Boston City TV, MA City of Boston Parks Department, 16 Sep 2021

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From YouTube: Mother's Rest Park Design Meeting #1 - 09/16/2021

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Mother's Rest Park Design Meeting #1 - 09/16/2021

A

Good evening and welcome everybody, this is the first meeting for mother's rest at four corners. um It's a community meeting for the upcoming park renovation project.

A

My name is lauren bryant and I am the project manager for this exciting project for boston parks before we jump into the presentation, um I'd just like to go over a few, how to's and what to expect tonight um wanted to let everybody know that interpretation was not requested for this meeting, so tonight's meeting will be in english. Only.

A

However, for future meetings, we are really eager to hear all voices and are able to offer translation and interpretation services as requested free of charge. So please reach out to me. If you want any more information about that, and you can email me and I will pop my email address in the chat for everybody- um wanted to also make sure that everybody knows that tonight's meeting is being recorded, um and that is so that it'll be available on the project website um within about a week.

A

um So that's a good time to also let you know that we have a project website, um we'll be updating this throughout the project. I will also put that link in the chat for you guys right now as well, um so um I wanted to thank you guys all for making it tonight. However, I do understand how meetings can be challenging and you may have friends and neighbors who aren't able to join tonight.

A

So please share what you learned tonight or direct people to our project website for them to view the recorded meeting when their schedule allows wanted to ensure that everybody's conversation feels comfortable tonight and that everyone feels as if they're comfortable, sharing their questions and comments. um Please be respectful and mindful of others time so that everybody has the opportunity to participate once you've submitted or asked a question. Please wait till others have had a chance to ask questions as well before submitting another one. You can always set up a separate side.

A

Conversation with me and email me and we can set something up um also just want to ask that during the presentation portion, if everybody could keep their um their selves muted. That way, we don't have a lot of feedback, so everybody can hear um couple zoom tips. I just want to make sure that everybody. um I know we've all done a lot of zooms, but tonight we're going to have a couple different ways that people can engage with us, um we'll be sharing a short presentation and have open discussion at the end.

A

But in the meantime, if a question pops up in your head- um and you want to make sure that we, you know have it for the discussion or to ask in the middle um there is the chat button at the bottom of your screen, um should look like a text bubble, icon and you'll be able to send us a message that way.

A

So if we could just test that out and make sure that people know where that is just going to ask a quick question, if you want to pop your answer in the chat, that would be great, we're just curious. How often you visit the park daily a few times a week once a week once a month. um Maybe you only join for special events that happen in the park, or maybe you don't use the park at all but would like to see some changes so that you want to use the park.

A

um So if people could find that chat button at the bottom of their screen and share a few thoughts with us, that would be great, and hopefully that takes care of all the housekeeping information dev next slide. Please.

B

A

um Now on to the project, um we know it's hard to take time for the community meetings um in the evening, so I just want to say thank you again to everybody. um It certainly shows that this park is really well loved to see that we've got a good turnout tonight. So thank you.

A

um First, we'll introduce the design team and our parks team we'll do a quick project overview and then we'll get into our presentation of existing conditions of the park um and then we'll have time for discussion at the end, like I was saying after that short presentation, next slide, please, and for those who joined a little late, um my name is lauren bryant and I'm the project manager for um boston parks for this project, as well as about eight to ten others throughout the city.

A

Christine brandeo is our outreach coordinator, she's a great resource for general park questions and also park. Friends groups.

A

um I our design team for this project is um dmla and deb myers will be presenting for the design forum tonight and I'll. Let her introduce herself and her team at the beginning of her presentation.

A

Then next slide so tonight we're gonna be talking about mother's rested four corners. So hopefully that's why you guys are all here. um As you all know, this is an amazing park and it has so much potential, but we also know that there are parts of the park that are not well connected and there are spaces that are underutilized or not used.

A

The way the community would like them to this project is going to look at addressing all of that um we'll be looking at both the upper portion of the park along washington street and the lower portion along claiborne street. um I am curious if um people in the neighborhood refer to the two parts of the park by specific names so feel free to put it in the chat.

A

Let us know if there is, I tend to refer to them as the upper and lower terraces, but if there's something that the community already calls them I'd love to know that too the project is kicking off tonight. So this is the first thing that we're doing with the project so don't feel like you've missed anything.

A

If you haven't seen us before um this is our first community meeting and we're here tonight, so that we can listen to you guys to hear your thoughts on the park and to better understand the needs and concerns of the community. um Like I said it's our first meeting, which means we haven't designed anything. Yet um we aren't coming to you with any preconceived notions um at this meeting, we're going to talk about the park.

A

What we see what the designers have seen when they're out there talk about the scope of the project, um we're going to get a sense of what works and what doesn't and what the community feels like is important to save um and what needs to be upgraded or changed. um We understand that there was an unfortunate scheduling issue with this meeting falling on yom kippur and we apologize for that um for anyone that you know who is maybe missing this evening's meeting.

A

For that reason or others again, please feel free to pass along that the meeting will be posted on the project website. In addition, we have another opportunity to share this same information and gather feedback. Next week on thursday september 23rd from 4 to 6 pm we'll be hosting a pop-in at the park. um The design team and myself will be there, so we can talk through these same things um actually have some face-to-face interactions, which I know I miss um and be able to actually talk things through while we're looking at the park.

A

So we hope you join us for that. Even if you are here tonight um we're currently holding october 19th for our second meeting and between this meeting and the pop-up, and then the design team will take that information and we'll be creating several design ideas from what we heard um at the second meeting in october. We'll share those design ideas with you guys and um get your feedback.

A

Then we'll work after that to finalize a cohesive design based on everything, we've heard and then we'll host a third community meeting likely in the fall late fall um to share that with you and to hear your thoughts. Did we get it right? Did we hear you correctly? Will this be the park that you hope it's gonna be um so then, after that we'll finalize the design um over the winter and bid the project and then hoping to start construction, this coming spring of 2022 and the estimated cost of the construction is 1.4 million dollars.

