Page 4 spring 2009 NaBB NeWS

NABB • NEWSThe Neighborhood AssociATioN of The bAck bAy

337 Newbury sTreeT

bosToN, MAssAchuseTTs 02115

Nonprofitu.s. Postage

Paidboston, MA

Permit No. 56517

Volume 48, Number 2 spriNg 2009

NABB CoNtACtshttp://www.nabbonline.com337 Newbury street, boston 02115617-247-3961info@nabbonline.com

to reACh NABB Newspmq39@aol.comeditor—patti QuinnDesign—steve Wolf studio

The Easter bunny (aka Kelli O’Brien) helps a little one celebrate spring at the annual Friends of the Clarendon Street Playground egg hunt.

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Q-R stephen Quigley; Maria ratanova; hillary & Jeffrey rayport; robin reed; reuben & shirley ress; kelly roche; ruth rodman; diane rosenberg; Lissa rudnick

S brian sager; Judith saide; ronald hua & hikaru sato; Jim scali; Joe schutt; Mark selvagg; sandra J.seward; eleanor shannon; robert siefert; carl sietins; Valerie smith; Nancy L. sonnebend; Midge stone; ellen strain; hanne straume; James sugden; denis & Anya suvorov; katie szymczak

T-U-V Jason Tanzer; John & Lorraine Tegan; Jennifer Throop; Paul Toomey; david Vinson

W-Y-Z david wagner; blane waldref; Jack & cathy wallace; carol weichert; Amy A. winnen; Paul yaworsky; susan Zaferos.

ABout NABBThe Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay is a

volunteer organization founded in 1955. Our purpose is to combat community deterioration, to preserve and protect the architectural beauty of the Back Bay, and to further Back Bay’s residential character.

NABB is a non-profit, charitable organization with a current membership of approximately 2,000. A 50-member Board of Directors, and a 13-member Executive Committee govern NABB. The bulk of our work is performed by 15 standing committees, covering virtually every neighborhood issue from architecture to zoning. NABB volunteers work hard to maintain and improve the Commonwealth Avenue Mall and the Clarendon Street Playground.

NABB’s Friends and Neighbors activities join neighbors who share common interests. Currently there are over 20 active and varied Friends and Neighbors groups, including Book Discussion, Condo Management, and Theatre Going.

About half of NABB’s annual income is derived from membership dues, and most of the remaining income is from special events held throughout the yearr.

New members are always welcome!

■ New members from page 2

New members were introduced to NABB over delicious hors d’oeuvres and informative conversation during an evening reception at Vlora on February 24th. Representatives of NABB’s many committees and Friends & Neighbors groups were on hand to explain it all to the assembled guests. Thanks to our hosts at Vlora, and

Membership Co-chairs Melissa Bevelaqua and Nancy Macchia for a great party!

NewMemberReception

Liz Vizza, new administrative director of the Friends of the Public Garden, is welcomed by that organization’s Vice-president, bill clendaniel (left) and President, henry Lee. NAbb and the friends are partners in the work of enhancing the commonwealth Avenue Mall.

New Director for Friends of the Public Garden

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Melissa Bevelaqua and Nancy Macchia

Cathleen and George Doonan

Left to right, Carol Silver, Barbara Welans, Nancy Alukonis, and Adelaide Tingley

HeLP Nabb Nab TrasH ON THe maLL THis sUmmer FaLL

for just $25 a week, you could provide 20 weeks of Trashnabbing on the Mall this summer and fall! for $500 you and/or your neighbors could adopt a whole

block! The Mall is looking so beautiful this spring; we would like to keep it that way. This summer the Mall committee will again hire a person to clean the Mall five days a week for 20 weeks. The Parks department is diligent in emptying the barrels seven days a week, but they cannot pick up all the loose trash or sweep around the benches.

so get your neighbors to join you, or help us yourself. we’ll think of a wonderful way to thank you! for more information, contact Margaret Pokorny at mpok384@verizon.net. To make a (tax-deductible) contribution, please make checks payable to “commonwealth Avenue Mall committe” and mail them to NAbb, 337 Newbury street, boston 02115.

