Climate Resilience & Sustainability
In partnership with the cities of Winthrop and Revere, the City is has launched the regional North Suffolk Office of Resilience and Sustainability, funded through a grant of $600,000 from the Barr Foundation.
The Office will engage residents of all three communities in developing projects and programs to ensure these cities survive and thrive in a changing climate. The office will address issues of sea-level rise, extreme heat, energy use, waste reduction, and other factors that affect livability.
The Office will engage residents of all three communities in developing projects and programs to ensure these cities survive and thrive in a changing climate. The office will address issues of sea-level rise, extreme heat, energy use, waste reduction, and other factors that affect livability.
| Staff | Contact Information |
| Ibrahim Lopez-Hernandez - Sustainability Manager | ilopez@chelseama.gov |
| Darya Mattes - Resilience Manager | dmattes@chelseama.gov |
| Attachment |
| NSORS Annual Report 2021(PDF) |
| NSORS Annual Report 2022(PDF) |
Resilience
In fiscal years 2021-2022, the City of Chelsea, in collaboration with community based organization GreenRoots and Boston University Public School of Health, was awarded grant funding through the MVP Action Grant Program to advance a city-wide Urban Heat Island (UHI) mitigation initiative. The initiative aimed to complement ongoing regional resilience efforts by an analysis of ambient air & land surface temperatures, a social vulnerability assessment, prioritization of corridors for public and private heat mitigation interventions, and planning and implementation of a pilot heat mitigation projects on public properties.
Analysis identified extreme urban heat islands throughout the city. The neighborhood located around the Boys and Girls Club, specifically Willow St. & Maverick St. was determined a target area for mitigation and dubbed the ‘Cool Block Initiative.’ The Initiative saw the implementation of several heat mitigation strategies, including the installation of street trees, installation of bioswales and native plants, and use of lightly colored aggregates within the streets and sidewalks. Installation of green infrastructure and lightly colored streetscape will decrease temperatures within this microclimate over time, and replication on other urban heat islands throughout the city is expected. This project is nearly complete, with the final installation of lightly colored roadways expected to occur in early fall.
Urban Heat Mitigation Project Final Report
Analysis identified extreme urban heat islands throughout the city. The neighborhood located around the Boys and Girls Club, specifically Willow St. & Maverick St. was determined a target area for mitigation and dubbed the ‘Cool Block Initiative.’ The Initiative saw the implementation of several heat mitigation strategies, including the installation of street trees, installation of bioswales and native plants, and use of lightly colored aggregates within the streets and sidewalks. Installation of green infrastructure and lightly colored streetscape will decrease temperatures within this microclimate over time, and replication on other urban heat islands throughout the city is expected. This project is nearly complete, with the final installation of lightly colored roadways expected to occur in early fall.
Urban Heat Mitigation Project Final Report
The City of Chelsea, in collaboration with community-based organizations such as GreenRoots and Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), is working to address the impacts of climate change, restore ecological habitats, and expand the local network of open space, with Mill Creek as a central focus. Decades of environmental advocacy led by GreenRoots have resulted in the addition of a waterfront playground, linear park, and restored wetland areas along the creek. The City and its partners are dedicated to transforming Mill Creek into a community resource with robust public access.
In 2018 and 2019, the City of Chelsea, MyRWA, and GreenRoots, assessed various opportunities to restore the habitat and public access along Mill Creek, yielding key strategies and projects to enhance water quality and sediment transport. For the past decade, Mill Creek has consistently received a water quality rating of "F". It has been the most polluted water body in the Mystic River watershed.
In 2022, this team together with the Nature Conservancy and with funding from Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management, conducted a study to identify the sources of pollution so they could be addressed in priority order. All sources of pollution were overwhelmed by the amount of raw sewerage that was being dumped into the creek from municipal outfalls. It is now the City's priority to clean these up and make Mill Creek into the swimmable, fishable waterway that our residents deserve and can enjoy.
In 2018 and 2019, the City of Chelsea, MyRWA, and GreenRoots, assessed various opportunities to restore the habitat and public access along Mill Creek, yielding key strategies and projects to enhance water quality and sediment transport. For the past decade, Mill Creek has consistently received a water quality rating of "F". It has been the most polluted water body in the Mystic River watershed.
In 2022, this team together with the Nature Conservancy and with funding from Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management, conducted a study to identify the sources of pollution so they could be addressed in priority order. All sources of pollution were overwhelmed by the amount of raw sewerage that was being dumped into the creek from municipal outfalls. It is now the City's priority to clean these up and make Mill Creek into the swimmable, fishable waterway that our residents deserve and can enjoy.
- Download 2019 Mill Creek Restoration Assessment, [Report] [Appendices]
- Download 2022 Mill Creek Water Quality Improvement Project [Vol 1] [Vol 2] [Vol3]
Over the next year, the City will complete the design and permitting of a comprehensive flood protection system along the Island End River. The plan includes an elevated flood barrier, restored salt marsh, and expansion of public open space. Through the project, the City seeks to safeguard residential neighborhoods, industrial districts, and vital infrastructure, including transportation routes and emergency shelters.
