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Archived News for 2010
Hundreds Participate in Esplanade Fall Clean-Up
November 9, 2010
On Saturday, November 6th, nearly 500 volunteers made their way to theEsplanade to take part in The Esplanade Association’s (TEA) Annual Fall Clean-Up. Doubling last year’s turnout, participants were divided into four sections to clear the entire three mile stretch of park of leaves and litter. Participants represented all ages and affiliations, from local schools, such as Boston College High School and Northeastern University, to corporations, Boys & Girls Clubs, families, and individuals.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) provided invaluable support in making sure volunteers were handed gloves, rakes, and bags for trash and recycling items found along the way. After the volunteers finished up raking miles of rows of leaves throughout the park, DCR staff started vacuuming them up for composting. Jessica Blohm, TEA’s Park Project and Volunteer Coordinator, reflected on the day saying, “It was a complete success. Not only did we rake all three miles of the park, we had fun doing it. We hope that many of these hardworking volunteers will join us again for our Spring Clean-Up.”
TEA welcomes both individuals and large volunteer groups throughout the year.Volunteers participate in a host of park beautification and maintenance projects that include leaf raking, litter pick-up, invasive species removal, light pruning, bench and fence painting and administrative tasks. To learn more about the volunteer program, please contact Jessica Blohm at jblohm@esplanadeassociation.org or 617-227-0365 x112.
TEA would like to give a special thanks to Pemberton Farms for offering a significant discount on apples and cider for the event, as well as The Federal for providing complimentary pizza.
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New Community Boating Docks to Expand River Access
October 22, 2010
The firing of a small, brass canon over the Charles River on October 21 signaled the beginning of construction of new Community Boating docks at the Esplanade. The groundbreaking ceremony, attended by many Community Boating, Inc. (CBI) and Esplanade supporters, was led by DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan and EOEEA Secretary Ian Bowles. Their remarks accentuated the importance of public/private partnerships in funding the project as well as improving the park overall. The Commissioner also noted that the new docks will enable the expansion of DCR’s successful universal access program for sailors with disabilities.
“The new docks will be a boon, certainly, for sailors, but, just as importantly, the new docks will contribute significantly to the aesthetics of the park and the river,” stated Sylvia Salas, Executive Director of The Esplanade Association (TEA), one of the project’s funders. The docks’ deteriorated condition and importance to a large community of sailors of all ages and abilities placed the docks’ replacement high on TEA’s priority list for Esplanade improvement projects.
Fortunately, in April 2010, Governor Patrick announced that state funds would be allocated to replace the docks beginning this fall. The Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Fund and David G. Mugar Foundation immediately pledged $100,000 each toward the new construction. TEA raised an equal share and CBI raised more than $35,000. “More than 300 individuals pitched in help replace the docks because they want to make sure our ‘Sailing for All’ program continues to serve a broad community,” said Charlie Zechel, CBI Executive Director. Zechel was presented with a rotted plank by Commissioner Sullivan who had received it previously from Charlie Zechel with an appeal to improve the docks’ condition.
The Community Boating docks replacement project has had many supporters and advocates, including Representative Marty Walz, Senator Sonia Chang Diaz and the Union Boat Club. “We can’t say thank you enough to all of the supporters, but most especially to Commissioner Sullivan and all of the DCR staff who persisted in securing funds and who are managing this rather large project for the benefit of the Boston community and its many visitors,” noted Margo Newman, TEA Chair, who also attended the groundbreaking ceremony. The project is expected to be completed around spring 2011.
