City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Trees & Greenery Committee, 8 Mar 2023

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From YouTube: 3.8.2023 Trees & Public Greenery Committee

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3.8.2023 Trees & Public Greenery Committee

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Okay, I will call the um march 8th meeting of the trees in community.

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Peter rice, thank you. um We have the minutes of the february 23rd reading uh any questions.

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Corrections well written okay,.

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uh Commercial alley- and um there are advanced numbers.

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uh So I always have to be waiting thanks, dave good morning.

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I'm here again for another tree removal request. uh We are working collaboratively with.

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Pretty much every utility company that works in the city this year to do a um an upgrade on.

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Commercial alley in market street, so there's two different things going on, but we're here today for.

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Commercial reality, so this spring about a month from now um eversource uh and uh their partners.

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uh Consolidated home companies like comcast cable company are going to be running conduit through.

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Commercial alley and the reason why they're doing that is to remove the overhead wires in commercial.

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Outlets, so when the city redid market square back in the 70s early 60s early 70s, they moved.

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All the wires to the back streets order street got wires, police street cut wires and hollow gun.

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Wires, part of that that happened was that they still had to feed some of these buildings that.

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Are in commercial alley, so what they did was they planted? One pole in the middle of commercial alley.

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And then, like a spider's web, they go out to all the different buildings and a lot of those wires.

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Are actually traveling over other buildings and that no longer meets the electric vehicles.

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So eversource is funding most of the work in commercial alley. The other two companies are.

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Are subsidiary to them they're paying for a little bit of it. Basically, the sniper sports project.

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And the project entails.

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Digging from market street, where there's already underground power was installed last friday.

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Used to be and from those sources underground, power will be fed through commercial alley and.

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Then they'll literally uh so all the time around, eliminate all the old wires and each building.

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They'll core the wall they'll penetrate into each building underground, so that um there's no wires.

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Of commercial island, the reason why we're here is the city here: project in commercial reality that.

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Most of you could probably remember, uh I know I do because I was there and it was difficult to work.

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In commercially because it's so narrow, but uh back about 14 years ago, I guess it was we. uh We ran a.

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Drainage commerciality, because before that uh it was like a skating rink in there every winter, all.

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The downswells came down and the whole thing was ice all the time. It was completely inhospitable.

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And uh when we did that, we were able to get around the tree that we're here for today, uh because we.

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Ran the drain pipe about this far off the building on the other side, and we were able to get through.

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The tree roots so um and then we directed there's a lovely picture out from the in the.

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Interest rate of city hall, it actually shows the tree here so that we're talking about today, but.

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um That tree is has gotten larger um the bridge surface.

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That we built is still heating up, because the tree's getting bigger the roots are getting bigger.

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And the surface no longer meets code as far as green, it's too steep going sideways here. If you're.

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In a wheelchair, if you're in a wheelchair- and you were going through that alleyway or like that.

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Saturation, but the ada only allows us to go at a quarter of an inch of the foot. That's the maximum.

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And velocity to build out slope: that's there today is probably the smaller four or five inches.

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So because of the 88 grade issues, and because we have to run risk document, which is.

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Around 85 inch tubes through there.

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Plus the two sets of conduit for the comcast and the consolidated so by the time you're done.

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You're going to have this package of conduit, it's probably about the debate. That's going to have to.

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Run closer to the tree now, because the drainage is still there, drainage still has to function.

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So we think that um in all likelihood the roots are going to get impacted to.

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The point that the tree will be unstable and may fall if we were able to get through there.

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um So that's issue. One is basically unstabilizing the tree because of the proximity of the trunk of.

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The tree to where the where the duck bag has to go and then the secondary issue is cross.

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Slope on the sidewalk, so for these reasons um we're here with our partner today, eversources.

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Is offering to take down the tree? They've tried to take down the tree before they've been here.

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About the stream before and because the overhead wires, they wanted to take it down a while ago.

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um But it was stayed at the time. So uh that's why we're here. Anybody have questions for me.

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Questions for david, okay! Thank you. Thank you.

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And david, it's corrected. She was here before yes, how many years ago, but.

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And um so, but none of them.

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For a different situation, um we have a motion to recommendation.

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Now that peter brought it up, it's even bigger. Okay. Thank you time.

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I think it's beautiful, I bet.

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And we've got the benefit out of it. For the last you know, 12, plus whatever 15.

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Years, if this bigger trench goes through you're going to lose, you know a good half.

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Roof uh so then the tree is doomed to you know some kind of future existence.

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Hey um lost at lane got into the roads.

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That's that's! How that's how you lost your time. John had had a sign up there. He is.

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Planning board, I ended up selecting that.

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um So that walker at the time, I think the courage to use a historical thing.

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Yeah, so um this is a basically a line of sight issue for the residents of walford.

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Lane leaving the road onto banfield uh just the line of sight issue, they've already gone.

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Through and machined out a lot of like the small brush, but this with these removes the.

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Website will be cleared up and then it will also allow for better maintenance.

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I think I posted four separate or five separate instances, but um one of the three seven three.

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One one stem is 10 out of that three. That's the first one, one of them's like a six to.

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Seven inch maple, you know further up that same side uh in the 171, the volkswagen on the south.

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Side of that yeah yeah, so I I didn't post every single instance, but it's they're. I mean they're.

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One thing so: it's I don't know yeah.

