April 4, 2016

Christopher Rooney, Project Manager
Department of Neighborhood Development
Boston City Hall
City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02201

Re: RFP for 872 Morton Street and Rear Parcel

Dear Mr. Rooney:

WalkBoston is very pleased that the 872 Morton Street parcel is being developed with strong community input. From your presentations, we understand that the goal of the development will be to enhance the social and aesthetic character of the neighborhood.

WalkBoston requests that the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development site include the following items:
• A vegetative buffer around the Steven P. Tranquility Garden that will enhance its serenity and sense of healing. As noted in the several Renew Our Community (ROC) meetings, the 5,000 s.f. dedicated to the Garden should not be adjacent to access roadways or development that would detract from its restorative atmosphere of peace.
• Separation between access to the development site and residences on Hopkins Street. Current plans call for an access road between 21 and 27 Hopkins Street. Because of the small house lots, the roadway would be virtually next to the houses, especially 21 Hopkins and might necessitate the taking of mature trees. As discussed at the neighborhood meetings and also brought up at the public hearing on March 24, the neighborhood would like to see every effort made to create an access/egress directly off of Evans Road that would be further away from the Hopkins residences. Furthermore, an access off Hopkins Street would be very close to the Steven P. Odom Tranquility Garden and detract from the sanctuary nature of the Park.

Sincerely,
Dorothea Hass

cc: Trena Ambroise
Daniel Ayala
Frederick Paulsen
Johnathan Kitchen
Councilor Andrea Campbell