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MEETING NOTES
East Boston Greenway
Coordinating Council
Harborside Community Center
Monday, July 20,1998
see
full map of proposed Greenway
Attending:
Valerie Burns,
Carolyn Banulis, Aldo Cirone, Connie
Carbone, Ken Crasco (BP&RD), Florence
D' Avella, Edith DeAngelis, Commissioner
John Eade, Bo Gehring, Ethan and Blossom
Hoag, Desiree James, John Krajovic, Chris
Mathieson, Al Miller (MHD), Gail Miller,
Eric Morash, Michael Nastari, Steve
O'Donnell (MHD), Karen Pugsley, Alexis
Rogers, Representative Gus Serra, Mark
Warren, Lauri Webster, Mary Ellen Welch.
After introductions
all around we began our discussion on:
1. Maintenance
and Security on the Greenway.
The Greenway
Council is pleased to welcome
Representative Gus Serra to the meeting.
Representative Serra began by saying that
unanswered questions needed to be
answered. He wants to know who is going
to control the greenway property and how
it will be maintained and secured. The
Representative wants to see an
agreement in writing that includes a
maintenance plan, a security plan and who
is going to pay... whether it will be the
Mass Highway Department, the Port
Authority, the City of Boston Parks
Department.
He said he would
work to secure and maintain it at the
level that Council would like to see...
to our own specifications. This group
should decide what that level is. If
there is not plan in place then we should
take a time out until its established.
Valerie Burns
responded that the Greenway is conceived
as a series of parcels which will be
claimed by different agencies. The first
Greenway section, from Marginal to Porter
Street, which will go out to bid soon is
owned by the Boston Parks and Recreation
Department. The Parks Department has
committed to maintaining it.
Ken Crasco
confirmed that the City, through the
Parks Department, is committed to
maintaining the Greenway. The Mayor has
made this commitment. In addition, the
Boston Parks and Recreation is working
with the Boston Police to have the
Greenway patrolled by bike patrols. The
Parks Department will also be looking to
a Friends Group to define the level of
care and to help in other ways in
maintaining this section of the Greenway.
Valerie also told
Representative about the endowment and
that there is already $80,000 in the pot.
The Council has taken comfort in the
leadership role the City has taken so far
and will help to supplement the Parks
Department.
Representative
Serra replied, with all due respect, that
he wants to see commitments, including
financial commitments, in writing. He
wants to know who is going to be
responsible to maintain it and who is
going to pay for it; who is going to be
responsible for enforcement and who is
going to pay for it. It takes $300,000 a
year to maintain and patrol Piers Park.
Blossom noted that
the Council recognizes there are many
potential players (including multiple
owners/agencies) and will develop an
overall plan for the entire Greenway
before its opened. Ken Crasco from the
Parks Department added that we are a year
away from opening this first section of
the Greenway, and don't have all the
answers yet, but are working in good
faith to get the job done right. Mary
Ellen Welch confirmed that this Greenway
project is the Mayor's "baby"
and that the city has been very
responsive. In addition, there are models
like the Park Partners, a Parks
Department Program, already working in
Jeffries Point. The East Boston
Foundation will be a source of funds. The
plan for the Greenway will not be as easy
to do as Piers Park, but it will be every
bit as strong.
Representative
Serra reiterated that the plan, with
specific long-term financial information,
needs to be put together now. He summed
up his thoughts by saying, "I don't
want to build it unless we can secure it
and maintain it." The only reason
Massport is doing such a good job at
Piers Park is because he passed a law;
Massport has no choice but to maintain it
and provide security. Mayors come and go.
Personnel change. Budgets get cut.
Valerie suggested
that we set up a management committee,
like the committee working on the capital
pieces for the Greenway. Representative
Serra said he would be glad to serve on
the committee, and that he has no problem
with locking in additional state
commitment.
2.
Greenway/Marginal to Porter
According to Steve
O'Donnell and Al Miller of Mass Highway
Department, things have really been
happening in the last month. MHD has
received the 100% plans and will be
advertising the project for bid next
week. The Boston Conservation Commission
has signed off.
