To the Editor:

I was dismayed to read “Columbia-Savin Hill neighbors want reset on Morrissey panel” in the Nov. 6 edition of The Reporter. More than eight years into the Morrissey Boulevard redesign process, some residents are urging a second trip back to the drawing board. We cannot wait that long for improvements to worsening sea level rise, dangerous road conditions, and a wall dividing our neighborhood. 

I understand many of my neighbors’ issues with the current state of the plan. Kosciuszko Circle is a dire mess that needs fixing, and there are elements of the commission’s proposal that reasonable people can disagree with. But overall, it’s a good plan that will improve safety and accessibility for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. It will protect the neighborhood from sea level rise and flooding. It will help knit together the neighborhood and provide connections between the waterfront, new and old residences, and commercial amenities.

In my decade as a municipal planner, I have seen dozens of instances of earnest, well-meaning residents urge pumping the brakes on otherwise good building and infrastructure proposals to give more time to develop a more perfect plan. In the world of public infrastructure, time isn’t just money; it’s property damage, lost economic opportunities, and lives. We’ve tolerated an intolerable status quo on Morrissey Boulevard for too long. The Commonwealth should move forward with its plans and give us the improved boulevard we deserve. 

-Tim Czerwienski
Port Norfolk