By Michael Coughlin Jr.
The journey to make Monument Square a landmark district is progressing as the City Council, at a meeting last month, confirmed several appointments to the study committee, which will be involved in the process that could see the area being landmarked.
Amanda Zettel, President of the Charlestown Preservation Society (CPS), explained that this process began a few years ago when the group submitted a petition to the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) in May 2022 to designate Monument Square as a landmark district.
“Many residents signed the petition and we did not hear any opposition. The boundaries for the district include all of the Monument Square addresses,” said Zettel.
Eventually, the BLC accepted the petition for study, and the area was considered a pending landmark district that July. A draft study report was then completed in June 2023.
Further, Zettel noted that in June 2023, the CPS, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Planning Department, and BLC nominated individuals for the study committee.
“This study committee is reviewing the history of Monument Square in order to determine if it is able to be designated a landmark district,” said Zettel, who indicated the committee was made up of five BLC members and six residents.
“That committee will meet probably once a month or so for as long as it takes to iron out the details of establishing a landmark district.”
In terms of what it would mean for Monument Square to receive landmark designation, Zettel described it as an honor.
“It means that the City of Boston is saying, hey, this is one of our most important historic resources, and we want to celebrate that,” she said.
Moreover, Zettel indicated that if Monument Square were to be landmarked, buildings around the area would undergo design review at the BLC rather than the Planning Department.
“The benefit of that is that the standards and criteria that oversee change to those buildings are established in writing and actually legislated,” said Zettel.
“With the BLC process, there’s no surprises. Those reviews are sort of based on the established criteria, and that is what this study committee will meet to determine.”
As noted, the City Council has already started confirming appointments. However, there is still some work to do.
Stacia Sheputa, Director of Communications for the city’s Environment, Energy, and Open Space Cabinet, wrote in an email Monday, “The City is waiting on confirmation of one or two more nominees and after that happens the study committee will begin to meet.”
Ultimately, the study committee seems likely to be able to hit the ground running soon, as Sheputa indicated that the aforementioned confirmations are expected to occur “within the next few weeks.”
The appointments confirmed so far, according to the December 11th City Council meeting minutes, are as follows:
Ameeth Deenanath (Alternate)
Senam Kumahia
Fadi Samaha
Jeffrey Gonyeau
Lindsey Mac-Jones
Linda Neshamkin
Julie Hall
Ian Urquhart
Crystal Galvin
Nancy Johnson
Intiya Ambrogi Isaza