The project will be
out to bid for 45 days, unless there is a
need to issue addenda. Plans are in
pretty good shape, although a few
revisions will probably be required. Look
for the advertisement in the Legal
Section in the Saturday paper. In the
worst case, the Council can expect the
bid opening in September, award within 30
days (October) and the contractor will be
under contract in November. The contract
requires the site remediation be
completed and accepted by the end of
December 98. It is estimated that the
remediation work will take 4 weeks.
Gail Miller
requested that MHD make an extra
commitment to really stay on top of this
project. The Council can have a set of
construction documents, once the project
is advertised.
To repeat, this
first phase will include the site
remediation, the paved walkway and
bikeway, retaining walls, benches,
lighting and turf. The second phase will
include the landscape plantings, signage,
interpretive elements, ornamental fences
and gates, public art and the caboose.
The status of the funding for Phase II
ISTEA grant funding is as follows: the
MAPC made a favorable recommendation and
forwarded the proposal to the state-wide
board who deemed it eligible. The
proposal now sits at the Secretary's
office and the Council probably won't
hear whether its a sure thing until
October 1998.
Blossom asked, in
light of the Representative's comments,
if MHD sees itself taking a role in
maintenance. Steve replied that by
statute you cannot use capital funds for
routine maintenance.... As has happened
elsewhere, MHD builds it and turns it
over to an agency that has the resources
and equipment to maintain it (like MDC or
DEM). What they are doing is requiring a
2 year guarantee (first in the state) for
plant materials and they can buy extra
hardware or replacement parts for items
in this project.
In response to a
question about the maintenance manual
that the consultants prepare, Ken said
the designers do not write a maintenance
plan per se; they complete a document
that includes shop drawings, parts' lists
and special maintenance instructions
specific to the project.
Carolyn asked if
the City has written agreements, like the
one Representative Serra is talking
about, for any other City parks, with
specific commitments and maintenance
budgets outlined? Ken replied that there
were not to his knowledge (although there
are maintenance agreements for certain
parks that list tasks and responsible
parties).
Council members
agree that the Maintenance and Security
Plan will be developed over the winter.
Hopefully the BRA will convene the
meetings once per month, like they do now
on the capital projects... The Council,
BNAF and the Council will be looking at
other models for maintenance and
management: Copley Square (Phoebe
Goodman), Piers Park (budget), Copley
Square. The East Boston Foundation, which
will give over $9.6 million to East
Boston over the next 10 years may be a
source to tap to maintain the Greenway.
3. Massport
Buffer Parks
John Krajovic came
to talk about the MassPort's Buffer Parks
Program. MassPort is intending to spend
$15 million on Airport Edge Buffer Parks
over the next eight years. The Buffer
Parks Program is going to offer a
landscaped edge to neighborhoods that
abut the airport; buffer parks will help
people get to the water's edge and in
some cases they will complement the
Greenway.
The Navy Fuel Pier
in Jeffries Point is one site. The Army
Corps of Engineers is responsible for
remediation and they are expediting the
process. During a visual inspection they
found no. 6 fuel oil and they are now
doing test borings. It is expected to
that a community design process in 3 to 4
months.
At the Southwest
Service Area Buffer adjacent to the
Jeffries Point/ Gove Street, one of the
major,issue is the return of Amarena
Park/Field, where the old post office
sits. MassPort is already giving 2 acres
to the Memorial Stadium (East Boston War
Memorial Park). Edie brought up the
letters she has written and response
received from Blute and that he is
sensitive to quality of life issues. The
process for this buffer park is not set
up yet.
In the Northwest
service area, near Harborview, there are
two flight kitchens and the post office
had considered the site. Currently, it is
being used for construction staging and
storage. The consultant Marion Pressley
presented two schemes, one showing public
access and the other just a landscaped
area with no access. The neighborhood
stopped the design process because they
did not want anyone behind their homes
and felt even if it was landscaped,
people would come. This project is on
hold.
MassPort is
releasing the Request for Qualifications
for the Bayswater Embankment tomorrow.
They are looking for a team of landscape
architects, planners and civil engineers.
