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Derelicts problem being addressed	City ‘free tow’ extended
	‘So successful, will go another week’

This ‘yard ornament’ looks to be on private property – but isn’t

A by product of having a 1910 survey for city means that many streets were built narrower than envisioned in horse and buggy days

In this essay I explore the implications

Conclusion:

Free Land for the lucky

We would have to look at ‘survey’ to find exact boundaries – but the water shut off should be on public land

Many properties front lawn is not theirs but ours

The water shut off is usually at the front edge of property line – in some areas that means up to 20 feet in front of the house is really ‘city’ property --- When plans for city being drawn up in 1910 ‘in Boston’ the realities of what geography of PR really was was not important --- thus many streets were drawn much wider than were ‘doable’ --- here on 6^th East, one side of the street has ‘free’ property while other have small front yards

City Engineers call this land the ‘boulevard’ – and see it as chance to change our collective minds in the future (wider streets etc)

Imagine what this fellow would say if you parked in ‘his’ parking spot

I think most property owners would be surprised at how much they don’t own in front of their property—

Is it a freebie? – I would argue in general it is --- because one side of street may be different from other and whole blocks may have very little – thus it is not captured in the assessment data which treats similar areas and houses of similar age as single assessment unit

	Egregious example
	The water shut off is at end of yellow line – presumably (we would have to look at survey to be sure) – presumably all that land is ‘public’ – though most property owners have appropriated it to park cars – boats etc – a few have even fenced it in – see below

While we would have to look at survey to be sure – I contend the ‘boulevard’ begins at the yellow line (approximately) and thus all that land has been appropriated by the ‘property owner’ – while it is actually public lands – and probably ‘free’ public land at that	Another ‘egregious’ example—fenced in no less

	5 Corners Area
	Here is an example where one side of the street has houses built almost to sidewalk while other side has a 15 foot ‘boulevard’ in front of house (to their property line)

Should be assessed if used/ appropriated by property owner--- but who mows the lawn then??

So What?

I will argue elsewhere that property setbacks etc often don’t make sense because of this boulevard

Thus it becomes less reason and more ‘tradition’ that is driving the discussion

Created by LG on May 1, 2007

Last updated on Tuesday, May 01, 2007

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City ‘free tow’ extended

So What?