Chelsea Happenings June 2018 - City of Chelsea
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Chelsea Happenings
June 2018
Happy June! Here are some items of interest:
Notice of Board Openings
There are vacancies upcoming in various Boards and Commissions through September
30, 2018. During that timeframe, openings will occur in the following: The Community
Schools Advisory Board; The Cultural Council; The Council of Elder Affairs; The Histori-
cal Commission; the Tree Board; and the Youth Commission. Information about each
of these Boards is available at https://www.chelseama.gov/home/pages/board-
openings. The Youth Commission term of office is one year. All other Boards have
three year terms. Those interested in applying should send both a letter of interest and
a resume either by mail to the City Manager, Chelsea City Hall, 500 Broadway, Chelsea,
Massachusetts 02150 or by email to tambrosino@chelseama.gov. Materials must be
received by the close of business on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018.
Parking Changes
There have been some recent significant changes to parking conditions in the Down-
town area and around Silver Line stations and bus routes that warrant attention.
Two Hour Meter Limits: Starting on Mon. June 18, 2018, the City will be enforcing two
hour time limits on all parking meters in the City, including in the Downtown. Vehicles
will no longer be able to remain at two hour meters for longer than two hours. This
means you can no longer “feed the meter.” This change has been made to ensure there
are more available parking spaces for business customers. There are ten hour meters
located on side streets along Broadway to accommodate long term parking. A map of
such areas is available here.
City Hall Parking: Similarly, parking in the City Hall lot for visitors is now limited to two hours. Residents may still park in the City Hall lot overnight between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., but such vehicles must be removed from the lot by 7:00 a.m. Four 30 mi- nute spaces have been added on Washington Avenue in the rear of City Hall to accom- modate visitors to the building. All Day Resident Sticker Parking Restrictions: On May 29, 2018, the Traffic & Parking Commission approved new isolated areas that will limit parking to Chelsea residents with residential parking stickers during the daytime hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. These areas are along the Silver Line stations and the MBTA Route 111 Bus. A copy of a map showing the new areas with daytime residential parking restrictions is available here. The changes have been made to preserve neighborhood parking for resi- dents and their visitors bordering public transportation routes and stations. Before commencing enforcement of these new restrictions, the City is holding an informational meeting for residents in the impacted areas. The meeting will take place at Chelsea City Hall in the City Council Chambers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, 2018. Re-Imagining Broadway Changes After four public meetings and significant design work by the City’s consultant Nelson Nygaard, the Re-Imagining Broadway schematic design effort concluded with the presentation of two options for the redesign of the Downtown Corridor: a One Way Broadway scheme; and a Two Way Broadway scheme. Both designs provide significant safety improvements to the Downtown, including new traffic signals, bumps outs and other traffic calming measures. Both schematic designs will be presented to the Traffic Commission for consideration. The Traffic Commission will hold a public hearing some- time during the Summer on the two plans. The expectation is that the Traffic Commis- sion will utilize the information gathered from the public hearing to make a decision on the preferred design in early Fall. In accordance with the City Charter, the Traffic Com- mission’s decision will then be presented to the City Council for approval. Once the final decision on a schematic design is concluded, the City will commence full design, with a goal of starting construction in Calendar Year 2020. Information on this Summer’s pub- lic hearing by the Traffic Commission will be provided as soon as available. OpenGov The City will be launching its new OpenGov software portal in June. This is a transpar- ency software program which will allow residents and visitors to the City’s website to access public information and data about the City, including its financial information, in easily accessible formats. Stay tuned for the launch.