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If you can't write so you line up with the brain stake, somebody put in great stakes, you know where.

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You look at this, it's not where the stop sign is it's where you have to sort of creep ahead, to see.

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To see where you're going um but the trees are, you know they're right there, the challenges, citizen.

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Hosted um at a slower speed than actually people are traveling at it. So it's it's a very you know.

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It's a dangerous intersection, so when I was posting those streets I actually turned on to.

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Walter parks off the side and when I was leaving there is a bend if you, if you're looking toward.

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uh Beverly hill road there's a little bit of a bend in a car with cruising, and I was well out.

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Into the into being field to make my turn so I at that point I was like all right. This is.

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Practically a no-brainer for us, if it's helpful for for the residents to be, I mean it's yeah.

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Anything that I'll put them out, you could talk to a few people just because I know them foreign.

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And just again the maintenance piece: it's it's difficult.

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And I'm speaking to some inner watershed, the operators who operate the machinery.

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That student brush clearing it will be a lot easier for them in the future to.

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Maintain that area and get those streets around so it's a long journey all right. Okay,.

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I'm hey landscape.

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What do you guys want last time.

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So it would be nice, uh it would just be on my my cell phone yeah.

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It's nice to be talking about planting trees,.

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Russell street.

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Building mixed use for purpose development.

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And so I gave you a couple things this. The second package is the final submission. The.

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Package in the front, which is more or less than this for this conversation, um and so I'm going to.

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Refer to the illustrating package, so I included a slight plan just so. You've all had a field where.

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We were talking about so you know we're doing you know. This is essentially about spring trees.

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That are along maplewood on the left-hand side, those string trees are in tree grates.

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um Due to the narrowness of the sidewalk between the setback to the building the travel way along.

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So forth and then the other trees are in more opposed to raise money. We've got more explosions.

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I have some back and forth with max about kind of layout.

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Pretty spec, selection and so forth, so he encouraged us to mix it up a bit more.

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Than I probably had originally and I think yeah we've got a broader blend of trees, so.

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Again, I think, there's there's three degrees along maplewood and then, as you turn along deer street,.

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um Adjacent to building number one we have raised tree plants or continuous, raised tree.

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Plants are there and again we try to for the input trees in as much as possible for their.

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Health um and so because there's not a particles and so forth the oil rates with the trees you.

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Know continuous plants between all four of the trees, then you know the rest of the way down on.

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Deer speed is building two. Those are those room raised planters, but they're individual partners.

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Then, at the corner of russell street and beer street we have an open kind of a civic open.

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Space and there's a lot of great change that occurs there, so there's kind of seat walls in.

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Which we're incorporated sequels and stairs to create access between street level and.

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Plaza level uh inboard and using that as a way of introducing planters there, which will.

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um Which will frame that building space and then, as you move further a brussels street.

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Between buildings, two and three, we continue to have street trees up along that ditch.

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Then um we have a also have a public space that is kind of a continuation of this kind of brand.

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That lay through the city that starts with kind of an african memorial and continuous up through them.

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Go on mall and so forth that portable in place and continues up here and we call it the muse.

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And that space uh has two kind of seating areas off of it and the idea is adjacent to building.

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Two we're in a ground level parking we're introducing them some trees to make that space.

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So that was that's kind of an overview and turning to page two.

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This gives you more of a view of okay: what are the hidden species and where are they located.

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So then, um on page two you're kind of doing that same walkthrough on maple maplewood we're looking.

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At putting in regal print soap, which are more of an upright decision trade again, given the kind.

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Of the nature of the road vehicles travel right along the curb lines. We wanted to make sure the.

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Trees were more vertical, so the next one being clipped and they're, not starting, so that species.

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Their advantage internal law, deer street from the kind of dark blue, it's the it's three sweet gum.

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In the raised plants are adjacent to building number one, and that is kind of sort of right.

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The next, the next layout and so the layout here, we kind of use the corner of deer street and russell.

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Street that has a center line because then use that public open space it's a center line. It did.

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A layout, so it's kind of symmetrical off of that, so that the three trees at the corner of deer at.

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Russell are ginkgo, so they thread that open space and then to either side of it. There are two.

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Nature and then to the right of that and to the left.

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Of our kentucky coffee, trees and those are in the light blue color.

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And then um further down russell street, where it's market street, uh we put uh four hackberry.

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um Kind of at that, at that corner of their section down there and if we come back to the muse, we're.

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Proposing to have um some great work along the building there bracketed by um witches good winter.

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Color there and then in between billboards two and three um there's a little open space wave or both.

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It's a shear pedestrian particular space there at the back of that we're proposing some dogwoods.

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Growing in the planters I mean.

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Or the root system, in our experience it does, it would mean the idea of kind of having a little bit.

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Of a raised plan too, because it then it avoids people walking around them and try to provide.

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A skill too, it was just as well, I think we've got. The planters who are like 16 would be one by 61.

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So it's a continuous run. It helps a lot because it's dead space set. You.

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In the middle yeah that keeps all the sidewalk plows and shovels and all the.

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All the banging- and you know all that kind of stuff away, so it does fun, run.

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I forget the name of the um expansion areas that go on a sidewalks.

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um Are you putting them see the cells around um any of these? It's just it's just.

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We've had good experience with the civil cells we've found that sidewalks haven't settled.

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Around them, I would, I would recommend people get doing that I mean there's no overhead utilities.