NABB NE WSs P r i N G 2 0 0 9

NABB FAll

Street SAlesaVe THe daTe

saTUrday, sePTember 12

membership meeting Focuses on sewer Project

and GroundwaterOn Tuesday, May 28, NABB held its spring

membership meeting in the Boston Room of the Boston Public Library. Chair Ann Gleason called the well-attended session to order and explained that it would focus on groundwater-related issues, with presentations by representatives of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) and the Boston Groundwater Trust (BGwT).

Irene McSweeney of BWSC explained the sewer-lining project planned for this summer in parts of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the South

End. The project will repair flaws discovered in some area sewer lines during BWSC’s extensive television survey of parts of its system. In Back Bay, relining will take place primarily on Dartmouth Street between Beacon and Boylston Streets and on Exeter Street between Boylston and Blagdon Streets. Ms. McSweeney described the planned work, the communications that will take place with neighbors before it

begins, and precautions to take. As she explained, repairing leaky sections of pipe located below existing groundwater levels will tend to raise levels by reducing the flow of groundwater away from the

with the extraordinary success of laws limit-ing the amount of new shadows that may be cast on the boston common and the Public garden, representative byron

rushing and i filed a bill to extend those protections to additional parks in boston’s downtown neighborhoods and to a park in cambridge along the charles river.

few people know that the state legislature has twice passed laws to regulate the common and the garden, first in december 1990 to protect the boston common and in January 1993 to protect the Public garden. while somewhat different from one another, the goal of each was the same: allow reasonably scaled development near the parks while ensuring that the grass, trees, and people who enjoy the parks have sufficient sunlight. intervention by the legislature was necessary because there was little confidence that city hall’s review process adequately protected our parks.

The bill seeks to protect copley square Park and the commonwealth Avenue Mall in

the back bay and christopher columbus Park and the rose kennedy greenway in the downtown area. Along the charles river, the bill would protect the esplanade and Magazine beach Park. each of these parks is at risk due to excessive development, and the bill’s intent is to strike a better balance between the need for new buildings and the need to protect our outdoor spaces.

one thing to keep in mind: this bill does not seek to regulate building height or add setback requirements. At present, the city’s ordinances limit building heights and setbacks on a limited number of streets, and representative rushing and i do not propose limits such as those.

unsurprisingly, many real estate developers and their allies are up in arms over this proposal. They mischaracterize the bill as a proposal that would stop all development near the parks. They are wrong about the bill’s impact. while too many developers seek all but unfettered discretion for their proposed buildings, the reality is that we must find a new approach, one that ensures the city will continue to expand economically while we protect the quality of life for those of us who live here.

frederick Law olmsted designed the emerald Necklace to be one of the nation’s great urban parks. Arthur shurcliff did

The work of NABB’s Architecture Committee is sometimes hard to appreciate. Our committee meets monthly to make recommendations on projects being reviewed by the Back Bay Architectural Commission, but it often takes two or more years to see the results, and in some cases, things don’t turn out as well as we had hoped.

In others, however, the end product exceeds our expectations. Such was the case with 0 Marlborough Street. Our committee was opposed to the developer’s initial concept, which involved accessing an interior garage through the Marlborough Street façade. However, once this issue was resolved, we were pleased to support his efforts. In fact we were so impressed with the renovation that we recommended it to the Boston Preservation Alliance, and were gratified when it recently received an award for Significant Rehabilitation/Restoration Preserving Boston’s Architectural or Cultural Heritage.

