#Council Member Kevin Park

[santaclaralocalnews]

The Santa Clara City Council once again dealt with the conundrum of who polices the majority. Four community members brought forth petitions asking the council to place an item on a future agenda to discuss the behavior of Council Member Kevin Park at the Feb. 7 council meeting. At issue, comments Park made near the close of the meeting when he left a book titled “All My Friends...Read more at svvoice.com

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : MAY ✧• ─

2 MAY - William received the Rt. Hon. Christopher Hipkins MP (Prime Minister of New Zealand) 3 MAY - William, Catherine and their children attended the Coronation Rehearsal. 4 MAY - William and Catherine travelled on the Elizabeth Line to Tottenham Court Road Station where they were received by Mr. Kevin Traverse-Healy (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London). Afterwards, they visited the Dog and Duck Pub. Subsequently, William received Hon. Anthony Albanese MP (Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia). 5 MAY - William attended the final Coronation Dress rehearsal. Later, Catherine and him attended the Realm Governor-Generals and Prime Ministers Reception at Buckingham Palace. Afterwards, they joined The King in greeting the crowds at The Mall. Subsequently, they attended the Reception for Heads of State and Overseas Guests. 6 MAY - William, Catherine and their children attended the Coronation of The King and Queen in Westminster Abbey. Afterwards, they witnessed the RAF fly-past from the Palace Balcony. 7 MAY - William took part in the Coronation Concert Rehearsals at Windsor Castle. Afterwards, Catherine and him attended the Coronation Big Lunch on the Long Walk. Later, they attended the BBC Coronation Concert and held a Reception following the Concert at Windsor Castle. 8 MAY - William and Catherine were joined by their kids for the Big Help Out at 3rd Upton Scouts Hall. They appeared in the Coronation Portrait released by Buckingham Palace. 9 MAY - William and Catherine gave an Afternoon Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Coronation of The King and Queen. 10 MAY - William held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 12 MAY - William and George appeared with the King in the Coronation Portrait released by Buckingham Palace. 14 MAY - He attended the Women's FA Cup Final between Chelsea Football Club and Manchester United Football Club at Wembley Stadium. 15 MAY - William held a Meeting with Mr. Alastair Martin (Secretary of the Duchy of Cornwall). Afterwards, he chaired a Meeting of The Prince's Council. Subsequently, he attended the Zeitgeist 2023 Earthshot Prize summit in Hertfordshire. 16 MAY - William received Lieutenant Commander David Brannighan RN at Windsor Castle. 17 MAY - He met submariners who rowed across the Atlantic in HMS OARDACIOUS at Eton College Rowing Centre. 19 MAY - William received the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP (Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). 22 MAY - William marked the sixth anniversary of Manchester Arena Attack. 23 MAY - He visited Notpla Limited in London. 26 MAY - William was received by Mr. Kevin McGrath (Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London) as he met members of the Grenfell community supported by Queens Park Rangers Football Club at Loftus Road Stadium. 31 MAY - William and Catherine arrived in Amman for the Royal Wedding.

[reasoningdaily]

One of the "Central Park Five" mimicked a 1989 full-page ad that Trump placed calling for the death penalty.

Yusef Salaam was one of five Black and Latino teenagers wrongly convicted of raping a white woman.

In the mock ad, posted on Twitter, Salaam referred to Trump's recent indictment and arrest.

An exonerated member of the so-called "Central Park Five" mimicked a full-page ad that Donald Trump placed in 1989 calling for the return of the death penalty in New York State.

In the ad, which was posted on Twitter, Yusef Salaam mocked Trump's recent indictment and arrest while imitating the statement Trump advertised in multiple New York newspapers.

Salaam was one of five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of the assault and rape of a young white woman in Central Park. After spending many years in prison, they were released and exonerated after Matias Reyes confessed to the crime in 2002.

While Trump's ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the five, it was clear that the ads came in response to the attack, The New York Times reported.

Salaam, who announced in February that he was running for city council for central Harlem, appeared to ridicule Trump's original ad that called for "law and order" after the former president was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an indictment related to hush-money payments before the 2016 presidential election. 