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um Along this area, there's a potential for the trees to to grow for quite some time.

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um So I would think you know giving it's the best chance possible would be beneficial. These.

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Are the three like the three purple spot, those one continuous open bed correctly yeah? So it's like.

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If you look yeah, there's a sidewalk in between, if you look at the black and white cigarettes, yeah.

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So it's detailed three on age.

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And I think that's exactly they're doing well. Are those.

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uh I'm not, I don't think we have much to do with or a lot right, I'm not entirely sure.

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People yeah for what it's worth, we've had really good success.

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Planting the regal of variety for our planting applications in the city so.

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I really appreciate uh right now the witch hazel, so I really appreciate you.

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Hello kevin um and the kentucky coffee tree. I've read that that's poisonous to dogs, a.

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Bark to bark- I don't know, I don't know. If that's I just read that I don't know.

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If that's something that you think about exactly the first I've heard of it, yeah.

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On city trees,.

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um To be nitpicky, if I could ask the question about one of the perennial choices, because I can't.

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Really see where they're going um the lily turf units from an invasive plant, so I'm just wondering.

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um In terms of variety of spaghetti, it's probably I mean it's underneath the street.

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Trees, I mean often we plant that because we find it yeah. We have this very durable.

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It would be contained within that granite, curb agreement.

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And using an urban conditioning, so it's not going to get out of that scenario. It's.

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Basically, within it's in a street treatment in the pregnancy, so there's not just bear.

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Okay, some kind of magic made in this context.

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The matched probably means so that they have a similar look in the past size and yeah yeah. So.

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When you're going to select them with the nursery, but you try to get what I said and it could be for.

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Those through this relationships, ideas that depends there's four of them in that space.

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That's more of a note to the contract, trees and followers of the trees.

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I think we are explicit. Selection is good. I'm not aware of only one accurate said.

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In part because I've read in the 1990s, the harvard yard.

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Had a lot of trees removed.

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Our students replace them that we have a very good patterns.

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Yeah they considered very urban. It's just that good in finding that it's hard enough.

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We don't considered a message. This is probably a previous one.

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My favorites, I do want to apply to you for your choices of native plan material.

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I was really thrilled to see that pat and I did uh you know zero in our literally turf.

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um Pretty not too quickly actually not looked around, but I really applaud that. I I just as.

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A sidebar uh of any um guard club of america is working on another initiative. This season.

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Is to make people related planned month, and so we've sent some proclamation to governor scenario.

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As well as everyone across the nation, so this is right up uh everyone's out mentor benefits.

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Thank you. I appreciate it. This could be a really nice template.

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For other developers, as far as I'm concerned,.

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Awesome presentations we've ever had. Okay, uh it's very clear. I, like the connection to the.

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Workplace, I know some people, not people unstable, but people of lament was awesome.

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And I say, oh you mean yeah, it is a great mall. You have four acres of pavement, not a damn treatment.

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What is this timeline? What are we talking about? That's a good.

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Question yeah sure, okay they're trying to work through pricing.

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Construction questions, I think, there's the civil or civil engineers are still working with the city.

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With severeign, it has a final approval. Is goodness? Yes, it isn't it motion properties? It isn't.

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I have to say I was one of the naysayers on the original proposal and was not part.

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Of the lawsuit, however- and uh this was so pleasing to see um the uh osha properties.

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Come in and then they knew what the problem was in the beginning and they they just attacked it.

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With separating them, 600 foot long building into three and which was even one more than.

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We had hoped for what chris thompson owned: the property so yeah right. This is, I mean.

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The properties privately owned and it will be developed, and this is the best we could.

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Hope for I think the engine will still be big but um and I'm very happy with it.

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When um so, if there is a big departure from what you presented since this is so far out.

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Do we get to look at it again or yeah, if only if they change the proposal of what's.

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Been already been proved, it was likely to be an administrative change unless it was.

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A wholesale you know unless they were doing a significant change unless this committee.

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Does not approve this if you say right now, you're not approving it, you have to come back.

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Any other questions comments.

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I I moved to approve.

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I would have put it in that we're approving this, as I think it's a.

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Great plan we're just going to work with max because there's got to be something.

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That I feel bad to actually never go so they're gonna have to change the speeches.

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You know, painting is corrected me or just informed me that there was adequate soil.

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Volume I looked at that they're keeping open trenches, simple cell, is a way to.

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Keep an open transferable rate when you put in a lot of sidewalks and a lot of papers.

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um You know milk crate on the ground very expensive, no great underground.

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um But he did keep an open, completely open trench. So the open trip solves that by donation.

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Where did silver cells been done in the city? uh You know just we just had no room left, but if you do it the whole way between face building and back.

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uh We get as much as we could on those pretty much around 360 around it. You know such as curb.

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Line and into the forward and the sidewalk and it worked out well yeah, you know I'm not seeing.

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Any settlement sites been [music] yeah, it's been since we did uh state street, which was.

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Yeah we haven't done too many, we've done a couple, but we haven't done too many. So.

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It's good to hear and it's a sign of our stock box yeah. That's what once the issues.

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Building your sidewalks properly, you know which one you know a couple of.

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Times right, but that's good to hear that it's not settlement.

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Aj, that stuff happens similar maintenance when it does.

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Such a condition 2.1.

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What exactly is that just uh that's site approval.

