City Council - Environmental Justice, Resiliency, and Parks Committee Hearing on Dockets #1403-1409

All right, let's talk about something like this.

District 4 City Councilor, I'm the Chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Environmental Justice, Resilience and Parks. Today is August 21st, 2026. The exact time is 10 a.m. In accordance with Chapter 2 of the Act of 2025, modifying certain requirements in the Open Meeting Law and relieving public bodies for certain requirements including the requirement that public bodies conduct its meetings in a public place that is open and physically accessible to the public, the City Council will be conducting this hearing virtually via Zoom. This hearing is being recorded. It is also being live streamed at boston.gov backslash city-council-tv and broadcast on Xfinity Channel 8, RCN Channel 82, and Fios Channel 964. Ring comments may be sent to the committee email at ccc.epatboston.gov.

It will be made part of the record and available to all counselors. Public testimony will be taken at the end of this hearing. Individuals we called on in the order in which they signed up will have two minutes to testify. If you wish to sign up a public testimony and have not done so, please email our central staff liaison Shane Pax at shane.pac at boston.gov for the zoom link your name will be added to the list we have a few of these hearing orders or dockets to read out Today's hearing is on docket number 1401. Message in order approving the receipt of a conservation restriction on land at 0 Dale Street, Boston Mass, 02136. The grandest title of the land is located at the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds at Book 70459, page 316.

That description of the Land includes all the land in Boston and Suffolkin County Massachusetts containing the entirety of a 44,137 plus square foot parcel land which premise is which land is located at unnumbered Dale Street, and the Hyde Park District of the City of Boston. of the Assessing Department as parcel 1808198000, and formerly the property of the former Boston & Providence Railroad Company further bounded and described according to a plan of survey made by Harry H. Fieldman, Inc., civil engineers and land surveyors Joseph L. Calabro, Jr., Registered Land Surveyor Number 15998 dated January 18th, 1993

Recorded at Suffolk County Registry of Deeds Book 24453, page 302. Docket number 1402. Message in order approving the receipt of conservation restriction on land at 190-198 West 8th Street, Boston Mass 02127. The granted title of the land is located at Suffolk County Registry of Deans at Book 71757 Page 35. That description of the land includes all the land in Boston-Suffolk County, Massachusetts, containing the entirety of the parcel of land totaling 4,655 Square Feet of Lynn, more or less known as Assistant Mary Veronica Park. Shown at lot five, lot six, lot seven, lot eight and lot nine

on a survey dated August 12th, 2025 titled Plot Plan 190-198 West 8th Street South Boston Mass appeared by Joyce Consulting Group Braintree Mass. Document 1403. Message in order for the confirmation of the reappointment of Samir Amadi, as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction Disclosure Ordinance Review Board from the term expiring on May 23rd, 2029. Document number 1404. Message of order the confirmation that the reappointment of Jessica Boatwright as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Audit Review Board for term expiring on April 24, 2029. Docket number 1405. Message in order for the confirmation of the reappointment of Steven Ellis as a member of the Building a Mission Reduction Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on May 26, 2029.

Docket number 1406, mentioned in order for the confirmation of the read appointment of Hassan Faruqi as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for a term expiring on March 19th, 2029. Docket number 1407, message order for the confirmation of reappointment of Lori Ferris as a member of the Building and Emissions Reduction Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for term expiring on July 13th, 2029. Docket number 1408. Message ordered for the confirmation of the reappointment of Gail Lattimore as a member of the Building Emissions Reduction Disclosure Ordinance Review Board, but term expiring on April 24th, 2029. and Doctrine No. 1409, messaged in order for the confirmation of the appointment of Camilo Escuava-Zapata as a member of the Ability and Admission Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Review Board for term expiring on July 20, 2029.

These matters were sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu referred to the committee on July 22nd, 2026. Today I'm joined by my colleagues in order of arrival, Councilor Flynn and Councilor Murphy. I'd like to first do the reappointment to the Berto Board So, first I'd like to turn it over to my council colleagues to see if they have any questions for the reappointments. Councilor Flan, the floor is yours.

