254 Spencer Ave Chelsea, MA 5 CONDOS FOR SALE NEW CONSTRUCTION - 2 BED, 2 BATH $549,000 781-201-9488 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1890 VOLUME 121, No. 9 THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021 35 CENTS Ambrosino AIR QUALITY METER NETWORK proposes Body cameras $16 million may be used Capital Improvement by local police By Seth Daniel authority to move in that Plan direction. I think it’s safe One Chelsea Police to say we could have them By Seth Daniel union has agreed in princi- in the next fiscal year.” ple to wearing body cam- Police-worn body cam- The COVID-19 pan- eras on the job, and the eras have been controver- demic hasn’t slowed down second union is also ex- sial for some time in the the City’s Capital Im- pected very soon to agree public and in the police provement Plan (CIP) as to the practice as well department, but Ambrosi- it did last year, with City – paving the path for the no said that is becoming Manager Tom Ambrosino Federal, state and local of- Administration and Chel- less of an issue and there proposing a $16 million ficials came together with sea Police to begin the wasn’t a lot of “grum- plan with 40 projects at GreenRoots on Earth Day, process of implementing bling” from the member- a Council subcommittee April 22, at Highland Park body-worn police cameras ship, he said. Mostly, he Monday night. to celebrate the official for every officer. said many feel that it will “This is a big invest- unveiling of an air quality City Manager Tom Am- become a requirement ev- ment and we have the monitor and a network brosino reported the Chel- erywhere very soon. funding for all of these of nine air quality meters sea Police Superior Offi- throughout the City. The “I think they feel in- projects,” Ambrosino told monitor keeps careful mea- cers Union had agreed to evitably it’s going to be the Council. surements of air quality body cameras in its most mandated, so they want- The projects in the CIP levels in the area, and the recent contract negotia- ed to be able to bargain range from the mundane network of meters takes tion, and an ongoing ne- for something now,” he – such as routine replace- readings in real time and broadcasts them on a public website for residents to monitor gotiation with the Patrol said. “I think there is an ment of police cruisers at will. Here, those gathered include City Manager Tom Ambrosino, GreenRoots Director Officers Union would also inevitability to it. I think and DPW dump trucks – to Roseann Bongiovanni, Jossie Valentin from Sen. Ed Markey’s Office, Council President Roy likely result in the approv- five years from now, more high ticket projects Avellaneda, EPA Regional Administrator Deb Szaro, DEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg, al of that process too. you’ll have to have them like re-tooling the DPW DEP Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Cooper and State Rep. Jessica Giannino. Chelsea Police would on. There wasn’t a lot of City Yard and enhancing a Meanwhile, the DEP’s Tony Pikul shows off the new monitoring equipment, which mea- become the first depart- grumbling and we reached sures VOCs and particulate matter in the air. See Page 7 for story and more photos. flood mitigation project on ment in the area to imple- an agreement.” Willow Street. ment the practice depart- Ambrosino said in the One of the requests if ment-wide. previous contract, the top for $750,000 to upgrade “The Superior Officers priority had been to ne- the drainage system in the have agreed to it and the gotiate for residency re- Central Avenue and Wil- Patrol Officers are in ne- quirements for police. In low Street area – part of a Chelsea Black Community gotiations for that now,” this contract, he said they $9 million project that will said Ambrosino. “When focused on body camer- lay the groundwork for the we implement that, I don’t mixed-income redevelop- assists at vaccination clinics know, but this gives us the See CAMERA Page 3 ment of the Innes Public joined representatives at-large,” said Cromwell, Housing Apartments. By Cary Shuman from FEMA, the City of adding that more than Ambrosino said he was The Chelsea Black Chelsea, and Cataldo Am- 1,000 residents have at- Shipyard parcels sell to Somerville very excited about that Community (CBC) is as- bulance at the clinic held tended the clinics the past portion of the CIP, and es- research and development company sisting at the COVID-19 last Saturday. two weekends. “The clin- pecially being able to do vaccination clinics being “The Chelsea