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Esplanade’s Centennial Celebrated in Style
September, 28 2010
More than 500 guests gathered on the banks of the Charles River on Saturday, September 25th to celebrate the Esplanade’s 100 years of nature, culture and recreation at The Esplanade Association’s (TEA) Esplanade Centennial Gala. Honorary Chairs, Governor Deval Patrick and First Lady Diane Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino and First Lady of Boston Angela Menino, joined the festivities along with DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan and his wife Lisa Sullivan, Representative Marty Walz and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz. The Arthur Fiedler Achievement Award was presented to Maestro Keith Lockhart in honor and recognition of his commitment to bringing the arts to the public and to the Esplanade. Twenty Esplanade Luminaries were recognized for their significant contributions to the Esplanade and TEA (list attached). Frances Rivera, 7 News Anchor, and Jared Bowen, WGBH TV’s “Greater Boston”, served as Masters of Ceremony for the evening’s presentations.
The Esplanade’s Celebration of the Century was produced by Altieri Events and catered by MAX Ultimate Food. Guests socialized in a cocktail tent with early 20th century décor and music. Under a clear span tent, and reaching near the top, were three extraordinarily gorgeous six-foot vintage style white porcelain chandeliers atop a four-foot mirrored base with lovely fall colored flowers cascading to the floor. Scrims of photos from 1910 were displayed through out the tent, and character actors in period costumes, greeted and escorted the guests to dinner. As the guests moved into the dinner tent, they walked through a gallery of photos from 1920 – 2000, provided by historian Karl Haglund. The main dinner tent was decorated with the present decade in mind, using nature in every aspect of the design. The spacious dinner tent was accentuated by a 16’ x 16’ extraordinary chandelier of delicate glass candleholders and strung grass reeds, designed by Marc Hall of Winston’s Flowers. Charlie Bailey Gates led a lively auction to raise much needed funds for important park improvements. Guests bid on unique items such as dinners with local celebrities Dennis Lehane and Doc Rivers, musical extravaganzas with Keith Lockhart, James Taylor and Yo-Yo Ma and exotic vacations as far away as the Himalayas.
“The evening’s proceeds will help build a brighter future for the park by funding TEA’s operations as well as critical projects such as replacement of the Community Boating docks and enhanced tree care, which are undertaken in cooperation with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation,” stated Margo Newman, TEA Board Chair. Following the live auction, guests danced past midnight to the music of Soul Kitchen.
Click here to view the Centennial Gala Photo Gallery
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The Esplanade Association creates Emergency Tree Fund
June 8, 2010
More than 50 of the Esplanade's specimen trees were damaged or destroyed as a result of Sunday’s storm. Willows, the iconic trees on the Esplanade, were particularly hard hit when they were uprooted and damaged beyond repair by what has been identified as a macroburst. “In response to the extensive damage the Esplanade’s trees sustained this weekend, The Esplanade Association’s (TEA) Board of Directors acted quickly and created the Esplanade Emergency Tree Fund to raise funds to replace trees that have been destroyed,” stated Sylvia Salas, Executive Director for the park's friends group.
The destruction of many stately trees is a terrible loss to the park and to all who enjoy this special green space. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the state agency that manages the park, reported that more than 50 trees will either need to be removed or sustained significant damage including downed limbs, split leaders, etc. The DCR commenced a tree clean-up operation immediately after the storm to assure that public safety concerns were fully addressed. TEA will work with the DCR to inventory the trees and assess the full damage to the park at the earliest possible date.
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Esplanade 2020 & Beyond: Crafting a vision for the Esplanade’s future
May 12, 2010
Recap of Frameworks for the Future
Thank you to everyone in attendance at TEA’s May 12th Esplanade 2020 & Beyond public meeting: Frameworks for the Future. To recap the event…
The Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Design Team – led by John Shields, John Stebbins, Anthony Pangaro, Mark Favermann, and Craig Halverson – presented an ambitious and provocative series of projects that will dramatically improve the visitor experience and raise the ecological and aesthetic standards of the riverfront park. The slideshow from their presentation, which detailed improvements to activities, circulation, wayfinding, and landscape elements in the park, is available below.
