May 7, 2009 5:55 pm US/Eastern
Neighbors Put Up Fight Over BC's Expansion Plan
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
A neighborhood group says it won't give up its fight to stop Boston College from building what they call a baseball stadium in their neighborhood.
Last night the Boston Zoning Commission voted to allow Boston College to move one step forward in its $1 billion master plan. The plan includes four new academic buildings, a recreation complex, a student center, a fine arts building, more housing on its main campus, and baseball, softball and intramural fields on its Brighton Campus, which it bought from the Archdiocese of Boston.
Read: BC's Master Plan
For some neighbors near the Brighton property, the main concern is the baseball, softball and intramural fields, as well as the bleachers, which can seat 1,000 people on the former Archdiocese of Boston property.
Abigail Furey says, "We've got homes right here. You're bringing students into this area until 10 every night of the week." She adds, "It will be very (problematic), the traffic the noise the pollution, it's really going to be detrimental to the neighborhood."
Her neighbor Sandy Kilbridge, says "It's not right, I just want Boston College to have more of a conscience for the neighborhood."
Boston College says its plan is well thought out and respectful of the neighborhood. Spokesman Jack Dunn says, "Boston College has been a great neighbor. This campus is well buffered and… we promise it will be minimally intrusive and believe it will be a great resource to families for free entertainment."
Boston College purchased the 65-acre property from the Archdiocese of Boston for $172 million. The school says the fields will only be on a small part of that land.
Boston Mayor Tom Menino says there will be no fields until Boston College begins doing more to get more student housing on campus. "We want to get students back on campus... and if they're going to do anything about a baseball field, first of all they've got to do a dormitory."
Each individual construction project still requires individual approval by the city.
Neighbors have not ruled out a legal fight.
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