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um You know when that goes to the planning board. They have. They have approval with stipulations, so.

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It's stipulation on that. I don't know what that is. So it's it's listed under item three. It's proposed.

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Three to be explained in detail and planting species will require approval from the trees.

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Absolutely yeah.

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It's implanting um cities, 400th, so yeah, so peter aj myself. We have a meeting on the books next week.

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uh Final preparation for the tree giveaway, but we'll finalize all the details. There.

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um Yeah, I think, okay right, it really is yeah, absolutely yeah. So the day before.

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Easter, I believe, yeah okay, uh celebration of living river, all the above yeah, appropriately.

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Yeah, so we're we're feeling, I'm feeling really confident.

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I can't speak for either too, but uh I'm feeling really kind of feeling confident.

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Yes and what are the numbers.

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How many, how many signed up so far, so I knew we were over 200 right. It was certainly.

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Yeah for sign ups, just to improve los angeles, I think it's. It wasn't like a guaranteed tree, but it.

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Was to learn more or to be uh um to be forwarded information once we know more so for that next.

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Meeting we'll talk about having stephanie yes and send send out all the information to everyone who.

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Signed up and I'm sure it's, those numbers are even greater now, uh because several weeks have been.

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Asked since we had that last updates, so I imagine we'll be able to give away all these trees no.

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Problem, I have no doubt great yeah and then, as far as our operations uh yeah we're getting all of our.

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Materials together we have I've locked in all of our sites we have to. I have to shuffle some around.

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Because uh this leads into uh what the actual arbor day plan is for the 28th is tentatively.

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Planting 13 trees down at little harbor school with seat posts, students for sustainability, a.

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uh The student reach out asked if there was an opportunity to involve herself and others.

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As a day of service sort of thing, and realizing that it's too good to pass it up and have them.

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um And yeah we found 13 13 sites for trees. So that day the 28th is a friday school's out.

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um They're on spring break that entire week, so it's it's almost like the stars.

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Are aligning to have a cool opportunity for some students and we can all be a part there.

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And do the proclamation and everything down at the school, so it's starting to bring you to them.

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Yeah, not letting you know david steal that proclamation for me.

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Yes, absolutely yes,.

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Yeah aside from that, I think, I think we're we're sitting really well with the with the 400 police.

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Yeah well, can I just ask, um since I went down to look at this this project here on deer street and.

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I was having a burger at the burger bar and I was looking at those seven trees that are just.

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Pathetic yeah, that's what happens when I first I mean so when I first started working here over.

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Three years ago now that was the first thing I noticed, as I grew up in the city just because.

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I you know, I I'm not local, so I never really had been to portsmouth and I noticed that entire trip.

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And it's just these big rapid, looking trees and I talked to chuck baxter the reformant.

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At the time- and he said yeah, those aren't even a city-owned trees and we really have nothing.

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To do with them unless uh something breaks out and it's over the sidewalk or in the road. That's.

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Really, the only time we've ever responded to that to that area um and working on this plan was kind.

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Of a nice full circle moment because I talked to the planners like I've- actually wanted to.

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Do something about this for quite a number of years, so the fact that I now have the hand in.

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Helping guide this is, is really neat so yeah, but I guess but um yeah I've been wanting to.

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Address that for a long time, if you have some suggestions about improving those yeah.

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Very responsive yeah, it's it's been a very cool cooperative experience. For me. This.

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um Blanking on his name already, but we we had it back and forth for something like a.

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Month and a half that's going over species and being real intentional, with our selections and.

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How they designed it? Oh sorry, on the side of the screen, the trees that are out of shape as to if.

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You have seen a couple of them on. The other side was suggesting that a very good trade.

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uh Yeah so that we've already talked about removing and replanting a lot.

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Of this and those are all sweet young varieties, um I've already spoken with vincent hayes uh he's one of our I'm planning, uh inspection, yeah.

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Or site site development compliance person. Thank you. I've already had many characters ever since.

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Yeah there we go and we're we're very we're well aware of this either those trees are in and if.

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I haven't seen anything happen quite yet. I think they were waiting for spring to pull.

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Those and replant them and that's something I'll, be um very included on either and the same thing.

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With all these other projects, that there's a language in here says that I have the right to.

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Refuse any treatment, good or planting is into our standard. You can have it pulled, and replanted and.

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Done properly so you don't have to consult with the morgan. I don't know my destination.

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Item five is um frederick laurel homestead; okay, the back one for this.

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um I am challenged to create, I created freedom, the challenge and creativity, but deb.

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um At the last couple meetings after seeing the the.

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Program with geometry for us trying to increase just hey, maybe we need to help aj come down.

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And give us a little lesson on on um tree identification level, communication, foreign.

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But what brought me to homestead, aside from knowing about him for years when I took my tree.

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Courses is um well two things we were visiting our son in uh western mass and visited the smith.

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College and walked the grounds, and I realized that that said, olmsted design and then I happened to be.

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In the library looking at the new non-fiction books- and they came across this one, because I.

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Will pass around, which is basically just uh a snapshot of all the states where there are.

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Different properties that he has created had a was an instrument in developing, so I bought.

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A copy because I was overdue and returning the other one and so um I'll just pass around these.

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Which is also just the list of his properties, and I will just spend it a few minutes talking about.

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uh Olmstead um and hopefully I won't bore you because many people know of him, but last.