Frameworks for the Future Slideshow
Following the slide presentation, the audience was invited to breakout into discussion groups and ask members of the Design Team specific questions about the projects proposed by Esplanade 2020 & Beyond. Moreover, attendees were able to glean a greater level of detail from comprehensive plan view (bird’s eye view) drawings posted throughout the room. The audience members’ questions and comments were recorded and presented at the end of the meeting. The detailed plan view of the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond vision for a new Charles River Esplanade is available below:
A Vision for the Esplanade in Plan View
The Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Project is well on its way to becoming a truly watershed vision for the Charles River Esplanade – one that leads the park’s transformation from a beloved Boston space to a truly world class destination. We hope that hundreds of park supporters will join us on June 16th for the fourth and final Esplanade 2020 & Beyond public meeting, and look forward to working with you to bring this vision to life.
For those unable to attend the May 12th Esplanade 2020 & Beyond meeting, please note the evening’s agenda:
Agenda:
Frameworks for the Future: Activities, Circulation, Wayfinding, and Landscape
5:50 Arrival and sign in
6:05 Welcome from TEA and DCR – Sylvia Salas, TEA Executive Director and Karl Haglund, DCR Project Manager for the New Charles River Basin
6:10 Introduction and Schedule – John Shields, Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Chair
6:20 Notes on Landscape – Craig Halverson
6:25 Notes on Wayfinding – Mark Favermann
6:30 A Walk through the Park
Overview – John Shields
Circulation/Movement – Anthony Pangaro
Activities/Events – John Stebbins
Wayfinding – Mark Favermann
Landscape – Craig Halverson
7:15 Breakout Discussion Groups – All
7:55 Reconvene
Reiterate Breakout Conversations – Group Recorders
Final Questions/Comments – All
8:25 Closing Remarks
8:30 Adjourn
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Esplanade 2020 & Beyond: Recap of findings and directions
March 10, 2010
Slideshow from Findings and Directions
The Esplanade Association would like to thank everyone in attendance at the March 10 Findings and Directions community meeting. The event drew a broad range of attendees: from State Representative Marty Walz to neighborhood residents; DCR Senior Planners Karl Haglund and Rick Corsi to representatives from local community groups and advocacy organizations.
To recap the March 10 meeting: The session began with a question and answer session, during which TEA Board member and Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Coordinating Committee member Herb Nolan fielded and responded to comments on visioning matters and park conditions. John Shields, Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Chair, then took over, presenting an extensive review of guiding principles, essential park elements, and potential project areas that the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Design Group has identified as paramount. The slideshow from this presentation is available below, in its entirety.
Slideshow from Findings and Directions
Incorporated into evening’s presentation were ongoing opportunities for public comment, suggestion, and question. Comments made by attendees, and the responses given by the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Design Group, will be posted online shortly.
Agenda:
Findings and Directions Details
5:45: Sign-in
6pm: Welcome
6:10pm: Essential Elements of the Esplanade
6:40pm: Esplanade Sector Discussion and Community Input Session
7:50pm: Closing Remarks
In preparation for the March 10 meeting, and as part of the ongoing visioning work, the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Design Group has prepared a series of guiding principles to direct the conversation.
Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Guiding PrinciplesThe Charles River Esplanade turns 100 this year, and in addition to celebrating the parks history, it’s time to think about the future. On March 10, 2010, The Esplanade Association and the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) invite you join us at 6pm at the Boston Public Library for Findings and Directions, the second of four Esplanade 2020 & Beyond community meetings. The Charles River Esplanade is a park for people, and though it is loved by many, it has the potential to be much more. An initiative of The Esplanade Association, in collaboration with DCR, the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond project is bringing together community members, public officials, and design professionals to craft a shared vision for the future of the Esplanade.
The March 10, Findings and Directions meeting provides the public with an opportunity to review and assess a proposed, increasingly refined direction for Esplanade 2020 & Beyond. Since commencing the visioning project, and based on public comments made at the first community input session in January, the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Design Committee has created a framework of principles to guide our shared vision. Moreover, the Design Committee has begun to explore possible solutions to park issues and areas of concern voiced by community members.
