January13,2016
LisaBerryEngler
BostonHarborRegionalCoordinator
OfficeofCoastalZoneManagement
251CausewayStreet,Ste800
Boston,MA02114-2136
Re:BoundaryReviewoftheChelseaCreekDesignatedPortArea,Chelsea,MA
DearMs.Engler,
ThankyoufortheopportunitytocommentontheBoundaryReviewoftheChelseaCreek
DesignatedPortArea(DPA).WedonotsupportchangestotheDPAregulationsthatmay
jeopardizethewater-dependentindustrieswithinBostonHarbor.
AsanincreasingpercentageofBoston’swaterfrontisconvertedtoresidentialandcommercial
development,suchareasappropriateforwater-dependentindustrialusesarebecoming
increasinglyrare.Therefore,TBHAagreeswiththeregulationlanguagethatthe“industrialized
coastbepreservedtothemaximumextentpracticableinordertomeetthelongterm,
cumulativespaceneedsofthewater-dependentindustries”(301CMR25).
DesignatedPortAreas(DPAs)ensurethatwater-dependentindustrialusesareencouragedin
areasthatcontainthreeessentialcomponents:
• Waterwaysanddevelopedwaterfronts(especiallythosewithdeepenoughchannelsto
supportlargervessels),
• Backlands(thelandsituatedbehindthesewaterwaysandwaterfronts)ofsupporting
industrialfacilitiesandoperations,and
• Transportationandpublicutilitiesappropriatetoserviceindustrialoperations.
WecommendCoastalZoneManagementforrecognizingthevitalroleChelseaCreekplaysas
theregion’senergysource.TheCZMboundaryreviewstatesthatcertainportionsofthe
ChelseaCreekDPAarecurrentlyunderutilized,othershavenotsupportedwater-dependent
industrialusesformanyyears,andstillotherslievacant.Aspreviouslystated,TheBoston
HarborAssociationonlysupportsmodificationstoDPAsthatimproveandincreasetheviability
ofBoston’sworkingport.
Afteracarefulreadingofthereport,wenotethatwhilethesystematicboundaryreviewof
eachgeneralizedparcelseemsappropriate,wefearanynewprecedentsthisreviewmaysetfor
futureDPAboundaryreviewsandtheconsequentialpotentialimpactsontheremainingwaterdependentindustrialuses.Ourcommentsfollow.
TheBostonHarborAssociation|374CongressStreet,Suite307|Boston,MA02210
617-482-1722|www.tbha.org
Ingeneral,wehopedthereviewwouldhaveincludedsometopographicandphotographic
materialregardingtheshorelineandpropertydevelopmentoftheproposedboundarychange
areastosupporttermslikeundeveloped,tidalflats,marshlandandcoastalresourceareas.
Verificationofthetermsandfindingsincludedinthereviewwouldrequirecross-researchora
fieldvisitandwouldprovenotonlytimeconsumingbutalsodifficultforthereviewingpublic.
RailroadSouth
TheRailroadSouthplanningunitisundevelopedanddoesnotincludepiers,wharves,
bulkheadsorriprap.Accordingtothereport,thissectionoftheshorelineincludesshallow
watersaswellassensitivecoastalresources.Wenotethatthisparticularsiteisclosesttothe
turningbasinandlikelybeneededasanenergyshippingchannelaslongasthetankfields
remaininuse.Forthisreason,futureresidentialdevelopmentonthissitemustnotundermine
existingshippingandindustrialuses.Weareconcernedaboutthesafetyofencouragingsmall
recreationalvesselssuchassailboatsorkayaksaroundlargecommercialvesselsespeciallywith
theintenseuseanddisturbanceofthenarrowwaterwaysasshipsturnalongthechannel.
RailroadNorth
TheRailroadNorthshorelineandbulkheadhaveshoaledtothepointwhereuseofthe
shorelineforwater-dependentindustrialusewouldrequiresignificantdredging.Weexpect
thatanyadditionaldredgingwouldnotonlyincuranunnecessaryexpenseforthecitybutalso
anunwantedimpacttonaturalresourceareas,specificallythenearbysaltmarsh.TheNorth
siteislessimmediatetothewaterfrontbut,likeRailroadSouth,issuesrelatingtorecreational
boatingandpossibleindustrialnoiseandsmellsmightbeofparticularconcerninthefuture.
ClimateChangePreparedness
Historically,theupperChelseaCreekwasconnectedbyavasttidalmarshandsmallchannelsto
BelleIsleMarshnearWinthropandtotheAtlanticOceanatRevereBeachthrough,whatisnow,
thelow-lyingfilledlandaroundSuffolkDowns.Withprojectedsealevelriseof1-2feetby2050
and3-6feetby2100,theprobabilityofincurringseveredamagefromstorms(aswellas
floodingduringastronomicalhightidesandatsomepointduringnormalhightides)willonly
continuetoincreaseinthecomingcentury.OurconcernistheextenttowhichfutureDPAswill
needtoretreatinlandassealevelsriseinordertomaintainviablemaritimeactivities.Although
aseeminglydistantconcern,whenregionalplanningbeginsthesesitesmaybecome
increasinglysignificant.
Inclosing,becauseDPAsarespecificallydesignedtopreventfurtherdepletionofthe
waterfrontresourcesessentialtotheworkingport,TBHAisveryreluctanttosupportanydedesignationthatwouldunderminewater-dependentmaritimeactivities.
Sincerely,
JillValdesHorwood JulieWormser
WaterfrontPolicyAnalyst ExecutiveDirector