Next Tuesday, December 15th at 11:00 am, there is a State hearing to protect certain public parks from the shadows of excessively tall buildings. Christopher Columbus Park and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway are specifically mentioned in the proposed legislation.
Representatives Marty Walz, Byron Rushing, and Senator Anthony Petruccelli sponsored a bill to prevent additional shadows from being cast on the Charles River Esplanade, Christopher Columbus Park, Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Copley Square Park, Magazine Beach Park, or Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway (House Bill No. 853: An Act protecting certain public parks). The sponsors indicate that “this legislation is critical in protecting our historic parks from being thrown in shadow cast by excessively tall buildings.”
Per Marty Walz, “With the extraordinary success of laws limiting the amount of new shadows that may be cast on the Boston Common and the Public Garden, Representative Byron Rushing and I filed a bill to extend those protections to additional parks in Boston’s downtown neighborhoods.”
Click here to read Marty Walz’s commentary on this legislation.
The Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture is holding its an important hearing on this bill on December 15 at 11 am in State House Room A2.
Letters can be sent to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee Co-Chairs Senator Anthony Petruccelli (address Room 413-B, State House, Boston, MA 02133, phone: 617-722-1634) and Representative William Straus (address Room 473-F, State House, Boston, MA 02133, phone: 617-722-2210).
Send emails to: Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee Co-Chairs Anthony.Petruccelli@state.ma.us and Rep.WilliamStraus@Hou.State.MA.US with copies to Rep.MartyWalz@Hou.State.MA.US and Rep.ByronRushing@hou.state.ma.us (Ed: North End/Waterfront residents should also include State Representative Aaron Michlewitz at Rep.AaronMichlewitz@hou.state.ma.us)
A copy of the legislation is posted on the web at http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht00pdf/ht00853.pdf.
