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BOAT HAVEN PARTNERS CONTRIBUTE $400,000 TO ESPLANADE DOCKS
A partnership of The Esplanade Association (TEA), the Union Boat Club (UBC), Community Boating (CBI) and the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Fund has recently completed a $400,000 fundraising campaign in support of the reconstruction of the docks at Commissioners Landing East and West and Governors Landing on the Esplanade.
Patrice Todisco and Jeryl Oristaglio of TEA and Charlie Zechal of CBI conveyed the funds to Commissioner Rick Sullivan of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) the week before Christmas.
The reconstruction of the Boat Haven docks and the contiguous granite landings has been a priority of The Esplanade Association since its inception. These historic features were built as part of the Esplanade’s 1923 redesign by eminent landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff. They provide a formal connection between the river and park and provide opportunities for boating and sunning.
The dock reconstruction has been underway since the fall and is scheduled to be completed this spring. It will be followed by the restoration of the granite work at Commissioners Landings. The project is being overseen by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and their consultants, Bourne Engineering.
For more information, please call us at 617-227-0365 or send an email to info@esplanadeassociation.org.
SUPPORTERS PRESENT PETITION AT PRELIMINARY HEARING TO LANDMARK ESPLANADE
At their meeting on Tuesday November 27th, the Boston Landmarks Commission was formally presented with a petition endorsed by over 800 supporters, to designate the Charles River Esplanade as a Boston Landmark.
The meeting included a formal presentation on the Esplanade’s history by Linda Cox. After Linda’s presentation the commissioner’s accepted testimony by elected officials, public agencies, organizations and the general public.
A representative of DCR read the following comments:
DCR recognizes the Charles River Esplanade as an important cultural asset that contributes to the beauty and the overall quality of life for the citizens of Boston and the entire Commonwealth. The community’s efforts to designate the property as a Landmark reflect a broad public interest in raising awareness of the Esplanade’s history and significance.
DCR has long enjoyed a positive and productive working relationship with the Commission by consulting regularly on projects affecting DCR’s historic properties within Boston. We at DCR understand the process for designation and will continue to work with the Boston Landmarks Commission staff to adequately address both the on-going preservation of the Esplanade and the practical challenges of managing a complex, actively used facility.
Highlights from other testimony included:
A request from City Councilor Michael Ross that because of the urgency of the situation the Commissioner’s expedite the land marking process. An unprecedented ten city councilor’s signed the petition supporting designation.
Representative Walz focusing on interim tunnel repairs and the need to have regulatory oversight on what happens during the next eight months as DCR competes that work. For example, where is the staging area going? Will there be impacts on the functional use of the park?
Sandy Steele highlighting TEA’s contribution to the park and its value to city residents and people from the greater city and region. Who uses the park was of great interest to the Commissioner’s and they requested follow up information about this topic which TEA is formulating from our user survey.
The Commission agreed to proceed to the next step in the process, which is the development of a study report, with a second hearing to be scheduled when that review is completed. They were very supportive of the Esplanade.
Please consider writing an individual letter to the commission in support of them expediting the land marking process.
MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE TEA'S 2007 ACHEIVEMENTS
The Esplanade Association had much to celebrate in its 7th year of operation. Over 70 guests attended the 2007 Achievements Celebration, held at 48 Commonwealth Ave- a unique and spacious condominium space generously donated by Coldwell Banker. The event was a perfect opportunity for members, supporters, and those who simply wanted to learn more about the organization- to come together to celebrate all that TEA has accomplished in the past year, as well as learn how to help the organization move ahead while the Esplanade’s future is threatened by the Storrow Drive by-pass road.
Ms. Sandy Steele, President of the Board of Directors for The Esplanade Organization, gave a warm welcome to guests and a brief introduction of the Board and elected officials in attendance. Executive Director, Patrice Todisco, provided an overview of TEA's 2007 accomplishments, including the expansion of the Volunteer Program, Boston Model Sailing Club and the Esplanade Council. Ms. Todisco also highlighted projects such as dock restoration and landscape renewal as well as celebrated TEA’s partnerships with The Advent School, Union Boat Club, Community Boating, Charles River Watershed Association, and Charles River Conservancy. Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Jeryl Oristaglio, emphasized the importance of becoming a member of The Esplanade Association, explaining how membership is the driving force of the organization that makes all of TEA’s accomplishments possible.
