Letters to the Editor

The Care Packages Are on There Way

Myself and my brother Veterans, Richard Gay, Jim Guilfoyle and Steve White were off to an early 6 a.m. opening of the Winthrop Post Office, where we met Rose and Will. Forty care packages weighing 1200 – 1400 pounds, filled with Christmas Trees, garlands, ornaments, cookies, candy, Cracker Jacks, along with letters from children and adults alike.

By late this morning, these boxes will be on their way to Korea, Djibouti, Japan, Abu Dhabi, Germany, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Niger, Kuwait, the Persian Gulf, Okinawa and Sicily.

Richard Honan

Winthrop’s Revere Street Civil Works Project

Dear Editor,

With extensive completed drawings for major reconstruction of the half-mile long Revere St. roadway corridor, from Magee’s Corner to Crest Ave intersections, the Town Council was appraised of the design work at their recent 11/15 meeting. A modest number of residents concerned about various aspects of this $6.4 million design, funded by the Mass. Department of Transportation (DOT) were in attendance to hear a project update from an employee of CHA, the large Boston engineering firm hired for this work. (The CHA representative quickly left the meeting without fielding any comments from either the Council or from residents.) Besides the extensive planned engineering work for this critical artery through Town – which has been ongoing since 2018, design aspects included bike lane provisions which were mandated by the Mass.DOT.

As our Project Proponent, Department of Public Works chief Steve Calla was designated as Winthrop’s responsible agent for the entire project. Any early input or second-look oversight from the Town Manager may have been handled by the interim TM, Chief Delehanty, or the newly appointed TM, Tony Martino. The sequence of work had been scheduled by CHA like so:

• Funding Design, Right-of-Way Acquisitions Permitting;

• Initial Public Outreach Meeting – 2014;

• Transportation Committee Meeting – 2018;

• 25% Design – February 2019;

• Scope reduced to just Revere Street (0.5 miles) due to funding & schedule;

• MBTA Coordination Meeting – January 2020;

• Design Public Hearing – April 2021;

• 75% Design – July 2021;

• “near” 100% Design September 2022.

• TC Meeting & Review of CHA work, November 15, 2022

The focus for CHA, the Town and residents include: Improve Safety and Accommodations for all roadway users – Vehicles, Pedestrians, Bicycles, Public Bus Transit, Route #712 between Orient Heights T-Stop and Point Shirley, and 10 Bus stops (both sides) within project limits. CHA was to also address Traffic Congestion issues at Magee’s Corner, Revere Street at Crest Avenue/ Highland Avenue, and Kennedy Drive (school drop off/ pick up/senior access?). The average daily traffic volume now is 15,100 vehicles, at speeds of 25-30 mph (though we have all seen cars & trucks & large semi-trailers driven at faster speeds).

However, it only recently became evident that not all impacted parties had been adequately informed or offered opportunities for input in this process, since much of the engineering work was developed & seemingly accepted during the Covid years of 2020-2021. The integration for resident input, especially the abutting Senior Housing Complex, never happened during this time. Obvious updates to the public about such a huge impactful project hardly ever happened – either from DPW, the Town Council, or the Councilors to their constituents.

According to the Directors of the Winthrop Housing Authority (WHA), no mention of accommodation was made for resident seniors, emergency or town vehicles accessing either the Kennedy Drive or Golden Drive housing complexes, and how the new road plans would impact this population.

The Infrastructure Upgrades were for replacing poor pavement/ sidewalk conditions. Little attention was made for the removal of the green apron and the trees lining the street, though the design drawings show that this appealing apron would be replaced with a bike lane. Obvious in-road upgrades would include storm-water drainage systems, and replacing outdated traffic signal equipment. But, there was no indication of improved lighting along this corridor. There did not seem to be adequate coverage of crosswalks at either familiar or key access points for the many seniors and other handicapped residents of senior housing in the CHA plans. Based on public comments made by the keen Director of the Housing Authority recently (only in the past month) WHA was only just advised of the status of land-taking and the designed roadway plans. There may not have been adequate assessment of current patterns of either mobile pedestrian seniors, or wheelchair residents, from which to ideally locate crosswalks and bus stops. And further, to avoid the removal of well-established stately trees (a 26” dia. Oak, among others) that grace the senior property up & down the hill. Again, the WHA Directors Board was not consulted for their best tree re-placement, nor advised of the fact that the recently completed and attractive wood post fence; nor that new wire fencing at the north side of senior housing would be removed, the steep terrain altered there, and replaced with – something.

Meetings that were planned for and scheduled (as above) between the Engineering firm, CHA Boston, and the Town were poorly advertised; likely because of Covid, and generally not known by the public for the most part; though whatever meetings were held were on Zoom. Hence, there was little chance for input from residents or other stakeholders. There is no recorded public information to access from these Zoom meetings. There is an on- line reference to available recorded meetings on CHA’s 11/10/22 response to a memo from a Town official – here

Supposedly, one key-card for all this work to happen and be funded with the State’s $6.4 million, was to be the installation of bike lanes on both sides of Revere St, up & over the hill. One might understand the State’s initiative to reduce traffic from car use, reduce pollution, and encourage other means of travel, but…in talking with various bikers in this town, a couple of whom are councilors, they were quite firm that they would never travel during daytime hours up or down Revere St. “It’s way too dangerous” was one comment.

