November 29, 2021

Hon. Michelle Wu

Mayor, City of Boston

Boston City Hall

1 City Hall Square #500

Boston, MA 02201

Dear Mayor Wu,

Congratulations on your historic election! Boston now has a great opportunity to become a

national leader in the fight against climate change.

We are some of the climate, climate justice, environmental and community activists who

endorsed, organized and worked on the Mayoral Climate/Climate Justice Forum on June 1st

2021, as well as other Boston residents and organizations who are very concerned with

these issues.

Many of us worked on your campaign because we have strongly supported your work on

the City Council and your Planning for a Boston Green New Deal & Just Recovery, and we look

forward to actively working with you on the issues you raised there.

We have continued to collaborate about our climate/climate justice priorities and want to

share details with you. Many of them will be very familiar to you.

While our thoughts below focus on climate change and climate justice, we strongly support

your transformative vision for a more equitable and inclusive Boston. We stand ready to

help advance the structural and systemic changes needed, including providing affordable

housing, fixing Boston’s development process, abolishing the BPDA, and achieving a

fare-free MBTA, together with needed work improving public health, closing the racial

wealth gap, and dismantling structural racism. You have said that “Climate justice is racial

and economic justice” and we agree.

We look forward to meeting with you, your staff, and a widely representative group of

stakeholders to discuss these critical issues, forge a common agenda, and how we can work

together to achieve your compelling Green New Deal vision for Boston.

Finally, as many of these initiatives fall within the responsibilities of the Chief of

Environment, Energy, and Open Space, the individual in this position will serve a critical

role in your Administration. We offer our unqualified support for Rev. Chief Mariama

White-Hammond to continue in this role – should she wish to continue – and urge that she

be fully empowered to advance and lead the Wu Administration’s positive agenda for

climate and climate equity.

Very Truly Yours, in Optimism and Commitment:

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Climate and Climate Justice Priorities Letter to Mayor Wu

350 Mass (Boston)

Allston Brighton Health Collaborative

Boston Clean Energy Coalition

Boston Food Forest Coalition

Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC)

Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation

Fairmount Greenway Task Force

Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative

Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility

Juliette Reid, graduate of Codman Square NDC’s Green Infrastructure Training Program

Laquisa Burke, Codman Square area Resident & Community Member

Michael Prokosch, Dorchester resident and member of Dorchester Climate Justice

Mothers Out Front, Boston

Nathan Phillips, B.U. professor

Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation

Speak for the Trees, Boston

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Climate and Climate Justice Priorities Letter to Mayor Wu

1. Green Buildings — Since buildings now generate the largest amount of greenhouse gas in

Boston.

● Eliminate fossil fuel infrastructure and use in new buildings/major rehabs, including

the use of steam made by burning fossil fuels, through zoning controls and support

for the state’s stretch energy building code update. Build to the Passive House

standard wherever possible.

● All existing publicly-funded buildings, affordable housing, schools and other

municipal buildings should get the best windows possible, full insulation,

electrification of heating, cooling, and appliances, solar panels installed where

possible and complete checks and remediation for any water leaks, mold, lead,

asbestos, etc, while ensuring that at least 50% of this work goes to BIPOC

contractors. Also ensure that participants in the City’s Boston Conservation Corps

get the opportunity to “learn and earn” by helping put these improvements in place.

● Boston should commit to seeking large-scale private, state and federal grants and

loans, as well as use funds from city resources, to assist in electrifying the tens of

thousands of residential buildings in the city to make them as green and healthy as

possible. Electrification will greatly improve indoor air quality and residents’ health.

Prioritize environmental justice neighborhoods in this effort.

● Fund enough new staff positions for the recently updated Boston Building Energy

Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to be fully implemented for industrial, commercial

and residential buildings.

● Mandate sustainable construction materials for new building construction where

possible, including structural cross-laminated timber, green concrete (from recycled

materials or no CO2 used), and green steel (renewable electricity or green hydrogen

made with renewable energy used in its production instead of coal). Re-use existing

structures and materials as much as possible in order to limit the carbon impact of

the renovation. Mandate the use of white roofs and light colored sidewalks for all

new construction of buildings greater than 8 stories.

● When renovating public buildings, re-use existing structures and materials as much

as possible in order to limit the carbon impact of the renovation. (According to the

BPDA, demolition and new materials can contribute up to 50% of the building’s

lifetime carbon emissions.)

2. Transportation

● Boston should work to make the MBTA, or at least MBTA buses, fare free by using

state, federal, and, if necessary, city funds.