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Year was in 200th birthday, and uh so there was celebration nationwide tree planting.

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um So when I was doing a quick dive into his life, um this is what I learned. So he was born in 1822.

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In hartford connecticut and that's where he is buried, um his mother died when he was four years.

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Old, he was not a serious student, he sort of moved around to different ministers to learn and uh but.

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He never stopped learning, even though I think it's not a student. um His life experiences educated.

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Him more than books, he was a gentleman farmer, he was an emergency and he traveled to china.

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For a year he was a journalist, an abolitionist conservation and artists, a prolific letter writer.

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And a visionary, most importantly, um teachers endeavors. Some were very agreed from this vision.

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The safe is a gentleman farmer enabled him to understand soils and drainage, which was.

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Necessary when he was developing essential farm, it's traveled throughout the staff of.

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The journalist for what was then a very young new york times led him to becoming an abolitionist.

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He co-founded the nation magazine and was an early voice against slavery.

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As a child, and until he was 16, he traveled with his father on horseback in search of.

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Vistas throughout new york state most influential, though, in his vision of landscape architecture.

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Was his trip in 1850 to liverpool england, where he visited birkenhead park in america at that.

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Time, cities were growing industrializing, they were not healthy and they were not fragrant.

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Those of means went to their country's state and the workers remained in the cities where.

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There were no parks because they didn't exist at that time. People use cemeteries for parks.

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And they would picnic in cemeteries. I thought I wrote about this so for homestead birkenhead park.

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Made a huge impression because it was the first park created by the publix money for the people.

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So in 1857 this is seven years after he visited the park. He became the supervisor of central park.

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And a british-american architect named albert fox convinced olmsted to join him.

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In a competition for a plan to how to develop the 775 acres and they won the competition so.

C

They remain partners for many years, although vox hardly received the acclaim which olmsted did.

C

They accomplished more together as a team than they could have accomplished alone.

C

So um again for central park design, his impression was what he saw. Birkenhead.

C

So during the civil war, few years later, he served as head of the sanitary commission.

C

Which was the precursor to the american red cross? He then went to mariposa california and managed.

C

California's largest gold mine and then he also began conservation efforts for yosemite blocks.

C

Condensed homestead to return from california and they created prospect park in brooklyn, which was.

C

Then I believe, the third largest city and they wanted a park that brought an old central park.

C

Parks but park systems, and in buffalo, which was also a booming city uh olmsted, created.

C

Three large ones, which became america's first park system parkways, were tree-lined.

C

And threaded the city's neighborhoods, the result was more of a city within a park.

C

He created the grounds for the chicago world, fair in 1893, which the monumental task.

C

um There are way too many words to recognize, but the public access to goat island at niagara falls.

C

Is something he worked on and we all know of the emerald necklace throughout boston.

C

That goes on for giving many miles. um Olmsted believed that parks should be.

C

Active with people, but it should provide respite from city life.

C

And most of all, he believed that clark should be democratic and- and that is really.

C

um What his vision was again based on what he saw for urban head. So, while he's considered america's.

C

Father of landscape architecture, at the time there was no formalized course of study in this.

C

Country until he helped her formulate one and his two sons were among the eleven who founded.

C

The american society of landscape architecture in 1899., his work was prolific and a lot of it was.

C

Carried on by his sons under the name of olmsted brothers, so that the olmsted name lived on for.

C

Many years beyond his death and he's 1903., and I will say um it was uh when he was 75, I believe.

C

A few years of his life, we spent at mclean hospital in waltham.

C

Also developed ics before so um it was just it was sort of like this came full circle because.

C

My mother also spent the last couple of months of her life at mclean hospital and I before she.

C

Was ill and they both had dementia, like that's, why they were there. But um I remember because.

C

We lived in the suburbs of boston, admiring and playing grounds and and all of his parks, the ones.

C

That you've had the pleasure to go to what he was striving for was that you would have this antidote.

C

To city life that it provided this contemplation and this peaceful and calmness that you don't even.

C

Realize is happening and then, when you believe me sort of identical experience, I would say.

C

So um so matt is a brief, very early hard to sum up his life and his expectations and accomplishments.

C

But he explained that the very reason of for being of the park is opportunity for pleasurable.

C

And soothing relief from building from building for other purposes and begins than the park in so.

C

Of course, thinking about that and coming back to portsmouth are we already incorporating olmsted's.

C

Principles and we have so many components in the city thanks to many of you at this table,.

C

um That, I believe, are incorporating his principles, and- and so I I think the question I have is and.

C

We're also doing work in the cemeteries, which is fabulous, and um so they are also considered parks.

C

In a way, even though today we don't think they'll come that way, but I mean and might believe added.

C

So many trees over there to cemetery and it's it's it's just a beautiful place for people to have the.

C

Safe impact of olmsted's parks, so can we thread our neighborhoods, I'm trying to think of how we.

C

Can do this better and have all of you discuss it? Can we can we connect our neighborhoods better.

C

um I mean our market street extension uh improvements that were there just beautiful.

C

And every time I jog down there, I smile and that that's kind of the same vision on the parkway.

C

um That olmsted use so can we make improvements, and what do you think.

C

Where do we go with? Are we happy with what we've done.

C

Where what we're planting a lot of trees, but it is there a vision as to an angle.

D

So one thing we could look at doing potentially bringing a map or figure.