There was a brief overview of the Storrow Drive Tunnel Project followed by a question and answer session. To learn more about the Storrow Drive Project and what you can do to help save the Esplanade, please visit our blog.
The Esplanade Association wishes to thank our speakers, members, and supporters, as well as our wonderful sponsors: Coldwell Banker, The Stonegate Group, and The Hampshire House for making this special event possible.
Photo (1)- by Herb Nolan
DCR ANNOUNCES INTERIM REPAIRS TO STORROW DRIVE TUNNEL
Nov 7, 2008
Press Release issued by Department of Conservation and Recreation
BOSTON – Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. today announced the agency will spend $6.8 million on interim repairs to the Storrow Drive tunnel while a long-term construction plan is finalized.
“Our first responsibility is to public safety,” said Commissioner Sullivan. “These repairs are necessary to keep the Storrow Drive tunnel operational until we begin the full reconstruction. We will use the additional time those repairs provide to work through the challenge of managing reconstruction of this heavily traveled roadway and place it in the context of all the major projects that have to be done in the area in the years ahead.”
The interim repairs, which will begin early in 2008 and continue for six to nine months, will include replacing deteriorated concrete in the roof and wall sections and installing waterproofing membranes in roof joints to prevent water seepage. Work is expected to be conducted at night, allowing the tunnel to be open for traffic during the day.
DCR has already begun $430,000 in immediate repairs to the drainage system and structural beams in the tunnel. Those repairs began Sunday, Nov. 4, and are expected to conclude in four to six weeks. Sullivan said DCR is also in the process of finalizing negotiations with a nationally recognized, independent engineering firm to review its pending and future work on the Storrow Drive tunnel.
In addition, DCR will work with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the Executive Office of Transportation, and the Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) to conduct a sequencing study of road and bridge repairs in the Charles River Basin. The study will determine the optimal order and timing of the projects to protect public safety, maintain traffic flow, and manage construction impacts. That study, for which many stakeholders will be consulted, is expected to be completed in six to nine months.
“This study will enable the state’s transportation and environmental agencies to place the Storrow Drive tunnel rehabilitation in the context of all the major projects that have to be completed in the area in the years ahead,” said Commissioner Sullivan. “The long-term Storrow Drive solution cannot be realized without considering the entire transportation network.”
MassHighway Commissioner Luisa Paiewonsky said, “Proper planning is critical to any infrastructure investment, and this study will provide a path for us to address the road and bridge needs in the Charles River Basin. We look forward to working with EOEEA and DCR on this study to lay out a plan that will address these needs in a realistic and safe manner.”
Over the next 10-15 years, six major DCR bridges over the Charles River, as well as the Bowker Overpass, will require approximately $300 million in repairs or reconstruction. These bridges and roadways carry more than 440,000 vehicles a day into and out of the city of Boston. The sequencing study will help DCR and MassHighway determine the best order to minimize traffic disruption and impacts on surrounding communities. MassHighway will manage the construction on all of these projects.
The major projects being studied are:
* BU Bridge, which carries about 41,000 vehicles a day;
* Craigie Drawbridge and Craigie Dam Bridge, about 116,000 vehicles a day;
* Eliot Bridge, about 70,100 vehicles a day;
* Longfellow Bridge, about 49,500 vehicles a day;
* River Street Bridge, about 32,100 vehicles a day;
* Bowker Overpass, about 27,000 vehicles a day;
* Storrow Drive Tunnel, about 105,000 vehicles a day.
