CLF and Boston Harbor Now hosted a forum with diverse stakeholders – city and state leaders, advocacy organizations, the development community, and others – to discuss regulatory updates and other proactive measures that will not only allow for, but encourage, climate resiliency measures on Boston’s waterfront that benefit the public.
CLF’s “People’s Guide to the Public Waterfront Act” gives you the tools to access and enjoy the public Boston Harbor and other waterfront areas in the state. It demystifies the complex regulations that some developers have exploited made it look like their public land is only for private use.
The Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act gives you the right to speak up, be heard, and shape the future of our waterfront interests. Specifically, the law creates a process that ensures members of the public can testify at a hearing on certain proposed waterfront projects or submit comments and concerns in writing. This guide will help… Continue reading People’s Guide to the Public Waterfront Act
Public space is about people feeling welcome to use it. CLFs Pitch A Blanket event was a reminder that meaningful public access to the water – not just token spaces – are essential for the city to come to life.
October 15, 2018: In September, National Grid appealed MassDEP’s written determination requiring them to build a public pathway on their land. CLF – in partnership with Mystic River Watershed Association and Friends of the Malden River – filed a motion to participate in the proceeding. We support MassDEP’s decision and want to ensure that our members… Continue reading More Good News for Public Access in Everett
The Massachusetts Legislative Session is over, and CLF has our recap of the good, the bad, and the “meh” from the last two years of work by our elected officials.
There is currently legislation in front of the Massachusetts House of Representatives that not only threatens public access to Boston’s Waterfront but could set a dangerous precedent for waterfronts across the Commonwealth. If the bill (H.4505) were to pass, the Commercial Wharf East Condominium Association would be allowed to skirt their Chapter 91 obligations to… Continue reading Massachusetts Bill Threatens Waterfront Public Access
If we’re not careful, Boston Harbor will be walled off to those of us who are not wealthy and powerful, even though we have laws and regulations put in place to protect us. Today, CLF is taking action to ensure that the city and state cannot get away with putting private developers’ interests ahead of the public when it comes to these precious public assets.
In May, we highlighted the Gateway Center in Everett and how the shopping center owner, DDR Gateway LLC (“DDR”), has failed in its legal obligations to provide public access to waterfront areas – in this case, the Mystic River. CLF wrote to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) asking them to hold the company… Continue reading Update: Good News for Public Waterfront Access in Everett
Nearly 20 years ago, DDR Gateway LLC (DDR) promised to provide greater public access to Everett’s waterfront in exchange for a State license to build its Gateway Center shopping complex. But two decades on, the waterfront park the developer promised hasn’t fully materialized. Now CLF is asking the State to hold DDR accountable for its failures.
