MORRISSEY BLVD- THE RIGHT WAY VS THE WRONG WAY
After many months of numerous and productive meetings and a summer of construction, the new MWRA dechlorinization "hut" is virtually complete. It sits quite innocuously on water side of the Boulevard near the entrance to the Savin Hill Yacht Club. Considering the monstrosity that was originally proposed the community was successful in forcing the MWRA to consider alternatives that were more expensive, but much more visually appealing. This was the right way. The wrong way is burying its fiber optic cable beneath the roadway. First of all, the repaved areas of the trench are already settling and developing potholes. Secondly, the contractor has caused numerous large-scale traffic problems in the vicinity of Freeport Street and on Old Colony Boulevard. But most disturbing, at a recent meeting with the planning committee, the project manager from the engineering firm VHB, Matt Hayes was asked if the egress from Savin Hill would ever be blocked at Old Colony Terrace. He replied that they would not close this street and would work on that stretch in two sections, thereby keeping Old Colony Terrace open. Well, I went by there at 2:45pm on Dec.27 and the street was shut down with orange cones. I spoke to someone who was there in the morning and it was closed then too.

Eventually,  they want to connect the network with the AT&T Bldg. on Adams Street. With the current project, we had little or no input because a "mitigation" payment was made to the owner of the Blvd, the MDC. But I will be the first in line to oppose the modus operandus when their contractors want to infiltrate our neighborhood streets. If they can't get it right on a 6 lane parkway, I don't think they will have much success negotiating Freeport St., Dorchester Ave, Adams St., and the short, but populated, side streets that connect them. ~ Paul Nutting

BILLBOARDS
The Dorchester community has been fighting the proliferation of billboards in our neighborhoods for years. To further end this blight, a committee of the Dorchester Allied Neighborhood Associations spent many volunteer court hours testifying to curtail the explosion of billboards. Resulting in an amendment the Boston zoning code in 1993.   This change prevents any more boards being built within 660 ft. of any federally funded highway (the Expressway) without seeking a variance.  ~ Joe Chaisson