The Bayswater neighborhood met and
decided there are a few improvements they
might consider, including stabilizing and
beautifying the bank, burying the
utilities and providing a monument to the
pilot. The design process will start in
the Fall. The embankment varies in width
and permitting will be required.
The Cecil Group got
the planning contract for Massport's
piers.Gail Miller commented that MassPort
does great PR on how they are going to
double their capacity. Instead of
groveling for little pieces, the East
Boston Community should have a much
bigger plan to use in bargaining with the
airport. John reminded the Council that
East Boston and MassPort have a
Mitigation Agreement, that Massport
itself has lost 62 aces to the CAT
project, and that Memorial Stadium and
Constitution Beach were built to replace
Wood Island Park and Amerena Park/Field.
Council members resisted the temptation
to get into the usual arguments but one
Council member remarked, "Never does
MassPort talk about limits of growth!
This discussion needs to start." The
airport is expanding by moving into
Chelsea!
The conversation
turned to the Park 'n Fly land swap.
Council members understand that it is
very complex but some believe it is a
deal begotten through fraud,
misrepresentation and in the dark of
night. Someone asked that the City Law
Department come and explain what is going
on. The state could try to take it by
eminent domain; but it would be a hostile
taking and there is the possibility that
the project would have to pay dearly in
court. Some say the hold up is the
Massport designating a spot.
Massport is
committed to find a place in the
Southwest Service Area. Goldberg will
have access to Harborside Drive and
Porter Street. They are looking for 10
acres (Hertz and Avis sites and the post
office site). The existing program is for
1377 cars on 10 acres.
4. Greenway/Porter
to Neptune
There is a CAT
meeting Wednesday night. The flyer says
the agenda consists of park design, but
we do not have any additional detail.
Please come.
5. The Gumball
Parking Lot
The parking lot is
under construction. John Berg of the
Public Facilities Department is still
talking to the EBCDC about making field
adjustments that respond to the comments
given by the Parks Department.
6. Lila Wallace
Readers Digest Fund
LWRDF has invited
BNAF to submit an application for another
$400,000 over 3 to 4 years to
institutionalize the work that has been
done to date on East Boston and the
Neponset Greenways. The match has to be
1:1 and we can't match it with capital
dollars. In East Boston,our goals might
be to work toward producing a Management
Plan and to raise funds for the
endowment, which would be a difficult
thing to pursue. To raise $750,000 to
$1,000,000, we would need professional
help.
Council members
thought about potential partners: Cashman
Marine, Boston Boatworks, the banks, the
East Boston Foundation, the City
(trusts), Mobil Oil, Virgin Airlines. We
would have to look at other models around
the city.
One of the Council
members brought in a newspaper article on
the property owned in Burlington or
Woburn. The City is considering selling
the property and using the proceeds for
projects like the Gardener Land Fill and
the East Boston Greenway! Commissioner
Eade suggested the Council write a letter
to Ed Collins (Chief Financial Officer),
organize a presentation and pitch the
East Boston Greenway as a worthy place to
spend the money.
7. Other
Business
Oral History -
One of the tapes snapped. We are leaving
the tapes at the library there
permanently.
YCC
- the Youth Conservation Corps is up and
running. The kids are working at Belle
Isle Marsh, creating a wet meadow. There
are still a few openings if you hear
about a teen who is registered with the
City.
Movies at
Constitution Beach - We were not able
to arrange to show movies at Constitution
Beach this Summer, but we are going to
try and have one during the East Boston
Greenway Festival.
East Boston
Greenway Festival - the Festival is
scheduled for the week of September 13
through the 19. Anyone who would like to
serve on the festival planning
subcommittee should let us know.
END. These
notes are written to the best
recollection of the authors. Please let
us know if corrections are necessary
within 60 days of the date of the meeting
notes. Contact BNAF@aol.com
BOSTON NATURALAREAS
FUND. INC.(BNAF)
59 Temple Place, Room 558
Boston, MA 02111-1307
(617)542-7696
(Fax)542-0383
e-mail:
BNAF@aol.com
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