Update: EV chargers are causing a bit of controversy in South Boston. City Councilor Ed Flynn responds and the City answers.
We all know that parking in South Boston can be challenging, to say the least. Well, recently, residents in the Thomas Park area, in particular on Linden Street, received the following notice on cars and doors in the neighborhood.
The part jumping out and riling up the neighbors? “If I don’t own an EV can I park there? No, this is a public parking spot. Needless to say, residents reached out to Caught in Southie in addition to local elected officials including City Councilor Ed Flynn who released the following letter sent to Chief Franklin Hodge and Commissioner Gove with the City of Boston.
Good afternoon, Chief Franklin Hodge and Commissioner Gove.
Please note I am writing as many neighbors up and down Linden Street have emailed and called my office this morning, as well as local media, regarding the attached flyer notifying them that EV Chargers would be installed at 14 Linden Street.
Please also see the attached flyer from ONS regarding the proposed EV locations for the public meeting in March, wherein Linden Street was never listed. Both my staff and I were on the virtual meeting and this location was never discussed. In my opinion, this is a sleepy side street off of Thomas Park and not an appropriate location.
This is not about whether or not anyone supports EV chargers. I have constituents who drive EVs, and called for a hearing on this issue in December 2021 with then Councilor O’Malley. This is an issue of public process, as well as respect for communities and their elected officials.
Per the recent 9 page memo from Superintendent Brohel regarding street design changes, the city was “heavy handed” in recent years in its communication with neighborhoods. “We heard consistent feedback that project communications and community engagement were inadequate, that decisions seemed predetermined, and that processes too often did not achieve consensus, contributing to a loss of community trust,” he said.
I am respectfully requesting that the City and BTD immediately stop any plans on Linden St, and adhere to a thorough public process with the taxpaying residents and their duly elected officials. At all levels of government, there continues to be a lack of community process and engagement with the people we serve. We cannot continue to make changes without feedback and lose the public’s trust.
As an aside, I would like to see us work on public/private partnerships and be sensitive to the neighborhood’s parking issues. There are private lots, like Walgreens for instance, that contain 10-20 parking spaces that go unused everyday on the East Third Street section of the lot, and could serve as a potential location.
Here’s the notice for EV locations community meeting below.
You can learn more about this city incentive here.
Back in March, City Councilor Enrique Pepen and the City of Boston revealed the first curbside EV charging station in Roslindale. This is part of property partner incentive for those who own a building – residential or commercial in Boston to earn passive income.
- If you own a building – residential or commercial – anywhere in the city, join its electric’s waitlist to become a property partner and be the first to solve the charging gap in your neighborhood (while earning passive income every month). Learn more here.
The City of Boston responded to Flynn’s letter:
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Jascha Franklin-Hodge (he/him) Chief of Streets, Transportation, and Sanitation City of Boston |
This is a developing story. We shall see where this goes. In the meantime, let us know what you think in the comments below!
Maureen Dahill is the founder of Caught in Media. Once a longtime wardrobe and prop stylist for brands such as Rue La La, TJ Max & Hasbro, she is a devoted lover of vintage clothing, Martini Mondays, Castle Island, AND a 4th generation South Boston native. Mother of three, married to Peter G.
…neighborhood schools for our kids within walking distance from their homes over this bullsh!t EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. Stop the experiment already. Busing is a failure. A very expensive failure.
PS;,Elections. Matter
When the “chief of streets” lived on Thomas Park he bought a parking spot on Linden Street. Now he lives in JP and wants to take parking away from the neighborhood he abandoned.
Added to the fact that directly where this EV charger is planned lives a political alley and also an MIT alumni, like the chief of street. This is inside politics that starts at the Wu administration, works its way down to the entitled “educated” wealthy. Stop assuming you know what’s best for the working class, it is costing you at every level of government.
If someone wants to put an EV charging station on their own property that is their priority. These charging stations only benefit the elites who can afford to buy them. Now they are leaching off of the taxpayers to make it more convenient for them to virtue signal through city subsidies
I’m all for creating more charging stations but this is absolutely NOT the way. Those who have private parking or are able to rent private parking (like the former Chief of Streets did when he lived in this neighborhood) have no idea how this effects the quality of life for people who live in the city without private options – or can’t afford private options. We already have high taxes, an unreliable MBTA, public schools that few of us are willing to use because they are so so bad and a city government that is absolutely tone deaf to the needs of the neighborhoods. I drive around some days for an hour trying to find a place to park. The young entitled residents use Uber and don’t move their cars for weeks. The poor shmuck that needs his/her car for work is out of luck.
The streets are torn up and a mess. We are being overrun with rats because the Boston Water and Sewer and developers are ripping up the streets with NO rodent mitigation taking place. But sure, let’s spend our time and resources installing EV chargers.
This is absolutely bad city planning. Why place it on Lindon when it’s a quiet resident focus street and then deny those residents fighting for parking a parking spot?!?! As a resident of Thomas Park Area I didn’t even know about this nor did I get a flyer in my mailbox – so Flynn message speaks true. Half of these decisions were never decisions in the first place!
“Earning passive income on public property every month”
Did I read that right?
Outdoor dining years after the pandemic, White Stadium and now public parking?
When was Boston’s public space put up for sale?
Frederick Olmsted (designed Boston’s PUBLIC, green space) would be ashamed
I live in the immediate neighborhood and I am very supportive of public EV charging but this specific program is insane. The parking space can only be legally occupied while charging so if I had to guess it’s going to be empty half the time while the rest of the neighbors drive in circles to park. But the absolute *craziest* thing is it looks like the owner who is participating in the program actually makes money from it – quoting from the article – “while earning passive income every month.” Gotta be a great neighbor to snag a spot from *everyone* (including EV owners) and make money off it to boot. Doesn’t sound like they talked to their immediate neighbors about it beforehand either. Linden St. isn’t the place for a charger like this. If this moves forward the owner damn well better donate any and all of that money to the South Boston Neighborhood House or another very local charity.
“Property owners who partner with it’s electric to host chargers earn a passive income that can start at $1,000 per charger/year.” From the it’s electric website – https://www.itselectric.us/how-it-works. I understand this is probably awesome in some towns/neighborhoods but it’s insane here in Boston. I cannot believe that as a residential property owner I can sign up for this and then both inconvenience my neighbors and make money off them in the process. All from the street that I don’t own. I’d be mortified to participate in this.
I just don’t understand why the Mayor continuously does these things. They don’t talk to the neighborhood and when they do come to meet, it’s just to check a box. They don’t listen and they don’t want to work with the people most affected by these decisions. It’s maddening. Then once everyone is up in arms, they pull back from the plan. Why not just meet and talk with people? Be a partner not an ideologue! We don’t need a nanny state, we need public officials who listen to and respect the people they represent. Thank you to Ed Flynn who does so much and doesn”t get half the credit he deserves. He is a gem.
So the person who owns an EV car wants a charger I front of THEIR house. How selfish and they get it? Or were going to get it? I want a parking spot in front of my house, do I get one?