Charlie Baker signs bill to allow proposed 775-foot tower to cast shadows on parks
The Boston Common shadow fight is over.
For now, anyway.
Governor Charlie Baker signed into law Friday a bill that changes rules restricting shadows on the Boston Common and Public Garden, to enable the construction of what will be one of Boston’s tallest buildings.
The move brings to an end months of debate over the quarter-century-old shadow laws, which advocates have said help protect the historic parks from the impact of overdevelopment.
Development firm Millennium Partners needed the rules changed to build a 775-foot tower on the site of downtown’s Winthrop Square Garage. The building will cast new shadows on the parks on many early mornings. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh pushed hard for the revised regulations, citing the up to $153 million Millennium has agreed to pay the city to buy the site of the shuttered garage.
The Walsh administration and Millennium pushed the changes through the City Council in April, despite stiff opposition from parks and historic preservation advocates, as well as some residents of neighborhoods around the parks. Secretary of State William Galvin briefly slowed down approval on Beacon Hill — legislative action was necessary because the shadow measure is a state law — but the plan passed easily through both the House and the Senate in recent weeks. Baker had not publicly taken a position on the bill, but signed it Friday with little fanfare.
“We are extremely appreciative that the legislature passed and Gov. Baker signed the bill that allows the project to move forward,’’ said Joe Larkin, who’s leading the project for Millennium, in a statement. “We wish to express our gratitude to all the public officials who learned about this transformative project and said yes, and in particular to Mayor Walsh, whose tireless efforts on behalf of our city made this law’s passage possible.’’
Now, standard review of the Winthrop Square tower plan will resume at the Boston Planning & Development Agency, and with state environmental regulators. Parks advocates have said they plan to push anew for protections through that process. Millennium has said it hopes to break ground on the project next year.