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

—Yusef Abdus Salaam (@dr_yusefsalaam) April 5, 2023

"On May 1, 1989, almost thirty-four years ago, Donald J. Trump spent $85,000 to take out full-page ads in The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, and New York Newsday, calling for the execution of the Central Park Five," Salaam wrote.

It was "an act he has never apologized for," he said. "After several decades and an unfortunate and disastrous presidency, we all know who exactly Donald J. Trump is — a man who seeks to deny justice and fairness for others while claiming only innocence for himself," Salaam's statement continued. 

Last week, Salaam issued a single-word response to the news of the indictment: "Karma."

—Raymond Santana (@santanaraymond) April 5, 2023

Now known as the "Exonerated Five," Salaam, along with Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, received a multi-million dollar settlement from NYC after they were coerced into confessing to the crime by police. 

Salaam, however, said he ultimately wished Trump "no harm," even though the former president had "effectively called for my death and the death of four other innocent children."

"Rather, I am putting my faith in the judicial system to seek out the truth," he added.

"I hope that you exercise your civil liberties to the fullest, and that you get what the Exonerated 5 did not get — a presumption of innocence, and a fair trial."

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Allison Janowski at DNC:

5:30 PM Call to Order Minyon Moore Chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee Gavel In The Honorable Veronica Escobar Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Texas Invocation Everett Kelly National President of the American Federation of Government Employees Imam Muhammad Abdul-Aleem Masjidullah Mosque, West Oak Lane, PA Presentation of Colors Illinois State Police Honor Guard Pledge of Allegiance Luna Maring 6th Grader from Oakland, California Welcome Remarks The Honorable Veronica Escobar Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Texas Joint Remarks Becky Pringle President of the National Education Association Randi Weingarten President of the American Federation of Teachers Remarks The Honorable Alex Padilla United States Senator, California

6:00 PM

Remarks The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Remarks The Honorable Ted W. Lieu Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, California Remarks The Honorable Tammy Baldwin United States Senator, Wisconsin Remarks The Honorable Katherine Clark U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Whip Remarks The Honorable Joe Neguse U.S. House of Representatives Assistant Democratic Leader Remarks The Honorable Leonardo Williams Mayor of Durham, North Carolina Remarks The Honorable Raja Krishnamoorthi Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois Remarks The Honorable Bob Casey United States Senator, Pennsylvania Remarks The Honorable Elizabeth Warren United States Senator, Massachusetts Remarks: “Project 2025—Chapter Four: Making America Weaker and Less Secure” The Honorable Jason Crow Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Colorado Remarks The Honorable Elissa Slotkin Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Michigan Remarks The Honorable Pat Ryan Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New York Remarks Reverend Al Sharpton Civil rights leader Joint Remarks from representatives of “the Central Park Five” The Honorable Dr. Yusef Salaam Member of the New York City Council Korey Wise Activist Raymond Santana Activist Kevin Richardson Activist

7:00 PM

Joint Remarks Amy Resner Former prosecutor and friend of Vice President Harris Karrie Delaney Director of Federal Affairs at the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Lisa Madigan Former Attorney General of Illinois Marc H. Morial President of the National Urban League Nathan Hornes Former student at Corinthian Colleges Tristan Snell Former New York State Assistant Attorney General Remarks The Honorable Maura Healey Governor of Massachusetts Remarks Courtney Baldwin Youth organizer and human trafficking survivor Remarks The Honorable Deb Haaland Remarks John Russell Content creator Remarks The Honorable Maxwell Alejandro Frost Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Florida Remarks The Honorable Colin Allred Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Texas Joint Remarks on “A New American Chapter” Anya Cook, Florida Craig Sicknick, New Jersey Gail DeVore, Colorado Juanny Romero, Nevada Eric, Christian, and Carter Fitts, North Carolina

