East Boston - Chelsea Creek Action Group
Meeting Minutes -- April 12, 2000

EBOL Public Documents from the East Boston Chelsea Creek Action Group

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MEETING MINUTES, April 12, 2000

Attending: Ana Gomez, Arthur Cardoza, Loretta Pardi, Anna Lane, Susan Voloshin, Lucy Del Muto, Madeline McComskey, Vinny Ieni, Nancei Radicchi, Karyl Stoia (Friends of Belle Isle Marsh), Kwabena Kyei-Aboagye (MA Exec. offc. of Env. Affairs) Aaron Toffler (Watershed Institute) Andrew Gould & Jason Harrison (Legal Interns) Susan Loucks (CCAG project coordinator) Stacey Chacker (NOAH) Tim Smith (Parks & Recreation)

  1. Meeting Minutes Minutes from 3/16 were read and approved.

  2. Minutes Format: The group was asked if they preferred a more condensed form of the minutes. The group decided to keep the current level of detail.

  3. Condor Street Urban Wild

A. Browne Fund Meeting Update: CCAG members, the Parks Dept., and others presented the idea for the Urban Wild park design on 4/11 to the Browne Fund (a foundation that contributes $ towards enhancement of public spaces). The Parks department is requesting $150,000 for improvements. The Parks department has been awarded every Browne Fund proposal they’ve submitted to date, hopefully this trend will continue.

B. Changes in design: Tim Smith described the current park design, including the lookout hill, small long hills to provide a rolling feel to the landscape, interpretative signs, and the line of trees along the street. This is still a conceptual design - the Parks dept. will continue working with EB-CCAG on design details. The group discussed elements of the current design, including:

The Boardwalk: The Parks dept is asking the Browne Fund for money to build a wooden boardwalk, a steel pier and a steel railing. The boardwalk will be 10 ft. wide, to provide walking room for four.

The Upland Meadow: The meadow will approximate a natural beachside landscape. Native grasses and shrubs will be allowed to grow to 2’ high, mowed 1-3 times in the season.

The Lower Salt Marshes: Marshes will be planted with salt marsh grass species. Free access to marsh will be barred, some limited access to student groups might be possible.

The Path: Visitors will be encouraged to stay on the primary walkway through the design of the park. If walkways develop through other parts of the park, they will be kept mowed.

Walls: There will be a wall down from the main walkway to the salt marshes (a 4 –8 ft. drop, depending on the tide.) The wall will be planted with salt marsh species, a slightly more high-water habitat than the lower salt marshes. The lower edge of the salt marsh will also have a soft retaining wall, such as stabilizing sandbags, which will eventually be taken over by plant growth. Plans could also incorporate/repair the WPA stone wall on the edge of the site as part of the project.

Lighting: Street lighting should be sufficient for the site. Natural light will encourage natural habitat.

Sidewalks: The City should construct sidewalks on the street outside the park as part of the project. Tim will check with the Board of Public works regarding this question.

Security: Several options currently exist, including locking gates at night (need neighborhood volunteer), having a closed but not locked gate with prominent "no trespassing after X:00" signs, and leaving the park open. Police can make arrests in the park after hours if there is a "no tolerance" policy, however, neighbors would need to actively advise them. If a police station is constructed nearby, the police presence will be greater. Security will be discussed at a future meeting.

As park use evolves, elements can be also added and modified.

C. Timeline: The Parks department has agreed about the design direction for the park. Documentation will be sent in to the DEP (Dept of Environmental Protection) in 2-3 weeks. The comment period will then last 21-30 days. Once the comment period passes, the design & construction documents can be drawn up, and the Parks Dept. will ask contractors to bid on the work. Currently the Parks department plans to start on soil moving and clean-up work in the fall & winter, with next spring & summer for landscaping.

D. Other:

    • A licensed site professional will be reviewing the plan for EB –CCAG during the comment period.

    • It is important to have signage (done by children?) on the site when construction is underway, to the effect of "Future Home of Urban Wild". This will help prevent more trash dumping.

    • Presently there will be no boat tie up from the water side of the park, due to DEP restrictions.

    • The Parks department plans to include birdhouses and a butterfly garden on the park. Hopefully species such as long-legged wading birds and shellfish will return.

    • This is the first Boston park of this kind, although the Bifco site is heading in the same direction. The Aquarium has expressed interest in using it as a "living museum".

    • Currently the cost is projected at slightly over $1 million. The Park Dept. budget provides $500,000, private sources have increased that to $800,000. Approximately 200 thousand more is needed.

  1. Mobil Oil/ Tosco: Letters addressing our concerns will be reviewed by a sub-group, printed on Watershed Institute stationery, and mailed to Tosco.

  2. Other sites & issue updates:

    1. Hess site: EB-CCAG has sent in comments and we can expect a response in approximately 6 wks. A subcommittee will meet with them at that point.

    2. Clean-up Day: Madeline recruited volunteers for a East Boston clean-up day on May 13. EB-CCAG members will meet at the Urban Wild at 10:30 and will clean up Condor St. until 12:30.

    3. Mindy Lubber visit: On 5/17 Mindy Lubber, the EPA Region 1 administrator, will be visiting East Boston and Chelsea. Although her visit will be during the work day, it is important that community members come to share their opinions, especially regarding the hazardous oil study. The EB- CCAG meeting will be moved to May 10 in order to prepare for this visit.

    4. Environmental Fair is being planned for June 24th, with planning meetings ongoing. Call Susan at 569-0059 x14 for more information about this exciting opportunity.

    5. George Murphy continues to misreport CCAG/NOAH news. Anyone who feels moved to write a response may do so, no official response is planned.

    6. Logan Commerce Park: Planners are being extremely flexible on everything but building size. They are planning landscaping on the Belle Isle Inlet side. There will be one more meeting on April 25 at 2 PM for design review.

    7. Toxic Actions Conference: Susan Voloshin reported on her attendance. She has materials available.

    8. DPW/City Yards: Lucy read a letter addressed to the DPW City yards regarding cleanup. The letter will be typed and mailed.

NEXT MEETING MAY 10 – 6:30 PM – HARBORSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER

Minutes submitted by Susan Loucks. Call her at 569-0059 x 14 with any corrections or additions.

posted on EBOL on 5/7/00

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