A

So it's very exciting a really great investment for the community, and hopefully we can do a lot of really great stuff with that next slide, please, um and just so that you guys all know, there's a lot that goes into park design. So we just want to make sure that everybody is aware of all of these different things that come into play while we're going through a project.

A

There are community input which is super important and it's why we're here tonight and why we'll be doing our pop-in next week, safety and regulatory guidelines such as ada city of boston, priorities and parks and recreation goals.

A

Next slide, please, and during the project planning we like to prioritize expanding access to parks, so that more people can get to parks, addressing equity and climate resiliency, promoting public health and building strong communities next slide.

A

We also prioritize park, specific goals um which overlap with the city priorities and include the creation of parks which are accessible and available to all, provide diverse and balanced programming work with our communities and promote connections within neighborhoods and the broader city community.

A

So all of these goals, along with everything we hear from the community, are going to help lead us on this park design journey together. So I'm really excited and I'm going to stop talking now, because you guys don't want to hear me and I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to deb to start the presentation and just a reminder: please take and put something in the chat if you want to or we'll open it up for discussion after the presentation, thanks.

C

Thank you lauren um and thank you. Everybody, who's who's, listening in who's, taking the time out to participate in what I hope to be a very exciting, very rewarding uh public process um around the redevelopment of um of uh mother's rest at four corners. So so I'm deb myers. uh I started uh my firm uh six years ago, dmla and I have my entire team here tonight.

C

uh Jeff toma, another principal in my office, tim nickerson, uh who's tuning in from overseas, and I have johan g and chris mccormick uh in the wings uh furiously writing down everything.

C

That's said tonight, so I guess I really wanted to um kind of reiterate what lauren had said. You know we as a firm and myself in particular like I, I really can't design until I hear from the community hear from the users here from you know the neighborhood of what your issues are, what your goals are uh so tonight. You know we're gonna share our um assessment of the site. You know both in terms of opportunities and constraints, um but you know the park better.

C

uh You know your neighborhood uh better, no matter how many times um that we come to the site. um So we're really. You know it's a partnership, so really feel free to ask us questions and I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can next week.

C

So we start our thinking about a project or thinking about a site in terms of the context in the neighborhood, so mother's rest um is the big pink x in the in the middle of the screen, and we have franklin park um uh to the left and marina bay to the right.

C

We have you know the the neighborhood is bound by uh both. You know major highways uh as well, as is two different. You know our commuter rail and our in the red line train- and it also is- is right on washington street, which you know I've the few times I've been out there to the site. You know, there's the bus line, there's a lot of people coming through the site, both uh from the neighborhood. You know up to washington street, and then you know the washington street corridor down to the site.

C

So all of this sort of builds uh how we think about uh this park. Another diagram, as part of our site analysis, is the 5 10 and 15 minute walk again. Mother's rest is right at the heart of this diagram shown in in pink um um and then you know we have. You know within that five minutes that sort of easy walking distance. We have some community gardens uh both the fannie lou hammer, community garden, the nightingale um and then in the 10-minute walk.

C

We start to see uh parks that have uh you know some walking trails, um some sort of passive, open space, another playground, basketball, court, more community gardens, and then, in that outer ring we see you know some parks with maybe some more amenities. You know water play swing, sets uh picnic spaces uh and then uh harambee park, uh which has um more athletic fields uh and the same with ronin park. So this helps us also see where the gaps are.

C

But again we want to hear from you either in the chat or or in our discussion time about what you feel is working at this park program-wise as well as what we may want to try to incorporate. If we can so here is our sight in plan to orient you washington street, which is is on the high side and claiborne street, which is on the lower side, um the overall park character of the site. um You know this park was done. I think maybe 20 25 years ago it was renovated.

C

So there was some benches added. The stairs were increased. A lot of the planting that you see today was installed at that time. This this nice overlook, but there are there's some great trees, there's a main connector spine through the site and then, as you know, this upper plaza. As I heard um heard, the neighborhood calls it.

C

You know great views out to out to the bay out to the rest of that section of the city, so it has a lot of different qualities to it and I'd love to hear what qualities um you like about the park and what you think is is working so the park zones. As I uh said on claiborne street, we have the lower terrace, um which we'll we'll start to call the playground zone.

C

We have both play equipment uh for um the five and up range and then also we have um the younger kids from the age two to five. uh Both of these areas. The equipment uh is functional and safe. um If not, you know, maybe a little outdated and maybe not as exciting as some of um the newer equipment out. There there's also um a relatively flat lawn area um that has some nice trees and shade I've seen um some small groups exercising and and doing some stretches there.

C

um We have the accessible kind of ramp that goes around this knoll uh to get us up to the base um of that play area from claiborne street coming in from washington street um again.

C

This is aptly named by um by jen, and the chad is the is the plaza which um that's exactly uh what it is, and it's a really, I think quite successful, or maybe quite you know appropriate uh location for an area for people to gather, uh to watch the sunset to to watch fireworks, to um sort of gather, but there's also some nice more intimate spaces. You know spaces for picnic tables uh and some benches and then also what I think is a quite interesting and unique gateway.

C

uh Arch um securing the the top of the site.

C

So the park views I touched a little bit. I I'd love to hear if these are important to to you as I as as excited as I am. You know the first second and third time that I showed up at the site, but you do uh you know, even with the mature trees and the density of the neighborhood uh in the in the residential um homes on claiborne street. In that neighborhood, you really do get a wonderful uh vista, and this is, I think, quite unique.

C

um I mean the city of boston has elevation change, um but I I have noticed you know the few interactions I've had with people in the neighborhood. You know people just coming here to um enjoy themselves on the way to work people coming at the end of their day or people waiting to to meet people on the bus. um So I think again I would like to hear from you on whether or not um both the quality and the size of the spaces, but also you know, what's important.