8:00 PM

National Anthem The Chicks Host Introduction Kerry Washington Joint Remarks Meena Harris Ella Emhoff Helena Hudlin Remarks D.L. Hughley Remarks The Honorable Chris Swanson Sheriff of Genesee County, Michigan A Conversation on Gun Violence The Honorable Lucy McBath Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Georgia Joined by Abbey Clements of Newton, Connecticut, Kim Rubio of Uvalde, Texas, Melody McFadden of Charleston, South Carolina, and Edgar Vilchez of Chicago, Illinois. Remarks The Honorable Gabrielle Giffords Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Arizona Performance P!NK Remarks The Honorable Mark Kelly United States Senator, Arizona Remarks The Honorable Leon E. Panetta Former United States Secretary of Defense Remarks The Honorable Ruben Gallego Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Arizona Remarks The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer Governor of Michigan

9:00 PM

Remarks Eva Longoria American actress and film producer Remarks The Honorable Adam Kinzinger Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois Remarks Maya Harris Remarks The Honorable Roy Cooper Governor of North Carolina Remarks The Honorable Kamala Harris Vice President of the United States

The speakers list for the 4th and final night of the DNC is here. The main speaker is Vice President and Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

There could be a surprise guest or two.

Other notable speakers: Elizabeth Warren, Gretchen Whitmer, Ted Lieu, Tammy Baldwin, Al Sharpton, Roy Cooper, Gabby Giffords, Mark Kelly, and Maxwell Alejandro Frost

Performers: The Chicks, P!nk.

Illinois: Lisa Madigan, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Adam Kinzinger

[microtagged]

The LAPD reported 82 arrests and one ton of copper collected from a copper theft effort and task force sponsored earlier this year.

The Heavy Metal Task Force was established in January when two Los Angeles city council members pushed the municipal government to allocate $400,000 to combat copper wire theft.

When they launched the task group in late January, Council members Kevin de León and Traci Park cited an “alarming surge in copper wire theft plaguing communities across Los Angeles.” They reported almost 6,800 citywide cases in the past year.

## Kevin de León

[lboogie1906]

Wendy Williams Hunter (Wendy Joan Williams; July 18, 1964) is a broadcaster and writer. She hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show The Wendy Williams Show.

She was a radio DJ and host and quickly became known in New York as a shock jockette. She gained notoriety for her on-air spats with celebrities and was the subject of The Wendy Williams Experience.

Other endeavors include authoring several books, appearances in various films and television shows, touring her comedy show, and her product lines, including a fashion line, a jewelry collection, and a wig line. She was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. The council of Asbury Park, New Jersey, renamed the street on which she grew up Wendy Williams Way.

She was born in Asbury Park. She is the second of three children born to Shirley (Skinner) and Thomas Dwayne Williams. She was a Brownie in the Girl Scouts and volunteered as a candy striper.

She graduated from Ocean Township High School. She acted as an announcer at her younger brother Thomas’s Little League Baseball games.

She attended Northeastern University in Boston with the intent of becoming a television anchor. She switched to the radio to advance her career faster. She graduated with a BA in Communications and a minor in Journalism. She was a disc jockey for the college radio station, WRBB, where rapper LL Cool Was her first celebrity interviewee. As an intern at contemporary WXKS-FM, she recapped the soap operas Dallas and Dynasty on air.

She funded a $1,000 scholarship for a Black female high school student who sought to major in Communication. Subsequent recipients received internships at WBLS. She led an effort to donate money and school supplies to Asbury Park Middle School in 2009. She and her husband created The Hunter Foundation in 2014. The foundation closed in May 2019. She became an ambassador and honorary board member of the Lymphatic Education & Research Network.

She married Bertrand “Bert” Girigorie (1994-95). She married Kevin Hunter (1999-2020). They have one son. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[novumtimes]