Pilot Program for Camera Installation in the Downtown In June, the City’s Downtown Coordinator launches a rebate program for the purchase and installation of exterior security cameras. Business owners, commercial property owners and owners of residential property in the downtown are eligible for rebates of 60% of the total cost of new security systems or expansions of existing systems, with a maximum reimbursement of $1,500. An application and pre-approval is required. Cameras need to meet technical specifications and applicants must agree to share foot- age with the Police Department when investigating area incidents. Applications and ad- ditional details are available from Downtown Coordinator Mimi Graney at mgraney@chelseama.gov or 617-466-4186. Roadway Work Updates The City is commencing its comprehensive roadway work for this construction season. We will have updates available on social media. For the month of June, Everett Ave. work in the area between Carter St. and Route 16 is scheduled to begin in earnest by mid-June. And, the milling and repaving of Second St., from Spruce St. to the Everett line, will take place from June 13-21. One lane of traffic will be available during this work, except for the day of final paving, which is currently scheduled for Monday, June 18th, weather permitting. On that day, traffic will be detoured. Shurtleff Street Paving and Sidewalks are underway. Sidewalks will be completed by the middle of July fol- lowed by full street repaving. Sidewalks on Congress Ave. from Willow to Park Street are progressing well, with a major section already done. Read all about the roadway updates here! Eversource Transmission Line Project The Eversource 115 kV underground transmission line project will commence work this week. This underground transmission line will be installed over the course of the next year along Marginal, Williams and Beacham Streets. A public information session about this work will take place in the City Council Chambers on Thurs., June 14, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. All are invited to attend. Regular look ahead schedules for the project will be posted on the project website. Find out more about the information session here in English, here in Spanish, here in Portuguese, and here in Haitian Creole. Municipal Scholarship This past Spring, the Chelsea City Council approved a new Municipal Scholarship Fund which will assist Chelsea residents with the costs of post-secondary education. Taxpay- ers in the City will be able to donate to this Fund by means of a donation card that will be included with each quarterly tax bill starting in the Fall of 2018. The donations do not reduce your tax bill, but instead are voluntary contributions in addition to the tax.
If you wish to donate to this Fund without waiting for the tax bill, you may contact
Treasurer Patrice Montefusco at pmontefusco@chelseama.gov or 617-466-4240.
CharlieCards Accepted on Commuter Rail during Tobin Bridge Construction
Thanks to GreenRoots’ and widespread outcry over the increased commute times dur-
ing Bridge construction projects, the MBTA is now allowing Charlie Cards to be used to
board the commuter rail from Chelsea.
CAPIC Substance Use Disorders Program Support Group for Latino families
Have you and/or your family been affected by drugs or alcohol? Are you in need of sup-
port and encouragement? Come to the support group for Latino families every other
Tuesday at 6pm at CAPIC, 100 Everett Ave. 2nd Floor, Unit 15, rear entrance, Chelsea.
For any questions or to confirm your attendance, please call Gladys Valentin-Agneta,
Program Direct of CAPIC, or Aleida Maldonado, Case Manager at Capic at 617-884-6130
ext. 128. Find out more here.
Chelsea Public Library Summer Events
The Chelsea Public Library will host a variety of events this summer! Find out more de-
tails below:
Amnesty Week, June 25-29: No fines all week for overdue books! Learn more here.
Music and Movement, July 10-August 14: Bring your children ages 2-6 for singing,
dancing, and instruments! Learn more here.
Chelsea Reads by the Park: Join us for stories, crafts, snacks, and more on Wednes-
day mornings this summer! Learn more about dates and details here.
Want to join a reading club this summer? Come to the library and we’ll sign you up!
Learn more here.
Learn more about all events at Chelsea Public Library here.
Chelsea Restoration Corporation Updates
CRC provides affordable, convenient programs for low-to-moderate income first-time
homebuyers. Participants learn about all phases of the process, including The Im-
portance of Credit, Lead Paint Laws, The Real Estate Process , The Loan Application
Process, and Home Inspections. You will also learn about Choosing a mortgage that is
right for you, the importance of using a Real Estate Attorney , and those who are plan-
ning to own a multi-family home will benefit from our unit on Property Management.
Find out more here. Workshop Dates: Consists of 4 Tuesday’s: June 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
from 5pm-7pm. Workshop Fee: $60.00. Printable Application can be found here.