C

Is this view part of the identity to the park? um Is it something we really want to preserve.

C

So sun and shade, as landscape architects, we, you know we have to balance a lot of different um things, both both science and ecology, with how people use spaces uh codes and safety. um But for me one of the um I mean you all know how hot it, uh how hot it was. um Some some of those days uh this summer we also had a lot of rain. um So when we look at the site, you know I'm looking at mature trees.

C

Areas where we have shade shade is really great in the summertime, and it's also you know. Sun is also you know powerful for for growing things. um You know for vitamin d, uh but also how to balance um having places in the park that are both full of sun, but also places uh where we can cool down in the summer, so that ends sort of my analysis of the park. um Lauren. Do you think it's a good time, maybe for people to chime in or should I start with um the questions.

A

Yeah, I think people have general park comments, because one of the things that we're going to get into in a few minutes is sort of talking about the future and sort of how you see the space and things that you might be interested in. So I think it might be a good time to sort of um have people chime in whether it's the chat, if you're more comfortable or if you'd like to um raise your hand, we can call on people and have them unmute just that everybody's not talking at the same time.

A

um But you know people want to talk and are comfortable with that we'd love to hear directly from you guys um comments on what you heard things that you want us to know that work. Well, that don't work well things that you hope to see here or things that used to be here. That aren't anymore.

A

So, please, uh please feel free to chime in we'd love to hear from you guys.

B

Feel free to raise your hand, and I will um let you unbeat yourself cj. You can go ahead.

D

Hey good night, everyone, uh I really appreciated the comment about the lawn area where people usually work out frequently uh older men, including myself, also use the playground for age five and up to work out also, so if we could find a space for some type of um pull-up bars, dip bars something kind of similar in some sense to what almond park has. That would be really great.

D

The area is frequently used by other guys to work out too so that'll be really cool um and then, in terms of the elevation, I don't know how much we could do there, but I do love the fact that there is a hill there, because it's great for just like hill runs and stuff like that. So um those are my comments. Thank you.

C

A

You thank you and- um and it's really helpful to know um the parks that you guys see things at that you like so thanks for letting us know that you, like the ones at allmont park too. That's really helpful.

C

Yeah exercise has been on my mind and.

E

You cannot mute yourself thanks christina. uh I had uh my kids here, um I'm montana wanda itself, and I had my kids here in 2008 and nine, um and the thing that I promised other parents I'd bring to. This is just being really sad that there aren't swings at this park um that it was the thing that uh the immediate vicinity, um sometimes they're too young, still to do the play type things which we're trying to have some level of getting them exposed to the parks and the outdoors and stuff.

E

um So even if it's just two bucket swings and two strap swings, um integrating them would would be really nice for uh people with younger kids. Mine are older now, but it was something that we walked to town field for, but that felt more challenging some days than others. um I do think that the space that you're talking about for the exercise area has been really like. It's it's not very coherent like we like, we don't have it.

E

It doesn't have a purpose which is is fine, but I feel that means it ends up getting under utilized. So, taking some of that space for some of the passive, more adult-based recreation type equipment um feels, and that way it would be shaded too, where preserving things like the plaza for really open space for community events without burdening it with fixed immovable stuff, though the telescopes would be a great addition and wouldn't take up much space.

E

um I would finally say that it generally feels like, like it like the 20 year ago, attempt at accessibility um and both in terms I just would really love to see it more.

E

Welcoming and capable of being used by people um who have different um movement disabilities. What like the null around the edge like railings or markings or being able to tell where the grade is changing and stuff. Those have concerned me over time- and I know like my father-in-law's like 96 now, and he won't go up there anymore because he's afraid of falling um so, whereas he used to for a while ago, so I know, there's new techniques that you know much better than I do about making parks while coming in that way.

E

So I just want to emphasize that those of us who see that it's not working perfectly, but we don't know how to fix it, um appreciate you, including that in your design, proposals.

A

Thank you jen. I really appreciate your thoughts, especially on the accessibility, because it is something that boston parks really tries to do is not just meet ada but to go above ada and to try to make our parks as inclusive as possible. So I really appreciate that you're thinking through all of that, as well.

C

You know wonderful, wonderful feedback, teresa.

F

Good evening, everyone um I chaired the united neighborhood association as well as sit on the main street board, and some of us members from main streets as well as una, did a walk through a while back and like cj said. We definitely think we need exercise equipment and I think it should be a separate space from the playground and, like jen said, we definitely want a real playground. We want swings. We want slides, we want what other parks have and some of our community members even thought.

F

A sprinkler might be nice, and I have pictures that I can show you next week at the pop-up. My daughter goes to a park in east boston and it's really beautiful and she's like. Why can't we have that in our park?

F

um We definitely want the upper part of mother's rest to be able to have yoga.

F

um Maybe some kind of seating where we could have concerts and poets in that kind of stuff definitely want to incorporate the telescopes as marilyn said, because we have such a beautiful view, and we also would like the lower part at the very end, not the end like going towards dakota street that little space there. Perhaps you could use that as a doggy park and that could be fenced off and separated, and it's already stairs there.

F

So I think we could just fix that up and make it at a nice little park where they are walking their dogs inside the park and not just all over the community. So those are some of the thoughts that we thought of when we did our walkthrough, I'm looking forward to hearing from others. Thank you.

A

Thank you theresa. I really appreciate all the comments.

B

G

Good evening, everyone, um I hope.

B

G

Doing well, I'm excited about um finally um being able to to participate in just looking at our um open spaces and helping to um design or co-design um what it could look like and how it would benefit everyone in the community, and so like teresa said. I too am on the board of main streets and um through our walk through. We looked at every piece of that uh park and actually designed it ourselves, but we're gonna.