Preliminary reviews of the DCR bridge and tunnel projects indicate that the Craigie Bridge and Craigie Dam Bridge will be the first to reach construction. The drawbridge needs a complete replacement of the draw span, the machinery, and the electrical systems, at an estimated cost of about $19 million, while the dam bridge needs superstructure and deck repairs and sidewalk replacements, for an estimated cost of about $5 million.
Work on the Craigie bridges is currently under design by the firm of Hardesty and Hanover, and DCR estimates the design and specifications will be completed by December 2008, with the project ready for bid in January 2009.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation crews will be reconstructing a portion of the Charles River Pathway, which runs adjacent to Soldiers Field Road between the BU Bridge and River Street. During the reconstruction, the pathway will be closed; pedestrians and bicyclists are encouraged to use the Memorial Drive paths as a detour. The DCR would like to thank park users for their patience and cooperation as pathway improvements are made.
Landscape historian Shary Page Berg has completed a Cultural Landscape Report of the Esplanade. The report provides an overview of the history of the Esplanade as well as documentation of existing conditions and an analysis that describes the present appearance of landscape and structures, with an emphasis on extant historic resources and design intent.
For purposes of clarity, the report divides the Esplanade into three distinct sections and includes a brief historical summary, a description of general landscape character, and more detailed sub areas in each. Unlike some landscapes that have a single primary period of significance, the Esplanade represents three distinct periods—each with historical significance.
While the Esplanade as we know it today incorporates elements from each period, the core of the present landscape was designed by Arthur Shurcliff in the 1930s. During this period, the western end was expanded from Charlesgate to the Boston University Bridge and major park elements were introduced including granite landings and lagoons.
The report is now available to the public. To view the full report, please click here [PDF, 1,267Kb].
TEA'S 1ST ANNUAL 5K IS A RUNNING SUCCESS
On the sunny morning of September 30th, over 100 spirited runners raced through the Esplanade to help benefit The Esplanade Association's mission to restore and enhance this historic park. TEA would like to thank all our race participants, volunteers and sponsors: Equinox fitness club, Upper Crust Pizzeria and Simpson Housing, for making TEA's first annual 5k a guaranteed success.
Congratulations to the winners of the TEA 5k! Click here to see race results.
TEA 5k runners and other partygoers had much to celebrate at Equinox's "Launching Your Life" TEA 5k after party held at 28 Degrees. The event was filled with signature cocktails, hor d'oeuvres provided by 28 Degrees, gift bags with Equinox trial memberships and products, spa services including: neck, back, and calf massages on-site, and a raffle where winners gained all-access passes to the hot new Back Bay fitness mecca.
Photo (1), (2), (3), (4) by Pam Steel.
TEA CELEBRATES THE RELAUNCHING OF THE ESPLANADE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL
Our Esplanade Association Council Kick-Off cocktail party at the Union Club was a huge success- bringing in over 160 guests and raising over 3,000 dollars for The Esplanade Association. We were thrilled to see such a tremendous outpouring of support for the organization.
The Esplanade Association Council is a network of young professionals dedicated to helping build a bright future for the park. The goal of the Council is to bring these young professionals together to network and take advantage of the recreational, cultural, and volunteer activities offered on the Esplanade.
Executive Director Patrice Todisco provided an overview of The Esplanade Association’s mission and key accomplishments, and Council Committee President Sarah Reinstein provided an overview of the Esplanade Council as well as exciting upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Council Committee Member Peter Gori introduced the Esplanade Leadership Team: Patrick McMahon- recreational activities, Susan Mlodozeniec- volunteer activities, and Celine Brill- cultural activities. Mr. Gori also announced upcoming council events, including The Esplanade Association 5k run on September 30th, the Landmarks Orchestra concerts on Wednesday nights, and volunteer opportunities for the park user survey.
The organization is looking forward to engaging young professionals in the restoration and maintenance of the park. Our thanks to all who participated in the event and to the Union Club for helping to make the night such a success. For those of you who have signed up as members of The Esplanade Association, stay tuned for information on future events including the Esplanade Association's first-ever 5K this fall. If you're not a member yet, make sure you don't miss out by signing up as soon as possible!
