General Membership Meeting – April 7, 2025

Attendance

  • President and Host: Bill Walczak
  • Vice President: Eileen Boyle
  • Treasurer: Des Rohan
  • IT Manager: Taufiq Dhanani
  • Corresponding Secretary Elizabeth Doyle
  • Minutes: Doreen Miller
  • Number in attendance: 22 (in person); 27 (on zoom)

Police Report

  • March 4, 7:47 PM, 92 Stoughton Street, Shots fired. Unknown suspect fled in a grey SUV. Ballistics were retrieved. This is under investigation.
  • March 19, around midnight, Victoria Street. A report was called in of someone breaking into the porch area. Suspect fled the scene.
  • March 23, 7:10 AM, 1031 Dorchester Avenue Beauty Salon. The glass door was broken, and several products were stolen. It is under investigation.
  • April 1, 1:25 AM, Gulf Station on Dorchester Avenue. The clerk was stabbed by someone buying cigarettes. A confrontation took place resulting in the stabbing by an older black male who fled on a blue bike. It is under investigation
  • Questions from members:
    • Are there any updates on the shooting on Pearl Street two months ago? Not at this time.
    • Do you have any statistics on the number of accidents occurring at the intersection of Morrissey Boulevard and Freeport Street? No, this is a state roadway, and the state troopers should have those numbers.
    • On April 2, at 2:20 PM, the Citizens App reported a man with a gun on Dorchester Avenue. Do you have any further information? The officer will follow up and report back, but there was no report written up. He claims the Citizens App is not always accurate.

Administrative Business

  • The March minutes were approved.
  • Treasurer’s Report – The same as last month, but Des will send Doreen the numbers for the minutes.

Local Updates

  • The Carney Hospital Grounds
    • The report on the use of the property vs. community health care needs is in the process of being finalized to be released soon.
    • An RFP for the property use has been issued and some proposals have come in.
    • Mayor Wu has declared this site should be preserved for health care only usage.
  • Repaving Our Streets
    • All three utilities – Boston Water and Sewer, Eversource, and National Grid – need to coordinate on repaving the streets and repairing sidewalks.
    • Street calming measures will be installed once the restoration work is done.
    • Community Liaison Madison Foley says we are on the schedule for speed humps to be installed this year after the utilities have finished their projects and restored the roads.
      • She estimates sometime in May for this to be done.
      • A timeline on the speed humps will be forthcoming as utility projects get completed.
    • Member comments and requests include:
      • Do not put the speed humps too close together. How is spacing determined?
        • The streets are evaluated by engineers to determine spacing and the kind of speed humps.
        • We will probably get wider humps spaced further apart.
      • Can we have something to draw attention to the humps?
        • Signage or painted street stripes can be utilized.
      • Members would like to see the first street calming measures installed around the park areas (Savin Hill Park and Patten’s Cove).
  • The Morrissey Commission Report from Jake
    • The commission failed to meet its legal mandate.
    • With the prior CSHCA membership vote of no confidence, we request all elected officials to join us in not approving the commission’s and MassDot 182-page report/recommendation.
    • The community is dissatisfied with the proposal of a wall/berm.
    • We are not being given enough time to review such a long report for proper feedback. We need further discussion.
    • The work does not include K-Circle.
    • The proposal reduces the roadway from 6 to 4 lanes. Will this work given 10,000 units (= an additional 24,000 people) being added to this area over the next several years?
    • There is little to no comprehensive planning and coordination with stakeholders. MassDOT only met with the City of Boston once during this whole time.
  • K-Circle Commission
    • A separate commission has been working on designs for K-Circle for the past few years. They held their first public meeting last Thursday, April 3.
    • Four options were presented – two with traffic lights, and two with a modified rotary.
    • Jake claims the designs are suboptimal and that they are working with outdated population estimates for this area.
    • Questions remain on how they propose to fund the project.
    • There will be another meeting later in the spring.
  • Glover’s Corner
    • There is a meeting this Thursday with Fields Corner as this area has been included in the Fields Corner Squares and Streets.
    • There is about 20 acres of developable land.
    • The Government Affairs Committee has been working on a plan for this area that can eventually be presented to the city. It will be presented to membership at the May meeting.
    • Questions remain on how our limited and presently clogged streets can handle the added traffic of more Dot Block type dense development.
    • Dorchester seems to be a free-for-all for developers to make the rules. The City of Boston ignores its own zoning codes as evident in the ZBA approving 95% of all projects seeking zoning relief.
    • The next Government Affairs Committee meeting is Tuesday, April 22, 6 PM. The zoom link is on the CSHCA calendar.
  • Planning Committee (Kristine Hoag)
    • Tomorrow, April 8, there is an abutters’ meeting for 19-21 Mayfield Street. The owner proposed to raze a three family and erect a 12-unit building. The link for information is on the Planning Committee email notice.
    • April 10, 6 PM, there is an abutters’ meeting for 5 Savin Hill Lane. The owner proposes to raze the single-family ranch home and erect a three story, 4-unit, building. A curb cut has already been made on Morrissey to access the property from the rear for parking under the building. Zoom link is on the CSHCA calendar.
    • The next Planning Committee meeting has been moved to Tuesday, April 15, 6:30-8 PM.
      • It will be a hybrid meeting at the Boys and Girls Club.
      • The focus will the Copper Mill proposal for two 18-story towers at 75 Morrissey Boulevard.
      • Concerns include:
        • The height
        • The number of units (754, mostly studio and one-bedroom)
        • Added traffic
        • Environmental impacts
    • MBTA is putting up a digital billboard at Savin Hill T station.
      • The state-run MBTA is exempt from local rule, which prohibit such billboards within 300 feet of a public park.
      • Senator Collins and Representative Hunt are trying to change the legislation on exemptions and grandfathering to make the state abide by local ordinances.
      • Membership voted unanimously to oppose the billboard.
        • Support: 0
        • Oppose: 29
        • Abstain: 1
      • We can submit a letter of opposition from the association based on this vote.
  • Events Committee Updates (Michelle Miller and Alix Giannetti)
    • The chairs presented this year’s annual budget request for 2025 events. They explained that his operational budget represents our costs, a good portion of which is covered by fund-raising efforts and sponsorships. Members voted to approve this budget.
      • Support: 24
      • Oppose: 0
      • Abstain: 1
    • Upcoming events
      • April 13th, 3 PM at Savin Hill Park, the Easter Egg Hunt organized by the Mother’s Group
      • April 17, 11 AM, Boys and Girls Club Field House ground-breaking in HarborPoint area.
      • April 26, Park Clean-up Day for Savin Hill Park and Patten’s Cove
      • Beautification Committee’s Plant and Bake sale, sometime in May. Details forthcoming.
      • June 7, The Surfrider Beach Clean-up. Details TBA.
    • The Events Committee is a very small but fun group that is open to collaborating with others for events in other parts of the CSHCA area. Get involved, get to know your neighbors, and have fun!
    • The committee meets the last Tuesday of every month, 7 PM, on Zoom. Link is on the CSHCA calendar page.
  • Community Benefits Committee (Don Walsh)
    • They are working on switching our fiscal agent on the MOU for Copper Mill’s incoming $750,000 donation from Dorchester Bay Economic Development Committee to The Boys and Girls Club as they would be less expensive, leaving us with more money to benefit the immediate community. Councilor Fitzgerald is assisting with this change.
    • We will need to determine the process of spending the money and need to negotiate those terms with the BPDA.
    • The committee is looking to create the greater Northeast Dorchester Planning District, which will encompass from Uphams Corner, across to the South Boston line to Morrissey Boulevard.
    • The next meeting is on Wednesday, April 23, 7 pm at the Savin Hill Yacht Club on Morrissey.
  • The Pear Square History Garden
    • The Pear Square Collaborative has received a $25,000 grant to plan for the Dorchester Community History Garden in Richardson Park in Edward Everett Square.
    • If you are interested in learning more, contact John McColgan or Bill Walczak.
  • Dorchester North Committee
    • Their clean-up plans are in the works.
    • They plan to put out flowerpots along local streets.
    • They are raising money from the neighborhood.