G

Let the whole community process work, but um yeah like right up at the top of that beautiful overlook um to have the telescopes over there suggest you know it as as part educational. We have a couple of. We have three schools in the immediate area. I think it would be beneficial to have the schools come over and utilize that space use telescopes to learn about the land around them um and then all those hills that are kind of like underutilized.

G

They have some plants there, but for them to to do some more planting and to maybe put like edible garden um things in there. So you know berries and different things like that. Theresa mentioned the dog park on the end, for maybe the smaller dogs, or something like that, um and yes, absolutely.

G

uh You know more more play area for the kids and sprinkles, um but also thinking about how we can use some of that space um specifically for seniors. What what can we put there? That's gonna! You know that the seniors other than just benches. You know they they can lift their legs. They can do different things too.

G

So I'm thinking about putting um structures there for seniors thinking about a space where teens can sit and perhaps have like um um stationary uh checker tables or whatever it is that they play whatever um having um uh solar panels so that there could be. um um You can charge your phone charging stations for your phone and what have you, and that would also help if you were doing like exercises you can plug it into you, can plug your whatever device there um and get your juice from there to do your exercise.

G

um I absolutely love the way that garvey park and I think um I think that lauren told me that you you did that park. I absolutely loved that park when you walk in even on the hills, how they created the the the rock climbing looking thing.

B

G

You know and then on the dog park way down at the end, and then you know we don't have like the ball feel, but there is so many everybody uses. That part I mean it's it's. It was designed well and if uh folks haven't had an opportunity to go down to naponzit street and take a look at garvey park, I would recommend that you do because um it has everything and more of what we could have over here. But ours is unique. Those stones that are sitting up on the top.

G

um We talked about how historic, uh four corners really is: there's a lot of historical buildings in the area and maybe engraving and having a little um history about what what what's in the immediate area. But you know like the lucy stone school. I don't know what they call it now, but it was the lucy stone school. It has um like very good significance um um and I think that it's something that the kids can benefit.

G

Everybody can benefit from there's so much history in four corners, and this would be a great gathering space to learn the history, but also to do all of those things that we spoke about and um dogs are part of people's families too. So there really should be something there, the sprinklers. All of that, so um I can go on and on, but I will stop right there because I think you get it.

C

Thank you, marilyn.

A

Thank you marilyn. I appreciate that and thank you for the comments on garvey. It's really exciting and one of the things that makes that so exciting is. We did have a really great community process there and a lot of really great community feedback, which is why we ended up where we did so. I'm really excited because it sounds like we're. We're headed that same direction with you guys, which is great, um and I did just want to really quickly. um I know that we have a hand up. um Then I want it.

A

We're gonna get to you in just one second, but I did just want to let everybody know that it seems as if our chat has been bombed with some inappropriate um comments that I know are not coming from the people whose names are associated with them. So, unfortunately, for right now um we have um locked the chat for right now, so I apologize for that so for right now we are not going to be accepting um comments through the chat, but we'll be accepting them verbally and hopefully we don't have any other issues.

A

um So I just wanted to make people aware of that. In case you're trying to tell us something on chat, that's why um it's been disabled for the moment, so I apologize and um loomis. Is that how you pronounce it sorry.

H

That is correct, loomis city, yes, hello, everybody, uh my name is loomis loomis elaire and I am new to boston as of june and I'm new to tanawanda as of um august 10th um just moved in I'm sorry, no, I'm sorry, not even august 10th.

H

That's when we closed, but we moved in last friday um and when we first saw the park me and my fiancee were excited, so we were very appreciative for this opportunity to just be part of the conversations to um shape what this park will look like and as we thought about it, we haven't even walked up to the park, yet so I'll be there for the um the poppy and pop-up uh one of the things that I I always think about. I'm a tree person.

H

I don't know anything about trees, I don't know name the trees, but I love trees and I love water. I love the look and feel of trees. So, if there's anything I would add to this that hasn't been um discussed. Yet it is just the um the the the walk up to the park, especially from town awana. That's the view I see is um just interested to hear the thought in the trees and how they will be part of um the landscape and in terms of how we see it and experience it.

A

Thank you, that's great. I I agree. I am also a tree person. My kids laugh at me that every time I walk anywhere, I'm constantly looking at trees and touching the leaves, and so I I get it and um I think that deb, you guys, I know as we get into the design, can really talk a lot about that. um But one of the comments before we jump into the other couple hands that are raised um in terms of just parks policy.

A

We love trees too, um especially the shade with you know, climate change and everything else. So, in terms of trees, the one thing that I will say is that what we will do is we'll have our city arborist come out and take a look at it.

A

um We'll look at you know the health of the trees, um we'll look at what kind of pruning we may need to um to do to make sure that we continue the health of the trees, so you know pruning any dead wood out pruning for future growth so that we can keep our trees healthy um and then obviously there is always the possibility of adding more depending on the design.

A

So iris, um I think you had your hand raised next.

B

I

Okay, yes, um just coming off of of the gentleman before me his statement about the trees, I think it would be really interesting also that there was information about what those trees were. It's you know, I think it's really important for adults and children to learn to identify what's around them um and become in that way they become more interested in maintaining and and becoming a part of the space that they live in.

I

That's all that's great.

A

Thank you for that suggestion. Iris. That's great um jen.

E

I just had two quick historical notes to inform. um One is that the original award maps show tonawanda going through to washington street, so the park was, I don't know that was I don't know if that was a paper road only or if it was developed that way and then to park, but um but it tonawanda was a through street in its original layout, um and that tanawan is one of three streets in dorchester and to my knowledge, boston, but I can't be sure of that that was lined with ginkgos.

E

So when 1910 to 23 is about when the houses on tonawanda were built and at the time they they planted the entire street with ginkgos um and most of them survived so they're 110 120 years old about half of them are female, um but we coordinate some urban harvesting.

