With Playgrounds Scarce, Where Do Children Play?
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AUGUST 2020 FREE COVERING THE FENWAY, AUDUBON CIRCLE, KENMORE SQUARE, UPPER BACK BAY, PRUDENTIAL, LONGWOOD, AND MISSION HILL SINCE 1974 • VOLUME 46, NUMBER 7 • JULY 31 - AUGUST 28, 2020 With Playgrounds Scarce, Where Do Children Play? ALISON PULTINAS PHOTO: BY ALISON PULTINAS prepared by residents working as the As Karen Mauney-Brodek stated in hen the Boston Parks Kenmore Audubon Fenway Neighborhood the just-released 2019 Emerald Necklace department first released Initiative focused on housing and economic Conservancy Annual Report, “since March, its parcel-priority survey development However, its goals included the importance of parks has never been in the spring, one Fenway “create more places for children of all ages clearer.” Wresident said there is no vacant land in this to play.” After closing in March during the pan- neighborhood, this survey doesn’t apply to Today, increased development is demic shutdown, playgrounds reopened in us. But what about playgrounds, are there pressuring the city in multiple ways. In the mid-June, but Fenway families have zero enough? Fenway hundreds of apartments recently access to water play. The fountain at the Back in 1991, the Urban Village Plan constructed or in the pipeline mean more Christian Science Church Plaza is closed for the West Fenway: Recommendations residents, crowded sidewalks, and more for renovation, the water spray apparatus for Strengthening our Neighborhood, families. at the Edgerly Road Playground hasn’t worked for some time, and even the Frog A map from the Pond on the Common is closed. City of Boston Boston Parks and Recreation com- Open Space & missioner Ryan Woods and environment Recreation Plan cabinet chief Chris Cook proudly state that 2015–2021 shows every Bostonian lives 10 minutes from a playgrounds, open public park. This 10-minute (or quarter- spaces, and spray mile) walk rule was historically supposed features in the MAP COURTESY OF THE CITY OF BOSTON to apply to playgrounds as well. The 1948 The water spray at the Edgerly Road Fenway and City Planning Board study Children’s Play- playground no longer works. Mission Hill. grounds in Boston: An Evaluation of Space & Location used the same measure for as- The project did not receive funding, sessing access to playgrounds for children however, and MFA spokesperson Karen ages 6 to 11. For ages 12 to 15, the walk Frascona stated recently that it is unlikely increased to one-third of a mile, mostly to to move forward. athletic fields. But for younger ones, ages In 1948, Fenway children had access 2 to 5, the study recommended a tot lot on to several school yards—only the Joseph every block! Lee playground in the Fens was owned In 2019, two proposals for new by the Parks Department. Fens parkland Fenway playgrounds went public. Landing at Park Drive, beginning near Jersey Studio, the landscape architects working Street, was dedicated as the Joseph Lee with the Charlesgate Alliance, shared a Playground on July 29, 1938. Joseph Lee, Fenway/Longwood design for a playground situated between Sr., was a social-minded, 19th-century Play Areas & Commonwealth Ave. and Beacon Street, Brahmin, and his personal mission was Water Spray Features not far from the shadow of the Bowker creation of playgrounds. In 1887, he Adapted rom Map 7 o The Boston Open Space Plan Overpass. In an under-the-radar proposal, petitioned the city government to open 2015-2021 the Museum of Fine Arts applied for up schoolyards for summer play and built SCHOOL PLAYLOT Community Preservation Act funds to the first public playground in the country PLAYLOT “commission an internationally renowned on Columbus Avenue, which featured all WATERSPRAY NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY artist to design and build an interactive, kinds of wild apparatuses for climbing, NON-PUBLIC OPEN SPACE outdoor play structure on their grounds sliding, and digging. He wrote manifestos OPEN SPACE that would be free and open to the public.” > PLAYGROUNDS on page 7 PHOTO: STEVE WOLF Back To Campus? Colleges Say They’ve Got a Plan For That BY KELLY GARRITY determined who can return to campus. “I s colleges and universities in think the decision overall was made with Boston prepare for the fall students' health in mind,” said Martin, “but semester, many plans for student I think the criteria in which they decided housing are still up in the air. who should come back should have been Long the site of gun-control messages, the Lansdowne Garage last month raised a Black In the Fenway, all five of the Colleges explained.” A Lives Matter banner. Meanwhile, local residents held two standouts near the ballpark on of the Fenway (COF) consortium plan to At Simmons, all students allowed to live July 18 and July 24, opening day. The Nelson Mandela Legacy Committee organized them welcome at least some students back to on campus will receive information about in conjunction with