Impact of Construction
Impact of Construction
Trinity’s proposed building would have immediate impact on the surrounding community, from the moment that construction begins. Noise and debris will interfere with quality of life for all of the neighbors, but the effect on the Epiphany School’s classrooms will have the most serious consequences.
The site is long and narrow, abutting the Epiphany School’s parking lot to the east and four residences to the west, and opening onto Centre Street and Sharp Street at either end. Centre Street is busy, as it is lined with houses and schools, and serves to connect Washington Street with Dorchester Avenue. The street is only 30 feet wide, supporting two lanes of traffic with parking on both sides. Sharp Street is a dead-end, with three driveways, the Epiphany School parking lot, and pedestrian access to the Shawmut T stop.
The proposed building will be huge, four stories tall, and running from Sharp Street to Centre Street — across four city lots! The proposed set backs are only five feet along the eastern edge of the building, smaller than the width of a construction dumpster (7.5 feet). Construction equipment, supplies, and vehicles will take up space on over-burdened Centre Street, making a busy street unsafe for pedestrians and often impassable for emergency vehicles.
A construction crane, when set up with stabilizers, requires 16 to 24 feet of space. Centre Street, meanwhile, is 30 feet wide, and Sharp Street is only 24 feet wide.
The below images illustrate how difficult this construction will be for both the School and the community.