite their efforts to improve the neighborhood (as much as you refuse to believe it), your activist group can address more simple and pressing issues in Brighton, such as why Sutherland Rd. has resembled an exposed manhole slalom course for over a month now, or why Brighton residents, who supposedly care so much about their homes during these meetings with BC, don't even bother to shovel their sidewalks during the winter.
Where I grew up, it was embarassing to be the only house on the block without your walkways shoveled. At least the management companies of the "student apartments" you abhor have the courtesy to clear the walkways. Tackle these issues first, then maybe I'll respect my fellow neighbors opinions in the face of a billion dollar national university that does more for the Brighton community than they ever cared to.
-JB
1600 block of Comm Ave.
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