Chelsea Art Walk
Join Part 3 of the Chelsea Art Walk, Fiesta Verano, A Tribute to
Latin American Music on Saturday, June 23 (raindate 6/24)
from 1 pm to 6 pm in Chelsea Square. Presented by Chelsea
Prospers and Chelsea Art Walk, this day long event includes live
music and dance performances. Scheduled acts include Chel-
sea’s own Pillbook, El Rancherito de Oro, members of the Ve-
ronica Robles Cultural Center and more.
June is porch safety month!
Learn more about porch safety tips here.
Tai Chi in City Hall Plaza
Join us every Wednesday morning starting June 20, 7:30 am to 8:00 am, City Hall Pla-
za. Free class and practice with Bill Baron, presented by Chelsea Prospers. This ancient
Chinese practice is a martial art, but its emphasis on balance and harmony, both physi-
cal and spiritual, makes it desirable for anyone seeking a peaceful start to their day.
Appropriate for all people aged 10+ including seniors. Held weather permitting.
Game Night!
Tuesday evenings starting June 19, 6 to 8 pm on
City Hall Plaza. Join us for table top games in
Bellingham Square. Bring your dominos, chess,
checkers, backgammon, and more to play with
your neighbors. Held weather permitting.
Sale of Alcohol Miniatures Prohibited by Li-
censing Commission
At its May meeting, Chelsea's Licensing Commission voted to ban the sale of nips by all
retailers in the city. Testimony at the public hearing cited the broad and significant hu-
man, environmental and economic impacts. In particular, the Chelsea Police spoke to
the significant impact of alcoholism in the city, a problem requiring six-times as many
service calls as for those responding to the abuse of narcotics. The ban goes into effect
after notice to the impacted retailers. Continuing the response, the board will take up an expansion of the ban to include pints and single beers with a public hear- ing at its June meeting. Free Technical Assistance for Small Businesses in the Downtown Got a small business in the downtown? Low- and mod- erate-income business owners with just a handful of employees can receive free tech- nical assistance to help improve sales, market their establishments, and enhance both their physical and digital presence. Grants of up to $1500 are available to help imple- ment the recommendations. Services are available in English and Spanish. Any eligible business is encouraged to apply. Get the application here. Foreclosure Prevention Counseling If you are concerned about losing your home because you cannot make your mortgage payments, contact the Chelsea Restoration Corporation about Foreclosure Prevention program. CRC partners with homeowners who are struggling to meet the costs of keep- ing their homes by working with banks and community organizations to create options which meet the needs of all involved. Find the required documents list here in English or here in Spanish. New Citi-Wide Home Improvement Program: The Citi-Wide Home Improvement Program provides Chelsea homeowners assistance in the planning and management of their home improvement repair/rehab projects. We work with owners of 1-4 family buildings and condo owners. Chelsea Restoration offers secure low interest loans with a maximum loan amount of $20,000. If estimates come in greater than $20,000 CRC will contact the board members for approval. Funding is pro- vided for code violations such as: electrical, plumbing, roofing, windows, heating and re- taining walls. CRC’s experienced staff will guide the homeowner through the entire pro- cess: application/qualification; project scope and cost planning; bidding and contractor selection; financing; and technical assistance oversight throughout the project life-cycle. How to Apply: HILP loans are originated by Chelsea Restoration Corporation. Download Application. Program Details: Low-fixed interest rates Loan amounts up to $20,000
Other Restrictions:
The home must be your primary residence
You must have good credit and stable income.
Loans may be used for 1- to 4-family properties and condominiums only
You will not be reimbursed for work started before the loan closing
Chelsea Recreation & Cultural Affairs Summer Program is Underway
Chelsea Recreation & Cultural Affairs Di-
vision is pleased to share our 2018
Summer Program Guide. Simply go to
https://recreation.chelseama.gov where
you can view and register for a wide
range of affordable programs for youth
& adults such as: voice lessons, soccer
clinics, field trips, and language classes.