● Press the MBTA to electrify buses and the commuter rail, starting with the

Fairmount Line and again prioritizing EJ neighborhoods. This would lead to major

improvements in air quality in urban neighborhoods, particularly in bus and train

routes that travel through environmental justice communities.

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● Prioritizing environmental justice communities first, build an infrastructure to

support electric vehicles—on-street chargers throughout our neighborhood streets

and parking lots and four-hour electric vehicle parking and meters in regulated

parking areas.

● Convert the entire City vehicle fleet to electric vehicles as quickly as possible,

prioritizing school buses that use routes that travel through environmental justice

communities. Build the necessary charging infrastructure to support this.

● Continue and expand the building of more safe, protected, and connected bike

facilities across the city.

● Increase access to bike shares by creating or increasing subsidies to low-income

individuals and families.

3. Natural Systems: Greenspace, Wetlands, & Trees — to sequester CO2, reduce heat

islands, improve public health, and protect biodiversity.

● Increase the number of green spaces, community gardens, urban wilds, and parks in

all neighborhoods, with a focus on underserved neighborhoods, through a

widely-inclusive, transparent process. that were identified in the The Boston Park

Departments’ Parcel Priority Plan (2017 – 2020-2021) has significant flaws which

need to be addressed and resolved before being used as a basis for decision making.

● Purchase Crane’s Ledge Woods, which was recommended in the City of Boston

2015-2021 Open Space Plan, for full conservation.

● Protect green space by purchasing unbuilt woodlands and wetlands and update

conservation regulations and zoning rules to better protect them.

● Submit, pass and enforce a city-wide ordinance to prohibit clear cutting of woodland

for any type of development.

● Triple the number of plantings by the City’s street tree program and hire at

minimum 12 staff; purchase or lease additional equipment as needed. Prioritize

environmental justice neighborhoods with the hottest summer temperatures and

highest air pollution rates for targeted tree planting and hiring.

● Develop a tree maintenance schedule that proactively maintains the health and well

being of mature trees in EJ neighborhoods.

● Preserve existing trees. Submit, pass and enforce an ordinance to require a permit to

cut any tree with a trunk more than 4 inches wide on private or public property. Hire

enough staff to enforce this ordinance.

● Develop a program that encourages residents – renters and owners – to plant trees

on their property and provide resources for them to learn how to care for these

trees. Encourage and educate residents to care for public trees in front of their

homes.

● Incorporate a watershed and subwatershed approach to natural systems and the

protection and improvement of these natural systems in all Boston neighborhoods,

including tidal and inland water resources like Chandler Pond, Sprague Pond, Sales

Creek, Chelsea Creek, Canterbury Brook, Stony Brook, Bussey Brook, the Muddy

River, isolated vernal pools, and the Neponset. Mystic, and Charles ecosystems.

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● Allocate $500,000 in the FY23 Environment Dept budget for an inventory,

assessment, and top-line action plan for these pond, river, vernal pool, and

watershed resources.

● Implement a comprehensive, transparent action plan to be completed by June 30,

2022 for vacant city-owned property to evaluate which parcels should be protected

for public use and which should be developed for affordable housing, commercial, or

other uses.

● To implement a consensus Priority Parcel workplan, restore the land acquisition

capital budget line item in the Environment Department which was eliminated by

Mayor Walsh, at a recommended level of $5.0 million dollars in FY23, in addition to

the possible CPA allocation of $3.0 million dollars submitted by the Parks

Department.

● Evaluate and develop consensus policies for CY23 around the Community

Preservation Act and its relationship to the City’s annual budget, as well as

questions of percent allocations for housing, open space, and historic preservation.

● As necessary be prepared to initiate very selective public benefit takings at

appraised land value to protect the highest priority remaining natural areas in

Boston.

4. Renewable Energy

● Engage with neighborhood groups and solar panel installers and publicize the

benefits and programs for solar panels such as the state’s SMART program on singleand

multi-unit housing as well as commercial and non-profit buildings.

● Press state legislators to pass a bill supporting community solar projects.

● Keep up the focus on Community Choice Energy, especially for residents struggling

to pay their electric bills.

● Encourage developers to consider non-emitting renewable sources of thermal

heating for new buildings such as using networked ground-source heat pumps.

5. Green Jobs

● Prioritize and create green jobs opportunities — be it training or contracting — for

communities of color, immigrants, lower-income people, and returning citizens.

● Support and fund workforce development programs at local community colleges,

community organizations, and Madison Park High School which can provide training

and certification in green jobs fields that don’t require a 4-year degree, such as:

arboriculture and tree care, community gardens/agriculture, renewable energy

infrastructure installation, BERDO enforcement, and more.