E

um When the fruit drops each year, I try and get it out on my craigslist and stuff, like that, um the trees that were between greenbrier and clayborn, we don't have as many street trees there and I know it's the outside of the purview of your project, but I think it's part of the approach to your project and getting more street trees in that block again, um would help towards the city's tree canopy goals generally.

A

Absolutely and we're actually, we've been looking at and I can point that out to our tree crew is that they've been looking for suggestions from the community of where we needed to add more street trees, so I'll make sure that that gets added and they may already be looking at it, but I'll make sure it gets added to their list. So thank you, jen for that.

C

Yeah fabulous fabulous information.

A

Does anybody else have any general thoughts or comments? I know that um deb has some images just some precedent, images, not things that we're suggesting, but oh well. We can get back to that in a second, then um carl. You um feel free to unmute yourself.

D

Thank you, my fault guys. Last thing: oh no.

A

That's why we're here.

D

I appreciate it up the stairs when you see that the um the wall of the first flight of stairs, um I think, it'd, be cool. If you know there was like a mural or some type of art from the local artists um in that area, I think that would be cool um and maybe not that area, but just in general to add to the park.

B

A

B

J

Good evening, folks, uh this is marcos from four corners main streets. uh Can you hear me.

A

J

Great thank you uh yeah. I had a couple of general sort of comments about sort of things to you know that we may want to keep in mind.

J

I think that um I I would agree that the um it's important for the um the park to be more welcoming and what that means to me is uh certainly on the washington street side, maybe set back a little or you know include um like formal flower beds that can bring some color to the space uh and and better frame uh the you know, the plaza and those spaces that are there.

J

I I definitely see the upper the upper level part of the park as sort of more passive and and and lending itself to sort of multi, multiple types of uses. Events, and what have you um and certainly the the lower part, has a lot of uh components that perhaps are a little more for active use. um I also thought that um you know just hearing about trees. I also uh think that it's important to think about you know the impact that these trees could have on creating defensible space.

J

um You know, I know that we we've been out there.

J

We've talked about whether the lighting- actually, you know, works with such a thick and healthy tree canopy, and so you know what kind of lighting would create safer spaces, uh certainly um on the washington street side last year, when we did a walk through, we had parks department, and you know we pointed out the fact that it, you know it's almost like a curtain, a curtain, and so you know again the the that raises a question as to whether more people would feel safe and would use the space.

J

If you know it was a little more more open- um and I think also just uh you know the importance of creating um you know more, a more inclusive space. I think that jen spoke to sort of um multi-generational sort of populations being able to use it, but also uh multicultural populations being able to use it and whether the the you know the the elements um sort of are welcoming of um of multiple cultures. And what have you right? um I think the plaza area is is also just um you know.

J

I I I we've certainly done some programming there um that little slope the green slope, the grassy area, right before the the main circle, um you know again it'd be great to have sort of um terraced space that can serve as sitting like in formal sitting, for uh you know, hosting uh events and performances on on that space and in thinking about what it would look like if we incorporated um some kind of ornamental uh canopies or pergolas that can sort of create some level of shading as well.

J

But even um you know, land some protection during during rainy uh sort of days when you know when you have some um sort of questions as to whether to host the event or cancel and so on and so forth. So um just some. Those are some thoughts that that I wanted to put forth. Thank you.

A

Thank you, marcos. Those are all really great comments and thoughts. I love how thoughtful all of these comments are, and it just goes to show how much you guys really really love your park, which is which is awesome to see. um So I think we can jump in. Oh marcos is your hand still raised from before, or was that another comment.

J

It was one final comment, the other piece that again this may be a far-fetched idea, but um you know certainly again, the the upper part of this park is on the main street right in our on our actual main street, and um you know we thought that um um that that perhaps considering uh a kiosk of sorts on that upper level, where you know that could be perhaps in the summer time run or maybe year-round run by some of our youth.

J

But you know with sort of some key um sort of components like maybe selling, like very basic refreshments, um providing a way for people to check out uh board games. You know so that you know thinking about families that may feel like. Well, I don't want to log all these things out there if I'm taking the children, but you know just no people knowing that they could get that as opposed to then trying to figure out what the closest convenience store is and so on and so forth.

J

um You know we have snapchat right next door as well, which again it's like a great partner for for some of our events. So um I think that that may also add uh an additional element of use, and um you know, I think, lend itself to to more people using it more consistently. Thank you.

A

Thank you and um marcos. I think that that's a really interesting idea and as a parent I will tell you, I love the.

A

I love the thought of having to lug less stuff to a park, um and I will also be completely honest that I don't know if that's a possibility or not, but I think it's a really interesting idea, and I think that, especially if there's a group like four corners main streets that might be willing to potentially partner with parks on something I'm very happy to ask some questions and see if that might be a possibility and report back at our next meeting too. So um thank you for that thought. It's very interesting!

A

um I'm sorry, I feel, like I'm gonna mispronounce, your name mila. Is that correct?

A

K

Okay and yes, I'm a resident and um the former lead organizer for the greater four corners action coalition and I um grew up there in four corners um so spent a lot of time in mother's rest park.

K

I got on late, so I did not hear the presentation, so please forgive me. I just saw the email to join um one of the things that I was thinking was um you know when parents bring their children to the park, uh they you know having some, maybe some parent exercise, equipment or some fitness equipment or something in the park might be a great thing, also the lower um the lower area on claiborne street next to the playground.

K

We've done some events and had yoga and things out there, and it was really great to have that grassy area and to keep that area um before things like that. I think that that would be a great continued use and I did not see the presentation, so I don't know what you said, but um um also actually having some covered space uh as marco said um kind of a little pavilion space covered area where people could get shelter um from the elements.

K

There's also the fact that um in the um in the winter in december, around the holidays, you know there's that that the big christmas tree and the christmas tree lighting and things that happen.

