Greenough Summary 1

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Greenough Greenway Executive Summary Introduction: Greenough Boulevard could be a lot greener if it was correctly sized for the amount of traffic it carries. Built four lanes wide in 1965 to accommodate future traffic the parkway has remained mostly vacant for close to half a century. This broad roadway invites excessive speeds, is a threat to pedestrians and cyclists who try to use it, and crowds the riverbank causing erosion and runoff into the river. The 2012 Charles River Basin Master Plan and recent traffic analysis show that Greenough Boulevard can be reduced in width to make room for a new mile-long tree-lined greenway path. Together with Herter Park on the south shore this would create one of the best recreational loops in the Charles River Basin and would be within reach of ten of thousands of people in Cambridge, Watertown, and Boston. Site: The mile long Greenough Boulevard is located along the northern bank of the Charles River between the Eliot Bridge and the Arsenal Street Bridge. It lies within the cities of Cambridge and Watertown and is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) as part of the Charles River Reservation. The curving parkway is bounded by open space to the north with Buckingham Brown and Nichols the only direct abutter near Eliot Bridge. Proposal: The basic proposal is to pull up the eroded path along the river, remove the rusting guard rail, and narrow Greenough Boulevard by one lane between Arsenal Street and Grove Street and by two lanes between Grove Street and the start of the Hells Half Acre Marsh. No modification of exiting intersections would be needed. Over thirty feet of pavement width would be removed from the road where it counts most along the river bank. This would be replaced with a broad lawn and a multi-use path set back from the river’s edge. Additionally, if and when funding becomes available, a new path would be built around the Hell’s Half Acre marsh, trees and site furnishings would be placed along the greenway path, and views would be opened up to the river through selective clearing of invasive plants. Sponsors: Preliminary planning and design for the proposed Greenough Greenway was undertaken in 2013 by the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation (LLSF) in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Valuable input was provided by consultants working for MassDOT on the The Charles River Basin Connectivity Study. Full design and permitting with public input will be sponsored by the foundation and their partners. Bidding and construction, expected to start in the spring of 2014 will be privately financed and managed with oversight from the DCR. Partners are being sought to ensure that this project moves forward into full construction. When: A Memorandum of Agreement between the LLSF and the DCR will be signed in the fall of 2013. Design and permits will be completed over the winter with public input. Bidding will take place in the spring and construction starting soon after with an official ribbon cutting by fall 2014. Costs: Preliminary cost estimates are in the $800,000 to $1,300,000 range depending on the options included. These projections will be refined as we move through the design development. Information: For information about this project contact Herb Nolan at the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation or Joe Orfant at the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Herb Nolan, [email protected], (781) 431-1440 Joe Orfant, [email protected], (617) 626-4933 October 2, 2013.

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Esplanade Cultural Landscape Report - Introduction 1
C U L T U R A L L A N D S C A P E R E P O R T T H E E S P L A N A D E B O S T O N , M A S S A C H U S E T T S Prepared for The Esplanade Association 10 Derne Street Boston, MA 02114 Prepared by Shary Page Berg FASLA 11 Perry Street Cambridge, MA 02139 April 2007 CONTENTS Introduction . 1 PART I: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 1. Early History (to 1893) . 4 Shaping the Land Beacon Hill Flat Back Bay Charlesgate/Bay State Road Charlesbank and the West End 2. Charles River Basin (1893-1928) . 11 Charles Eliot’s Vision for the Lower Basin The Charles River Dam The Boston Esplanade 3. Redesigning the Esplanade (1928-1950) . 20 Arthur Shurcliff’s Vision: 1929 Plan Refining the Design 4. Storrow Drive and Beyond (1950-present) . 30 Construction of Storrow Drive Changes to Parkland Late Twentieth Century PART II: EXISTING CONDITIONS AND ANALYSIS 5. Charlesbank. 37 Background General Landscape Character Lock Area Playground/Wading Pool Area Lee Pool Area Ballfields Area 6. Back Bay. 51 Background General Landscape Character Boating Area Hatch Shell Area Back Bay Area Lagoons 7. Charlesgate/Upper Park. 72 Background General Landscape Character Charlesgate Area Linear Park 8. Summary of Findings . 83 Overview/Landscape Principles Character Defining Features Next Steps BIBLIOGRAPHY. 89 APPENDIX A – Historic Resources . 91 APPENDIX B – Planting Lists . 100 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND The Esplanade is one of Boston’s best loved and most intensively used open spaces.
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