CSHCA Meeting Minutes, September 2023 - Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association

9/11/2023 CSHCA General Meeting
Host and President: Elizabeth Doyle
Vice President: Eileen Boyle
Minutes: Doreen Miller
Special Guests:
District 3 Candidate Ann Walsh,
Executive Director New Market Business District Sue Sullivan,
Director of the UMASS OLLI Program Jim Hermelbracht

Number in attendance: In person: 17, On Zoom: 51

Membership approved of sending the woman struck by lightning $100.

Police Report (Officer Keaney)

8/12, 8:50 PM. A driver was pulled over at Savin Hill Avenue and Pleasant Street suffering from gun shots to the legs that happened at Talbot and Blue Hill Avenues. He was driving himself to the hospital.
8/20, 3:20 AM, While patrolling the park police noticed a motor vehicle parked at the lighted sign. A 55-year-old male from the South End had warrants out for his arrest for pills. They found bags of heroin and crack in the car. He was arrested for being in the possession Class A and B drugs with intent to sell.
8/31, 1:27 AM, 32 Pearl Street. An 18-year-old male from Dorchester, an 18-year-old male from Hyde Park and his mother were arrested for larceny, breaking and entering and trespassing. There were lots of tools in the car.
9/5, 6:30 PM, 110 Savin Hill Avenue. Two males on a scooter stole a scooter and headed towards Morrissey Boulevard. They are apprehended on Day Boulevard and N Street, South Boston. The suspect was under 15 years old and will be sent for counseling for larceny. There is video and audio of the crime. No gun was involved, and no threats were made.
9/7, 3 PM, East Cottage Street. A homeless 27-year-old Hispanic man was arrested for indecent exposure and sexual assault – inappropriate grabbing – of someone over 14 at the 7/11 store. He was located and arrested.
If you hear about guns, rumors, or crimes, you can call 617-343-4524 to clarify.

Center Court Presentation, 35-75 Morrissey Blvd.

The developers are looking for Article 80 C approval to put the zoning in place. They are sticking close to the original Columbia Point Master Plan.
They have conducted over 30 public meetings to date.
Once approved, they need to come back for each individual building in the 80B process.
The Master Plan includes:
- 1.5 million sf of mixed usage
- 7 buildings encompassing residential, retail, and commercial space. The tallest building is 20 stories, is located across from Hub 25 by the expressway, and will be built last.
- 1.35 acres of open space including a community park, a civic plaza, and a family park. The family park was moved from next to the expressway to be right off the boulevard across from Hub 25.
- All underground parking.
- 585 residential units
- Plans for a supermarket and community space
- A main street down the center that will be tree-lined and have bike lanes.
- A back street, “West Street,” along the expressway for service, deliveries, and loading will keep Main Street uncluttered and open for pedestrian and retail traffic.
The project will be built over 10- 15 years.
Questions and Concerns:
- What is the square footage of the current supermarket vs. the planned one?
  - The sf of the existing Star Market is unknown.
- How many parking spots will there be for the supermarket? 190
- Star has a lease until 2030 with an option to extend to 2043. They will be working with Star to see if they’d be willing to relocate and renegotiate a new lease at the new space.
- Members were happy to see the Family Park relocated along the boulevard.
- What are you doing about connecting to JFK station?
  - They are looking at ways to connect under I-93 to Crescent Ave.
  - They are committed to working on connectivity with all stakeholders.
- People are concerned about density and heights. The highest building in the original Master Plan was 17 stories, and they are proposing 20 stories near the T station.
  - Heights will be constrained by FAR.
  - There is room for negotiation in the 80B process.
- The issues of comprehensive planning and a lack of necessary infrastructure were raised. People fear the current gridlock on Morrissey will only intensify. People want a commitment to improving infrastructure in writing.
- The Master Plan was voted on.
  - For: 25
  - Against: 7
  - Invalid: 5

Ann Walsh, District 3 Candidate for City Council

She has living in Dorchester for 20 years, has two children – 20 and 17. Has lots of experience with the Boston School system.
Her background is in education and youth development.
She helped start 1647, a non-profit working with schools in gateway cities focusing on family engagement practices.
She coaches softball.
Her campaign focuses are:
- Education
- Climate Change and flooding issues
- Affordable housing with the need for a better zoning code.
- Safety as it relates to job opportunities and career pathways to break the crime cycle.
Questions
- What do you bring to the position?
  - As a 51-year-old, she brings experience to the job.
  - She has training in conflict resolution.
  - Norming and performing are high priorities- what are our goals? What can we agree on? How can we improve working relationships?
  - She has worked as a chief of staff and is noted for her calm temperament in facing problems.
- What is your position on the city residency requirement to hold city jobs?
  - She agrees with the requirement, but we need to provide affordable housing so that people who work here can afford to live here.
- Do you have a solution for Mass the Cass?
  - It is a complex problem, and we need to remain realistic.
  - She has spent time with health care provider, police, and the people living there.
  - We need housing for safety and stability.
  - She supports the Widett Circle pallet housing proposal.
  - Addicts need a safe space with health care and other support systems and treatment to help them beat their addiction.
  - We know who the dealers and predators are in that area. We need law enforcement to get warrants and remove them from the area.