● Support the City of Boston Conservation Corps through continuing and expanded

funding with at least a 20% increase in funding each year so as to reach and support

more of Boston’s young people.

6. Implement and Advance City of Boston “Climate Ready”

● While developing your administration’s 2-4 year plan to address climate change and

climate justice priorities – which should include comprehensive re-evaluation of

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“Climate Ready” as a framework for action – we recommend you implement the

following steps immediately and as part of the FY23 budget year planning:

● Immediately migrate all responsibilities for Climate Ready planning and

responsibility for coordinating implementation into the Environment Department

and out of BPDA as part of your overall and long term “Abolish the BPDA” initiative.

● Adopt a zero-baseline capital budget approach for FY23, whereby the artificial and

misleading prior benchmark of 10% of capital spending for climate is replaced by a

rational, high-priority focus on implementing the most immediately needed and

cost-effective measures for inland and coastal resiliency.

● Immediately embark on a widely-inclusive participatory budgeting structure for

FY23 Climate Ready, within the Environment and Parks Departments, using the clear

mandate of Yes on Question 1 as the template for action.

● For FY23 capital budgeting, plan on a Green Bond of not less than $25 million dollars

to be directed to climate ready priorities and green infrastructure in environmental

justice neighborhoods,

● Also, for FY23 capital budgeting, direct that the Environment Department

coordinate City application for all matching fund and grant programs at the state

and federal levels. In FY22 the City made no applications to the state’s Municipal

Vulnerability Program, for example.

● Immediately move forward on inland climate ready planning to address extreme

weather flooding, heat island, and related adverse impacts for our inland

environmental justice neighborhoods.

● Direct that all currently pending Climate Ready studies be evaluated with the active

engagement of all stakeholders, and that the Community Advisory Board process for

all Climate Ready initiatives be made fully open and transparent to all stakeholders.

● After completing the FY23 budget process, start on a medium-to-long term

comprehensive financing plan to address climate change risk and impacts in the City.

7. Fundamental Reform City of Boston Land Use, Planning & Zoning

Resolution of Land Use, Planning, and Zoning issues are an essential element of addressing

the climate and climate equity priorities you have consistently raised as a City Councilor

and in your campaign.

We agree that the BPDA should be abolished, and advise that this dismantling of harmful

and obsolete structural systems take place in a sustained, orderly way while in parallel

moving forward on needed projects within an agreed interim framework.

In common with the recommendations listed by Conservation Law Foundation together

with others in the letter of November 3, 2021, we agree that overhaul of city planning and

development structures is imperative, including through the following steps:

● Establish a Planning Department to take over planning responsibilities from the

Boston Planning & Development Agency.

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● Hire or designate a staff person to quantify an analysis of short- and long-term

displacement for each new or major rehabilitation project as an independent

enhancement of the analysis required of developers by the Affirmatively Furthering

Fair Housing Zoning Code, and

● Commit to integrating an anti-gentrification and displacement process into project

approvals.

Consistent with these steps, we recommend that your Administration – working

collaboratively with all stakeholders – articulate a short term plan for advancing positive

development projects within the existing regulatory framework while making the

fundamental changes necessary to support sustainable, equitable development in the City.

8. Commit to Justice for Indigenous Peoples

We express complete agreement with recommendations made in the CLF and allies

letter with respect to Indigenous peoples and pledge our active support in this cause:

Commit to improving government-to-government relations with all Indigenous nations to

which Boston has historical obligations to provide meaningful channels of support and

representation.

Commit to land acknowledgement, recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day, expanded

capacity within the City to engage the Indigenous community and to support Indigenous

youth and families, increased public representation of Indigenous peoples in the City, and

an increased focus on housing, economic and workforce development for tribal members.

Commit to consultation with Indigenous organizations, such as North American Indian

Center of Boston, in order to properly achieve these proposals and demonstrate Boston’s

commitment to supporting Indigenous residents.

9. Strengthen Conservation Commission to Advance Climate and Climate Equity Goals

Also in common with the recommendations listed by Conservation Law Foundation and

other allies in their letter of November 3, 2021, we believe that Conservation Commission

and the Local Wetlands Ordinance can be substantially strengthened to advance climate

and climate equity goals:

● Ensure that Boston’s Wetlands Ordinance final Phase II and III regulations

incorporate forward-looking climate risk, including replacement of FEMA maps with

Climate Ready Boston maps.

● With respect to the Phase III regulations which address climate and environmental

justice among other things, we strongly recommend that the current work plan

contract be cancelled, as being substantially inadequate for the tasks required, and

rebid with adequate funding – estimated at $250,000 and not the $80,000 published

bid invitation – and with sufficient time and provision for widely inclusive

stakeholder participation at all stages of this process.