0 Marlborough (now known as 6 Arlington) had been a dormitory for most of recent memory, first for Katherine Gibbs and later for Emerson College. It was originally built as the Junior League Building in 1929, and was evidently quite the hot spot in its day. In her 1984 book, Boston Before Gropius, Christine Carvajal gives some sense of the excitement:

Opening to a stunning reception in 1929, the Junior League Building was occupied in the basement and on the first two floors by the Junior League of Boston. The upper 8 levels contained cooperative apartments. The steel frame and reinforced concrete structure is clad in polished black Wisconsin granite on the first two levels, Salmon Holland brick on the upper stories, and

trimmed with black and buff brick. Exterior decoration is confined to the entrances…. The Junior League Building originally contained a main lounge, boardroom, assembly hall, dining and living rooms, and was deemed “modern among moderns” when finished.Designed by Strickland, Blodget & Law,

0 Marlborough is one of the few examples of Art Moderne construction in the Back Bay (69 and 83

Newbury were designed by the same architects, and you can see remnants of the style in their entrances).

In its award, the Boston Preservation Alliance described the renovation as follows:Sea-Dar Construction and the Grassi Design Group have transformed the building from dormitory use into twelve residential condominiums and completed a total restoration of the existing structure. It was carefully renovated under the guidance of the

Back Bay Architectural Commission to help preserve its historic and architectural significance. Exterior alterations include the removal of air conditioners, fire escapes, and exhaust duct, the replacement of the entrance door system, new custom lights, and the introduction of a new entrance marquee and rear balconies. New energy efficient exterior doors, and windows in a more vertical 3 over 3 pattern, replaced the original 6 over 6 units, and new double-glazed steel sash were installed at the penthouse level to replace the original steel sash. In addition, a large formal garden has been installed along the Marlborough Street façade. The restoration of Six Arlington Street/Zero Marlborough Street is an outstanding example of residential renovation.NABB’s architecture committee is proud to

have been an important participant in a process that brought about an award-winning result appropriate for the neighborhood.

0 Marlborough Receives Preservation AwardBy SuE PRINDLE, CO-CHAIR, NABB ARCHITECTuRE COMMITTEE

The garden of 0 Marlborough Street is a fine addition to the residential streetscape.

We Remember Our Great Friend and Neighbor, StellaTrafford PaGe 2

sunshine or shadow?

By STATE REPRESENTATIVE MARTy WALz

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NABB Chair Ann Gleason moderated the April 28 membership meeting.

On May 13 the Board of Directors of NABB voted to support the “No New Shadows” bill now pending in the Legislature. The Environment Committee will hold an as yet unscheduled hearing on the bill later this year. This article first appeared in The boston Courant and is reprinted by permission.

continued on page 2

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Faces from NABB’s Alley Rally on April 25 include (counter

clockwise, from top left): 1) Marianne Castellani, Nancy Devereaux, and Lois Harvey.2) Tracey Smith and Barry Solar3) Volunteers from MIT’s Nu Delta fraternity: standing, left to right, Giorgio and Anthony; kneeling, left to right, Matt, Chris, and Bruno4) NABB board member Jack Gregg leading volunteers from MIT’s Chi Phi fraternity5) Marjorie Smith6) Event Co-chairs Roseann Colot, Chris Mitchell, and Ellen Rooney

Page 2 spring 2009 NaBB NeWS

There have been many wonderful tributes to stella Trafford over the years and since her death at 97 this spring. her contributions

went well beyond the back bay, but it is in our neighborhood that her hand has been most felt.

when stella moved here in the 1960s, back bay was at a low point. high-rise development threatened the residential streets, particularly commonwealth Avenue. The neighborhood was dominated by rental apartments, rooming houses, and student housing, and the Mall profoundly neglected. Try to imagine the Mall devastated by dutch elm disease, over half the trees dead, dying, or removed, some blocks with fewer than 20 trees left standing. with her typical tenaciousness and patience, stella took on what was to become her central cause for over 40 years.

while her strategy changed with each new mayor and parks commissioner over the years, her purpose never did. she was able to connect with other prominent community

activists like Ted weeks, daniel Ahern, and Lawrence Perera to draw attention and money to the restoration of the Mall and the neighborhood. she also turned her skills to the Public garden, where henry Lee has said her single most important contribution was to stop the Park Plaza development that would have cast dark shadows on the garden and to help pass a bill that prevented any new shadows on the park.

