What are some thoughts on this letter? Sounds good right?
Please send us a signed support letter or indicate if you/your organization can be listed as a signatory to the below letter. Thank you, Michael Nichols, Chief of Staff, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy (mnichols@rosekennedygreenway.org, 617.603.7738).
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April ##, 2017
Peter O’Sullivan, Director of Asset Management
Department of Property Management, City of Boston
1 City Hall Plaza, Room 811
Boston, MA 02201
Re: Public Toilet in Chinatown Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway
Dear Mr. O’Sullivan,
We would like to express our strong support for the proposed JC Decaux public toilet installation in Chinatown Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy has continued to improve Chinatown Park, but issues of public urination are compromising the placemaking efforts. Chinatown Park hosts numerous festivals (e.g., Films at the Gate, Chinatown Main Street Festival, August Moon Festival), fitness classes, and community activities. The Conservancy’s addition in 2016 of the PlayCubes structure and its Play offerings for school children continue to draw families and children. The addition of tables, chair, umbrellas, and public art installations has created interesting gathering places for a community with minimal green space. The park, with the Chinatown Gate, is a gateway for the huge number of visitors to the restaurant, shops, and culture of the Chinatown community. There is a strong need for a public toilet given the children, residents, workers, and tourists in the area.
Chinatown Park is less successful than it could be because of significant problems with public urination. Individuals have regularly urinated in the plaza, in full view in daytime. In warm weather, portions of the park smell of urine, despite regular power-washing. A large planted area has withered from those tramping through and relieving themselves; tree bark and walls show evidence of the problem’s regularity. The City has received 311 complaints (e.g., Case #101001813302). The problem continues despite the Conservancy’s efforts with its Park Rangers, bilingual signage, and coordination with community leaders, City and State Police.
We support the addition of a public toilet unit in the proposed location on The Greenway, ~30’ north of the Chinatown Gate. This location would be central for game players in Mary Soo Hoo Park, for children at the PlayCubes, and for Chinatown visitors. We also support the City’s plan to have this community asset be free, which will be critical to deterring the public urination. We also want to assure that JC Decaux will pay close attention to this particular unit to assure that it is operational and not being misused.
Sincerely,
[Authorized signatories]
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