Cyclists rally calling for safer streets in Scarborough

Around 100 cyclists took part in a bike ride Sunday from East Lynn Park along Danforth Avenue to Victoria Park to raise awareness for what they say is a significant safety contrast between Toronto streets and Scarborough streets. “Today we are riding as a big community to raise awareness about the somewhat stalled Danforth complete street,” Marvin Macaraig with Access Alliance tells CityNews. “This was approved by council three years ago and we haven’t seen any movement on this progress yet.” The Danforth Kingston Complete Street Extension bike lane plan aims to make travel on Danforth Avenue from Victoria Park Avenue to Kingston Road and Kingston Road to Scarborough Golf Club Road safer by changing the layout of the existing road space to accommodate vehicular traffic, transit, parking, bikeways and other safety improvement features. Danforth-Kingston Complete Street Extension plan “We live at Danforth and Birchmount, about 2 km from where these cycle lanes end, and it just feels really unfair to be in a neighbourhood where our main street is a drag race,” said Ian McVey of the community group Danforth-Kingston 4 All. The bike lane plan was first approved by city council in 2021 with a completion date set for 2024. However, a staff report set to go before the city’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee on Tuesday shows that the completion date is now projected to be 2027 or later. Organizers with Danforth-Kingston 4 All hope Sunday’s rally will help push the city to change that timeline. “The city committed to completing the Danforth Kingston extension by 2024. So it was supposed to start in 2023 and finish up this year, still nothing is in the ground and we just found out they’re thinking 2025 to 2027,” said group member Kevin Rupasinghe. In a statement to CityNews, the city says in part it “is committed to delivering the Danforth-Kingston Complete Street Extension to make travel on Danforth Avenue and Kingston Road safer, more inviting and attractive for everyone.” Source link via The Novum Times

[dnaamericaapp]

Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ Member Yusef Salaam Wins New York City Council Seat

Exonerated “Central Park Five” member Yusef Salaam won a seat Tuesday on the New York City Council, completing a stunning reversal of fortune decades after he was wrongly imprisoned in an infamous rape case.

Salaam, a Democrat, will represent a central Harlem district on the City Council, having run unopposed for the seat in one of many local elections held across New York state Tuesday. He won his primary election in a landslide.

The victory comes more than two decades after DNA evidence was used to overturn the convictions of Salaam and four other Black and Latino men in the 1989 rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. Salaam was arrested at age 15 and imprisoned for almost seven years.

“For me, this means that we can really become our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” Salaam said in an interview before the election.

Salaam was arrested along with Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise and accused of attacking a woman running in Central Park. DNA evidence linked another man, a serial rapist, to the attack. The city ultimately agreed in a legal settlement to pay the exonerated men $41 million.

The crime dominated headlines in the city, inflaming racial tensions as police rounded up Black and Latino men and boys for interrogation. Former President Donald Trump, then just a brash real estate executive in the city, took out large ads in newspapers that implored New York to bring back the death penalty.

When Trump was indicted in New York earlier this year on charges of falsifying business records, Salaam mocked him with his own ad on social media mimicking Trump’s original newspaper ad.

“Over 30 years ago, Donald Trump took out full page ads calling for my execution,” Salaam tweeted in April. “On the day he was arrested and arraigned, here is my ad in response.” -(source: nbc news)

DNA America

“It’s what we know, not what you want us to believe.”

#dna #dnaamerica #news #politics

[college-girl199328]

The city's transportation committee is voting on whether or not to reopen Wellington Street to vehicles following the 'Freedom Convoy.' A year after the 'Freedom Convoy' protest shut down Wellington Street, a city of Ottawa committee has voted to reopen it to cars for now.

The city's transportation committee voted unanimously to reopen the street to traffic "as soon as it is operationally feasible," but no sooner than March 1. The vote is subject to approval by the city council.

Wellington Street has been closed in front of Parliament Hill—between Elgin and Bank streets—since late last January when protesters descended on the capital and hundreds of trucks parked downtown.

The street became the epicentre of the Freedom Convoy as demonstrators set up a large stage and other infrastructure, most infamously a bouncy castle and a hot tub.

The Transportation Committee heard from about a dozen members of the public on Thursday. These members advocated for closing the street to cars and turning it into a space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Others, such as Kevin McHale from the Sparks Street BIA, argue it's time to open the street to cars. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has advocated for reopening the street to cars. On Thursday, he told Newstalk 580 CFRA the right course of action is to reopen it for now while a longer discussion about the street's future happens.

He also said it would take some time to prepare for the street to reopen. Among other things, traffic signals were removed on Metcalfe and O'Connor streets. City staff estimate it will take between four and eight weeks to get the signals reinstalled.

Last month, a House of Commons committee recommended keeping Wellington Street closed permanently to vehicles and extending the vehicle-free zone one block farther west, to Kent Street.