Findings and Directions will allow the public to evaluate these proposed guidelines and alternatives, and will help The Esplanade Association and DCR steer the vision of Esplanade 2020 & Beyond in a direction embraced by the community. Findings and Directions will be moderated by The Esplanade Association, and will include substantial time for public input. A more detailed agenda will be distributed ahead of the meeting.
The Esplanade 2020 & Beyond project is gathering members of the community and asking them to dream big. Broad public participation in the project is invaluable as we work together to realize the full potential of the Charles River Esplanade, and we hope that you will join us.
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Esplanade 2020 & Beyond: Recap of speaking-up, being heard
January 20, 2010
The Esplanade Association would like to offer our sincere thanks to all participants in the January 20th Speaking Up, Being Heard community input session. We were thrilled by the turnout, the energy, and the creative caliber of the community’s ideas. We hope that everyone found as much value in the session as we did, and look forward to working with an ever-growing group of park stakeholders over the coming months as we collectively craft the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond vision.
If you would like to continue the visioning dialogue, we invite you to send us comments about the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for the Esplanade by visiting http://esplanadeassociation.org/aboutus/contact.html. We understand that some interested individuals were unable to attend Speaking Up, Being Heard, but we would like to assure the community that there will be further opportunities to add your voice to the ten-year vision of Esplanade 2020 & Beyond. We will be posting a detailed calendar of Esplanade 2020 & Beyond activities and meetings soon.
General Report on Community Input
During the January 20th Speaking Up, Being Heard community input session, participants were asked to self-select into one of eight breakout groups, which were ordered by particular thematic areas relevant to the Esplanade: Lower Park; Center Park; Upper Park; Programs and activities; Architecture and structures; Landscape and horticulture; Access and pathways; or Communication, wayfinding, and safety.
Guided by their chosen theme, participants were invited to share with their group any opinions on park strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. Individuals were also asked to record their thoughts on color-coded index cards, which were collected by the breakout session facilitators. At the conclusion of the session, a representative from each group reported back key findings to the broader audience.
As could be expected, there were many ideas that intersected the boundaries of the eight breakout groups. For example, issues related to pathway conditions and access points were mentioned repeatedly in nearly every thematic area. Moreover, there was a great deal of crossover between topics identified as “weaknesses” and those noted as “opportunities.” These perspectives are essentially two sides of the same coin—that which is considered a challenge or limitation should also be thought of as an opening for improvement and change. Case in point: while the decaying docks at Community Boating (CBI) is indeed a weakness of the Esplanade, so too is the prospect of rebuilding them an opportunity.
The document below represents a distillation of these recurring ideas. It is a review of the dominant, most-frequently discussed issues from the Speaking Out, Being Heard breakout sessions, ordered alphabetically.
General Report from Speaking Up, Being Heard
Notes from Speaking Up, Being Heard
TEA has also compiled the public’s comments, both as key points (i.e. those which were reported by group representatives at the meeting) and as categorized raw data (i.e. the comments recorded on the color-coded index cards). These documents are available below.
Key Points, as reported by each breakout group
Notes from individual breakout sessions may be found below
For those unable to attend the first community input session, please see the agenda below.
Agenda:
Speaking Up, Being Heard: An Esplanade 2020 & Beyond Community Input Session
5:00 Arrival and sign in
5:10 Welcome Sylvia Salas
5:15 Welcome from the DCR Joe Orfant
5:20 History of the Esplanade Karl Haglund
5:50 Intermission
Community Workshop
6:00 Introduction to project and workshop John Shields
6:20 Personal connection exercise All
6:30 Breakout session All
Round the table input in three cycles…
1) Qualities & features worth preserving: strengths 5 min
2) Issues to be addressed: weaknesses, threats 10 min
3) Opportunities for improvements: outcomes 25 min
7:20 Reassemble All
7:30 Report back Reporters
7:50 Closing John Shields
8:00 Reception
Esplanade 2020 & Beyond: The Need for a Plan
Crafting a shared vision for a park as heavily and diversely used as the Charles River Esplanade is no small task. Such an undertaking, which demands a balance of conceptual creativity and practicality, rightly provokes the questions: why is a vision needed, and why should it be created now? There are several reasons to move the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond project forward during the Esplanade’s 2010 centennial year.
