Additional Green Infrastructure Heads to Chelsea

MyRWA, Charles River Watershed Association, Chelsea Collaborative, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the City of Chelsea hope to begin work soon to reduce stormwater pollution and improve environmental conditions through development of a Green Infrastructure Retrofit Plan in Chelsea. This project Urban Green Infrastructure in Mystic River Communities will study the existing conditions near the Broadway area of Chelsea and identify opportunities at the street level where green infrastructure can be used to treat stormwater.

Design for this Neighborhood Greening Plan will follow principles of proven Blue Cities™ models for making urban landscapes mimic the natural environment. Using this established approach, by capturing rainwater runoff through the introduction of plant life and open spaces, the plan will implement desirable neighborhood improvements while reducing flooding, restoring groundwater supplies, and decreasing polluted run-off into Chelsea Creek. One of the most exciting parts of this project will be the active collaboration between the neighborhood residents and businesses with the technical staff to create an urban space that builds on a shared vision to improve the livability of the neighborhood. The types of green infrastructure that will be considered include vegetated systems such as rain gardens, stormwater tree boxes and stormwater planters, and approaches such as porous concrete and subsurface storage and recharge for rainwater.

This project is part of the work undertaken by the Metro Boston Consortium for Sustainable Communities through MAPC and supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).