Metropolitan Beaches Commission The State House Boston, Massachusetts 02133
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Metropolitan Beaches Commission The State House Boston, Massachusetts 02133
Present: Commission Co-Chair Senator Tom McGee, Commission Co-Chair Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein, Councilor Brian Arrigo, Barbara Bishop, Bruce Berman, Winthrop Representative Nick Collins, Councilor John Correggio, Mark Cullinan, Fire Chief Gene Doherty, Becky Donner, Dan Fielding, Carol Haney, Lieutenant James Mills, Councilor Ira Novoselsky, Paul Nutting, Samantha Overton, Senator Anthony Petruccelli, Councilor John Powers, Mayor Dan Rizzo, Kenny Ryan, Steven Smalley, Rick Stockwood, Jacqueline Sussman, Bob Tucker, School Committeewoman Carol Tye, Roselee Vincent, Matt Wolfe Co-Chair Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein opened the hearing by welcoming attendees and thanking the staff of the Jack Satter House for hosting the event. She said how proud she is of Revere Beach and that the MBC is an opportunity to advocate for all the beaches in the area. She noted that the MBC’s report in 2007 was embraced by Governor Patrick and his administration and changed the way DCR operated in our beachfront communities. Representative Reinstein then asked each of the Commissioners to introduce themselves. Co-Chair Senator Thomas McGee said that everyone who uses these beaches needs to work hard to make sure they are at the level they should be. He said the quality will decline without the people who care about, live on, and visit the beaches. Senator McGee said the investment makes the community’s economy continue to grow.
(Over) Senator Thomas McGee Co-Chair
Co-Chair
First Suffolk
Boston University Barbara Bishop Speaker DeLeo’s Office Representative Garrett Bradley Third Plymouth Representative Nick Collins Fourth Suffolk Mark Cullinan Nahant Resident Paul Grogan The Boston Foundation Douglas Gutro Quincy City Council Carol Haney Revere
Plymouth & Nor Fourth Essex Senator John Keenan Norfolk & Plymouth Manny Lopes East Boston Neighborhood Health Center Chris Marchi East Boston Community Advocate Joan Meschino Hull Resident Paul F. Nutting Savin Hill Shores Daniel O’Connell Massachusetts Competitive Partnership Samantha Overton Department of Conservation and Recreation Senator Anthony Petruccelli First Suffolk and Middlesex Kenny Ryan McDonough Sailing Center Robert Tucker Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Representative Reinstein welcomed local officials. Mayor Rizzo, Councilor John Powers, Ward 2 Councilor Ira Novaselsky, Councilor-At-Large Correggio and Councilor Brian Arrigo Linda Cala from Town Council of Winthrop, Lieutenant Mills and Chief Doherty.
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. They are terrific partners and consultants. Mayor Rizzo referenced several points in the MBC’s first report in 2007. One of the things that he saw that hasn’t happened was the possibility of using DCR rangers. He said the littering and noise is maybe tipping toward the side of bad behavior. He said it would be great to have more walking presence like back in the old days when the MDC Rangers were on horseback or walking. He said it would be nice if there was a way to enforce our litter ordinances and that it would make DCR’s job much easier. The Mayor said he didn’t know if it was a possibility, but something like that would be nice. The Mayor went on to say that from time to time, he gets questions about shutting down Revere Beach Boulevard like they do for the sandcastles competition. He said it would be nice to be able to do that for other events during the peak months for family friendly events. Mayor Rizzo said the report in 2007 also talked about recycling. He doesn’t believe there is any method to recycle on the beach currently. It could be helpful to provide those receptacles. Another point Mayor Rizzo made was that Revere has some very valuable ocean front property that was traded with the DCR many years ago. He said he didn’t know what will be happening with it, but currently one can’t bring a blanket, trowel, or pail on the beach. He said maybe one day the city could put an RFP on the beach and see some meaningful development. Commissioner Samantha Overton responded that they actually did that once before, and would be fully supportive of doing that again! Mayor Rizzo thanked Commissioner Overton and DCR for their commitment to Revere beach. He also acknowledged his predecessor, Tom Ambrosino, for the work he did on the beach. Representative Reinstein said that because of the Revere Beach Partnership, they now have 10 months of free programming on the beach. They do the Passion Plunge and the Cupid Splash. Councilor John Powers took the floor next. He said he was first elected to city council in the year 2000. Back then he said the beach was in such bad disrepair that it was filthy. He said he remembers arguing at the State House about how to get more money put into the beach. The answer was always that they didn’t have the money. Subsequently, he said, he and Mayor Rizzo made several trips to Hampton beach. They marveled at the cleanliness and the patrols. And today, he said he doesn’t envy them at all. He’s happy with Revere Beach and looks forward to many, many more things coming to the beach. He said many of them have lived in the city their whole lives, and remember what it was like. He said he thanked the MBC from the bottom of his heart and represents the area and everything residents do to make Revere beach better; it reflects not only on their beach but also on everyone who lives here. He said the city has 400,000 people coming down for the Revere Sand Sculpting contest. Everyone used to get together on a Saturday morning and go clean up the beach, and they don’t do that anymore since DCR is doing such a good job. They put their full effort into cleaning Revere beach. He said the MBC put out the report in 2007 and that made a lot of things happen. In closing, Councilor Powers