OWNERSHIP
CONDITIONS
CONTEXT
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
PLANNING PROCESSES

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OWNERSHIP:
-- 2.01 acres of the wetland area are owned by the Boston Conservation Commission
-- 7.53 acres of the wetland area are owned by the Boston Department of Neighborhood Development. The City lists much of this wetland area as available for purchase, although no roads run through the area.

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CONDITIONS:
This 9.5 acres of land is surrounded by backyards. Stormwater flows into the area primarily through pipes and keeps the land wet for much of the year. According to the City of Boston's Urban Wilds Initiative, the wetland is overrun by invasive species such as multiflora rose and buckthorn. This wetland area extends from just south of Weld Street (near the Weld/ Walter tract of the Arnold Arboretum, which is also known as Kilmer Park) to Walter Street. Only 2.01 acres of the wetland is protected by the Conservation Commission. The other marshy, seasonally wet area is not protected. Although in the summer of 2002 this unprotected wetland area is whole, on city maps the area is bisected by two currently non-existent roads. One is a continuation of Selwyn Street and the other is theoretically named Morrison Street.

The Department of Neighborhood Development has divided up the wet marshland into more than 30 individual undeveloped lots that are owned by the City of Boston through foreclosure according to the City assessing department. In 2002, this area is also dominated by invasive species.

Some of the land in this neighborhood, including properties on Hazlemere Street, was developed in 1990 by Nicholas Harris. Harris was required to build a boardwalk through the wetland when he developed Hazlemere. He then deeded the property to the City of Boston. The boardwalk has subsequently become overgrown and fallen into disrepair. Many trees in the wetland area have died in recent years, according to residents.

Hazlemere Street deadends into a fence and a rough path into the wetland area. In 2002, it is difficult to pass by the brambles and over the reeds that cover the forest floor. There is significant bird life in the area, including ducks. Single family residences valued between about $200,000 and $280,000 line Hazelmere Street. Hazlemere, Elden, and Robken all have single family homes that are predominantly in this value range.

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CONTEXT:
This is one of the few areas in the Heart of the City that has never been developed. The other is the Mattahunt area of Mattapan. This wetland area is a street away from the Walter/ Weld property, which is administered by the Arnold Arboretum, and it is very close to the Arboretum itself. Access to the Arboretum, however, is extremely limited due to the steep topography and the wetland, which serves as a barrier between the neighborhood and the Arboretum.

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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:
Construction on or near a wetland is subject to special legal requirements and is often completely prohibited. These lands are sensitive and environmentally significant because they process and purify run-off rainwater and protect the neighborhood from flooding.

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PLANNING PROCESSES:
In 2002, the Department of Neighborhood Development was offering many of these properties for sale.

The Roslindale Wetlands Task Force was assembled regarding these properties for sale. One of the task force's major accomplishments has been the transfer of 26 unbuilt lots in the wetland to the Boston Conservation Commission, guaranteeing their preservation as open space in perpetuity. Another accomplishment, in October 2005, was when the owners of the largest wetlands parcel, behind 104 Walter Street, agreed to sbudivide the lot and give the rear portion (more than one acre) to the City for conservation. (www.roslindalewetlands.org)

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