If you have a suggestion for an event you'd like to see on the Esplanade, or for more information on the Esplanade Association Council, please contact Sarah Reinstein: eacouncil@esplanadeassociation.org.
© Photos' Courtesy of Roger Farrington Photography
HELP DEVELOP A VISION FOR THE ESPLANADE'S LEE POOL
Last month, the Department of Conservation and Recreation met with local residents and stakeholders from neighborhood organizations to discuss the future of the idle Lee Pool building and its surrounding landscape – known as Charlesbank Park. The meeting was facilitated by Icon Architecture as a visioning study, designed to collect data and ideas that will feed into the development of a master plan for the area.
Built in 1892 as the first outdoor recreational facility in the United States, Charlesbank has been a hub for active and passive recreation ever since, and is presently the site of Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields – world-class soccer, softball, and baseball fields. Drawing upon history and current usage, and taking into account the sites breathtaking river views, access to major cultural and recreational amenities, and proximity to public transportation, the visioning study identified a number of potential uses and redevelopment options for the area. These options include,
Several key elements for a successful plan were identified and include an emphasis on recreation, environmental sensitivity and pedestrian access, promotion of visual and physical connections between the river and the city, and flexible, safe indoor and outdoor spaces that promote year-round usage among a variety of interest groups. Icon Architecture will be taking these ideas and developing a number of options for further public review. The next visioning meeting will take place the week of August 27th when several alternatives will be presented. The Esplanade Association encourages its members to participate in the study and to help shape the future of our beloved river park.
For more information, contact our office at 617.227.0365, or send an email to info@esplanadeassociation.org.
TEA KICKS OFF THE FIRST SUMMER OF OUR TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
The Esplanade Association has hired the park's first Teen Leadership Program (TLP) Supervisor. Ninya Loeppky comes to TEA after a year spent working with college students on a stewardship program in Newark, New Jersey. She graduated from Macalester College with degrees in geography and international studies and worked for a water-related NGO in Quito, Ecuador. Ninya is enjoying getting to know Boston and is excited to meet the first group of teens.
Youth participants in the TLP program are part of The Boston Youth Fund's Hopeline - Mayor Menino's youth summer employment program. They are residents of the City of Boston, between the ages of 15 and 17.
Ninya will be working with our Volunteer and Community Enrichment Coordinator, Jen Roy, to develop a six-week service-learning program for the youth that contains several components - leadership and teamwork, historic and cultural understanding of the park, stewardship and civic responsibility, and recreation and outreach.
Teens will learn leadership skills such as team building, event planning, media outreach, and time management, they will become stewards of the Esplanade by getting to know its biology, history, and geography, and they will focus on the importance of young people in the environmental movement and their need to take an active role to enjoy and preserve open spaces and parks. All the while they will be performing important park stewardship work through hands-on painting, vegetative management, planting, and tree pruning projects, special events, and other projects of their own design.
For more information about the program email Ninya, or call her at 617.227.0365.
TEA BUILDS BRIDGES WITH PricewaterhouseCoopers VOLUNTEERS- AND WE PAINT THEM, TOO!
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Boston Cares have joined up with TEA for the second year in a row to celebrate PwC's annual Month of Community Service. Over the course of six hours, 150 PwC employees got to work on transforming the Esplanade. This partnership between TEA and PwC, facilitated by organizing powerhouse Boston Cares, is helping connect the business community to the work TEA does in the park, and it is a brilliant model for corporate stewardship.
PwC volunteers took on three projects, and provided funding towards the supplies for each one. The first group helped control and cut back invasive species - nonnative plants that are crowding the riverbank. The second group did extensive weeding and added plants, compost, and mulch to the garden that sits below the Arthur Fiedler footbridge. To see their hard work, look down as you cross the bridge!
And while you're on the bridge, take in the good work done by the third PwC group, who scraped and painted the inside of the footbridge itself, replacing lighting and lighting covers in the process. Thanks to the DCR for providing the paint and the supervision for this project, which required a temporary hold on pedestrian traffic going across the bridge.