The premise for my letter is that public, and some council or agency input, seems to have been minimal to this process. It also seems to me that this heavily-trafficked artery through the town is not just a vehicle-moving corridor. The Revere Street Hill is a scenic, natural topography that at the moment is a pleasant walking path, tree- lined on the housing side, with some nice houses & trees across the street. It’s also an enjoyable, healthy walk up & over the hill; for all-age residents – able-bodied or compromised. And, it could be better, after all the dust settles.

The Town has proposed a land-taking of property from another State Agency- the Winthrop Housing Authority – to then be able to remove substantial healthy trees to provide “easements” not only for a two-year construction site for vehicles & equipment, but ultimately for reducing the Revere St. walkway, and intruding on the tight land space protecting the edge of the senior housing.

Among other things that the CHA firm, and our Town officials, have failed to do is to provide 3-D visuals – before and after photos, and illustrations of all the major proposed changes they will be making in this key open space corridor through Winthrop. The natural topography of Revere Street has been part of this, our entrusted, land, since Winthrop was first sparsely occupied in the early 1600’s. Residents deserve to see what will happen.

Not only are residents (or even some council members) very unlikely to understand CHA’s technical engineering drawings of the complicated design (made for contractor’s bids), but most people would have a difficult time visualizing what all these changes would look like. Not only just the roadway, but also the changes for bus stops (along a new route at that), the widening of the street for bike lanes and parked cars, placement of crosswalks, signs and lighting, but also the narrower walkway on the west side. A key aspect of such change beyond the flat roads and their markings, is the proposed deep intrusion into the senior housing complex, and the removal of some substantial trees on the edge of the intended construction zone.

Based on my design experience with comparable urban roadway projects in Boston, and around the country, the paid focus for CHA is maximizing the most efficient travel of cars on Winthrop’s boulevard. However, they have overlooked the overall spatial quality of Revere Street – and its aesthetics of the west buffer edge, which is a most pleasant walkway connection from the Highlands to the Center. This path, used not only by walking residents, but more so by seniors with mobility issues, wheelchairs, canes, etc., has been “designed” by the engineering firm CHA such that the roadway & lanes diminish this pathway considerably; to make room for bike lanes that may be seldom used, or with some hazardous risks. There did not seem to be any studies or demographics (& made available for the public) of current bike use over time on Revere Street, to justify the reduced walkways and the proposed land-taking and multiple tree removal. Decade-devoted and experienced bikers I know have admitted that they would “never ride on Revere Street” during daytime hours, which road presents a great risk. There should be concern also that younger riders, perhaps biking to school at the bottom of Revere St., may likely assume risk during morning or after-school hours.

Also, it’s not clear whether our School Superintendent was consulted about bike-riding students during the congested drop-off hours on Revere Street. Further, I don’t see police details stopping any time after completion.

I strongly recommend that the Town request of CHA, within the earliest time frame, like now, to provide at least 6 Before and After 3-D Visuals of both sides of Revere Street, showing how the roadway design will impact everyone’s very key feature of Winthrop’s topography. CHA is a multi-disciplinary firm quite capable of producing these visuals. The images showing Before and After on Revere St should be heavily publicized by the Town Council, and in all media. Further, at the suggestion of a Councilor, the Town Manager & Council should plan on such an ongoing “multi-media out-reach campaign” to keep residents advised of how $6.4 million will improve this key topography/roadway through Town.

This 2-year+ project (at least) will compromise Winthrop’s open space forever, and supposedly our town officials seem to not want to hesitate – under the State’s $6.4 million “apple-tree” – to consider these other important factors mentioned above, that will also impact our Town. The effects of such non-inclusive planning will be imprinted on Winthrop’s face for many decades to come, and long after many proponents are gone.

It doesn’t have to be this way. I reference the enhanced edge of Trees, along Ingleside Park at Walden Street – a natural and visual asset for all travel into the Center. (A thanks to the late Selectman Dick Dimes for his foresight.) A similar effect could be made on the Revere Street hill, without compromising improved roadways.

In my experience with other major projects in Boston, the Mass DOT (a powerful agency) has the tendency to ram-rod their roadway projects through urban areas, and deflect neighborhood and stakeholders concerns. Or even consider viable landscape options. Along with holding the tantalizing “apple” of $6.4 million, this would seem to be the case for this project; resulting in a less than ideal impact on Winthrop’s residents, the WHA and many of our most vulnerable seniors.

It’s never too late to re-asses a project of such magnitude and impact. I trust the Council, Town Manager and the DPW reconsider further all relevant input, and better engage any and all concerned residents and stakeholder parties in this process of such significant change. I trust such openness will be evident in the coming weeks and months. As our TC President has stated: “Winthrop is a unique town and a special place”. Let’s all be sure to keep it that way with maximum, thoughtful, and comprehensive planning.

I would welcome any comments, corrections, and constructive responses.

Frank M. Costantino, FAIA FM Costantino Cos.

Founder, Winthrop Beautification Committee Director, Winthrop Loves Trees/GROW