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● In the CY2021 legislative year introduce a comprehensive set of amendments to the

Local Wetland Ordinance incorporating lessons learned since adoption, including

not least the current Commission’s unanimous approval of the Eversource

Substation in October 2020. (We note with appreciation Mayor Janey’s appointment

of Mr. Kannan Thiruvengadam to the Conservation Commission and also that

Kannan was not then a member of the Commission when it approved the Eversource

substation.)

● The Conservation Commission must play an early role in project review where they

have jurisdiction, proactively asserting their review role in order that resource

protection, climate, and climate equity concerns are taken into account at the

earliest feasible stage of project review.

● Related to Conservation Commission review, strengthen and clarify the role of Parks

Commission review by amendment to the Municipal Code Sec. 7-4.10 with respect to

climate, park protection, and environmental justice.

10. Resolution of Pending Projects from Adverse Land Use, Planning & Zoning Issues

A number of projects remain held over with prior approvals, or with City review pending,

which will require the active intervention of your Administration to achieve a result

consistent with the climate and climate equity goals stated in your campaign.

These projects are listed below.

We recognize that this is a partial list of significant projects, that there are others of

significance in all neighborhoods, and each of these deserves attention and resolution

consistent with goals for sustainable, equitable development.

Eversource Substation. District 1. East Boston. Publicly state the City’s opposition to the

Eversource Condor St. East Eagle substation, withdraw from all agreements with

Eversource that are currently in place on this project, and, after direct consultation with

East Boston officials, organizations, and residents, direct the Law Department to take all

possible action in opposition to the proposed facility’s permitting;

Belle Isle Marsh. District 1. Belle Isle Marsh is threatened by sea level rise and climate

change. Current recommendations in Climate Ready East Boston are fundamentally

insufficient to address this severe risk. A focused work plan to address Belle Isle Marsh in

the context of using natural systems to help address climate change is required.

We note here the closely related questions of protecting critical infrastructure such as the

MBTA Blue Line, and other similar critical facilities in Boston.

Widett Circle. District 2 and District 3. Newmarket. Assessment of future use options for

this high-flood risk location, including City property at Frontage Rd and nearby sites.

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24 Erickson Street. District 3. Port Norfolk, Dorchester. Confirm that all feasible climate

measures have been incorporated into the project now within Article 80 review. Port

Norfolk and Tenean Beach are at very high risk and immediate risk from climate change.

Neponset River Estuary: District 3. Boston Scientific Sign. Port Norfolk, Dorchester.

Serious adverse environmental impacts on Neponset Estuary Area of Critical

Environmental Concern from signage in City of Quincy approved without any

environmental assessment. Action beginning with contact to City of Quincy to address this

harmful and unnecessary project.

Crane Ledge Woods. District 5. Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Roslindale. Purchase Crane’s

Ledge Woods, a 24-acre woodland recommended for preservation in the City’s 2015-2021

Open Space Plan, and for which a 270-unit, car-dependent development is proposed in an

environmental justice neighborhood.

Mattahunt Woods. District 5. Mattapan. Start and work towards completing the

comprehensive parcel and natural resource assessment and action plan approved for FY22

for this critically important resource. Mattahunt Woods includes wetlands, woodlands, and

high flood risk areas in an environmental justice community.

64 Allandale. District 6. Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury. BPDA relieved the developer of

prior commitment to Net Zero energy new construction. Require developer to comply with

all neighborhood plan requirements and Parks Department recommendations if developer

seeks to proceed with 18 unit luxury housing, car-dependent in residential area next to

wetlands where 5 units are allowed.

Allston Yards and I-90 Allston Intermodal. District 9 and also District 5. 10.6 acre project

site and closely related transportation projects with significant environmental planning

issues. Project also may contemplate rail yard expansion in Readville in District 5.

Seaport District and Boston Waterfront. This is a matter of city-wide concern. We state

our agreement with priorities and steps listed in the CLF and allies letter to create a

resilient, inclusive, and accessible public waterfront:

● Initiate a robust and inclusive city-wide waterfront planning process that harmonizes

efforts across City agencies, including the Environment Department, and the City’s

planning and development authority, currently housed at the BPDA, to develop a vision for

Boston’s waterfront that promotes public access, equity, and resilience including explicit

consideration of onsite affordable housing;

● Commit to waterfront plans for all neighborhoods, starting with the Downtown

Waterfront District, that prioritize diverse waterfront uses including at least 20%

affordable units in all developments, affordable water recreation, Black Indigenous People

of Color businesses, and civic and cultural uses.