asked how could they get rid of the plovers? He voiced that residents are loosing their beach to the plovers! Next, Councilor John Correggio commended DCR for doing a great job. He said the residents are really happy, but what he would like to see in the future is more family activities on the beach to bring back the nostalgia Revere had. He also commended the MBC and Mayor Dan Rizzo, for making Revere Beach a better place. School Committeewoman Carol Tye thanked DCR for plowing the sidewalks in the winter. She said it’s now safe to walk her dog, even when it’s snowed. Fire Chief Gene Doherty spoke next. He said when they redid the beach, and created parallel parking, it got rid of the people who wasted the beach. Now, he said, you can walk the beach one end to the other, without hitting cars, because there’s a sidewalk and you can walk on. State Police Lieutenant James Mills said that he grew up in Dorchester, and has been on every beach from Marshfield to Lynn. Of his 36 years as an officer, he spent about 35 at an MDC beach. He said he knows what the issues are. He has been stationed in Revere since 2003, done 10 years and will continue to march there as long as they allow him. They went through Sandy, Nor’Easters, flooding issues, and DCR keeps plugging away. He said they have a Friday through Saturday patrol, with two k-9 units, two plain-clothes officers, and two officers in uniform. He said his manpower won’t change because the weekend patrols make a huge difference. In his 10 years a partnership has formed with the city. As long as the job gets done, he said he didn’t care who gets the credit. As long as people get home safely, that’s his mission. He said the state police budget is a statewide fund and everyone doesn’t get the same cut. So the money here in Revere is huge. Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Bruce Berman said he had the privilege of attending an awful lot of public meetings and has become a connoisseur of them. A process like this had to be led from the top AND bottom up. The better that the MBC hears from the people in this room, the more they will all be pulling in the same direction. Of all the public processes he’s ever been involved in, the meetings of the MBC are the best. He said that if he had to leave Boston he would leave for Revere in a heartbeat. He introduced David Spillane to explain the evening’s plan. David Spillane of Goody Clancy said he recognizes that with 100 people in the room, there is an enormous amount of knowledge present. By capturing and storing the information of people from the communities, the MBC can be very successful. He said they want specifics - who is the programming for? Why? When? He wanted residents to get as specific as they could, since they know Revere best. He said they have a very high tech process for this – sticky notes. Yellow is for needs improvement, and green is what works well. David asked everyone to split up into groups, and think about what’s working well and write that on the green sticky note and then write what needs improvement on the yellow. He said if they don’t get to hear from each individual, they could hear from them through their comments on the sticky notes. He said they wanted to hear about improvements and also what further things could happen here to support economic development and community activities. They’re the kind of additional programming that could be useful. Revere MBC Hearing June 11, 2013 Sticky Summary At the Metropolitan Beaches Commission’s Revere community hearing, 154 stickies were collected. Out of all the comments, 57 described what was effective while 97 discussed what needed improvement. The resident’s feedback touched on such topics from community events to the infamous piping plover shorebird. While many people felt that Revere Beach had successful programming in 2007, the majority of the comments discussed how the community needed more events such as cultural festivals and fundraising races. Residents also voiced the need for more recreational programs, with swimming lessons and boating rentals as top recommendations. There was also a trend in responses that requested more recycling facilities, although residents have reported a slight improvement in the maintenance of trash. The subject of policing was the focus of many responses as well. While the need for more of a police presence was a concern in 2007, many residents complained about the presence of park rangers patrolling the beach. Further discussion revealed the need for enforced quiet zones had improved since the last hearing. As it was in 2007, the amount of traffic by the beach was a hot button issue, with particular emphasis on the need for better automotive and bicycle parking. One final and daunting topic at the hearing was the discussion on animal control. The general consensus was the management of both domesticated and wild animals needs improvement. Several residents spoke about the need of enforcement to remind dog owners to clean up after their pets, especially those who take early morning walks. Another heavily debated topic concerned the near threatened piping plover. While some residents felt the birds showed signs of a healthy beach, others saw their presence as a disturbance to the area. One resident even suggested spraying plover eggs with oil to ensure the birds would not take up space on the shores of the Revere in the near future. Overall, much of what was not working in 2007 had either improved or subsided over the years. While the dismay of sand and water quality was discussed in the MBC’s first inquiry, the subject was of very little concern this time around. Even though many of the previous hearing topics have been addressed, new ones are always on the rise. The continued dialogue with both new and old responses that could help the Metropolitan Beaches Commission give Revere residents a beach they could be proud of. Metropolitan Beaches Commission For more information contact Liz Carroll Gunderson (617) 451-2860 · gunderson@savetheharbor.org |