A report from city of Ottawa staff earlier this month said the closure had not caused a "total failure" of the transportation network in the downtown core, but warned that an increase in traffic due to construction and federal workers returning to downtown offices could impact traffic in the area.

The motion passed by the transportation committee on Thursday also recommends city staff explore options for temporary road closures on Wellington Street this summer for special events. It also recommends that city officials continue discussions with the federal government about expanding the parliamentary precinct to include Wellington Street.

The motion also included an amendment to add a temporary protected bike lane to the street. Council will debate the matter on Feb. 8.

[atlanticcanada]

Fredericton city council votes in favour of rezoning for city's new jail

Fredericton city council voted in favour of rezoning land for the construction of a new jail that will be built in the city's industrial park following an outcry from the Lincoln Heights neighbourhood.

"We heard loud and clear that their sense of security has been put into question, and we will be finding ways to make them feel more secure in that area,” Mayor Kate Rogers told CTV News.

“Yes, the vote was final and the development will proceed but how the development fits within that community and how the residents respond to that, that will be ongoing."

Only four councillors opposed the new correctional facility during Monday night's meeting.

"Over 1,200 people signed a petition against having a jail within the city limits,” said Kevin Darrah, Fredericton councillor for Lincoln Heights ward, who attended Monday's meeting.

“That transpired over the course of five weeks. Then city hall on Jan. 9 was bursting at the seams with citizens expressing their concern. Clearly they do not want it."

"In fact, the correctional facility, in my humble opinion, may result in more instances of crime,” said councillor Cassandra LeBlanc during the council meeting.  

“Deputy Minister Comeau informed us a few times throughout this process the average stay in this facility will be 30 to 33 days. If a member of our vulnerable community is given a stay in a correctional facility for that length of time, they will lose any housing they may have had and any employment they may have had."

Among the councillors voting in favour of the rezoning amendment was the deputy mayor, who said he'd prefer the jail be inside city limits so that Fredericton’s police force would be in charge rather than the RCMP.

"I do not think that they have the same ability to provide policing services in an appropriate way,” said Greg Ericson, Fredericton’s deputy mayor during the council meeting.

There are mixed opinions in the neighbourhood on the correctional facility.

"I do understand the need of a jail in the Fredericton area in general,” said Chris Roussell, a Lincoln Heights resident.

“From where they are located, they have to do lots of travelling and whatnot to get to and from the jail in Saint John or Moncton, and I just feel like I understand why the council made the decision. It's close to a highway."

Kris Austin, the minister of justice, said in a statement to CTV, “The facility will not be visible to neighbours and will be about 800 metres from the nearest house. It will also not be visible from a street. We have seen no evidence to suggest the facility will harm property values.”

Residents such as Bill Stewart are considering appealing to Susan Holt, the leader of the provincial Liberal party, to object to the new provincial jail.

"I'm not happy about it,” said Stewart, who lives in the Lincoln Heights neighbourhood.

“I don't feel the city fully looked into it and there's lots of other options for areas that's not so close to a residential area. I just think it's going to change the feel of the neighbourhood."

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/WzOcl67

[santaclaralocalnews]

One Friday afternoon in March 1904, a group of Santa Clara women met to create the Santa Clara Woman’s Club as a civic improvement club. On April 4, 2024 another group of women met to celebrate the founders and reflect on 120 years of community service. Mayor Lisa Gillmor presented the club with a City proclamation honoring its 120-year history. Also on hand to celebrate with the club were City Council Members Anthony Becker, Raj Chahal, Karen Hardy, Suds Jain, Kevin Park and Kathy Watanabe; Janet Stevenson of the Historic Preservation Society of Santa Clara...Read complete news at svvoice.com.