C

In highlight the green spaces and parts um throughout the city, um and if there is.

D

A logical, you know, I think you know, I think, about connectivity. I think about uh equity.

D

um You know and allowing you know, and specifically you know typically, I think about this in the terms.

D

Of you know, pedestrian bicycle connections. um You know there are areas city that are islands.

C

And they're trapped by roads and they can't get to places. The same is true for them to be able to.

C

Appreciate green spaces, you know: we've been very fortunate with the expansion of little harbor road.

D

um The green space is there that have become you know, as we all experience sacred ground for many.

C

People, but there are a number of places in the city that you know. Jones avenue is a great example.

C

um The railroad corridor, which is currently uh the contract, has been selected in the department.

C

Of transportation has a project. This can start the spring to create that bicycle rail trail.

C

And that is going to open up a lot of green space for folks down near me. End of the town.

C

um And the idea of that connectivity um and, to a certain extent, the recently completed recreational.

C

Master plan looked at that it identified green space, they identified parks and it looked at.

D

It looked at connectivity and looked at uh radius of reach for each of the areas.

C

um So that's a decent starting point uh for the committee of those things that you know and and.

D

The vehicle to to do that first would be. You know, you take a figures, come up with a vision and then.

D

If there are projects that are connectivity, projects or expansion projects, things like.

D

That the committee could then say: let's have this brought forward as part of cip. You know.

D

There are monies every year set aside for parks playgrounds, so there are funds available out there.

C

um If the committee is interested in kind of you know creating a different vision, I I feel like.

C

You know you all do a great job. um You know advocating for the green spaces and trees.

C

It's a logical extension what you're doing, because the open space committee was trying.

C

To do some of this work and they were talking about the bike guys like that, because we've.

C

Provided them maps of our facility deployments in the website, there's a there's, a group that.

B

Are doing some of this with some previous city planner, you can send all that actually yeah yeah.

B

So there was the open space committee, the ocean space plan, the the existing council.

D

um Is looking at parks and recreation vision, which you know frankly, I think this I think we.

C

Have pieces we don't need to create another committee, uh it's just a matter of you know.

C

Powering the existing entities to realize that they have that. That was going to be a question.

E

um As I cut up at the end of the last meeting, um you know it's written in minutes, but the.

E

Discussion uh where the governance committee was looking at that, I didn't know that that had had.

C

um Any discussion within the last meeting here of as peter said, there was my discussion of whether.

E

The green space, um the greenery space, comes to increase the greenery and kind of the open, clean.

E

Park space, or that goes to the rec department or where that goes, and I didn't know what to do.

C

With any more discussion at the last meeting on that and or what this committee felt about of a.

E

Potential expansion of our roles- past just threes and green areas to include potential open spaces.

E

Sorry we want to highlight here is the adopt a spot that would still underestimate the.

C

Adopt a spot, I think that's that's, been a wonderful community service, like my garden.

C

Club be participated and we've been doing it for eight nine years. We did a little kickoff.

C

We talked about pollinators, we talked about natives, we talked about biological partners.

C

How we could all kind of thread our neighborhoods first of all, neighborhoods to the larger community.

C

um And then, when covid came, it became even more important for people to and those became very.

C

Useful I we did have, who was that woman that headed up the dog just thought program when I.

C

Sort of brittany or she's not here any longer, but having one person sort of as a touch yeah.

C

Corn, I believe, is still a point on the adopted spot. The challenge is it's to a certain extent.

D

It's it's not extracurricular, but it is beyond. What's day-to-day stuff is so it's hard right.

C

um To do that um on a consistent basis, we used to have an annual appreciation um and we had talked.

C

About potentially doing a kickoff this year, um just to kind of refigure it yeah, um you know again.

D

It's on top of a lot of other things that we're trying to accomplish. I mean we've got a lot of.

C

Stuff and you know their great ideas- yeah, it's a matter of bandwidth and I know it's not a.

C

Great expression, but it's a matter of our research having the resources to be able to accomplish all.

C

These uh all these things and do all the other stuff that baseline work that has to do right.

C

But there is a lot of civic pride that comes from it uh and people we we're right. Now we were on. We.

C

Were on, um I went state street down in the corner. You know that's where we first originally started.

C

On state and um oh my gosh, I mean I came around the corner. One time we spent 200 and there's like.

C

Crux thing: right: in there I was furious, so we moved and now we are uh um at the entrance of.

C

The north cemetery did so many people come by. They talk it's a real center of activity. It's.

C

A good green ambassador moment for our club, so I I do think the adopt a spot is a a way to maybe next.

C

People um I know that it reports with smart, but we also talk about connected.

C

Walkability we talk about cooling stations of trees. You know those types of things.

E

The conversation that it does feel like some of our open spaces aren't necessarily utilized.

E

Or competitive is going on in the discussion for that type of thing, that isn't recreational.

E

That isn't the sports fields and things like that and so there's it seems to be as peter.

E

Descent, the conversation of is there a committee that can take on that or does there need to be.

E

A separate committee, personal opinion would be to expand the role of this committee to include.

E

Parks um versus handing it off to the rec department or to community as peter said.

E

I don't think we need another committee, I think we have the rehab the resources and.

E

The talent within the communities that we already have so it's like.

E

I'm not sure if anyone went to discover news: okay, yeah. I watched watched it um after that.

