The Boston Redevelopment Authority hasn't learned the sad history of eminent domain

The Boston Redevelopment Authority is apparently leery of a move by Republican Minority Leader Brad Jones to rein in the powers of eminent domain in the aftermath of the SCOTUS Kelo v. New London. Tis' a pity.

State Rep. Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, is spearheading the effort. The House Republican leader has filed a petition, a bill, and a proposed state constitutional amendment all aimed at limiting the use of eminent domain.

The bill would bar cities and towns from seizing private property solely for economic development.

Allowing governments to seize private property and transfer it to another private developer simply because they can generate higher taxes is wrong, he said.

"It's quickly devolving into a mathematical calculation," he said. "The logical extension of this is scary."Defenders of the state's eminent domain law say it is already restrictive enough. They say the use of eminent domain to seize blighted properties has helped improve neighborhoods and spur the creation of affordable housing.

"We are wary of any further restrictions on the Massachusetts law," said Susan Elsbree, spokeswoman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. "Eminent domain is a very important tool for cities and towns across the commonwealth."

For Bostonians with long memories, the ruling inspired painful memories about the loss of the West End.

In the years after the World War II many cities fell on hard times as middle class residents fled to burgeoning suburbs. Boston, like many cities, responded by launching an aggressive urban renewal program. For those in power, the West End was a perfect example of "blight."

Those who called the West End home saw something very different -- a neighborhood with the invisible web of family and friends that knitted together the sturdy, if sometimes shabby brick buildings and corner stores.

That invisible but vital society was the subject of a classic study by famed sociologist Herbert Gans, who moved into the neighborhood in its twilight years. His 1962 book, "The Urban Villagers," painted a picture of a community in sharp contrast to the official designation as a "slum."

In the decades since the demolition, the West End has become one of the nation's most infamous examples of urban folly. Former residents who still feel the sting of
loss have their own spin on the sales pitch for the new West End: "If you lived
here, you'd be homeless now."

The BRA has a short memory. Does not Ms. Elsbree not remember the West End, the classic textbook case that illustrates how not to do urban renewal? This kind of ignorance could either be a farce or a tragedy.