Register online or in person at the Wil-
liams Building, 180 Walnut Street, Monday-Friday, 4-8:30pm and Saturday 9-4:30pm.
Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions. Call (617) 466-5233.
Learn more here.
Summer Sports Program
Get your game on! Grab a friend and come on down to the Williams Building. A variety
of sports programs are being offered this spring/summer. Register online here or in
person at the Williams Building, 180 Walnut Street, Monday-Friday, 4-8:30pm and Sat-
urday 9-4:30pm, or just drop in for some fun! Learn more here (English) or here
(Spanish).
Curators Wanted!
Gallery 456 is a storefront gallery at 456 Broadway. While
this city-owned property awaits redevelopment, the windows
provide an opportunity to highlight the people, culture, histo-
ry and present life of Chelsea. Curators are sought to organ-
ize exhibits. Exhibits could include collections of work by lo-
cal artists, artifacts illustrating a slice of Chelsea’s history, or
materials that educate about a particular community within
the diversity of Chelsea’s people. Got an idea you’d like to
pursue? Contact Downtown Coordinator Mimi Graney at
mgraney@chelseama.gov.
Interested in working for the City of Chelsea?
Find out about jobs available here.Events
Do you have a community event for the Community Event Calendar? Click
here to submit it!
Thursday, June 14 at 8:30am - Second Look
Event - Missed the social innovation forum’s
showcase where GreenRoots presented its work?
Come to the Second Look event at Foley & Lard-
ner. Learn more here, and RSVP here.
Thursday, June 14 from 2:30pm to 4pm - Reception for the exhibit, “Where
We’re From” - Join us in this show put on by the Wright School 7th graders studying
with English teacher Lindsey Horowitz and Art instructor Jennifer Porto. This is the last
day to see the poems and original illustrations by these young people reflecting on life
in Chelsea. This event will take place at Gallery 456 (at 456 Broadway, Chelsea).
Tuesday, June 19 at 5:30pm - Sunset
Cruise on the Creek - Join GreenRoots
members, board and staff for the 2018 an-
nual meeting. The meeting will take place
on a sunset cruise on the Chelsea Creek.
Make sure to board by 5:30pm at Cabot’s landing, 201 Marginal Street, Chelsea. RSVP
to roseannb@greenrootschelsea.org.
Thursday, June 21 at 10:30am - Historic Tour of Jewish ChelseaTour - Explore
Chelsea’s rich Jewish history and evolving present in a walking tour, guided by Dr. El-
len Rovner of Boston University and Brandeis. For over 150 years, and for so many dif-
ferent peoples from all over the globe, “Welcome to Chelsea” has meant “Welcome to
America.” Twentieth century Chelsea was home to more Jewish residents per square
mile than anywhere outside of New York City. Today, Chelsea is one of three cities in
Massachusetts with a majority Hispanic/Latino population. As its diversity has contin-
ued to broaden, its economy has continued to develop, along with its thriving cultural
scene. Learn about the swell of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe in the early
twentieth century, the mark that the growing Jewish population made on this City, and
what has changed over the past few decades. Tours are $10 per party, and FREE for all
Chelsea residents. This tour starts at Katz Bagels at 139 Park Street, Chelsea.
Wednesday, June 27 from 6pm to 8pm - Candidates Forum - Meet your candi-
dates for the 2018 primaries for the 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts and
Suffolk County District Attorney. They will participate in a panel discussion and answer
questions. Send candidates questions before to umbraken@aol.com. For any questions,call Chelsea Black Community President Joan Cromwell at 781-475-3817. This event will take place at the Senior Center, 10 Riley Way, Chelsea. Thursday, June 28 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm - Summer Sail - Join NSMHA’s annual fundraiser in a fun-filled evening event featuring live music, hors d’oeuvres and re- freshments, sailboat rides in Boston Harbor, and silent auctions. Free parking will be available on the street. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at northsuffolk.org. This event will take place at 95 Marginal Street, East Boston. Learn more here. That’s all for now! Tom A.
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