C

Yeah pat mentioned the market street extension.

B

I mean city in the west 25 years. It's just been involved so much, um you know and it really.

B

Makes us think that you know we really got to be vigilant and keep going, but it's and whenever I.

B

See something like the the uh those things any of these, including the things that was.

B

Somebody's idea- and um I was surprised when he owns the thing that we weren't all facts before.

B

Before 1860 or whatever we had, you know cemeteries, which now we realized hey. That's a pretty neat.

B

Thing and michael, doesn't you know all over this plane, but just that isn't an asset and.

B

Then we had problems in england, but most of them were gone, um but the idea of um you know.

B

Recognizing what we have and how to improve it, I mean I I'd be curious about one of these.

B

Discussions but dick would probably know the history of all the parks in boston. Why is why is.

B

There a um any of these parks company, whose idea was it and the city in the last several years. We.

C

Did every work, I think, remember david moore and better project, and um so um but I I it's.

B

You know the best thing belongs to the swansea bad boy. Just looking in that book in exeter.

C

Units that people are really going to be looking for outdoor spaces to join in.

C

um Yes, an activating winter outside is another wonderful thing where you have too many fire.

C

Pits and there's a lot wooden benches are luckily I know it. I would love it outdoors.

E

A

See, but that would be something that maybe next year it does turn into something of a.

E

Community event, I know that other community is much smaller, but I know it's milton and.

E

Farmington and they're doing everything new birds: they become little community together. Food trucks.

E

With benches are very important.

C

During that time of year,.

E

A place of social justice, it's where you know the guy that owned the factory and the guy that.

C

Works the factory past each other and enjoyed and were people it was all accessible and the.

C

Well-Being that parks provide for urban settings, especially during covet that was.

C

Punctuated even stronger, so I I'm definitely the other thing. They're imagining social justice is.

C

uh When central park opened, women were able to bicycle and ice skate. Oh not freely, yeah.

A

C

To walk to the something in your neighborhood and the other great mountain national product is great.

B

But multiples can't go there every day and I think it's. It also highlights him up. We didn't sign it.

E

I think it one of my favorite cities to visit is savannah and part of it is the 21 parks and.

E

How they're all anchored by a community, whether it's a synagogue, a church, a jail, a courthouse, a.

E

School they're all anchored and you just walk from one to the other to the other. But in fact.

E

About that, I'm here to put that on there most every park has a statue in the middle most of.

E

The people are are correct. Most of the people are not correctly labeled that are buried underneath.

E

There as they as they've redone these parts over the last 20 to 30 years and they've done the.

E

Enough dna testing- and they found that they are most of them- are not aligned with who they think.

A

You know, and it's really it's lovely to just walk and you go through big.

E

Shops and these buildings, and then you hit another park, there's rest stations and there's water stations and unless cars, in a way, I always feel like.

C

Yeah you have to stop and turn and go yeah. It's trying to call me like out. I.

C

In portsmouth, where I feel the most as though I want an homestead property is at the urban.

C

Farm yeah, you really get that sense. There are different types of areas where you can.

C

Walk and their choices, you have the water, you kind of forest to have the arboretum.

C

It's it's. um That's the feeling that I think walking and also the property gives to anyone.

A

Thank you. It really is really important than what we do.

C

More than you know to peter's point is you know this committee would be actively evolved.

B

More actively involved with the parks would be very beneficial so like they.

C

Created an outline, but I don't think, have a specific plan to go forward immediately.

E

So one of the things word of caution and the reason I'm I've been kind of like adamant about.

C

Don't go too expansive said: we've worked very hard over the years to to break down silos and.

C

Barriers like this is our characters, and this there was historically a lot of redundancy in.

C

Terms of the work that was being done in there by not doing nobody's doing it well.

C

um And so we've worked very hard to put it on the partisan maintenance and recreational.

C

Maintenance, the infrastructure side of things has been has been consolidated under you know,.

C

Our group she's agreeing these parks and cemeteries group and the the move to create.

D

Another department, with its own, with its own equipment, with its own staff, with its uh it.

D

It will dilute, I think, our ability to do the work. So I would you know, I'm I I don't think additional.

D

Committees are necessary, I think the existing committees have the interest and the abilities.

D

And also just don't fraction, don't don't create separate entities that are, you know if we need.

C

To do a better job, maintaining something that's great, you know, give us clear policy direction.

D

um Saying we want you to do more on this. Here: are the resources to do that uh versus saying.

D

We're going to create a whole new group, that's going to mold parts versus mo ball fields which.

C

You know roadways. I heard the other night about council tabor made a statement about creating a.

D

New department, which is not my I was just like- oh okay, you can do that. That's your choice!.

C

But I would not recommend it yeah, I guess to to maybe clarify why um idea would be that.

E

We do not do that 100 and that we we find a way to. I think um I think the pieces speaking.

E

Correct word, but make sure that it is covered by committee, which I think is the governance.

E

um Committee's concern is that they feel like it's a little bit of a of a gray area and so saying.

E

That yeah we have you know this automatically should already potentially follow the purview of.

E

This group, we have the infrastructure, we have the way that staff maintains it and just kind of make.

E

Sure that those two things speak, I think as well so just more communication amongst what we have.

C

Established what one thought could be you'd have representative from the rep committee attend him.

C

You know so have a designated, so somebody within the committee attends both so that there are some.

