Video: Bartlett Place Improvements Public Meeting held on February 28, 2013 at the Nazzaro Community Center. Note: The projector was not working so there was only a laptop available to view the presentation. The full presentation is available here as a pdf.
Neighboring residents, businesses and city officials reached a broad consensus on how to improve Bartlett Place with a “pocket park” designed to enhance the open space. Located off Salem St. next to Terramia Restaurant in the North End, Bartlett Place is one of the public spaces in the city budgeted for improvements under a new “parklet” program that transforms them with landscaped elements.
The Public Works Department took feedback from an earlier meeting last Fall and created a revised design including potted trees, attractive surfacing, decorative bollards and bike racks. Seating and plantings were removed from the design due to concerns about disruptive late night street gatherings, trash and high maintenance. Functionally, the redesign maintains an accessible roadway with fire department access to the narrower private section of Bartlett Place.
Neighbors around Bartlett Place have long complained that it has become a dumping ground for trash. The garbage and cleanliness concern was again discussed at the meeting including the removal of the planter where trash collects.
The tree types are expected to be along the lines of crabapple or magnolia trees in large potted planters. DPW is looking for neighboring residents and businesses to help take care of the trees in the space, including watering from a nearby spigot.
The revised design was met with broad consensus and no vocal opposition at the meeting. A schematic of the final design is shown below (full presentation in pdf format.) Presenting for Public Works was the engineer on the project, Zachary Wassmouth. Also at the meeting from the DPW Engineering Division was General Manager, Para Jayasinghe, P.E. In addition, City Councilor Sal LaMattina attended and spoke in support of the project.
There will be some utility relocation before the redesign can be put into place. DPW has a 6 month installation plan that is expected to be completed this summer.
The new design looks great. It’s refreshing to see DPW respond to neighborhood residents’ concerns and revise the plan accordingly. I look forward to the end result and hope it alleviates a lot of the ongoing trash issues Bartlett Place suffers.
Looking forward to seeing this space used as a little park rather than a parking lot and dumpster!! 🙂 Nice work!
As an abutter I have to thank Sal, Nicole and the City Engineering crew for listening to our feedback and responding with what I personally feel is a great design. The meeting showed that the design was very well received and we all look forward to its implementation.
A hearty thank you to everyone involved!
My enduring reaction is: “Sweeeeeeeet”.
Already, I am enjoying the results of this.
they expect residents and property owners to take care of the space? have these people not walked down salem street lately? it is by far one of the trashiest, most disgusting streets in all of downtown. this park will be a wasteland in no time unless there is a tourist buck to be made off it. even then…
The space is charming and could be the begining of a real movement to beautify and maintain these efforts by Neighborhood groups. Trash recepticle, although controversail, are essential for keeping trash where it belongs. No trash recepticles,means the trash will end up on the sidewalk or street.
Tourist season will soon be here. Give them a proper place to throw trash.
What about a bench or two??
On the video, they said people didn’t want benches … but what about a trash barrel or two? Isn’t this public works doing this so please tell me they can commit to emptying a trash barrel !!!