[newstube]

Video shows L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León in fight with activist

Video shows L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León in fight with activist

Hours after drawing protesters’ ire with his first in-person appearance in two months at a Los Angeles City Council meeting, Kevin de León was involved in a fight with an activist Friday night, in an altercation at least partially caught on video. The council member said in a statement that he was assaulted. Activists said De León was the aggressor. De León was at Lincoln Park for a toy giveaway…

[rnewspost]

Video shows L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León in fight with activist

Video shows L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León in fight with activist

Hours after drawing protesters’ ire with his first in-person appearance in two months at a Los Angeles City Council meeting, Kevin de León was involved in a fight with an activist Friday night, in an altercation at least partially caught on video. The council member said in a statement that he was assaulted. Activists said De León was the aggressor. De León was at Lincoln Park for a toy giveaway…

[dagr8fm]

DETROIT SHI

Shi was born and raised in the Detroit Metropolitan area. However, both of her parents immigrated to

the United States and are of Jamaican heritage. Shi is striving to become well-rounded in the performing arts.

By far, her greatest gift is as a musician. At age 8, Shi has had the honor of performing at Disney World.

At age 10, she has opened for Kevin Little at the Detroit Caribbean Cultural Festival. She has been asked

many times to sing the Star Spangled Banner and GOD Bless America for distinguished guests such as;

Detroit’s Mayor Mike Duggan, City Council Member Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, at a Detroit Tigers game in 2015 at Comerica Park, and for Veterans from World War II, Pearl Harbor, Vietnam, Dessert Storm,

Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Shi was a 4-year member of the Michigan Opera Theater Children’s Chorus Principal Choir at the Detroit

Opera House. Where she deepens her knowledge of musical theory and site reading. In the spring of

2018 she starred as Josephine in the opera H.M.S. Pinafore. She also had a leading role in the Summer

King. Outside of music, Shi was crowned Lil Miss Strawberry Princess at the Belleville Strawberry Festival at age 4, she was briefly seen in the Nike commercial ‘Dream With Us’, she was featured in a Better Made

Special commercial, she appears as Addy on the American Girl website, she appears in a Mike Posner

music video, Be as You Are and the Gold Star Chili, ‘Chili Mac is Back’ commercial.

Shi has recorded three singles; Keep It Running, Feelin Fine, and Our Vibe. And now she is excited to

release her first EP! To be SHI is an expressive R&B Ep that consists of heartbreak, social experiences, and life lessons while also incorporating the complex personality of the artist SHI herself. “CTRL” which is the first song on the Ep gives the listener a warm and inviting sensation allowing you to sit back, relax, and vibe with SHI. While also hitting you with the hidden intensity that the lyrics have to offer. “Game Changer” and “ Love Me Now” open up the complicated relationships that the artist SHI has encountered as a teenager, feeding you organic emotions that might confuse a first time listener, but as you re- listen and dive deeper into the lyrics these convoluted love songs start to make sense and expose the development of young love in today’s society. “Afro Puffs” is a coming of age song that highlights the development of SHI as a young West- Indian/ African American child. Showcasing the trials and tribulations of a young chocolate soul. “Confused” recognizes the heartbreak in SHI’s life, from the over contemplation and regret that surfaces in the lyrics. The last song “SMOKE” was created to halt the convoluting thoughts that are constantly mentioned within the EP. It’s simply a song of encouragement that carries nothing but raw emotion and a reminder that SHI don’t bangs with none of these hoes.

To read more blogs please visit our site: Dagr8fm

Music & Social Media Links:

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[ericvick]

Neponset Wharf plan gets yet another airing; Some like it, some don’t

The latest version of a developer’s proposal to build a new complex of residences and mixed-use buildings on the Port Norfolk waterfront got a fresh airing, and mixed reviews on Monday.

About 45 people tuned in to hear the South Boston-based developer City Point Capital’s plans for 24 Ericsson St. during a virtual meeting hosted by the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA).

During a Q&A session, while some attendees voiced support for the latest design, others sounded familiar themes, lamenting the project’s size, insisting that flood protection plans are inadequate for the peninsula property, and laying out traffic safety issues.

The site is currently the MarineMax/Russo Marine facility next to Venezia restaurant and function hall.

Kevin Deabler, a principal at the Dorchester-based architectural firm RODE Architects Inc., gave a brief overview of the newest design, which takes into account feedback from a city panel focused on architecture. 

“A lot of the Boston Public Design Commission’s comments dealt with how well the public could access the site and how they would get there. And those concerns kind of dovetailed into a lot of questions and comments that we got from the neighbors and community,” said Deabler.  

