BOSTON -
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 - In a cross-departmental effort to support both
Boston’s climate-ready resiliency and the creation of new affordable home
ownership units, Mayor Kim Janey today announced that the property at 108
Walter Street in Roslindale was transferred to the Boston Conservation Commission and will be added to the Roslindale
Wetlands Urban Wild, providing close to an acre of buffer at the edge of
the Roslindale Wetlands, as well as a more accessible point of entry to
the existing urban wild. In 2020, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) acquired
104-108 Walter Street in Roslindale to expand the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild and create affordable housing. The parcel
at 104 Walter Street has been designated for affordable homeownership
units.
“The procurement
of these parcels offers the City of Boston a unique opportunity to
protect our wetlands and build needed affordable housing units in
Roslindale," said Mayor Janey. “I’m grateful to the community
advocates who worked alongside City agencies to simultaneously expand
open space and housing opportunities.”
The BPDA used its Urban Renewal tools to acquire the private 104-108
Walter Street parcel for $1.4 million to support affordable housing and
protect wetland resources. In April, the BPDA issued an RFP for four affordable homeownership units
at 104 Walter Street, and the responses are currently under review.
The Walter Street
acquisition makes progress on several strategies included in Boston’s Climate Action Plan, such as expanding green infrastructure,
growing the urban tree canopy, and accelerating neighborhood stormwater
management actions. A 35,000 square foot parcel has been added to the
existing 9.5-acre Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild, offering habitat
protection and trail connections in the property, which is in the top
five of Boston’s land acquisition priority sites and was the largest
unprotected property in the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild. To pay for
this acquisition on behalf of the Conservation Commission, the Boston
Parks and Recreation Department received a state Landscape Acquisition
for Natural Diversity (LAND) grant and used a FY21 Capital Budget initiative,
called the Climate Resilience Reserve.
"Wetlands
like the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild are vital to Boston's natural
environment, water quality, and our resilience as we face the impacts of
heat, stormwater flooding, and pollution," said Reverend Mariama
White-Hammond, the Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space.
"The Walter Street acquisition shows that equity, affordable housing
development, and climate resilience can and should go hand-in-hand. We
look forward to more opportunities like this to create a greener,
healthier, and more equitable city for our residents."
The Roslindale
Wetlands Urban Wild is regionally significant as one of the few remaining
protected natural areas with sizable wetlands in urbanized Boston.
Conservation of 108 Walter Street will provide prominent public access,
connection to the Emerald Necklace, and secure a trail connection and
habitat protection for the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild. The Boston
Parks and Recreation Department’s Urban Wilds Program is investing $500,000 in capital
improvements elsewhere in the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild, which
includes wetlands crossings, trail upgrades with footbridges for ADA
accessibility for walking and birdwatching, removing piles of dumped
construction debris, and other ecological restoration work. This site
also provides habitat for pollinators and the local ecosystem that
contributes to the health of nearby gardens and Lawrence Farm, Boston’s
only farm. Construction work for the improvements in the Roslindale
Wetlands begins this month.
“It is exciting to
see the City’s new Local Wetlands Ordinance be used so quickly to add to
and further protect such important wetlands resource areas,” said Michael
Parker, Chair of the Boston Conservation Commission. “To be able to do so
while creating much needed affordable housing adjacent to protected open
space fulfills the City’s vision of equitable access to, and enjoyment
of, quality open space. The Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild is a treasure
and will be kept that way for future generations to enjoy as much as we
do now.”
Building on the
partnerships formed around the design and passage of Boston’s Local Wetlands Ordinance in December 2019, the City worked
collaboratively with neighborhood stakeholders and local advocates to
protect natural climate-resilient resources and affordable housing assets
in the densely built up neighborhood of Roslindale. To strengthen the
City’s efforts to maintain accessible open space, neighborhood volunteers
are in the early stages of planning strategies to widen access and are
exploring the creation of audio tours and maps.
“We are thrilled
that the City of Boston is acquiring 104-108 Walter Street for climate
resiliency and four units of affordable home ownership, addressing a
critical neighborhood need. LANA is heartened by the City’s response to
conserve this unique habitat as part of the Roslindale Wetlands Urban
Wild and advance equity with the creation of affordable homeownership. We
want to thank our neighbors and partners for their help and support in
making the acquisition happen. We’re looking forward to working with the
City on the next steps for developing affordable home ownership at 104
Walter and providing better access to the Roslindale Wetlands Urban
Wild," said Kathy McCabe, President, Longfellow Area Neighborhood
Association.
“For nearly twenty
years the Roslindale community and the Roslindale Wetlands Task Force
have advocated for such an outcome through community outreach and
awareness, sustained advocacy, and constructive engagement with past and
present elected officials and agencies committed to protecting these
resources. Today’s announcement by Mayor Janey captures why this is such
a great victory not only for Roslindale but for the entire city,” said
Jim Taff, Roslindale Wetlands Task Force.
In December 2019,
the City of Boston signed the Local Wetland Ordinance, an ordinance
unanimously approved by the Boston City Council, with the goal of taking
another step to protect Boston against the impacts of climate change and
promote climate resiliency throughout the City. The Local Wetlands
Ordinance gives the City greater authority to protect its wetlands, which
are crucial to controlling flooding and protecting Boston's neighborhoods
and green space. The ordinance directs the Boston Conservation Commission
to consider future climate impacts like rising sea levels in applications
for new developments, construction, or special events. It was informed by
Boston’s Climate Ready Boston report, which shows when and where
different climate impacts will affect our City. |
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