Mr. Chair, I have no questions because I'm looking forward to supporting the nominees. Thank you.

Thank You, Councilor Flynn.

Thank

I'll now turn it over to Councilor Murphy who is now yours.

Thank you, Chair. No questions just want to thank you all if it's a reappointment for the work you've already done and your willingness to continue on this important board So, just thank you chair for holding this and looking forward to supporting when the vote comes out. Just thank you again for your work.

Thank you, Councilor. I would like to open the floor to the current board members to see if they would like share anything before We excuse them. Anyone like to say anything? Raise your hand, no? All right. Seeing no hands, thank you for your service. It's a pleasure to serve alongside each and every one of you. and looking forward to continue to serve beside you on the Berto board. Thank you for your service.

Thank You, thank you.

We will now move to docket number Back in my notes. 1401, the conservation restriction on land at 0 Dale Street and I believe we have Today's panelists, Director of Design and Construction for the Parks Department, Director Baker Eclipse. And then I believe that will be all for these next couple dockets.

Thank you very much, Chair. Councilor Worrell and thank you for attending Councilor Flynn and Councilor Murphy. I see that I have a short presentation Very short presentation, I'm gonna deal with both of these conservation restrictions in the same presentation if I can. Let me see if I share my screen. Okay, can everybody see that? I assume that's a yes.

Yes, it was loading at the time but now we can see it.

Thank you. So on docs number 1401 and 1402 both deal with conservation restrictions for these newly acquired park parcels. The Sharon Woods addition, which is Zero Dale Street in Rosendale Hyde Park is a just over one acre heavily wooded site that was acquired by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in 2024 through an eminent domain which was approved by City Council on June 26, 2024. It's located at Dale Street, the corner of Metropolitan and Dale Street It is adjacent to the about 67-acre Sharon Woods Urban Wild and Wider Park, which is a DCR owned park. and on the other side is the NVTA railroad track right-of-way. So this parcel completes

Complete city block of conservation land, of land that is permanently set aside for open space and recreation purposes. And it was kind of the last privately owned parcel in that in that whole city block. Sister Mary Veronica Park is a small pocket park in South Boston. The site was originally owned by the city of Boston before it was transferred to Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston in 1955, located at the intersection of West 8th F Street, and Grime Street in South Boston. I know it's a site that Councillor Flynn knows very well. The South Boston Resident Association has worked to clean up the parcels since 1968 and created an informal park and the park was acquired through a purchase and sale agreement that was approved by the Parks Commission on July 28, 2025.

Both of these acquisitions were funded by the Community Preservation Act, their open space acquisition funds that they have set aside for acquisition of open space in Boston. The Community Preservation Act statute requires that for any parcel that's acquired with community preservation funds have a conservation restriction placed upon it. This is in addition to the permanent protection that's provided by Massachusetts Constitution in Article 97. So these have both Article 97 protection and a conservation restriction placed upon them. The conservation restriction will be held by local community organizations. For Dale Street, it will be helped by the Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation and the Sister Mary Veronica Park conservation restriction that will be held by the South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation.

Both of these conservation restrictions, when fully executed will be filed at the registry of deeds and become a permanent part of the site history and public record. Data Permission. There was something else I was going to say about the conservation restrictions, but the purpose of the conservation restriction is to basically document the existing conditions and outline what is and isn't permissible. specifically on those sites. A lot of it is related to the conservation property of the land for or Natural Purposes for Dale Street. For the Sister Mary Veronica, it's a little bit different because that site is not strictly a passive open space woodland area so documenting the community uses that will be used there that will be happening there.

So it provides an extra level of protection for these sites in addition to Article 97. So that is basically everything that I want to share. I'm happy to answer any questions that the councillors have.

Thank you, I'd like to turn it over to my council colleagues Flynn. The floor is now yours.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank You Commissioner and to the parks team for working with the residents of South Boston City officials as well, working with the residents of South Boston community leaders greatly appreciate the work we did together. Also want to recognize Congressman Lynch Senator Collins and Deputy Representative Beal for working as well with city officials. Mr. Chair, I did fail to neglect to thank the nominees previously. They didn't leave the meeting already, but I do want to acknowledge and say thank you to them for their service as well to the residents of Boston for their willingness to continue the important work they're doing. But I don't necessarily have any questions. Just want to say thank you to the Parks Commissioner.