With over 90% of Massachusetts residents living in urban areas—most of whom call Greater Boston home—our metropolitan parks are more important than ever before. They clean the air, cool the city, and sustain nature. When well-maintained, parks attract visitors from near and far and provide a high quality of life for urban residents. They have a profound, if largely invisible, impact on the local economy and encourage a healthy and productive lifestyle for all who choose to use them. Studies show that more than three million individuals visit the Esplanade annually, and as many as 20,000 people enter the park on a typical summer’s day. A half a million people crowd onto the Esplanade and surrounding shores for the nation’s July 4 birthday celebration. Few state parks are as intensely used and deeply loved as the Esplanade.
The Esplanade is indeed the heart and soul of the Boston metropolitan park system, threshold to one of the world’s great urban water park resources: the Charles River Basin. Despite all of this, or perhaps because of it, the narrow piece of land we call the Esplanade is in generally poor condition today. The ongoing efforts of maintenance staff and the substantial capital investments made in recent years to rebuild docks, fields, and fences still have not turned the tide against deferred maintenance suffered by the park over decades. Aging trees are past their prime and in decline. The soil is exhausted and the grass worn out in many places. Pathway shoulders continue to erode, increasing the amount of pollutants that find their way into the river. Historic granite structures and railings are crumbling. Once active public recreation and restroom facilities are dilapidated, closed to the public, and appear abandoned. In short, after a century of change and heavy use, the park is depleted in need of substantial revitalization.
Through a series of planning exercises that involve community members, park staff, designers, and others, and in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Esplanade 2020 & Beyond will identify park needs and community desires, determine priority park projects, mobilize support for the Esplanade, and create an attainable and exciting 10-year vision for the park. The Esplanade Association will then work with the community and the Department of Conservation and Recreation to develop an appropriate implementation plan to help bring this vision to life. This rich body of work will be thoroughly vetted by the end of 2010, and the Esplanade’s stakeholders will be challenged to help implement key parts of their vision.
Several publications have assessed the historical development and present condition of the Esplanade, but a shared vision for the park’s future has not yet emerged. The Charles River Basin Master Plan, published for the Metropolitan District Commission in 2002, provides guiding principles and a number of specific ideas for revitalizing the Esplanade, among other segments of the Basin. It provides an excellent framework for our work but it also recommends that a more detailed action plan be developed for the park. The Esplanade Association commissioned the Cultural Landscape Report: The Esplanade in 2007, which presents a historical overview of the park's changing landscape, as well as an analysis of existing structural and landscape conditions. In July 2009, the Esplanade received landmark status from the Boston Landmarks Commission. The Charles River Esplanade Study Report authored during the landmark approval process was built upon the Cultural Landscape Report, and it further reveals a great deal about how the Esplanade was created, what the intentions of its founders were, and what has been gained and lost over the decades. We must use this information to inspire us and guide the park forward into the next century.
It is time for a careful reappraisal of existing conditions and management practices, and time to re-imagine what the Esplanade can be if treated properly. The Esplanade Association is well positioned to lead the Esplanade 2020 & Beyond effort, and we welcome and encourage the participation of all interested stakeholders in the exciting work that lies ahead.
Please contact Jessica Blohm at jblohm@esplanadeassociation.org or 617.227.0365 for more information about Esplanade 2020 & Beyond.
The Esplanade Association
376 Boylston Street, Suite 503
Boston, MA 02116
617.227.0365