similar protests across the US in the wake of the death of George campus at the end of the summer. their housing placements in early August. All Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police in May. The viral video of his 8-minute Emmanuel College, Massachusetts students will be housed in single rooms, and suffocation sparked a nationwide backlash. The newly formed committee plans to hold College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences no guests will be allowed in any residence more vigils and welcomes anyone who wishes to join or contribute to other BLM events. (MCPHS), Massachusetts College of Art and halls. According to their reopening websites, Email organizer Margaret Witham at [email protected] for more information. Design (MassArt), and Wentworth Institute of the four other colleges in the COF consortium Technology all plan to follow a hybrid model. also plan to implement rules banning guests Students will be able to choose whether to in residence halls. Emmanuel, MassArt, attend classes both in person and online, or MCPHS, and Wentworth will offer single and attend solely online. double units. This has significantly limited VARIANCES MOVE SCAPE PLAN A STEP CLOSER As Simmons University president the number of units available at some schools. BY ALISON PULTINAS Lynn Perry Wooten announced in a letter to MassArt, for example, can normally house he Zoning Board of Appeal resumed public hearings at the end of June, students and staff on July 14, Simmons plans 825 students. Maureen Keefe, vice president but technical problems and blurry screen sharing have frustrated meeting to conduct the vast majority of its teaching of student development at MassArt, said these participants; it is difficult to even tell which board members are online. and activities online this fall, “with very few new safety protocols have lowered capacity to On July 21, zoning board chair Christine Araujo made a plea for exceptions,” explained Laura Wareck, director 576, which poses a potential issue, as over 600 Tlisteners to call their city councilor to get alternate members approved for the board. of media and government relations. Exceptions students have requested on-campus housing Without these new appointees, the board has only five members, meaning votes need include “a small number of students in for the fall. to be unanimous to grant requested variances, as five is the legal quorum. clinical and field placements, practicums, To increase housing capacity while The 15-story Scape residential tower at 1260 Boylston St.—proposed to replace research projects and those whose personal maintaining health and safety guidelines, the block of businesses between the Sunoco gas station and The Viridian—had no circumstances warrant specific consideration.” some schools have leased additional off- difficulty getting the requisite five votes. According to Wareck, the only courses taking campus buildings to house students. Earlier The developer’s application for multiple variances, including excess height place on Simmons’ campus will be two classes this month, the City of Boston launched a pilot and insufficient open space, received 16 support letters. Speakers in favor included in the university’s physical therapy doctorate program allowing colleges and universities to Pam Beale from Cornwall’s, Richard Giordano from the Fenway CDC, and Harold program. submit requests for additional housing outside Steward, co-director of Theater Offensive, > SCAPE on page 3 Amy Martin, a junior in the nutrition of their institutional master plans. and dietetics program at Simmons, thought Some colleges and universities have her school made the right call, but wished for capitalized on these eased restrictions, and Page 9: Restaurant Row Favorite Changes Hands more information about how the university BACK ON CAMPUS on page 2 > 2 | FENWAY NEWS | AUGUST 2020 BY ALISON PULTINAS MBTA SHIFTS FOCUS OF GREEN LINE Giordano and Patricia f all goes well with the C line Flaherty asked for a point person improvements on Beacon REPAIRS TO HUNTINGTON AVENUE to be assigned for construction- Street in Brookline, on August related concerns, but no one was 2, the MBTA’s 24/7 Green Line specified during the meeting. Peña Ireconstruction work will shift to E the T’s website the day of Riding in either direc- offered the general email contact, line improvements on Huntington the meeting, July 23. tion between Heath Street [email protected], for the Green Line Avenue. The software used and the Prudential Center, Transformation project. Bus-related The multi-staged Green Line for the meeting did not al- either on the Route 39 bus or questions were not answered, Transformation process has previ- low the public to view other the Yankee shuttle buses will specifically, recent route 39 changes ously sent work crews to the D and C participants or to see how many be free during the month-long that have eliminated inbound stops lines to replace tracks, add rubber- people were listening.