Meeting Minutes
Date: April 8th, 2025
Meeting Chair: Sydney Rajchel
In Person Attendees: Jillian Roberts, Will Fleming, David Black, Mark Martinez, Jon Ellertson, Wendy Ellertson, Simone Gaines, Judi Walker
Online: Dan Cruz, John Kyper, Corlis Melchoir, Tish McNeil, Mark Schafer, Joan Seamster, Holly Shepherd, Luther Pinckney, Kamilah Rowe, Kenny, Marjorie Powell, Malcolm
Guests: Asha Janay (asha....@boston.gov – Roxbury Liaison), Stephen Chung (ste...@stephenchung.com – Urbanica) and Kamrin Zahad (kza...@urbanicaboston.com – Urbanica), Micheal O’Rourke (michael...@pd.boston.gov – BPD), Armani White (Arm...@reclaimroxbury.org – Reclaim Roxbury), Said Ahmed (in...@votecoachahmed.com – Candidate for City Council)
Updates and Spotlight Ongoing fundraising for Zoom account successfully completed. Dan generously donated the remaining $160, and Highland expressed gratitude to all contributors. Judy shared her story during the spotlight, reflecting on her family's history in Highland Park, her time on Juniper Street, and her attendance at the Highland Park Free School. The Steering Committee is recruiting new members. Interested individuals should reach out to hpncse...@gmail.com. A new agenda request format has been introduced, when requesting time on the agenda please indicate the category in which your item falls: Informative Only: For updates without discussion or voting (10–15 mins). Collecting Community Feedback: Presentations and discussion without a vote (15–20 mins). Letter of Support or Other Vote Request (New): Presentation, discussion, and potential vote (20–30 mins). Letter of Support or Other Vote Request (Return): Follow-up presentation and vote (15–20 mins).
|
Urbanica and HPCLT Marcella Packages Presentation Developers presented plans for two affordable housing developments at 75 & 86 Marcella Street: 20 income-restricted ownership units using a land trust model. 75 Marcella: triple-decker style; 86 Marcella: row house design. Emphasis on public safety, improved streetscapes, and sustainability. Consideration of reducing surface parking in favor of green space. Project currently under review by the Highland Park Project Review Committee (HPRC). Community members are invited to attend PRC meetings for further discussion Presentation slides are attached for community review.
|
HPNC Protocol for Candidates/Elected Officials The Steering Committee proposed that political candidates be treated like all other presenters, with brief time slots to speak during meetings.
Discussion highlights: Some community members expressed concerns about fairness and time management if multiple candidates attend. There was a suggestion to develop a standardized format: The group discussed possibly dedicating separate sessions for different candidate races (e.g., city council, state rep). Members considered partnering with other neighborhood organizations to host joint candidate forums. The group agreed to form a task force to draft a plan for handling candidate presentations Interested community members are invited to join by contacting moner...@gmail.com.
Note: Some community members raised concerns about those not from Highland Park voting in proceedings. The secretaries assure the community that since our term has started, no participant has voted who is not a resident of Highland Park, we always ensure that we have accurate addresses for voters. Any person voting who is not from the neighborhood is simply removed from the final tallies, we will ensure to report this number as well with each vote. |
Organization ReportsHPNC Development SubcommitteeHP PRC HPCLT Annual Meeting concluded, added one member to board. Mentioned plans to engage in talks with the Trustees to transfer ownership of the inactive lot on Cedar street, as they would like to take over improvements instead.
BPD, Officer O’RourkeShared report on this month's crime activity, attached for review. Shared info about the Fraud Fighters Workshop April 24 @ 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM At Neighborhood Network Center, 434 Warren St, Boston
|
Open DiscussionReclaim Roxbury: Institutional Master Plan (IMP) Comment Period: 60-day period open; deadline: May 9. Two community workshops scheduled: April 20 & April 24. (More info available online.) HPNC’s next meeting (May 13) is after the deadline; comments encouraged before then. Rat Prevention Initiative: Malcolm X Readathon:
|
