Grew Park Neighbors Meeting Notes: April 6, 2026

[elainemcoveney]

We now have a link to community-produced materials that will be helpful for the Planning Department's Hyde Park rezoning meeting being held tonight, April 8, 6–8pm at the Hyde Park Municipal Building, 1179 River Street: https://qrco.de/dwodsummary

More info in the notes below under Boston Planning Department Squares+Streets Hyde Park Rezoning Community Meeting.

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Attendees
Joan Quagenti-Bahadir, Bob and Elaine Dynes, Paul Sacco, Tony and Carol Antonelli, Kathleen Sferrazza, Kevin Coyne (Boston Fire Department), Zoë Petty (ONS HP liaison), Gabe Cruz (Councilor Pepén’s office), Emily Carrara (Rep. Consalvo’s office), Captain Boyle, Sergeant Ivens, Officer Lucien

Police Report: 3/2–4/5/26
Assaults: 3/18 Summer Street [male walking his dog punched in face by male known to him who accused him of stealing his cell phone]; 3/29 Summer Street [female assaulted by another female known to her]
Auto Theft: 3/24 West Street [vehicle running with keys in ignition stolen, later tracked to Georgetown]
Larceny: Poplar Street [4 males wearing ski masks searching through contents of vehicle were confronted and fled, dropping packages later discovered to have been taken from porches of various homes]
Vandalism: 3/21 Deforest Street [vehicle’s rear cargo window damaged]
Ballistics, Breaking & Entering, Drugs, Robberies: 0

1/1–4/5/26: E-18 crime down 29% from the same period in 2025. E-18 commercial and residential B&E are the only categories to show an increase, which was slight.

BPD has increased patrols of the golf course parking lot in response to reports of late-night activity in the lot.

May 6, 6:30–8pm. Boston Police Department invites the Hyde Park community to its COMPSTAT meeting. The Pryde Community Center, 59 Harvard Avenue (entrance near Webster Street). BPD leaders will discuss current crime trends and patterns in Hyde Park and elicit neighborhood feedback to help them in their strategic planning.

Free Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector Installation Program
Kevin Coyne, Boston Fire Department
kevin...@boston.gov

April 25, 10am–3pm. BFD is partnering with the Red Cross to install free smoke/CO detectors in Hyde Park and Mattapan. To register, go to tinyurl.com/home-fire-campaign or call 800-564-1234.

There will be other installation events through the year in various Boston neighborhoods. For more information, email Kevin Coyne at the address above.

For general questions about fire prevention, contact the BFD Fire Prevention Unit at https://www.boston.gov/departments/fire-prevention or call 617-343-3628.

Boston Planning Department Squares+Streets Hyde Park Rezoning Community Meeting

Tonight, April 8, 6–8pm. Hyde Park Municipal Building, 1179 River Street. The Boston Planning Department will present its Squares+Streets Small Area Plan for rezoning in Hyde Park.

Since the city announced the S+S rezoning initiative in late 2023, neighborhood groups in Hyde Park have organized 11 public meetings cumulatively attended by more than 1000 community residents.

In January 2026, the community voted on a preferred map as the starting point for where the various S+S zoning districts would be mapped in Hyde Park. However, the Planning Department has proposed dramatically higher buildings (7 story/85 feet) in the heart of Cleary Square.

There are other issues with the city's proposed map. S+S zoning will shape Hyde Park’s future—affecting affordability, business opportunities, and neighborhood character for decades to come.

Please consider attending tonight’s meeting—whether you know a lot or a little about this rezoning initiative. Your voice is essential to ensure that the final plan reflects the community’s priorities.

To see the Hyde Park Development Without Displacement team’s zoning analysis and community-based alternative vision (including the community preferred map) go to https://qrco.de/dwodsummary

Guest Updates

Zoë Petty, Office of Neighborhood Services Hyde Park liaison
zoe....@boston.gov

• May 2: Love Your Block 2026. Applications are closed for this annual cleanup event (https://www.boston.gov/departments/civic-organizing/love-your-block-2026) and Hyde Park locations/meeting times are being determined. Zoë will share more details when available.
  
• It’s budget season in Boston. Please contact Zoë with questions/priorities.
  
• Zoë’s office hours: Every Friday 10–11am at the Hyde Park library.
  

Emily Carrara, Rep. Consalvo's Office
Emily Carrara: emily....@mahouse.gov; Rep. Consalvo: rob.co...@mahouse.gov

• The MA House will be involved in the budget process for the next few weeks. Please contact Emily with questions/priorities.
  
• Work on the supplemental budget has been completed. Among other recipients, funds from the Fair Share Amendment (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-4-surtax-on-taxable-income) helped to fund Casserly House in Roslindale.
  
• No updates on River Street bridge work.

Gabe Cruz, Councilor Pepén’s office
Gabe: gabrie...@boston.gov; Councilor Pepén: enriqu...@boston.gov

Q. Long light cycles at the River Street bridge are causing traffic backups—it takes two light cycles to turn on to Gordon Avenue. Light timing should be reviewed.
A. Councilor Pepén's office has received other complaints about this issue and is planning a walkthrough of the area with BTD once the weather is warmer. Gabe will let GPN know when the walkthrough has been scheduled so that residents can participate.

Q. Taking a left on to River Street (from ?) is difficult because of illegal parking at the corner.
A. Gabe will let Parking Enforcement know and will include this issue in the BTD walkthrough.

Q. Group home at 134(?) Summer Street has a completely paved back yard with 8–10 parking spaces which is not being used. Instead, vehicles are parking across or in a neighbor’s driveway when waiting for group home residents to get into the vehicles to be transported elsewhere. Vehicles are also being parked in front of the group home during snowstorms, preventing plows from removing snow on the street. Neighbors have contacted the transportation company and the manager of the group home but the problem is unresolved.
A. Gabe will let Parking Enforcement know about the issue. He asked to be kept informed if the problem is not resolved.

Q. Construction activity appears to have resumed on the houses behind Summer Street?
A. This appears to be correct. Gabe will check to see whether a new contractor or the previous one is doing the work.

Next meeting is scheduled for May 4 at 6:30pm on Zoom.