she similarly dedicated herself to the revitalization of copley square when it was in danger of becoming something akin to Needle Park. every open space that makes our neighborhood what it is has benefited from her considerable political skills and love of trees.

for me, stella was a life-changing experience, a mentor, neighbor, and friend, as she was for many others. Long-time Mall

supporter harriet Lewis has said what a lot of us felt, “what a dame! And what a role model for how to age. find something you are passionate about and just dive in and don’t let go. stay involved in the community, connect with younger women and be on the arm of handsome young men.”

stella’s stepdaughter, Abigail Trafford, recounted a wonderfully telling story about driving back from the family retreat on Vinalhaven with stella, who seemed a little blue. Abigail pushed stella to tell her the things that made her happy, really happy. The first thing that came to her mind was “chocolate.” Abigail pushed her further: “for my accomplishments to be appreciated.” And further: “for people to think that i am younger than i am.”

we will miss her.

Stella TraffordBy MARGARET POKORNy

“wHaT a dame!” aN aPPreciaTiON OF

forYourRally Alley!

A reeves & Amy Ambrecht; conrad Armstrong; robert Arrowood & John kubicek

B charlie & shelley bame-Aldred; Mark barbee; gene & Laura bard; Matan bareket; Nic basham; Luce black; Meg blackstone; Ann blanchard; Tom brady & gisele bundchen; Michael branton & Amy Lisbon; collin bray; saarita buttner

C Nomie caperton; Jennifer carp; Jane carroll; Anne casner; Lijian Pikai chiang; Mar child; claude & robin cicchetti; chiara clark; bret cohen; Joshua collins; fred & Pam copeman; Anthony corey; Paul costello; francis crosby

D Margie daniels; kristen darby; Michael daria; donald denning; william & kathleen dering; Michael desrochers; Anne deVito; Lori director; cathleen & george doonan; ellen doonan; david dube; Tom duval; Leah dyer

E-F James & Jane eaton; Molly eckman; diana caryl eckstein; Tilman ellis; erin elrichman; fitness Together; Tricia flaherty; carlos & elaine french; haiyan Xie frontiero; richard fuller; stephen furqueron

G Melanie gagnier; wendy galinson; barbara garczynska; diane & david germany; Jane gibbons; diane gipson; william & Laurel gladstone; kelley glover; barbara goldberg; ellen gotthardt; karen greenwald; susan & Nancy gurney

H denise hajjar; Jan hangen; greg hanselman; gordon hayes; John hendrick; Luis hernandez; katharine huber

I-J-K ben inker; iskcoN; beth kaminkow; Lisa keller; david king; edwina kluender; brian & Jennifer kondracki; dennis kramer; Mark & sandra kryder

L-M sarah Lessard; Mark h. Lippolt; robert Lyons; Lisa Macalaster; cynthia Maciaga; Jaime Madrigano; yasmine Mahdi; Joe & kathy Majzoub; Magdalena Malak; robert Mann; Meriel Marmanillo; Paula d.Matthews; read & Andrea Mccaffrey; John & Arlene McLaren; Zhenye Mei; dympna Moore; James Moore; karen Moore; colin Murphy

N-O charles Nanopoulous; betsy Neer; Ann-Marie o’connor; one2one bodyscapes; catherine ostrofsky

P brooke Paige; emilie Paschal; Nielse & Meredith Peetz-Larsen; sue Pepin; Andrew Percey; Justin & Marsha Perreault; Lawrence & caren Peters; Judy Porteus; Jord & Allison Poster

NABB Welcomes New Members

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Forever young, Stella Trafford (1912-2009) accepts a toast and accolades on the occasion of a 2007 Mall bench dedication in her honor.