Recognition and Thanks

  • Thank you to Yeanie’s for the delicious samples provided at the meeting.
    • They are in the process of expanding their menu to include a breakfast menu and other options.
    • Please give them your business. They are located on the corner of Savin Hill Avenue and Dorchester Avenue in the old Venice Pizza building.
  • The association requests that Corresponding Secretary Elizabeth Doyle send a thank you to Sully Mac for the new lighting over the Savin Hill mural at McKenna’s.
  • The association extends its heart-felt thank you to Safety Committee Chairs, Jennifer Deabler and Dianne Lescinskas, for their 3-year commitment to having chaired the committee.

Special Meeting for the Candidates

  • The association is in the process of setting up a special meeting for the mayoral and city council candidates.
  • Rosemary Powers, president of Cristo Rey, has agreed to allow us to use their auditorium for the event.
  • Questions have been sent to each candidate for their response. Four or five questions will be chosen based on their responses to discuss further in the meeting.
  • These questions will appear in an article by Bill Walczak in the Dorchester Reporter.
  • Time and date TBA.

Nominations for EBoard Officers and Five At-Large Board Members

  • The candidates for the officers’ slate is:
    • President: Bill Walczak
    • Vice-President: Eileen Boyle
    • Recording Secretary: Doreen Miller
    • Corresponding Secretary: Elizabeth Doyle
    • Treasurer: Michelle Miller
    • Assistant Treasurer: Des Rohan
    • IT Manager: Taufiq Dhanani
  • The Five At-Large Candidates
    • Marta Carney
    • Juliana Jackson
    • Michael Keamy
    • Dianne Lescinskas
    • Donna McColgan
    • Michael Panagako
  • No other nominations were made at this time.
  • Committee chairs are automatically on the EBoard.
  • Needed is a committee chair or co-chairs for the Safety Committee. If you are interested, contact Bill Walczak.
  • Michelle Miller, candidate for Treasurer, introduced herself to the membership and gave her background experience as a CPA.
  • As an Assistant Treasurer position is not in our By-Laws, a motion was made to make an exception to create this position. The motion was approved by membership.
    • Support: 22
    • Oppose: 0
    • Abstain: 1
  • The election for these positions will take place at the May 5th General Meeting.

Other Business

Deniz Ozturk, Philanthropy Officer of Laboure College of Healthcare, will be inviting the CSHCA via the president and the Community Benefits Committee to their healthy equity awareness-raising event and community meeting on May 13, which will be attended by State Rep. Wells, Jr. All are welcome to join them. For more information and to rsvp, please visit: https://www.laboure.edu/evening2025#rsvp

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