The differences the PwC volunteers made are transformational, and in the process they raised the bar for stewardship and community service. It is our hope that other companies follow in their footsteps, contributing funds and labor to the management of our beloved park.
To learn more about getting involved in our volunteer program, email Jen Roy, or call her at 617.227.0365.
STORROW DRIVE TUNNEL RECONSTRUCTION
Planning continues for the reconstruction of the Storrow Drive Tunnel. Four schematic alternatives have been developed and DCR and its consultants are currently working on the traffic analysis of the options as well as details of the design and construction phasing.
The preliminary plans were discussed in detail at meetings of the traffic and landscape advisory groups in November and December, followed by public meetings. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is scheduled to be completed this winter, with the hope of a recommended option in May followed by the completion of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) this summer. The project is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2010.
The four options and a complete project overview can be found at www.mass.gov/dcr/storrowdrive.htm
THE ESPLANADE ASSOCIATION BEGINS A SURVEY OF PARK USERS
With generous support from The Boston foundation, The Esplanade Association is developing a user survey and community process to gather data concerning the public’s use, perceptions, and needs for the Esplanade’s three miles of parkland. This project, conducted in partnership with DCR, began during the winter with stakeholder interviews and will continue throughout the spring, summer and fall with teams of volunteers talking to people in the park. The purpose of this effort is to deepen the organization’s understanding of current park use and expressed needs, in order to inform planning and contribute to the development of a park restoration and management plan. The survey will provide critical information about the demographics of park users, the relative intensity of use of various park areas, seasonal use patterns, use conflicts, users that are not being served and opportunities to revise programming to better serve the current population.
Elizabeth Vizza Consulting (EVC) and People, Places and Design Research (PPDR), an audience analysis research firm, are working with us on the project.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need volunteers to count Esplanade visitors as they enter and exit the park. If you are interested in helping out for a 2-3 hour shift this summer, please contact Jen Roy at 617.227.0365, or at jroy@esplanadeassociation.org.
TEA's 6th ANNUAL MEETING CONTEMPLATES THE PAST AND CELEBRATES THE FUTURE
Our 6th Annual Meeting at the Hampshire House was well attended and guests heard from Board President Sandy Steele, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, and landscape historian Elizabeth Hope Cushing.
The theme of the evening was “Looking Backwards and Moving Forward” and Ms. Cushing provided a rich and engaging overview of the Esplanade’s evolution over time, and President Steele gave an overview of the restoration and park enhancement work that TEA is doing today. This work includes a Cultural Landscape Report - designed to make park maintenance and restoration recommendations based on the design and usage patterns of the Esplanade over time. This report will be enhanced by the park user survey being conducted by TEA in 2007.
Three new directors were elected to the board, serving terms until 2010. Rich Lucas, Regional Manager at Charles River Park, has spent many years in hotel, residential, and commercial property operations, and has lived in Boston for the last five years. Karin Dumbaugh, an outdoor and nature enthusiast, has added TEA to a long list of civic associations that she participates in when she’s not working as a lecturer at Harvard. Hans Vaule, a Beacon Hill resident, has a background in marketing and private equity and was recently involved with the committee to relocate Spruce Street Nursery School. The organization is thrilled to have the new directors on board and looks forward to another year of park planning and fundraising. Officers will be named at the first meeting of the new board.
Our thanks go out to all our speakers, members, and supporters, and to The Hampshire House for helping make such a lovely evening possible
OLD TREES GIVEN NEW LIFE
TEA is committed to the care and upkeep of the Esplanade’s nearly 2,000 trees, and this past month we funded several days of pruning along the lagoon islands between Clarendon Street and Exeter Street. Among the locusts, maples, and oaks that benefited from the work was a signature willow that sits in Otis Grove.