Sue Sullivan, New Market Business Improvement District

Sue provided a brief overview of the New Market Business Improvement District and its role in providing supplemental services to what the city can do. They focus on enhanced safety, cleaner streets, and quality of life issues.
Its area of one square mile extends from Albany Street and Harrison Ave down to Columbia Road and the expressway over to Norfolk Ave.
They provide private security cars for the district 24/7.
They provide a 5 AM to midnight shuttle to Andrew Square and Ruggles T stations.
The businesses in the area pay over and above the City assessed tax rate to provide money for these extra services.
They hire people from the street to do the cleaning and beautification. From this group, three-quarters are in recovery and 40 have moved on to full-time employment.
Assessing the Mass and Cass drug problem:
- Of the 150 people there at any given time, only about 30-60 of them are homeless, addicts, or have mental health issues. The others are dealers, pimps, and predators.
- Their proposed solution is a multi-step recovery program that would:
  - Create secure zoned pallet communities at different levels, giving users a safe place free from predators, but with the understanding that they either commit to a medical assisted treatment, detox and recovery or go into a shelter system. The street will no longer be an option.
  - Each zone in the system will provide targeted programs for detox, recovery, and job training for reentry into society.
- They are attempting to work with the MBTA on using Widett Circle as a temporary site while the Long Island bridge is rebuilt and facilities on the island are renovated.
- Sue will send Elizabeth Doyle the basics of the plan to share with members.

Jim Hermelbracht, Director of the OLLI Program at UMassBoston

Their motto is “Learning for the Love of it.”
The OLLI program is a life-long learning community for people and adult learners over 50. Most members are in their 70s and 80s.
They offer a wide range of 200 non-credit courses/programs over the entire year taught by volunteers, professionals, and graduate students.
There is an annual fee of
- $225 for full membership that includes taking courses.
- $100 for associate members to participate in activities, but they cannot take courses.
As an OLLI member/student, one has full access to all university services.
55% of programs/courses are still online, and 45% are in person.
It is a good way to connect to other people, make new friends. It also provides academic opportunities and mental and social health benefits.
You can get more information at https://www.umb.edu/olli/ The site is currently being updated, but you should be able to get the current catalogue.
Or you can contact Jim for more information at James.Hermelbracht@umb.edu

Committee Updates

Events Committee
- There is a request for $75 for refreshments for the Music in the Park Event, 10/15
- There is a request for reimbursement of $412 for the CSHCA T-shirts purchased. They are being sold for $30 each or 2/$50. All proceeds will go to fund future CSHCA events in the community.
- Tech needs to configure a way to sell the T-shirts on the CSHCA website with a PayPal link.
- The next event is the Historic Walking Tour to take place on Saturday, 9/30 at 10 AM.
Safety Committee
- They presented the Slow Down for Savin Hill Campaign initiated by Jake.
- They requested $800 for various pole and lawn signs to be posted throughout the neighborhood, which they have already begun to do. There are 80 signs for poles and 30 lawn signs. People are concerned that the pole signs will be torn down.
- Areas of concern about high-speeds are: Buttonwood Street, Savin Hill Park along Grampian Way, Sydney Street and its intersection at Savin Hill Avenue, Pleasant Street.
- They have their own website, but it needs to be integrated into the CSHCA website.
- People are fed up with the city’s non-response on speeding and have suggested:
  - Installing our own speed humps – available on Amazon – as has been done in other neighborhoods.
  - Getting someone to paint 3-D images on the streets to slow traffic down.
Beautification Committee
- A request for $400 was made to purchase bulbs for the fall bulb sale at the Music in the Park event.
- Last year they sold out – 55 bags!

Voting on requests made by the Events, Safety, and Beautification committee are as follows:

$75 for Music in the Park
- Support: 23
- Oppose: 0
- Abstain: 0
$412 for CSHCA T-shirts
- Support: 21
- Oppose: 2
- Abstain: 0
$400 for Spring Bulb Sale
- Support: 18
- Oppose: 0
- Abstain: 0
$881 for CSHCA Safe Street Campaign
- Support: 20
- Oppose: 1
- Abstain: 1

Planning Committee

25 Spring Garden Street – owners are seeking a curb cut for a driveway next to their home.
- There is no parking on their side of the street, so no on-street spots will be lost.
- They hope to have some sort of green option for the driveway as they also have a dog that needs green space.
- The vote on this project was:
  - For – 20
  - Against – 1
  - Invalid – 5
841 Columbia Road – developers are seeking to erect a 6-family building behind Boomers on a dead end/former parking lot.
- Two lots are being combined to create a 7,000 sf buildable lot.
- One of the 6 condos will be “affordable.”
- They have worked with the fire department and ISD to meet and surpass fire codes.
- They have included a 20-foot set back from neighbors in the rear.
- Concerns:
  - It is a 6-family building in a 3-family zone.
  - It is only 5 feet from the property line, 7.5 feet from the bay window of the home nextdoor, and 9 feet from the side of that house.
  - Abutters spoke in opposition to the project claiming it is too big for the lot, would be too crowded, and would create a safety issue in this boxed in space.
  - Those renting the current parking garages and spots there would lose that parking to the owners in the new building.
- The vote on this project was:
  - For – 7
  - Against – 13
  - Invalid – 5

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