Chairs: Dianne Lescinskas, Jennifer Deabler
Minutes: Doreen Miller
Number in attendance: 11
Turn Onto Buttonwood Street Blocked Off
- The left turn from Columbia Road onto Buttonwood Street has been temporarily blocked off by the city.
- It is because of safety concerns of cars turning with oncoming MBTA shuttle buses coming down Columbia Road to JFK station during the shutdown of the Red Line to Ashmont.
- The projected end date is 10/29.
- Rep. Dan Hunt has been receiving calls about this imposition.
- Residents are encouraged to call 311 with any traffic concerns connected to this.
- Julie Ryan from Councilor Baker’s office will keep us updated.
- Matt Moran of the Policy and Planning Division is heading up a study of JFK station and Columbia Road and will be invited to speak at our next meeting.
Walgreens Update
- There have been positive email communications with the new district manager.
- They intend to put in new flood lights around the property.
- Their staff has been told not to engage with people outside the building for safety reasons.
- They are working with C-11 BPD to get better response to issues.
Gate at the Beach
- Rep. Dan Hunt has told the chairs that the permanent gate is coming soon.
- The permanent gate will be put in the same location as the temporary gate as DCR could not connect with the city to place it on city property.
- The few parking spots near the challenger field will remain open and available.
- While residents are not happy with the placement, they are adopting a wait-and-see attitude to determine how effective it will be to curb late night partying.
- Sen. Nick Collins and Rep. Dan Hunt put in a request for yearly budgeting of $250,000 for state police to man certain lots overnight. The lot at the Dorchester Yacht Club is not high on their priority list as the problems are not constant.
Morrissey Boulevard Bike Lane for the Greenway Extension
- Rep. Dan Hunt hopes to have the timeline for completion soon and will forward it to the chairs upon receipt.
- Rep. Dan Hunt will have updates for us next month.
“Block Party” Permit for Halloween Night
- The chairs filed for a “block party” permit from the mayor’s office to close off Savin Hill Avenue between Old Colony Terrace and Hubbardston Road on Halloween night. It was denied.
- Jennifer Deabler will call Ross Cochran tomorrow in an attempt to revise the application and come up with an alternative. If unsuccessful, the chairs will reach out to C-11 to request greater police presence and traffic control.
- We estimate that we get between 600 – 1,000 people on our streets during Halloween night. It is a safety issue.
- Jake will email the chairs Halloween pictures from last year that give a good idea of the numbers of people on the streets for them to make their case.
Slow Streets Campaign
- It is off to a good start. The Slow Streets website is getting a lot of traffic either directly, via Facebook or Google, and with some via the CSHCA website.
- Lawn Signs
- 30 have been distributed – the majority for the “Slow Down for Savin Hill” version (26).
- 53 are available – mostly the “Slow Down for Dorchester” version (48).
- 12 have been requested – 3 for the Dorchester version, 9 for the Savin Hill version.
- There are a batch of paid-for, unclaimed signs. Jennifer Deabler is willing to deliver them to the appropriate addresses.
- Jake will ask Jill Baker if The Daily will be willing to be the place where people can pick up their signs. He will also ask if The Daily would be willing to post a sign.
- Des Rohan took a few signs to post around the Buttonwood Street area.
- Jake will be ordering more signs. We should consider asking people to join CSHCA to get a sign.
- Suggestions for greater visibility and reach include:
- Donna McColgan is willing to go door to door with signs with a focus on the Hancock and Pleasant Street areas.
- We can share signs with the North Dorchester and McCormack Associations, but first we should get more signs out in the area. Maybe they will then approach us to join the campaign.
- We can create “Want a Lawn Sign” flyers with instructions on how to get one.
- Put signs in area playgrounds and parks. Patti Kennedy is willing to put signs in our parks.
- Jake and Donna will place a notice on the Nextdoor social media site about getting a sign.
- Keep the website up to date with notices on progress.
- Letter Writing Campaign for Crosswalk Signs on Pleasant Street
- Jake will send the chairs the email of the man who suggested this.
- Perhaps it might have greater pull with a letter coming from the CSHCA.
- Speed Cameras
- They are illegal in Massachusetts.
- We should work with Rep. Dan Hunt to make them legal.
- Car Counters – need to be part of a larger traffic study.
- Speed Humps
- One has been purchased.
- Putting it out could be a huge liability to the point of losing one’s home.
- Other neighborhoods that have put them out have seen them removed by the city.
- Other ideas include:
- Putting the Slow Down Children Figures in strategic spots along the street.
- Getting digital speed monitors to show motorists’ speeds.
- This is part of our application for Slow Streets.
- So far the city has said, “No” to this.
- We should start a letter writing campaign.
- Engage the new city councilor for district 3 to push for slow street initiatives in our area.
- Continue to call 311 to report traffic incidences.
Action Items
- The chairs will
- Invite Matt Moran to the November meeting to address slow street measures and a potential traffic study that involves car counting and speeding.
- Invite Rep. Dan Hunt to our next meeting to give us updates on Morrissey Boulevard and the Greenway extension.
- Jennifer will
- Follow up with Ross Cochran on revising our “block party” application and if needed will contact C-11 BPD on providing street safety measures on Halloween.
- Distribute the unclaimed lawn signs to the appropriate addresses.
- Jake will
- Contact The Daily to potentially put up a sign and be a depot for people to pick up their paid for signs.
- Work with Donna to post a notice on Nextdoor about the availability of lawn signs for the slow streets campaign.
- Send the chairs his last year’s Halloween photos.
- Will share with the chairs the email of the man who suggested a letter campaign for crosswalk signs on Pleasant Street.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, November 21, 7 PM, on Zoom. The link is on the CSHCA calendar.