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MEETING NOTES
East Boston Greenway Coordinating Council
Harborside Community Center, Conference Room
Monday, August 23, 1999

map of the Marginal to Prescott Segment of the Greeenway
Click to see full map of proposed Greenway

August 23, 1999

DRAFT MEETING NOTES DRAFT

Attending: Valerie Burns, Connie Carbone, Aldo Cirone, Frank Durante, Arlene Gehring, Blossom Hoag, Ethan Hoag, Police Officer Stephanie Morrow, Mark Warren, Lauri Webster, Joanne Zambutto, Grace Zuccaro.

1. Introductions and Welcome

After introductions, we began the meeting by voting to accept the draft meeting minutes from the July meeting with one revision.

2. The East Boston Greenway Festival

Valerie handed out the Greenway Festival brochures, to Council members to distribute. Eight day of events and programs are as follows:

Exploring the Mud Flats at Wood Island Bay Saturday, September 18, 11 AM - 1 PM. Its a really popular program so call early to register. Wear your boots! The Harvest Festival* co-sponsored with Zumix, is at Piers Park on Sunday, September 19, 1 - 7 PM. There will be pumpkin carving, cider pressing a pie baking contest, kid’s crafts, children’s theater and music. Bring the whole family! The monthly Greenway Council Meeting is on Monday, September 20, 1999 at 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Harborside (see below).

Walk the Greenway under construction on Tuesday, September 21, at 6:30-7:30 PM. Landscape Architect Lynn Wolff will be on hand to help us "see" what’s in store for East Boston’s linear park. Wear comfortable shoes. The Star Party with the Museum of Science astronomers is at Belle Isle on Thursday, September 23, 1999 at 6 - 8 PM. On Friday, September 24, 1999 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM, there will be a Beach Party and Movie at Constitution Beach. Popcorn is free!

Call and register for Canoeing at Belle Isle Marsh on Saturday, September 25, 1999 at 10 AM -12 PM. Its our last canoe trip for the season. Its co-sponsored by the MDC. On Sunday, September 26, 1999 come enjoy Arts in the Park* with Friends of Belle Isle and the MDC from 1 - 4 PM. There will be art exhibits, children’s crafts, hayrides, music, nature walks and more.

*Please call if you can volunteer. We need help with kids crafts at the Harvest Festival (Sunday, September 19) and Arts in the Park (Sunday, September 26).

3. Congressman Capuano is scheduled to attend the Council meeting in September

Congressman Capuano is scheduled to attend the East Boston Greenway Council meeting on Monday September 20, 1999. At a previous meeting Greenway Council members decided that they should approach the Congressman’s visit by providing a description of the Greenway, a chronology of events and discuss the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund as a potential funding source for making Greenway connections through Belle Isle Marsh and Wood Island Bay Marsh.

At this meeting, Council members refined these plans by thinking they want to give the Congressman a short tour of the Greenway using just a few slides (12 or so), with various Council members presenting. BNAF will check on status of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and will contact Council members with speaking points. BNAF will also get an enlargement made of the Greenway brochure map as requested.

BNAF will talk about potential connections between the Boston Harbor Islands and the East Boston Greenway at a future meeting.

4. Greenway - Conrail Corridor from Marginal to Porter Street

Construction of Phase I is underway, and all seems to be going well. All parties involved, the Boston Parks Department, the Massachusetts Highway Department, Fleming Brothers (the contractor) and the Landscape Architect are all working well together. It is possible that Phase I will be completed late this Fall.

Getting Phase II underway is a concern. Phase I includes cleaning up the site, putting down the paths, constructing retaining walls, installing the lighting and seeding the lawns. Phase II includes signage, rumble strips, ornamental fencing, all the planting and the caboose. Valerie handed out a letter sent to Commissioner Amorello of the Massachusetts Highway Department and the response we received back. One council member suggested a future letter to the Commissioner might be signed by many Council members to show the extent of community interest.

Again, Council members brought up that the Sumner Street and Maverick bridges are filthy and the litter needs to be cleaned up on a regular basis. Council members suggested talking to Don King, Joe Plagenza and possibly writing a letter to the Mayor.

5. Greenway from Porter to Frankfort / Bremen Street Park

Lauri reviewed the Central Artery Project C08A1 PS&E submittal dated July 15, 1999. Valerie passed out a letter to Mike Lewis outlining outstanding comments. Unresolved issues include the design of fencing over the pedestrian bridge, the design of the pedestrian entrance to Memorial Stadium, the design of the security building, water service to the community garden, the Donald McKay bust and product selections for site furniture.

Valerie also passed out a letter she had written on behalf of the Council regarding the challenge to take out the community garden proposed for the Bremen Street Park. Council members who think the garden will be of great value to gardeners, especially elderly gardeners, struggled to understand opponents objections to the garden. Council members who know opponents said they think the garden is going to be messy and that it will attract rodents and other animals. One Council member present voiced a similar sentiment opposing the garden, but the majority still support it, especially since it is at the north end of the park, as far away as it can be from most of the houses on Bremen Street. In addition, the garden is only 1/4 acre in a park that is over 12 acres. Karen Maddalena has offered to give a tour of the Cottage Marginal Garden, which is much nearer to houses, to opponents.

6. Updates:

Council members reported that Bremen Street had been closed off today and wondered what was going on with the CAT Project. The street closure caused great backups. An officer was directing traffic down Marion Street the wrong way, and the cars could not get out onto Chelsea Street. If you have a complaint and think it could be related to the CAT construction, you should call CAT-HELP (228-4357). One Council member also recommended going to the police station to tell them there is no police detail.

Several weeks ago, the BRA has approved both hotels and is waiting for the hotels to negotiate a deal with Massport to use Massport roadways for hotel related traffic. With respect to the pedestrian entrance into Memorial Stadium, Jay Russo of the BRA said the next level of BRA involvement will be through design review and that there is no community component to design review; he understood that the pedestrian entrance is still a concern to the Greenway Council.

The Greenway Summer Youth Conservation Corps completed its work and had its closing ceremonies, which several Council members attended. If you would like a preview of some of work done by the teens in their photography project, look at the bulletin board (facing the park) at Belle Isle. Watch for the photo exhibit coming to East Boston Libraries.

Council members discussed a number of law firms. BNAF will make initial contacts to see if they have trust departments and if they would be interested in providing pro bono services.

In October, BNAF will set up a meeting with Council members in the Palermo Street neighborhood to discuss strategies for making the Belle Isle Connection and to understand possible objections.

7. Other Business:

CARE is having a fundraiser at the Don Orione on September 13. Tickets are $25 a head and there will be loads of entertainment.

END/ccmn899

These notes are written to the best recollection of the authors. Please let BNAF know if corrections are necessary within 60 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