Letter: Allandale Woods Under Threat Again

Once again, a developer has proposed building many multi-million condominiums on a lot zoned “single family” overlooking the Allandale Woods urban wild on the JP/West Roxbury border.

The 35 foot high buildings would be built on a steep slope and loom intrusively over a Boston park that has been set aside specifically as wildlife habitat and a true forest oasis  for Boston residents. Given their height, these buildings would be seen through about one quarter of the urban wild, which will be substantially less wild for the resident deer and other woodland creatures.

The eight luxury condominiums will sell for millions of dollars each with no affordable housing units as it purposefully falls just below the triggering threshold. In fact, if this project is approved by the City, it would substantively worsen housing affordability in the Parkway neighborhoods as it would significantly  drive up the median sales price of homes sold here with zero contribution to affordable housing.Allandale Woods is an urban park gem of national stature created by the investment of the city over the last few decades. Now again, a developer is looking to exploit the public’s investment to enrich himself and provide housing only for the wealthy while undeniably diminishing Allandale Woods and the very concept of an urban wild.

Tony LaCasse
Roslindale