2024-10-22 Meeting Notes

Rosa Herrero opened the Forest Hills Neighborhood Association's virtual meeting at 6:00 PM with a minute of silence for Glenn Inghram, recently killed near Forest Hills Station. As members shared heart emojis in the chat, a representative from Councilor Weber's office announced the City Council would hold its own moment of silence the next day, inviting community members to join for coffee at City Hall.

Boston's transportation leadership joined the first segment, with Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge outlining planned improvements. Franklin-Hodge laid out a comprehensive response to the recent pedestrian death near Forest Hills Station and the petition drafted by members of the FHNA. His presentation began with immediate actions the city would undertake within two weeks: installing an exclusive pedestrian crossing at Tower Street and Hyde Park Avenue, adding a painted crosswalk and stop line at the busway exit, and refreshing all crosswalk markings in the area.

Franklin-Hodge then detailed significant changes coming to major intersections. The city will modify signals at Washington Street and South Street along the Arborway, eliminating the dangerous practice of allowing left turns through active crosswalks at Washington Street. Every intersection will receive a leading pedestrian interval, giving pedestrians a head start before vehicle traffic moves. At South Street, they'll streamline the crossing process, allowing pedestrians to cross the median island in a single movement rather than waiting in two stages.

The Chief addressed lighting concerns along the corridor, describing an ongoing evaluation of street lighting along Hyde Park Avenue and Washington Street. His team has already begun replacing older fixtures with LED lighting and is working to correct brightness issues they've identified south of Ukraine Way.

Several projects remain under evaluation, Franklin-Hodge explained. Engineers are studying potential curb extensions at Tower Street and Washington Street, though they've raised concerns about safety benefits and the complications of shifting traffic lanes. They're also considering an additional crosswalk at Weld Hill Street as part of the larger Hyde Park Avenue project, though he cautioned that adding signalized intersections requires careful consideration of pedestrian demand and potential impacts on traffic flow.

The plan involves significant coordination with the MBTA. Franklin-Hodge described ongoing discussions about reorganizing bus routes between the upper and lower busways, improving visibility around busway exits, and managing vegetation on MBTA property that might obstruct sightlines.

When residents asked about enforcement cameras, Franklin-Hodge expressed the city's support for such technology but explained that state law currently prohibits their use. He encouraged residents to contact their state representatives about changing this legislation, seeing it as a valuable tool for improving road safety.

Throughout his presentation, Franklin-Hodge emphasized that these changes fit within the broader Hyde Park multimodal project. He stressed that while the area had already been identified as needing improvements, safety would remain non-negotiable in any future plans. The city, he promised, would continue seeking community input while working to balance the needs of all transportation modes.

Franklin-Hodge concluded by acknowledging the complexity of Forest Hills as both a neighborhood center and major transit hub. The challenge, he explained, lies in enhancing safety and accessibility while maintaining the area's essential function as a crucial transportation artery. He committed to keeping the community informed as these changes roll out, emphasizing that this marks the beginning of a longer-term transformation of the Forest Hills area.

The chat channel buzzed with residents' practical concerns. When the Chief of Streets mentioned "strong pedestrian demand" as a criterion for new crosswalks, one participant challenged him to define the term, showing how closely residents monitored specific language and implementation details. Rob Kerth's question about red light cameras prompted Tyler Lew to explain their illegality in Massachusetts, though Franklin-Hodge described ongoing legislative efforts to change this.

The proposed development at 3716 Washington Street, currently home to Four Star Pizza, sparked the evening's most vigorous discussion. As developer Vince O'Neill presented plans for a six-story mixed-use building with 35 units, Caterina Scaramelli voiced a common concern in the chat: "So many new developments have not filled their retail, it is really a problem for the neighborhood as old businesses get replaced by empty storefronts." Her comment earned multiple "💯" reactions. Participants repeatedly demanded coffee shops and groceries, with one declaring, "People are desperate for a coffee shop!" - a cry that captured the neighborhood's yearning for community gathering spaces.

O'Neill's parking plan - 10-11 spaces for 35 units - ignited a neighborhood debate about urban planning near transit hubs. Some residents warned about overflow parking on Tower Street, while Avery & Aimée championed minimal parking to discourage car dependency. "Respectfully, as residents of Tower Street, we care about disincentivizing car use in this neighborhood, including for residents who have such close access to public transit," they wrote. Emily Bajcsi, by contrast, asked whether reduced parking would actually decrease car ownership or simply push parking problems onto surrounding streets.

Members broadly welcomed the project's affordable housing component - 8 units making up 23% of the total. Keegan, who works in solar with affordable housing developers, praised this proportion as significant given the site's constraints. The chat showed how community members weighed multiple priorities - affordability, sustainability, and neighborhood character.

Ben Siegel led the final segment addressing increasing substance abuse issues in the area, while chat participants broadened the discussion to neighborhood safety and services. Lisa connected these issues to transit accessibility, asking about improvements to Forest Hills station and cross-town connections. The conversation evolved from immediate substance abuse concerns to broader questions about healthcare-focused approaches versus criminalization, showing how deeply participants understood these challenges.

Rosa Herrero and others kept sharing crucial resources throughout the evening - links to Boston 311, city planning initiatives, and contact information for key officials. Participants used the chat both to react immediately to presentations and to organize community action, encouraging neighbors to join the FHNA email list for future meetings. The meeting ended at 7:10 PM.