BEACON HILL CIVIC ASSOCIATION INC

INFORMATIONAL SERVICES - THIS PROGRAM NOTIFIES MEMBERS AND SEEKS INPUT ON VARIOUS ISSUES AFFECTING THE CHARACTER OF THE BEACON HILL SECTION OF BOSTON. THESE ISSUES ARE DESCRIBED IN THE DESCRIPION OF THE BHCA COMMITTEES UNDER "COMMUNITY PROJECTS" ABOVE.

COMMUNITY PROJECTS - IN FURTHERANCE OF BEACON HILL CIVIC ASSOCIATION (BHCA)'S CHARITABLE MISSION, NUMEROUS COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN CREATED WHICH ARE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:THE ZONING AND LICENSING COMMITTEE COMMITTEE'S MISSION IS TO ASSIST PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE MAKING CHANGES TO THEIR PROPERTIES THAT REQUIRE VARIANCES FROM THE CITY'S ZONING CODE. BY HOSTING PROPERTY REPRESENTATIVES TO DESCRIBE THEIR PROJECTS AND RATIONALES FOR REQUESTING VARIANCES, THE COMMITTEE PROVIDES COMMUNITY INPUT AND INSIGHT. EACH OF THE COMMITTEE'S VOTES IS PRESENTED TO THE BHCA BOARD FOR VOTE; THE BOARD'S VOTE IS INCORPORATED INTO A LETTER TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEAL. THE COMMITTEE REVIEWS REQUESTS BY LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND MERCHANTS FOR LIQUOR LICENSES IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO THE REVIEW OF ZONING VARIANCES.THE ARCHITECTURE COMMITTEE'S MISSION IS TO HELP MAINTAIN THE ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF OUR NATIONAL HISTORICAL LANDMARK DISTRICT. THE COMMITTEE REVIEWS PROPERTIES THAT HAVE SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS TO THE BEACON HILL ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSION (BHAC). THE BHAC HOLDS MONTHLY HEARINGS ON APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS AND REVIEWS ARCHITECTURAL VIOLATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH CH. 616 OF THE ACTS OF 1955, AS AMENDED (THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE LEGISLATION THAT CREATED THE HISTORIC BEACON HILL DISTRICT IN 1955). AHEAD OF EACH BHAC MEETING, OUR COMMITTEE REVIEWS THE APPLICATIONS GOING BEFORE THE BHAC AND PROVIDES NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT TO THE COMMISSION.THE TRAFFIC & PARKING COMMITTEE HAS THREE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS: (1) MONITORING EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS THAT CAN IMPACT TRAFFIC AND/OR PARKING ON BEACON HILL; (2) SERVING AS A FORUM FOR DISCUSSION AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY OF BOSTON, OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITIES, OR THE BHCA BOARD ABOUT THE COMMUNITY'S POSITION ON GOVERNMENT ACTIONS THAT MIGHT IMPACT TRAFFIC AND/OR PARKING ON BEACON HILL; AND (3) ASSISTING RESIDENTS TO BRING ABOUT CHANGES THAT WILL IMPROVE RESIDENT PARKING AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ON BEACON HILL.WORKING WITH THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND BEACON HILL RESIDENTS AND MERCHANTS, THE SAFETY COMMITTEE STRIVES TO MAINTAIN THE ENVIRONMENT OF SAFETY AND SECURITY ON BEACON HILL. COMMITTEE MEMBERS ATTEND THE MONTHLY NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY MEETINGS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DEVELOP A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY TO EDUCATE NEIGHBORS ON BEST SAFETY PRACTICES.THE TREE COMMITTEE WORKS TO PRESERVE THE TREES ON THE STREETS OF BEACON HILL BY HELPING TO IDENTIFY TREES THAT NEED TO BE PRUNED OR REPLACED BY THE CITY. IT COORDINATES WITH THE CITY'S PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT ON RELATED ACTIVITIES LIKE TREE REMOVAL DUE TO SICKNESS/POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD, COMPREHENSIVE PRUNING NEEDS, AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE TREE GUARDS AND PLANTINGS ALONG CHARLES STREET. ON OCCASION THE COMMITTEE HAS HELPED TO FUND TREE REPLACEMENTS AND PRUNING ACTIVITIES WHEN THE CITY FUNDS ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE AND WITH PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE BHCA BOARD. CURRENTLY THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE FUNDS: (1) TREE COMMITTEE FUND AND (2) CHARLES STREET - BHCA 90TH ANNIVERSARY FUND. THE CHARLES STREET FUNDS ARE SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED TO MAINTAIN AND REPAIR THE TREE PITS/GUARDS ALONG THE STREET.THE PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES COMMITTEE FOCUSES ON THE OPEN, GREEN SPACES AROUND BEACON HILL, WHICH ARE SO IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE. SOME OF THESE SPACES ARE BIG, LIKE THE COMMON, THE PUBLIC GARDEN AND THE ESPLANADE, AND OTHERS ARE QUITE SMALL, LIKE THE PHILLIPS STREET PLAY AREA AND THE MYRTLE STREET PLAYGROUND. OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE COMMITTEE HAS WORKED TO INCREASE ATTENTION AND CARE TO THESE SPACES AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS. THE COMMITTEE WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE CITY'S PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND THE FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN.L ON ISSUES SUCH AS DEVELOPMENT, TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND NOISE INSOFAR AS THE SAME MAY AFFECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE ON BEACON HILL.THE GREEN COMMITTEE SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES SUSTAINABLE LIVING FOR BEACON HILL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON RECYCLING, GREEN LIVING AND TRANSPORTATION. THE COMMITTEE'S WORK IS PART ADVOCACY AND PART EDUCATION. THE COMMITTEE PRODUCES ARTICLES FOR PUBLICATION IN THE BEACON HILL TIMES "GREEN CORNER"THE JOINT CHARLES STREET COMMITTEE IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE BEACON HILL CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND THE BEACON HILL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. THE COMMITTEE WORKS ON ISSUES SUCH AS THE STREETSCAPE, TRASH AND RECYCLING PICKUP, ZONING, SAFETY, TRAFFIC, AND PARKING. AS APPROPRIATE, THE COMMITTEE COLLABORATES WITH OTHER BHCA COMMITTEES, AS WELL AS THE CITY. THE COMMITTEE ENCOURAGES ACTIVE PARTICIPATION FROM RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS.THE PLANNING AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IS AN UMBRELLA COMMITTEE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED TO MONITOR AND OVERSEE THE BHCA'S INVOLVEMENT ON THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES AND GROUPS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, TO ENSURE THAT THE BHCA HAS A VOICE IN THE PLANNING ON ALL PROJECTS OR PROPOSALS THAT MAY IMPACT BEACON HILL, AS WELL AS TO IMPROVE THE BHCA'S RELATIONS WITH GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS TO STRENGTHEN THE ORGANIZATION'S VOICE IN GOVERNMENTAL AND COMMUNITY PLANNING ON ALL PROJECTS OR PROPOSALS AFFECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.