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All photos by Patti Quinn

Special thanks to Bostone Pizza, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts and Shaw’s Supermarket for donating food to feed our hungry Alley Ralley volunteers on April 25. Sarah Wenig baked three cakes that were raffled off to lucky winners. We also thank the Playground Committee, the City of Boston for providing the equipment, and two large groups of volunteers, not shown here, from Northeastern’s Beta Gamma Epsilon fraternity and the Commonwealth School.

NaBB NeWS spring 2009 Page 3

■ sewers & GrOUNdwaTer, continued from page 1area. She also answered questions from the near-capacity crowd.

Elliott Laffer, executive director of the BGwT (and a NABB director), described the nature of the threat to building foundations caused by low groundwater and the reasons why the problem exists in Back Bay. After reviewing the role of the Trust, Mr. Laffer showed several maps that showed current groundwater levels in the neighborhood and also indicated the elevation at which pilings are cut off at those buildings for which City records give that information. He also took a series of questions during a lively discussion. NABB director Tim Mitchell, NABB’s designee to the BGwT Board of Trustees and its co-chair, also provided insight into the reasons for concern and the value of threatened wood piling supported structures in the Back Bay.

For more information on the repair work, visit the BWSC website, www.bwsc.org. For more details on the groundwater issue and to check current groundwater levels at specific locations, visit the BGwT website, www.bostongroundwater.org.

Family and friends of the late Fred Mauet (inset)

gathered on Commonwealth

Avenue Mall on May 12th to

dedicate a bench and plaque in his memory.

Henry Lee, President of the Friends of the Public

Garden and Paul Demakis, former State Representative and Chair of NABB, spoke

movingly (right) of the personal and civic loss felt

by those who knew and admired Fred. The brief

ceremony was followed by a celebratory reception at

the College Club.

Mall Bench Dedicated to Fred Mauet

For the benefit of NABB, the Cashman Mansion at Dartmouth and Marlborough was transformed into “My Old Kentucky Home” on the occasion of the 135th Run for the Roses on Derby Day, Saturday, May 2nd. Hats were admired, mint juleps were sipped, and every guest was admitted into the winner’s circle. Many thanks to Christy and Jay Cashman for their generosity in sponsoring this elegant event. Left to right, Roberta Orlandino, Christy Cashman, Angie Bye, Anne Swanson, and Peggy Nakache.

derby day iN THe back baythe same with the esplanade. These and other parks were, and continue to be, an oasis for urban residents. They cannot thrive without the sun. Neither can the people who seek to enjoy the parks.

olmsted saw parks as the “self-preserving instinct of civilization.” in other words, parks help mitigate the loss of natural space for city dwellers. is it any wonder that we flock to our parks to soak up the sun on a warm spring day?

The boston common and the Public garden prove that we can have a city that thrives economically and contains magnificent parks. These are not mutually exclusive choices. yet, all too often in boston the parks lose out when city hall approves new buildings that literally loom over us. unless we act to protect our parks, we’ll be leaving our fate to those who would over build our communities and literally take the sunlight from our green spaces.

■ sUNLiGHT & sHadOw, continued from page 1

The 14th Annual Taste of the Back Bay was held on April 2nd at the Prudential Skywalk, which provided a spectacular view of our neighborhood for the nearly 300 guests who partook of the tasty

offerings from over 30 restaurants and beverage providers. Many thanks to Taste Committee Co-chairs Angela Lanoue and Monte Agro and members Sue Baker, Jack Gregg, Barbara Papesch, Diane Stiles, and Richard Tominsky, Top of the Hub Catering Manager. Superb musical accompaniment was provided by Berklee jazz groups, The Tom Wilson Quartet and La Timbistica.

Special thanks to our sponsors: The Improper Bostonian, The Boston Courant, Boston Duck Tours, Danker & Donohue Garage, Distinctive Janitorial Services, The Druker Company, Ltd., NSTAR, Berklee College of Music, Century 21 Cityside, and the New England College of Optometry.

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit Horizons for Homeless Children.

A Toast to the Taste!

Clockwise from far left: Summer Shack, Kashmir, Apfel Eis, and Taste co-chair Angela Lanoue.

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