Representative Paul Demakis Speaks Out on Charles River Parklands Restoration and Improvement

Boston, MA...10/25/00... Paul Demakis, representative for the Back Bay and Beacon Hill in the state legislature, took the opportunity at a recent State House hearing to lend his support to legislation needed to rehabilitate the parklands of the Charles River Basin. The Esplanade, which lies within Representative Demakis's district, is of particular interest to him due to its active use by thousands of his constituents. Demakis spoke subsequent to a briefing on the Basin parklands by the Charles River Conservancy, sponsored by the Charles River Legislators' Caucus, of which he is a member.

Said Representative Demakis: "With the pending release of the MDC master plan for the Charles River Basin and with legislators and advocates working with the Charles River Conservancy to secure the funding needed to implement the plan, we now have the opportunity to fulfill Charles Eliot's vision for the Basin."

Eliot, a visionary 19th century landscape architect, purchased the land which makes up the Basin parklands while launching the public and legislative initiatives that led to the founding of the Metropolitan Park System, the first comprehensive, planned urban park system in the world.

When asked where the funding will come from to implement an MDC master plan to rehabilitate the Basin Parklands, Demakis responded: "Six state representatives or their aides and a state senator attended the Charles River Conservancy's briefing today, all of them active in the Charles River Legislators' Caucus. That's a joint House-Senate group we've developed that's dedicated to the improvement of the Charles River Basin."

Boston, Cambridge, Watertown, and Newton stand to benefit from these comprehensive improvements, not just the Back Bay and Beacon Hill," said Demakis. "Current planning calls for work all the way from the Science Museum up to the Watertown dam and on both banks of the river. We need to show other legislators that this is a worthwhile project and that by funding it they'll be improving not just a recreational resource for local neighborhoods but a major attraction for the whole of greater Boston."

The briefing, which Demakis had just attended, drew an overflow crowd of 120+ river activists and legislators to the State House, where Renata von Tscharner, an urban planner and head of the Charles River Conservancy, reviewed the history of the Charles River Basin parklands while summarizing the roster of stakeholders along the river. In her slide presentation, von Tscharner particularly mentioned the need to build new playgrounds along the Esplanade. Playground development is moving forward under the leadership of the Esplanade Association and the Beacon Hill Civic Association. In cooperation with the Conservancy, the Esplanade Association is also working to mark and name the Back Bay pedestrian foot bridges crossing Storrow Drive to the river.

The Charles River Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization which seeks to build public-private partnerships on behalf of Basin parklands renewal. The Conservancy works closely with the Metropolitan District Commission to promote implementation of the soon-to-be released "Master Plan" for the Basin.

Von Tscharner, commenting on the need to fund the restoration of the Basin parklands said: "The Esplanade and the Hatch Shell are among the most heavily used parts of the Basin parklands. The extraordinary beauty of these areas is being degraded by lack of restoration and regular maintenance, the endless work of dedicated volunteers notwithstanding. Knowing that Representative Demakis supports the Conservancy's work to renew the Basin Parklands of the Back Bay and Beacon Hill brings an important advocate for the community into this effort, making the possibility of substantial legislative support that much more real."

The Conservancy works to create a better understanding of the best uses of the Basin through education, public dialog, and interpretive programs. Effective promotion of increased access, good planning and efficient management practices is designed to enhance the architecture, landscape and, amenities of the Basin. The Conservancy seeks funding for public-private partnership initiatives.

For more information, contact Representative Paul Demakis at (617) 722-2460 or the Golden Group (Peter Golden, Conservancy media relations manager) at (617) 734-4123 or contact the Charles River Conservancy directly.

.