Black ics are going very well and more than already planned By Seth Daniel “We are aware it was held at the Chelsea Senior Community is here today we’re happy to step up for to help with flooding. sold but no one has come Center. and we’re immunizing our residents. We have a “We’ll be doing a lot of Four parcels of land to the City with any pro- CBC President Joan Chelsea High students great relationship with the work on Central Avenue associated with the Fitz- posals,” he said. (ages 16 and up) and staff City, FEMA, and Cataldo and Willow Street in and Cromwell and board gerald Shipyard have sold Ambrosino said he be- as well as the community Ambulance.” around the Innes Develop- member Henry Wilson for $6 million to Science lieves part or all of the ment,” he said. “I’m excit- Research Labs (SRL) of property might be in a ed about that. It has been Somerville, a government Designated Port Area an area of recurring flood- contractor that has been in (DPA), but not the Chel- ing issues and we hope we business since 1983. sea Creek DPA. Rather, it can improve that.” A limited liability cor- could be part of the Mys- That project has a $5 poration (LLC) controlled tic River DPA. He said the million state grant, and by Dr. Jonah Jacob of SRL City has focused signifi- the City – if the extra purchased the properties cant attention on the Chel- $750,000 is approved – recently from Yankee Ma- sea Creek DPA lately, and will have put in $4 million. rine RET, which is held are in the middle of a pro- Another key project in by Peter Fitzgerald of the cess there. However, they the CIP is addressing the Shipyard. The parcels are hadn’t yet focused on the DPW City Yard. There on Winnisimmet Street Mystic DPA, and he said had been ideas about de- and Williams Street. there are some options for molishing the Yard on Several messages sent any developer looking to Beacham Street and build- to Jacob via email and by change the use. ing new elsewhere. In- phone were not returned, “This area was going stead, Ambrosino said he and no one is quite sure to be our next focus,” he wants to invest $1 million what the intentions are of said. “In our waterfront into improving and reno- he Chelsea Black Community is assisting the City of Chelsea, FEMA, and Cataldo Ambu- the new ownership. district, you can do wa- vating the Yard. He said lance at vaccinations clinic being held the Chelsea Senior Center. Pictured at last Saturday’s Sources close to the terfront activities and you clinic are, from left, Chelsea High teacher Miguel Hernando, CBC President Joan Cromwell, situation said they have can build residential by he would also like to in- COVID-19 health ambassador Kimberly Contreras, CBC board member Henry Wilson, vest more next year and be heard there are no imme- right at 35 units per acre. COVID-19 health ambassador Mikey DeJesus, Executive Assistant to the City Manager diate changes planned, I don’t know of any plan able to keep it going there Lourdes Alvarez, and COVID-19 health ambassador Jakelyn Joya. for another 10 years. but a lot of the small busi- to transition that to resi- Other highlights in the nesses that operated in the dential, but it would be by proposed CIP include: Yard may not be operating right under those condi- •$350,000 to match a Porch fire minor, but raises major questions about safety any longer. tions.” City Manager Tom SRL is interesting in $400,000 PARC Grant about activities on back – and last week’s fire was that would renovate By Seth Daniel Ambrosino said the City that it is a company with porches. no better time to remind was aware of this signifi- a long history of lab uses See CIP Page 2 A minor back porch All over Greater Bos- people about the dangers. cant purchase on the wa- – with such uses being the fire on Garland Street last ton, and in Chelsea over “This again brings at- terfront, but they haven’t hottest market in Greater week has sparked a warn- the last year or two, porch tention to the dangers heard from the new owner Boston right now. INDEPENDENT ing from Chief Leonard fires have been a great and have no idea what the Albanese to be careful concern to the department plans might be. Newspaper Group See FIRE Page 3 See SHIPYARD Page 2 www.chelsearecord.com For the latest news in Chelsea that you need to know, check chelsearecord.com Page 2 THE CHELSEA RECORD Thursday, April 29, 2021 Officials award $720,000 for services NEWS Briefs BY SETH DANIEL for young adults in recovery programs BEACHAM STREET cluding privately owned come eligibility require- parking lots.) ments.