This willow was determined to grow - despite a hollowed out trunk - and it became an iconic form along the Esplanade, graceful, dramatic, and loved by many. It also became a potential safety hazard due to the high amount of branch weight supported by a minimal trunk. In order to alleviate the hazard while maintaining the trees unique beauty, Boston Tree Company trimmed the deadwood, and some of the heavier, far-reaching branches that hung over the adjacent pathway. These efforts will provide the tree with greater balance, and will help ensure that it remains in the park for many years to come. Significant work was also done to the trees at Clarendon Street Plaza.
TEA’s goal is to address the pruning needs of every tree in the park - focusing on deadwood, safety hazards, overgrown crowns, and proper specimen spacing. To find out more about these efforts and how you can get involved, visit the Landscape Renewal page of our web site, or contact our office at 617.227.0365. You can also click here to make a donation to Landscape Renewal.
MANNING, SALVAGE & LEE AWARDS $100K PRO BONO GRANT TO THE ESPLANADE ASSOCIATION
MS&L PRESS RELEASE, January 2007
Manning, Salvage & Lee (www.mslpr.com) has named The Esplanade Association the recipient of its 2007 Agnew Carter McCarthy Community Grant, which provides $100,000 of in-kind public relations services to a select non-profit organization for a two-year period. The agency will help enhance the reputations of TEA among Massachusetts residents through increased media visibility.
The Esplanade Association works to restore the Charles River Esplanade by acting as the primary steward, partner, and advocate of Boston's public park.
"The Esplanade is home to many powerful memories for thousands of individuals from around our state, the nation, and the world, " says Ed Cafasso, managing director of MS&L Boston. "We're so excited to support the Association's efforts to maintain and improve a wonderful and treasured park that means so much to so many."
The Angew Carter McCarthy Community Grant recognizes the 23-year community service legacy of Jack Agnew, Lew Carter, and Terry McCarthy, whose Boston PR agency was aquired by Manning, Salvage & Lee in August 1999. Each of the three founders spent considerable time during their respective careers serving on civic, arts, community, and communications industry non-profit boards in Greater Boston while managing the firm.
"We are thrilled to have MS&L's support to help increase awareness of what The Esplanade Association means to the Boston community," says Patrice Todisco, executive director of TEA. "This partnership will help us highlight the Association's accomplishments and alert the public to the continuing needs of this landmark park."
GUENAELLE RUBIN JOINS TEA AS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS COORDINATOR
We are happy to welcome Guenaelle, a lifelong outdoor enthusiast with an Environmental Studies degree from Prescott College in Arizona, as the newest member of our team. She recently completed an inspiring 2-year volunteer experience with Americorps, and worked as an Environmental Educator and Assistant Camp Director for Discovery Creek Children's Museum of Washington DC. She is happy to be back in her home state and working in the lovely city of Boston!
WE WELCOME JEN ROY, TEA's VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Jen will be managing of our enrichment programs, including the Green Team volunteers and special children's programs, and she will be introducing and pioneering some exciting new initiatives that will engage even more of our neighbors in the life of the Esplanade.
Over the next few weeks, Jen will be familiarizing herself with the park and the office, and many of you will have the chance to meet her at a volunteer tree pruning event. Also, please feel free to contact her with any questions or concerns about our programs, or to schedule a volunteer event.
Jen's email is jroy@esplanadeassociation.org, and she can be reached by phone at 617.227.0365.
Jen comes to us from a career in university administration, working on student leadership development and event programming. She received her master's degree from Colorado State University and spent several years working as the Coordinator of Programming and Leadership Development at California State University. Her experience also includes serving as the volunteer coordinator for the City of Gold Triathlon in Oroville, CA, and most recently working with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Roxbury. Jen's years of experience in community outreach, program development, and volunteer management make her a perfect fit for TEA and we are incredibly fortunate to have her.
Trinidad Rodriguez will continue to work with TEA on special projects while she prepares to return to graduate school, and she remains available to answer any questions you have about the Esplanade at trodriguez@esplanadeassociation.org or 617.227.0365.
Photo ©2006 Plan for Boat Haven, rendered by Bourne Engineering
The Esplanade Association
10 Derne Street
Boston, MA 02114
617.227.0365