“This site is a piece within a network of open space on Dorchester’s waterfront and we want to work to make it a connector,” he added, pointing north of the site to Tenean Beach, and south to Fishing Pier and Joseph Finnegan Park.

The newest plan would include “multiple buildings,” 120 residential units in 3 complexes and approximately 23,400 square feet of office space; 11,000 square feet of community/office flex space; 3,600 square feet of retail;  community/office flex space; 3,600 square feet of retail space, a boathouse, and 159 on-site parking spaces. 

The team identified a few key elements as “design drivers,” including sustainability measures to protect the neighborhood from climate change effects, improving neighborhood connections, creating a contextually responsive landscape and “develop[ing] a program that serves the community.” 

Deabler said the team aims to achieve a passive house certification, which he called a “very aggressive sustainability measure that reaches a very low energy use threshold.” 

Transportation and climate resiliency were the main focuses during the meeting.

“Those were the two items that we’ve gotten the most comments and questions about, so we wanted to shift the focus to that,” said Quinlan Locke, project director at RISE Construction Management. 

Stephanie Kruel, a senior environmental planner at VHB, explained how the team would address climate resilience in their design, as the peninsula and much of Port Norfolk is already vulnerable to coastal flooding and stormwater inundation. 

“As sea level rises, the flood events are going to become more frequent and extensive,” she said, “So we need to specifically design the site to be protected from the impacts of current and future flooding. This is accomplished through a combination of building elevation, flood proofing, and site grading.” 

David Black, senior project manager at VHB, said the team would commit to completing a transportation study in partnership with Boston Transportation Department (BTD) prior to occupancy, in addition to defining a “slow streets” program, and conducting three community outreach sessions to gather input from Port Norfolk residents.

Attendees on the call offered mixed reviews during a Q&A session, with some voicing their support and others pointing to longstanding concerns. 

Mary McCarthy, a Port Norfolk resident and member of the project’s Impact Advisory Committee (IAG), called the proposal’s footprint “still too large for this area.” 

Maria Lyons, a resident and member of the Neponset River Greenway Council, who has voiced concerns about climate resiliency and the potential for flooding over the years, echoed McCarthy’s comments and said the proposal didn’t go far enough.

“The relationship of this project in the area is way oversized and we’ve been saying that from the beginning. This area is one of critical environmental concern,” said Lyons. 

“In terms of flooding I don’t know how many times you can say this is not going to impact the neighborhood, but I disagree. At best it does nothing to protect the surrounding neighborhood from flooding,” she added.

Ed Roche, a Port Norfolk resident and IAG member, suggested that a fire engine test run be made at the site. 

“We need to determine whether this has any bearing on the feasibility of this project, and it’s a safety and liability issue. It’s just good if we have really strong public safety standards,” he said. “I like this project for the most part, although I still think it’s a little too big.”  

A handful of attendees voiced their support of the project, many of them union workers who cited the potential for jobs and an economic lift for the peninsula. 

At the last public hearing in April, the project was generally well-received by those who attended virtually.

Over almost four years, the proponents have transformed their plans for the 156,816 square-foot property — initially filed with the BPDA in 2017— after hearing resistance from some Port Norfolk residents who were mainly concerned by the project’s potential traffic impacts, the absence of a plan to protect the area from coastal flooding, and too-tall buildings.  An earlier iteration of plans, pitched in 2017, called for a total of 150 units, a 25-room boutique hotel, covered parking, some commercial space, and renovated boat storage and service facilities.

In 2018, the team’s proposal included 185,150 square feet of construction spread across four buildings. 

The most up-to-date design would include a scaled-back total of 146,000 square feet. 

The developers have also revised their original designs to include roof shapes and building materials that would be more in step with the traditional architecture and industrial character of Port Norfolk. 

The BPDA, which facilitates the review of large projects and ultimately decides their fate through a vote of its board, has sought to kick-start private investment on the property. 

Interested parties can visit 24 Ericsson Street | Boston Planning & Development Agency (bostonplans.org) to view updates. They can also contact BPDA project manager Stephen Harvey at Stephen.j.Harvey@boston.gov.

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