That's all I have, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Councillor. The chair now recognizes Councillor Murphy.

Thank you. Um, thank you Kathy for that presentation. I've been, I believe at all these sites and I know the one in South Boston we've had celebrations at and the transfer over to the community was um you know events, MND, school grants, seniors, residents and public housing. And you know just all different movements coming out to support and advocate to keep Open Space, especially in the neighborhood of South Boston that doesn't have much. It's great so just happy to support this and the other parcels that we're just protecting right? That's what I've heard right that we are making sure the use is going forward are protected and clear, and obviously the community who's advocated for these agree. So happy to support this and just thank you for being on and explaining so that we can get to a vote. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. Thank you, Councilor. I don't think any other council is on, and I think it was very informative and covered all the questions that I have regarding the couple of dockets. So Director Baker-Clips, I just want to say thank you and look forward to voting on this next council meeting.

Thank you for your time and thanks for allowing me to explain what the purpose of these are. There will be more of them coming, so.

Thank you. And to my council colleagues I know we have The first set of board members were reappointments. I see that Camilo, sorry if I'm butchering your name is still here. That is a new appointment, so I'm not sure if Councilor Flynn or Councilor Murphy you have any questions for the new appointment to the vertical board.

No, I'm just not sure if Camille is going to share the reasons why but they've been appointed. I'm just happy to be on to hear the important work that you're looking forward to doing. So if that's going to happen anyway, Councilor Worrell, I'm here to listen and support when the vote comes out so thank you.

Yes, Camilo if you would like to share your background why you're so excited to be part of the Berto board that'll be great thank you.

Yeah, hello. Good morning, councillors. Thank you for having me here. So just to share a little bit of my background I'm Camilo Esquilla Zapata and I have been in the Boston area for over 14 years now. I live in the Dorchester area near Cutman Square with my husband and I am a proud alumni from my circle black college. I hold two masters, one in sustainable development another one in conflict resolution Walton, focus on natural resources and environmental conflict resolution. Throughout my career I have worked in advocacy and community organizing I spent a few years working in civil society in Colombia, working with human rights supporting black and indigenous communities. And in the US, I had worked in advising on compliance with EPA and OSHA regulations. In my time in Boston, in the Boston area I currently work with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

This is a national nonprofit that uses independent times to influence policy and as a campaign organizer, I have worked to lead the campaigning on our energy work with the goal to support and advocate for a transition to clean energy in Massachusetts. In this role, I have supported our efforts toward communities to identify the need to support and a bunch of others. that supports human well-being. One of these examples was working with Green Grids to support their advocacy, to stop the buildup of a substation in their community, and as part of that we identified that the community could meet their energy needs with rooftop solar energy storage. And in doing so reduce CO2 emissions and provide resiliency for

Their community. And again, as part of my work I focus on translating technical information into language that people and communities can understand I have created documents and tools to understand regulatory process that have been used by people to advocate in POC. Those are the skills that I bring, knowledge on technical issues that I can help translate into everyday language. and I'm excited to be part of this board. It's a way for me to support the community, with my background in my identity bringing Being a Latino, Afro-Latino in the city. I'm hoping that I can bring those perspectives and support the board and implementation of the bearded ordinance. Thank you.

Thank You Camilo Murphy, any questions for Milo? Seeing and hearing none. Camille, looking forward to serve with you on the Berto board. Thank you for stepping up and Your background and your resume is definitely going to be a value add to the city of Boston and to the board.

Hi, Chair. I didn't have any questions. Just thank you, Camila. And as a neighbor to you near Codman Square and your background, looking forward to what you bring. So thank you. You'll be a wonderful addition. Thank you, Chair

Thank you all, I appreciate it. And I do not see anyone signed up for public testimony So, nobody signed up for public testimony. This hearing on docus number 1401 1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408 and 1409. Thank you to the central staff and thank you for everyone who attended.