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Residents Review Design Alternatives for Langone & Puopolo Park Improvements

On Tuesday, January 23, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department hosted a community meeting at the Nazzaro Center to discuss the design phase of the Langone & Puopolo Parks improvement project. This was the second meeting in a series of community forums designed to help the Parks Department determine the best ways to rehabilitate the park facilities on Commercial Street.

The Parks project team presented the attendees with three design alternatives that incorporated the key takeaways discussed at the first community meeting. Although each proposed version of the new park is unique, all of the iterations feature a little league field and bocce courts, a playground, additional recreational spaces, enhanced park entries, improved lighting, and storage.

After reviewing the plans as a group, those in attendance responded with the following suggestions:

  • Thoroughly research the portable pitching mound proposed for the baseball field to determine if this is really the best option for performance and this park.
  • Give more thought to adult oriented activities such as adding more bocce courts, creating additional seating areas, and allowing water access for kayaks.
  • Find parking solutions to address increased visitor traffic that is likely to follow the renovations.
  • Work with the landowners of the grassy area behind Steriti Rink to create an extension of the park exclusively for dogs.
  • Prioritize public restrooms.

The project team will use the meeting feedback to inform their final design choice which will be presented at the last community meeting in April. To learn more about this project or provide input, please visit the project webpage. The full presentation is also available here.

17 Replies to “Residents Review Design Alternatives for Langone & Puopolo Park Improvements

  1. Yeah cause we really need a third dog park and kayak access to the dirty disgusting Boston harbor. Let’s put those 2 and get rid of the basketball court that people use everyday when the weather is nice enough. What a brilliant idea. Maybe we should put another bike lane along the water while we are at it!!!! Who is in charge of making these decisions? This is rediculous.

    1. Did you go to the meeting? That’s where all these decisions are being discussed. If you want to add some input you should start there.

      1. You are right. I should start going to these meeting because I don’t know who is making these decisions. Do these people live in a fantasy land? Why in the world do we need another dog park? Who in the right mind would want to kayak in that water? The basketball court is probably the most used area of that whole park but let’s get rid of it. How do these people come up with this stuff?

        1. I would put a kayak in the harbor. And I’m sure dog owners who live nearby on commercial st would like a dog park behind the rink. I’m not advocating for one, but I can sure imagine who comes up with this stuff.

          1. I hope all of your shots are up to date if you plan on going in that water. Not to mention the plethora of water rats that inhabit that area. The dog owners who live near the field have a dog park that is less than a 5 minute walk in he gassy. Maybe we should make the health center and dog park next!

  2. The only acceptable design would be design 3. The basketball court needs to stay. It is intricate for young adolescents. It is more important than open space which will be used for nothing but drinking.

    Also this neighborhood already has two parks dedicated to dogs (flights and Richmond st) I don’t think they need another one.

    1. To be fair, the neighborhood also already has 3 basketball courts (Nazzaro/Gassy/Cutillo (Stillman St)). An argument could be made that 3 basketball courts is plenty, questioning whether that space could be better utilized as opposed to having a 4th basketball court.

      And there are plenty of people I see with picnic blankets in the spring/summer months who would probably take offense to you claiming no open space because of kids drinking.

      No 3rd dog park needed.

  3. zero hours of permitted baseball time? What about Carl Ameno’s baseball teams for the kids who are too old for Little League right through HS that have played there for years? Is Suffolk University’s women’s softball team more important than the youth of the North End?

    1. Totally agree with RU Kiddin Me? ! This park must accommodate the neighborhood’s Dodgers program not only for the teens who play on the teams but also for the community which gathers to watch the games on a summer night – whether they have a player on the team or not. I am hoping that this was just a clerical error when the chart estimates 0 hours for baseball. I imagine there might be some concern regarding strong batters hitting balls into the pool area but can’t we build the fence higher? Would positioning the field where the proposed softball field is located and extend the left field a bit (but keep some form of a basketball court) work? Baseball beyond Little League needs to stay!

  4. I’d like to think they’d be able to take a little from each if that’s what’s best. Agreed on the need to keep the basketball court. But I’d also like to see water access, although I can acknowledge that anyone who’s that interested in dropping a kayak in the water, could access via any of the public taxi/boat docks already around the neighborhood. That said, more access is better than less. Flights dog park is certainly close enough for any dog walkers needing a fenced in area…..in my opinion open space with better landscaping would be preferred behind the rink. This is part of the Boston Harborwalk, and looking 5yrs on with the addition of the new Ctown Bridge the idea of a dog park back there on a heavily trafficked pedestrian walk doesn’t seem to fit.

  5. The Skating Rink AND the grassy area behind it belong to the STATE DCR not the city of Boston. I do not think the City can do anything on that piece of land.

  6. This is one of fe actual green spaces. And yes, we have Columbus Park and the greenway- which given our population density we should revere all of these spots.

    Why plastic turf and it’s assorted health impacts?
    People don’t picnic on plastic turf and I don’t want my kids diving into plastic fields. Give North End kids the chance to play on grass, just as Dorchester kids do and West Roxbury kids do.

    Also agree that this is one of the heaviest use basketball courts. Why remove it?
    And the park is very busy at baseball time. If comment above about a Suffolk softball is based on true info, absolutely agree city priority should not be accommodating University team.

    There should be water activity for kayaks, etc. There could be a boardwalk extension of harbor walk outside the pool.

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