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MEETING
NOTES
East Boston Greenway
Coordinating Council
Harborside Community Center,
Conference Room
Monday, March 20, 2000
map of the Marginal to
Prescott Segment of the Greeenway
Click to see full map of
proposed Greenway
MEETING
NOTES
Monday, March 20, 2000
Attending: Valerie Burns,
Christopher Blackler, Connie Carbone,
Also Cirone, Frank Durante, Blossom Hoag,
Ethan Hoag, Bill Longfield, Terry
Leone-Iantosca, Police Officer Stephanie
Morrow, Karyl Stoia, Mark Warren, Mary
Ellen Welch, Grace Zuccaro, Lauri
Webster.
1. Introductions and
Welcome
We began the meeting with
pizza to celebrate our fifth anniversary
of meeting as the East Boston Greenway
Coordinating Council. After
introductions, the Council voted to
accept the meeting minutes from the
February meeting.
2. The East Boston
Greenway Management Plan Task Force
The Task Force meeting
scheduled for March 16 has been
rescheduled for April 6, 2000. There is
no decision on the consultant, although
we hope to have a consultant on board by
the end of March.
3. The Greenway and
the MBTA Car Yard in Orient Heights
The Conservation Law
Foundation filed a complaint that the
MBTA is not maintaining sufficient
records to demonstrate that urban
neighborhoods are being equally served by
he MBTA. East Boston is not currently
part of the complaint, but CLF is willing
to include East Boston, if a neighborhood
group comes forward.
The MBTA held a community
meeting on March 1, 2000 to present their
plans for renovating the Orient Heights
Car Yard. Neighborhood residents are
disappointed that this project has been
moved ahead of the promised renovation of
the Orient Heights T Station, which has
now been pushed out to 2005. The
renovation of Maverick Station has been
similarly pushed out.
4. Greenway - Conrail
Corridor from Marginal to Porter Street
The technical solution to
the flooding, which includes connecting
the basins and adding a pump, has been
approved by Boston Water and Sewer
Department and Boston Edison. The next
step is to see how much it’s going
to cost.
It is not clear what
condition the Greenway is going to be in
this summer, but this is what we think:
The drainage system pipe will be
included, the pathways paved, lightpoles
provided and the planting areas will be
seeded. Even though it will not be
finished it will look like it can be
used. Valerie has a meeting with
Commissioner Liff tomorrow to start
talking about what the Parks Department
expects to do this summer.
A Council member noted
that if the Parks Department elects to
keep the Greenway fenced off during the
summer, the kids will cut through the
fence. Another Council member noted that
the Greenway looks awful right now; the
trash is piling up and the contractor
should clean it up. If the Parks
Department can be persuaded to open the
Greenway, BNAF has funding for a ranger
for the Greenway who could provide
programs and public information and be a
presence on the Greenway. If the City
could match our ranger with a second
ranger, we could have a ranger presence
on weekends and weekdays. The Parks
Department will be responsible for
maintaining the Greenway; the Youth
Conservation Corps may assist. A Council
member pointed out the Parks Department
will have to post rules and hours of
operation so the Police can enforce them.
BNAF will invite Captain Claiborne to the
May meeting.
5. Greenway from
Porter to Frankfort / Bremen Street Park
The CA/T C08A1 contract
bids were open, with the newspapers
reporting that the low bid was $20
million over the project budget.
Coincidentally, the budget for the park
improvements, including the Greenway from
Porter to Frankfort is $20 million.
Project officials have told us not to
worry.
The CAT/Massport meeting
on Wednesday, March 22, 2000 will address
the design of the relocated Park ‘Ex
and the connection down Venice Street.
Based on a tour with several community
residents and a review of the Greenway
Access Plan design standards, it appears
that the corridor needs to be about 30 to
50 feet wide to achieve a nicely
landscaped connection from Maverick
Street to the Stadium. At the last
meeting the project offered something
that was 14’ wide at the "pinch
points." Residents are determined to
save those mature trees.
Last week, Valerie
received a call from David Pelletier who
is a long time advocate for a public
transit connection from the north shore.
He wanted to know if Greenway advocates
would consider running a trolley/tram
down the Greenway next to the bikepath
(the trolley would only need ten feet).
He envisions a connection coming down the
railroad corridor from the north,
following the route of the proposed truck
route, proceeding down the Greenway to
Airport Station and on to Pier One.
Valerie told him the Council would not
support this idea as the Greenway is
envisioned as one of the few places in
East Boston that is free of cars, buses
and trucks. The Council concurred with
this position. The RFI/RFP for the Scolly
building has not yet been released.
6. Updates and Other
Business
•Robinson and Cole,
the attorneys who are offering probono
services to set up the Friends of the
East Boston Greenway are working on the
draft documents and expect to have the
organization up and running by the end of
May 2000. The Friends received a gift of
$1,000 from a Greenway Council member,
which BNAF has in a special account and
there may be another gift coming in the
future.
•Mr. Yebba is
applying for a variance to park cars at
167 Cottage Street. Greenway Council
members are opposed, and will call the
Mayor’s office or attend the hearing
tomorrow.
•BNAF is still
looking for teens, age 14-17 who are
interested in being a member of this
year’s Summer Greenway Youth
Conservation Corps. If you know any
teens who may be interested, tell them to
give us a call. A Council member
suggested we drop off information oat
APAC (c/o John White).
•The Immigration
Museum meeting on March 1 went well. Many
people came and were generally open to
the idea, but some expressed concern
about the potential traffic impacts. It
is interesting to note that no one drives
to Ellis Island in New York Harbor.
People are also talking to Mr. Goldberg
about parking spaces. Currently advocates
for the museum are trying to reschedule a
meeting with Virginia Buckingham.
•Upcoming CA/T
meeting is scheduled for April 19, 2000.
•The shortlist
for Pier One developers is expected
out at the end of the month.
•Mayor Menino’s
Open Space Forum is on Saturday,
April 1st at Faneuil Hall.
•BHA’s first
Maverick Community Advisory meeting
is coming up this Thursday from 4-6 PM.
Mary Ellen will attend.
•The meeting ended
with members receiving Greenway hat as a
token of appreciation for five years of
service.
END/ccmn300
These notes
are written to the best recollection of
the authors. Please let BNAF know if
corrections are necessary within 30 days
of the date of the meeting notes. Contact
BNAF@aol.com
BOSTON NATURAL
AREAS FUND. INC.(BNAF)
59 Temple Place, Room 558
Boston, MA 02111-1307
(617)542-7696
(Fax)542-0383
e-mail:
BNAF@aol.com
Go to other
Greenway meeting minutes
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