C

Product communication- I think that's great, I think so. That's a great start. Yeah yeah.

C

Well, that's that that was my concern and then by creating that it's all of a sudden. That's one more.

C

Yeah for parks and recreational, we already happened right. It's covered.

C

It's just making sure that everyone feels secure, so the policy vote's not being met.

A

I think joe has a new business too. Yes, so um I promised I want to bring many debates.

E

But when I was stick to that, um I feel as if the um have way too much paper. That is.

E

Presenting to us every meeting, not actually this, this would be a book, but I normally this.

E

um So I don't know- and I know that not everyone has an ipad or or access to things, but I don't.

E

Know if there's a way of of reducing every time that we get a plan, whether it's just online, I.

E

Know obviously, this is well prepared and said that would go out. That notes are not. You know.

E

Always but just looking at maybe going forward trying to set some type of internal policy to.

E

Reduce the amount of paper that is, I know that sounds silly, but no it doesn't it and I I wish we.

B

Didn't, in fact, I guess it's been some of the stuff max my x mac x, max at the end of the last week.

C

um Hey um if you've got the plans and some xm, then I sent them out, but.

B

um We need to foreign, [music] but I think maybe when they come to you, um maybe um [applause].

B

um You know there were all sorts of screens or no six year olds that can open them up. If we I'd.

C

Rather, have a chance to look at stuff before a meeting on the screen and there's just one.

C

Copy yeah and, frankly, we're doing folks. You know it's nobody online right now, but they people may.

C

Check afterwards, there's no presentation that has that information on it, so we can work internally.

C

To try to type that up, okay safety, we have a presentation but how's all the attachments, yeah.

C

So that's something that max and I will we'll talk about figure out how to support that. Absolutely.

C

Is that what we that was brought in front of us uh last fall about freeze and.

C

uh Yes, student park, so that's going to be covered again tonight, so good to listen off.

C

Earners yeah the more adept serve. It's it's a um it's a pre-construction meeting, meaning you know.

D

Here's the design that was already discussed already reviewed, already approved we're moving.

D

Forward: here's how it's going to happen! We're going to tear up the street from here to here.

D

We're going to be parking the excavator in goodwin park, so people are going to freak out because the.

D

Dogs are going to be yeah, they are running around it'll, be protected by a construction fence, but.

D

They'll, be they'll, be a lot. You know putting that piece of equipment in that park every day.

D

um So it's really a coordination with the people who are impacted directly.

D

um So that you know, if you have a delivery, if you have a special event, you have you.

D

Know needs you know whatever your needs are associated with it and also talking through.

C

Sequencing instruction introducing the contractor introducing our inspectors, um it's an opportunity.

C

For you know, people to express their concerns or interests, but mostly it's uh here's. What.

C

We're going to do not asking you, but I've already asked him: there is no yeah, there's no refining.

D

That we've talked about last fall is just that's.

C

The same it's moving forward, great just curious, okay, okay,.

C

So, just for everyone's knowledge, we are having that land surveyed.

C

March 23rd for the cemetery behind south street.

E

Have we heard eddie? I know there were like two residents that really opposed the request from.

E

The cemetery committee- I don't know if it was an opposition of the request, it.

C

Was more of the expressing their concern with regard to the trees being removed.

C

Which we hadn't determined based on not having the the survey, so it would be able.

C

To mark those three following yeah once once, we have an idea of where what we're looking.

C

At as far as property, we'll go through and determine what what should should envisioned.

C

And that that was never easy.

C

C

What was that being asked? Yeah and that's? We took care of it, they seemed happy when.

A

They left and they continued to work on that one we'll keep them informed. Absolutely so, michael.

C

Did you have something I was just curious as to the overall condition of the increases.

B

Yeah, uh I think we lost only three or four of those trees that we replanted.

C

um What plans to replant this room, so maybe anything else.

C

I mean we're going to go out and inspect all the all lasters playing things this spring.

C

See if there's budding anything like that, usually that's we give about a year before.

C

We, unless it's so evidently dead, that we just remove it and thread in there so we'll give it.

C

A little bit of time to try and establish book something out salmon falls is already replaced.

C

So we are also replanting. Those this spring as well as part of the 200 uh that dpw is, is.

C

Committing so that's, I think, we're out outside of the contract for that project. As my understanding.

C

Is we have now inherited that entire project, so at retrieved all the terrapin everything is now.

C

Warranty curry tower there, it is warranty period is over um and the uh the cleanup at spinnaker.

C

um That's not the city that is the managed company of spinnakers the the tree removals.

E

Yeah, that is us this friday, actually yeah. So uh our crew, we're gonna, go out and sell for electric.

A

Yeah so any other old little uh intermediate businesses.

C

Have had very little city council representation.

A

So I mean I I remember you know obviously learning more and more about about us feeling.

E

National harbor city and all of that, when I was kind of gaining more information and.

E

Now, for me, it's great because I I feel so often with you know the development as you.

E

Say private life that we have minimal control over you know. People are always saying well.

E

We don't have any trees and we don't have any green space. And now I have like I've.

E

Learned so much here, armed yes and it's it's another crowd things, but anyway, I'm glad to.

E

Be here, thank you and I feel like this is the one I look forward to, because I.

E

Know I always know, I'm gonna learn something that I never knew it's a real good committee.

A

A little bit chassis.

A

A

C

First, great.