Fenway CDC: Time to 'Unify' Fenway Neighborhood

Most Fenway residents would like to see more local businesses in the neighborhoods, the most pressing needs in the neighborhood are affordable housing and institutional impact, and the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood has the highest concentration of students living in off-campus housing - nearly 9,000, according to research done by the Fenway Community Development Corporation.

Those are just a few of the findings seeking to guide the non-profit's "urban village" initiative, a grassroots initiative to help create some framework for the expansion of the Fenway neighborhood over the years.

At a public meeting on Wednesday night, organizers noted one aspect of life as a resident in the Fenway that differs greatly from other Boston neighborhoods is the lack of neighborhood organizations or councils that can serve as the voice of residents work with outside developers, businesses, institutions and the city.

Creating this type of voice is one of the main goals of the non-profit as it updates its urban village plan. The plan was first introduced in 1992 and was updated in 2007 with the goal of transforming the neighborhood into an “urban village:" an environment that is self-sustainable, where people can live, work, shop and entertain in a single urban area.

Community Planner Lilly Jacobson said the plan takes into account five different elements: housing, transportation, community facilities, business community and environment and open space, and may be expanded to include disability and pedestrian access, insitutional impact, and arts and culture.

"By far, institutional expansion and affordable housing were major neighborhood concerns," said Jacobson. "There was a slight majority that was more local businesses. People love the local businesses in the neighborhoods and they have become community gathering spots, but there is concern that smaller businesses are getting priced out," she said. 

Civic Engagement Director Sarah Horsley said the neighborhood needs some kind of structure or body that can amplify the voices of Fenway residents, similar to Jamaica Plain and Roxbury that have neighborhood councils

"It doesn’t have the same power as the city council, but it can really make a difference," Horsley said. "Their levels of affordable housing are much higher because the community has pushed for that. How can we learn from other neighborhoods?"

The organization is still in the process of gathering information via a neighborhood visioning survey. Jacobson said the survey has gained good traction so far, but that they are still looking for more responses. You can access the survey here.

There will be another meeting in the East Fenway at St. Cecilia's Parish Hall on March 19th. 

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