The Boston Conservation Commission heard the people of East Boston
last week and granted a two-week delay of their decision on a buffer
between the neighborhood and Massport's proposed Green Bus Depot.
However, the fight isn't over. We will continue to insist that local
residents be included in the planning process.
Thank you for your efforts on this matter and on all issues that
affect the quality of life for East Boston families and working
folks. The letter that I - in concert with Sen. Anthony Petruccelli
and Rep. Carlo Basile - submitted to the Commission is included
below. I will continue to work to make sure that government listens
to its citizens.
Chris Busch
Executive Director
Boston Conservation Commission
Boston City Hall, Room 805
Boston, MA 02201
Dear Mr. Busch:
The neighborhood of East Boston has always been a vital link in the
commercial development and transportation infrastructure of eastern
Massachusetts. As a result, the community's residents have absorbed
a significant chunk of the inconvenience posed by the presence of
Logan Airport and the harbor tunnels. Because their quality of life
is greatly affected by construction and development at the airport,
the families and working people who call East Boston home ask only
that their voices be heard in the planning stages of such projects
and that their concerns be addressed with all due seriousness in the
eventual outcome.
We have been supportive of the proposed East Boston-Chelsea Bypass
as a way to lessen congestion on local streets and make traffic
between the two locations flow more easily and more safely. We also
support the proposed Green Bus Depot, a move that will reduce
vehicle trips through East Boston and Chelsea. It is imperative,
however, that the North Service Area Edge Buffer Path be included as
part of this project. The buffer was agreed to by Massport, there
was mitigation money set aside to build it, and community groups
have developed a plan and introduced that plan to local residents.
Massport's proposed buffer is a row of trees between the depot and
the MBTA train tracks - and this is clearly not sufficient.
A path that helps extend the East Boston Greenway to connect
Constitution Beach with Bremen Street Park and Jeffries Point would
create a place for walking, jogging, biking and skating in one of
the city's most densely settled areas while adding a narrow but
necessary buffer between the airport and residential areas. We,
therefore, request that the commission mandate that Massport meet
with community groups and residents to discuss the buffer and
Greenway extension. Residents deserve to be part of the process on
this matter.
Sincerely,
Salvatore LaMattina
District 1 City Councilor
Carlo Basile
Representative, First Suffolk
Anthony Petruccelli
Senator, First Suffolk & Middlesex