H

K

So uh people really want to maintain that opportunity, but you know I I think that you know when we have events around the the circle we've done. Art displays, we've done dancing, we've done all of that, maybe really like building up a little more of a little bit of an amphitheater kind of space there for the performance area and maybe having a few more tables out in that area that are like, maybe covered, but I think adding some more trees is really important.

K

I also serve on the urban canopy commission for the city of boston community advisory board, so uh the more trees are better.

K

I I think, adding more trees is great, just making sure that we, like maybe put some solar lighting to make sure that any um the lighting uh would have um stored capacity similar to what common square neighborhood development did in the parking lot across from daily table and had gray gray sky solar, uh that um for the lighting in the parking lot to make, you know four corners, a greener space with more sustainable um uh type of lighting opportunities. I think, would be great so.

A

K

A

And I appreciate all those comments and just I'm wondering deb. If there's any way, we could jump back really quickly to the timeline slide, because I do know we had several people joined after the beginning. So in terms of all those comments, those are fantastic and where we're at with this presentation for any of those that joined a little bit later, is that this is our first meeting and we don't have any designs yet, but we're just here to take that feedback, um and also we know that not everybody can join us tonight.

A

So we want to make sure that people know that we're going to be taking feedback from email um as well. As you know, people can find this presentation on the website we'll be posting. Both the video and the slide show as well as meeting minutes at the beginning of next week. um So people can view it and send comments to me via email, which I'm gonna put in the chat as well.

A

For those of you who may um have joined us- oh no, I can't um I can't so actually could we christine um enable that just hopefully long enough for me to put this in there for people you can.

B

Still put it they just no one can.

A

There we go okay and then also for those um who joined a little bit later as well. The project has a project website, and I am also going to put that in the chat, um so just want to make sure that people knew that they could continue to give us feedback and then also we're going to have a pop-in at the park on um thursday of next week from 4 to 6 p.m. So people can also join we'd love to see all of your wonderful faces too, if you're comfortable, um so don't feel like.

A

You can't come if you already came tonight, so I did just want to make sure to throw that out there for people who came in a little bit later and then jen. I know you had your hand raised and then deb, maybe after that we can jump into those next slides too. So.

E

I just wanted to ask how the proposed budget was arrived at and if it has flexibility, because if deb's team creates a wonderful design that we love all the elements of like who do, we need to um shoehorn to make sure that you have the funds to make it happen.

A

That's a great question and in terms of budgets, what typically happens is our team at parks? Does an initial estimate without a design right, that's just very knowing space, knowing our parks, knowing about the square footage price per square foot of what parks typically cost that have whatever the same features are that are in parks. um We put together a preliminary estimate, put a contingency on it and that's what's requested from the budget office.

A

So that's and sometimes it changes right. That goes through the whole budget process. It goes through city hall. I don't know because, honestly I don't, I didn't. Do the original estimate, I'm not sure how this um compares to what the original estimate was. Sometimes it comes back more. Sometimes it comes back exactly, um but then what happens is that goes through the whole city budget process and gets voted on by city council.

A

um So that's that's how that works and you're right, 1.4 million dollars is a lot of money and it's a huge investment, but it never goes quite as far as our imaginations and everything that communities would love to have in their park. um So that's a really great point and I think that once we get a little bit further into the design, we'll really know how that value is shaking out based on what we hear from the community.

A

But in terms of your question on additional money, there are always things like cpa funds, um things like requesting additional funds for from city council. All of those things are potential possibilities down the road. Once we see how far this budget is going to get us with what um with what the community is excited about, does that help jen?

A

C

So, thank you all, for I mean just incredible uh insight and ideas. um So some of these questions you all graciously answered already but but we'd like to also and we'll have some of these images also at the pop-up next week.

C

um You know images that either generate ideas or also say. Oh, I don't you know, I don't want to see that at this park, so with the chat enabled, I think I'll I'll speak to these images um and maybe go lauren, I'm not sure when the cutoff is for the meeting. I can either go through all four.

A

We um we're scheduled through 7 30.. um I also do just want to throw out there um for anybody who may not stay the entire time, because that chat is disabled and I apologize for that. um We just don't want to have any other inappropriate things put in there. My email address is there.

A

If you would like to be on my email list, I tend to send out emails throughout the project when our next meeting is a reminder about the pop-up next week. If there are big milestones or if we do a survey which we could do to send out to the community, um I can send those out, so please feel free to email me if you would like to be on that list normally.

A

I would just ask you to put your email in the chat, but I can't do that right now, um but also there is a link to be able to email me from the project website as well. So anybody that you know that wasn't able to come tonight. They can do the same thing and get on my email list as well. So I did just want to throw that out there thanks.

C

Lauren, so there is a large playground uh component of the project. um I heard most that um sort of everyone that I commented so far that they'd like the playground to be focused on the on the lower level. um So if there's people that feel like there should be play on on both levels, that would also be a great thing to hear, um but I think we'd like to use uh the grade to our benefit, but there's opportunities you know: do we want to add water, both maybe in fountain form or uh still water?

C

The the image b is one where you know kids can manipulate the water and it can run and flow. um You know image. A we have a slope, um embankment slides are are really fun uh c shows um an image of a you know, a structure that has some height to it, because we have that hillside it. It could be really fun and we do have the the room to go taller.

C

um He speaks a little bit to that. I love the idea of the the board games and the kiosk.

C

My teenagers have been obsessed with ping pong, so I always try to see if people want to want to have ping pong in the parks, um but you know tables to you know. There was a lot of great comments um about age groups, so I really um want to think about seniors. uh I want to think about teenagers. I want to think about the the smallest kids, but also you know the adults. You know I I still like to play or exercise.

C

So we can talk about those things but there's and we can get also into more detail as we go into more design about materials. You know: there's lots of great wood equipment, there's lots of great steel equipment, um there's and then you know also we'll we'll go into more detail uh later about different types of play, um both from mobility and sensory discussions and and certainly accessibility and making things as welcoming um as possible.

