Arboretum wants to replace parking spaces with trees at one Roslindale entrance

By adamg on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 9:35am

Map of proposed Walter Street gate improvement

Map showing proposed changes - blob at far left is now parking, will become a stand of trees, walkways

The Arnold Arboretum has filed plans to upgrade its Walter Street gate in Roslindale in part by replacing eight parking spaces with trees and improving the pedestrian paths along Bussey Brook near the entrance.

The Arboretum is scheduled to discuss its proposal with the Boston Conservation Commission at a hearing Wednesday evening. The commission needs to sign off on the work because of the presence of Bussey Brook, which emerges from a tunnel under Walter Street to flow through the Arboretum.

The eight perpendicular parking spaces - to be replaced by nine trees - sit directly next to the gate, across from Hebrew SeniorLife. None of the regular parallel spaces along Walter Street will be affected.

In addition to removing the parking spaces, the Arboretum says it will also put in a couple of new, short walkways from its main path to the sidewalks along Walter Street and replace some "degraded" areas along the banks of Bussey Brook up to the Bussey Street gate with new plantings.

Walter Street gate notice of intent (you'll want the third one on the list).

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Comments

More trees and improved pedestrian path sounds great!

By ResidentRozzident on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 9:48am.

I'm sure all of the neighbors who cosplay as the Lorax every time new housing is proposed will support this conversion of parking into tree space whole heartedly.

I sense some hostility there ...

By adamg on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 9:58am.

But given that the nearest residents only recently won a long battle to get a swampy, forested area that was once mapped for a subdivision forever saved as the Roslindale Wetlands (and with four affordable condos in a house rebuilt by Habitat for Humanity, to boot), I'm not sure they would be complaining.

I think one can draw a distinction....

By ResidentRozzident on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 10:30am.

I think one can fairly draw a distinction between the genuine conservationists in our neighborhood looking to preserve greenspace and wildlife habitats (a noble pursuit) from those who push back against any and all upzoning of existing developed space in the name of combating heat islands while fighting tooth and nail to preserve all existing bare asphalt that they could hypothetically want to park their car on for free some day.

I dunno

By spin_o_rama on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 10:08am.

They could complain about the trees adding 15 minutes of shadow in December or whatever

Tree shadow good. Along with erosion control, air filtering,etc

By Lee on Wed, 09/04/2024 - 12:10pm.

Building shadow bad.

Not following

By Plen-T-Pak on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 5:36pm.

You complaining about infill development that might require tree removal? This is removing parking next to an arboretum. Hardly the same thing. Can't greater housing density and trees both be a good thing?

I'm not complaining

By ResidentRozzident on Wed, 09/04/2024 - 11:03am.

Not complaining in the least. I'm a big fan of both more housing and more trees. There are folks in the neighborhood (and any neighborhood) that will claim they are concerned about environmental impacts when it comes to housing but will lose their mind if any parking is threatened. That was the point I was trying to make.

I got your point.

By Lee on Wed, 09/04/2024 - 12:14pm.

Visitor parking is abused wherever it’s offered.

Maybe tree houses is the answer?

JK for those low on irony.

It’s encouraging to hear of plans for a …

By Lee on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 10:24am.

…. parking lot being converted to a tree park.

Not something you read about every day.

Making it harder

By South St on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 11:37am.

for kids to enjoy the park. what a shame

Um, last I checked

By SwirlyGrrl on Tue, 09/03/2024 - 8:26pm.

Driving age is 17.

I suspect this is in

By eherot on Wed, 09/04/2024 - 8:20pm.

I suspect this is in reference to the numerous outdoor preschool programs whose parents and caretakers make use of the parking around the Bussey St entrance. I’m not criticizing the decision to repurpose some of these spaces but it would be nice if the city and state did more to accommodate people who want to access that side of the park without driving.