NEWRA Supports Bath House Landmark Status

The first public meeting of the new year was held by the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) on January 10 at the Nazzaro Community Center, 30 North Bennet Street.

A standing room only crowd interested in several topics relating to the neighborhood turned out for discussions on the status and recommendation by NEWRA on the Bath House and the Nazzaro Center.

NEWRA plans to send a letter to Mayor Martin Walsh outlining their opinion and recommendations relating to their potential plans for the neighborhood facility. The Review will publish the letter once it has been sent.

A group of residents have submitted a request to the Landmark Commission to designate the exterior walls of the Bath House as a landmark status as well as Polcari Playground.

Approval of the request will not have any effect on the interior of the Center, but it will protect the perimeter of the 100-year-old city building.

Kirsten Hoffman, a 20-year-old North End resident and an appointed member of the Landmark Commission presented the process of developing landmark status, explaining the ins and outs of the process.

She also explained what a landmark status does to protect 100-year-old structures or a situation that requires immediate attention.

NEWRA has supported the current landmark request for the Bath House and the playground.

Kirsten, a member of the growing Friends of Cutillo Park noted with the exception of trash placement on Morton Street, everything is going well at the public park.

She said that the Friends will be meeting to discuss future activities and events in the Park for the community.

Waterfront residents asked NEWRA members to sign a letter to the Attorney General to remove the wooden pylons still remaining in the Harbor at Lewis Wharf. The letter claims they have become a dangerous situation.

Saint Leonard’s Parish asked NEWRA to send or sign a letter to the Boston Municipal Court supporting a strict stay away order from the North End against a suspect currently charged with a series of thefts, vandalism and trespassing on church properties throughout the community.

By a show of hands, NEWRA encouraged Leeland Alexander from Wentworth University and a city planner to continue his endeavor to create a memorial to the Great Molasses Flood that occurred just over 100 years ago.

The project site would be along the Waterfront Harbor Walkway just behind the North End basketball court adjacent to the Mirabella Pool.

Potential plans called for the placement of the names of the 21 people that perished during the tragedy along the trail and a big memorial depicting the historic information relating to the incident that drew world-wide attention.

Leeland emphasized that the 100-year-old event would commemorate a major part of the North End’s history.

He was asked to return to a future NEWRA meeting with an update on design plans, cost, needed approvals and names of any agencies that have to be involved with making the memorial a reality.

The next NEWRA monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, February 14 at 7 PM at the Nazzaro Community Center. State Representative Aaron Michlewitz is the expected guest speaker.