C

I like this image um g, um I'm also, you know being a designer. I love graphic things and I love manipulating uh pieces. So there's a lot of equipment or things that create noise, create music move with uh with wind, but I think it could be great to integrate some art and manipulate pieces for for all ages.

C

So, what's the park's identity, um I was so happy lots of folks shared about some of the history, both of the neighborhoods, some of the history of the of the street and the ginkgo's coming through. um That's just causing some a lot of ideas to come up into my mind.

C

um You know: is this a park that we want to create more green space? Is it a park? You know we already have a certified gateway.

C

um Is there an opportunity for art, um a neighborhood member mentioned a mural? I love that idea. um You know kobe used the staircase, um you know it definitely needs some repairs um and we're hoping to to create more terraces, uh but likely there still will be a connector. uh That is a stair um you know. Can we make it more lively uh with art uh image? Six?

C

Is um this fun idea about creating spaces with within a larger open space, feels very reminiscent of um sort of a fort, or uh you know, ways to sort of add some fun and color uh within the park, uh and certainly if there are any walls, um the idea of of number four um they literally painted park on the wall, um but there's lots of ways to sort of create.

C

You know it sounds like this: neighborhood is so invested um in this park. So let's, let's make it unique. Let's make it uh very much a park for this specific spot, um so I'll be looking to you to to keep feeding me all of those ideas.

C

um So how do you relax, uh there's lots of passive, uh passive and active ways uh to also use park? That's beyond play, um you know. Are there opportunities, for you know image eye at the top, some some tiered seating. You know whether it's for performances, whether it's for teens hanging out or parents, hanging out watching kids run on a lawn.

C

Is there exercise equipment? I I love that so many of you brought that up um is there space for for for yoga? For um other sort of you know high intensity workout. um I would in my younger years I might run the stairs uh with the gentleman that mentioned the hill workouts um you know, and how do people get you know, is the site welcoming uh you know: do people come by bike? Do people feel you know comfortable bringing you know all ages uh through all periods of the of the parks day.

C

And then a little more, more detailed and and also just some general uh qualities of the park, um I've heard people mention more tables.

C

This has become especially really um necessary, um as especially as we've you know, had such limited space in our homes. The parks have really become um extra living rooms, extra study, spaces uh extra places to to host your birthday party.

C

I love the idea of identifying the trees and giving some signage about the education of both the neighborhood and the trees, and maybe you know, there's opportunities to uh encourage some other wildlife to come too.

C

I want to make sure that any seating we provide is versatile, but that also meets the needs of a variety of users. This speaks to the inclusion piece. You know something that's comfortable for for seniors, something that feels uh you know great for for kids of all ages. um So again I'll I'll push you all um as we get into more detail on the design to really you know, tell me what what works for you and what?

C

What doesn't um and I'm really excited- because I I can just tell your your everyone- is so engaged and so thoughtful that this is you're going to make our job so much uh so much easier.

C

um So that was the end of those four questions. uh Lauren, do you think we should open up to more hand raising, and I can flip back and forth.

A

I think that works um feel free to go ahead and unmute.

J

uh Thank you. Thank you for that.

J

um Just a couple other thoughts that came to mind as I was watching these uh slides and um you know I I completely forgot to uh reach out to um folks from the schools program, because uh we had had a conversation about just the importance of um you know this space also serving as an outdoor classroom, and uh you know, there's so many possibilities, because when we think about like even the water- and I think about you know just uh my you know my time, you know in peru, where um you know you had aqueducts and that that had been there for like 300 years.

J

You know just from stones, and uh you know when we, when I heard you talk about the um the the water features. I also you know I. I could totally see that happening because of the slope right, um but but more importantly, also about the water features or just the use of water is that you know.

J

I think it would be great to have a an underground cistern that can capture water to be used in the park if they're, if, if we're bringing sort of water elements to that to the space, um and even if we're not because I think that you know we can capture rain water um and then also again thinking about spaces that you know can conserve, as, as you know, sort of uh more quiet healing spaces, uh including you know, some kind of a small healing garden, um whether they're spaces, that can also acknowledge uh ancestral stewards of the land.

J

uh First nation peoples. um You know- and um I think that yeah just also thinking about um perhaps at the next meeting you know inviting uh some of our local schools they're trying to you, know sort of make an effort to to invite some of our local schools to just um you know. um You know capture what what how they can sort of also be active users of the space. You know it's, it's really important. Thank you.

C

Thank you, marcus marcos,.

A

So did any of these images um make anyone else, think of anything or things that they liked or didn't like here or things that gave them other ideas, iris feel free to unmute, okay,.

I

um Color more color, that's what we need in there. Also there's it's just I mean the green of the trees is lovely, but what's what's hitting me from these slides is is color it. It brings energy and um attraction.

I

C

Thank you iris. I I like color as well, and I know lauren- does.

I

um The other thing that I had thought of as well, while we were talking about putting murals and and art on the stairs and whatnot, is as a local artist and knowing that there are other artists, it would be great to have some sort of community participatory event or project to put those colors up and designs up on wherever it's thought of to put put them anyway. um I think a community art project would be great.

A

B

A

Here frantically writing down notes too. Thank you. Thank you. Iris.

G

Hey yeah, I, like the whole, um just the art piece of outdoor art and um thinking about. I don't know what that is where the guy is standing with the tall things that are colorful, but um what I was thinking um in in way of art and they taken out of school is like music having some type of structure like in a xylophone or something like what that man was standing in front of that.

G

um I don't know if, if that could be something where I don't know it like, when gets into it, but it chimes differently, so that so that you know young people well, kids, but but anybody could could learn like sound, just something that kind of focuses on um the senses. So we we're hearing we're seeing we're touching we're, maybe not tasting, but you know just you know something that focuses on music and sound and make it colorful.

C

Thanks marilyn, there's actually a sys. That reminds me a lot of this chimes that we've uh installed on playgrounds uh and it comes with a mallet that uh you can create music.

C

Great comments, thank you.

A

Mila feel free to.

K

Something that um I really enjoy doing is going to um lawn on d yeah in south boston and um long on d is so much fun because it has games for grown-ups and, like you said well, you know we're always going to be the child who we were inside of the body that we're in and so we're always going to want to um play in some way. That's why we attracted little children to go outside and play with them when they come into our lives. You know um because that that child is always in there.

K

So I I like the idea of ways for adults to engage and have some level of play like some level of fun, um and yes, definitely what yes iris. I love the color color thing color everywhere. We need to just really like liven up that place, paint the spit stairs paint the ground paint, whatever paint a mural.

K

You know put some color in there and then have some places whether it's um like they had big huge um games that have like life-size like chess pieces or something that you could move around and you know so grown-ups and kids and teens can go and play. I don't know where they go after you finish playing with them, but um you know things like that are like really great and and that slide on the side of the hill that is amazing, uh to go and slide down that hill.

K

I always wondered what we were supposed to do with that hill is such a hill. You know, but I think the slide would be great too, to have things like that. So that's what I have to say.

C

Thank you so much, I think, we'll let you go down. First, at the at the opening.

A

um Jen feel free to unmute.

E

Someone messaged me and asked me to make sure to mention uh the request for something like for better bike racks and a bike repair station.

E

Though marcos would know better than me, I think blue, where the nearest blue bikes is I'm more familiar with the dorchester one, and I haven't tracked it around that corner, but anything that helps active transportation to and from the park.

A

And I know that the um btd has been putting in more blue bike stations lately they just put one in on american legion by franklin park. So I know that they're, putting um putting quite a few in I'm not sure where. But I know, they've got a few more coming up too and they've.

E

Got those half-sized ones now um which they didn't have uh back when I don't want to use a valuable plaza space to it, but there might be a full a a 12 month, a year space connected to the park where it wouldn't have to be pulled.

A

B

A

um Marcos, you have your hand raised again.

J

Yeah yeah, the the the hub bikes, are just uh two blocks over, um but I think that beyond uh just getting some of those, I think again it would be great to have bike racks um for for families to be able to secure their children's bikes while they're, you know they may bike there or what have you and uh just having space to secure that's important yeah. I was also um you know that image right there on the lower right hand, side every time. I look at that.

J

I think about um you, know being out in, um like vietnam and and and seeing those prayer wheels, and you know we- we have a large vietnamese population.

J

You know within just uh you know that that the neighborhood like not too far and again, just thinking about ways that we can both uh learn about each other, but also acknowledge and affirm. uh You know who we are where we come from, uh that it just does something to to consider.

J

A

Thank you. That's an interesting correlation between those that's great.

C

um If no one has as other comments I I am curious how people we've talked about welcoming and making sure the park feels welcoming and and defensible. um How do folks feel?

C

um I mean there is sort of a fence semi part of offense uh on washington street, and then there is a portion of fence um not completely enclosing the play area, um but you know sort of defining it enough. um So I'm curious. If people have thoughts, I know that might be sort of a detail thing to ask about, but I'm curious if anyone.

C

Maybe nobody nobody's really interested, um which is also fine like how would people feel.

K

I wasn't going to comment on that. I was going to say something about the fact that the park is in a spot where there used to be a silver and pewter manufacturer, and how could we incorporate some of the history of uh work and play and manufacturing and like really kind of putting some plaques uh about the history of the actual space, because I from what I know it was actually in that very spot or it might have been, like, maybe a bl uh a spot over or something.

K

But it was somewhere right in that general vicinity. I think it was called gleason silver and pewter manufacturer. You can google it if you look up silver and pewter on washington street.

A

um Okay, that's really interesting.

K

Yeah there's some interesting history, and also the tanawanda street is tanawanda is uh some of our indigenous uh first nation people um in upstate new york, uh so maybe the history of tana wanda, and who that is so that we could know who some of you know what are some of the the historical reasons for the naming of the places in that community.

K

You know or telling a story about the governor's mansion on mount bowden or whatever.

B

K

Things, like that add a little history into the park. I think it would be great for people to like be walking through and then look up and see something written like similar to what you have like around massive station. Not quite that intense.

B

K

You know that that's a lot of writing, but I mean just little little snippets here and there, whether it's on the ground, whether it's uh some insets of metal, uh you know into the concrete of the walkways with little plaques, maybe telling stories about or other people artists in the area or something like that.

K

So I was totally not talking about, but.

A

Oh, no, that's quite all right. That's great we're just trying to give people ideas of things to give us comments for so it's totally fine that it was different. um Gary you've got your hand raised. Do you want to unmute.

L

Hi, yes, um so I don't know where I saw this. I saw this somewhere where they.

H

L

A like a live streaming camera that was posted on a post or something, and so people could go to a site and just sort of see like a bird's eye view of the park and they'd be able to see that oh there's people there playing cornhole or ping pong or whatever's going.

H

L

And then might attract them to go down when they see more people there, but it was also a fun way for people to just kind of like keep checking on their park to see. What's going on and there's a large number of people are not there, but anyway, I don't know if it's possible, but it's just a thought.

A

I think it's an interesting one. um I don't think I've ever had that one suggested at a meeting before so it's always nice to hear new ideas too.

A

Well, I'm happy to stay on. I know that we're about 15 minutes before our scheduled end, but um if people have more comments feel free to stay. um If not, maybe we'll see you guys um next week at the park on thursday, the 23rd from 4 to 6. um again feel free to email me if you'd like to be on the email list that I send out, um I would happy to keep chatting if there are people who want to stay.

A

But thank you guys so much for your time tonight and especially for your excitement about the project. It makes it even more fun for me. So thank you.