An important component of the project will include educating the public about how future flooding may affect their homes and families. This project is funded by a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Grant
Island End Park & Flood Barrier Project
Equitable Climate Resiliency Framework - Process Guide
Created by the Department of Housing & Community Development, GreenRoots, the Mystic River Watershed Association, and community based partners, the Equitable Climate Resilience Framework sets out a roadmap to engage the community on issues related to climate change. The framework strives to provide guidance on the following questions:
• How do we effectively and equitably reach the community?
• How do we have meaningful conversations around extreme weather impacts and resilience?
• How do we ensure local participation and contributions to city projects?
• How do we hear and incorporate community concerns into city projects?
• How do we identify priority and vulnerabilities of the community and address them?
Download the report
Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF)
In February of 2023, the cities of Chelsea and Everett released an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) detailing the Island End River (IER) Flood Resilience Project. Click the links below to access the EENF, which is available in six languages.
Arabic (PDF) | Chinese (PDF) | English (PDF) | Haitian Creole (PDF) | Portuguese (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)
An important component of the project will include educating the public about how future flooding may affect their homes and families. This project is funded by a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Grant
Island End Park & Flood Barrier Project
Equitable Climate Resiliency Framework - Process Guide
Created by the Department of Housing & Community Development, GreenRoots, the Mystic River Watershed Association, and community based partners, the Equitable Climate Resilience Framework sets out a roadmap to engage the community on issues related to climate change. The framework strives to provide guidance on the following questions:
• How do we effectively and equitably reach the community?
• How do we have meaningful conversations around extreme weather impacts and resilience?
• How do we ensure local participation and contributions to city projects?
• How do we hear and incorporate community concerns into city projects?
• How do we identify priority and vulnerabilities of the community and address them?
Download the report
Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF)
In February of 2023, the cities of Chelsea and Everett released an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) detailing the Island End River (IER) Flood Resilience Project. Click the links below to access the EENF, which is available in six languages.
Arabic (PDF) | Chinese (PDF) | English (PDF) | Haitian Creole (PDF) | Portuguese (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)
The Department of Housing & Community Development recently received a grant from the Office of Coastal Zone Management to conduct an analysis and design of a small parcel of land located behind Beth Israel along Mill Creek.
The City of Chelsea is partnering with Greenroots to build resilience throughout Mill Creek by advancing planning, design, and permitting of enhanced open space, coastal bank stabilization, and remediation along Mill Creek. This project will target a specific land parcel known as the "Green Parcel".
The City of Chelsea is partnering with Greenroots to build resilience throughout Mill Creek by advancing planning, design, and permitting of enhanced open space, coastal bank stabilization, and remediation along Mill Creek. This project will target a specific land parcel known as the "Green Parcel".
Haga clic aquí para leer esta noticia en español
Come to an open house to learn more about the City’s plans for the Eastern Avenue area. Join the City to learn about exciting new projects, share your ideas, and get creative!
When: March 21 at 6 pm-7:30 pm; Doors open at 5:30pm.
Where: Chelsea Public Library, Auditorium
Who: Everyone!
Refreshments, Spanish translation, and activities for kids will be provided.
Register here: https://EasternAveOpenHouse.eventbrite.com
The City is planning improvements for the neighborhood:
- Make Eastern Avenue safer, greener, and more welcoming and usable for residents.
- Construct a flood protection system to limit the impacts of sea level rise and storms.
- Create more access to the waterfront and connections to the surrounding community.
This workshop is an opportunity to learn about exciting new projects, give feedback to the City, and share your ideas and creativity!
Projects that will be discussed:
- Eastern Avenue Corridor Improvements and Waterfront Resilience Options
- Chelsea Street Bridge Park
- 212 Congress Avenue Park
The project is funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is supported by consultants Weston & Sampson, who specialize in climate resilience engineering and design.
Mejoras de Corredor + Una Junta de Soluciones de Resiliencia Climática: El área de Eastern Avenue
Vengan a nuestra junta para obtener información sobre los planes de la ciudad para el área de Eastern Avenue. ¡Únase con la ciudad para conocer nuevos y emocionantes proyectos, aportando sus ideas y creatividad!
Cuando: 21 de Marzo a las 6 pm-7:30 pm; Puertas se abriran a las 5:30pm.
Donde: La Biblioteca Publica de Chelsea, Auditorio
Quién: A todos!
Estaremos ofreciendo traductores en espanol, refrigerios, y actividades para niños
Register Aquí: https://EasternAveOpenHouse.eventbrite.com
La ciudad está planeando mejoras para nuestra comunidad:
- Hacer que Eastern Avenue sea un lugar seguro, y mejorando nuesto ambiente con areas verdes y más acogedoras para los residentes.
- Construir un sistema de protección contra inundaciones para limitar los impactos del aumento del nivel del agua del mar y tormentas.
- Crear más accesos en lugares frente al mar y conexiones con las comunidades cercanas.
Este taller de trabajo nos da la oportunidad de aprender con entuciasmo sobre nuevos proyectos y compartir opinions, ideas, y creatividad de la ciudad.
El Proyectos:
- Eastern Avenue Corredor + Resiliencia Climática
- Chelsea Street Bridge Parque
- 212 Congress Avenue Parque
El proyecto está financiado la Oficina Ejecutiva de Energía y Asuntos Ambientales de Massachusetts. Cuenta con el respaldo de los consultores Weston & Sampson, que se especializan en ingeniería y diseño de resiliencia climática.
Sustainability
On June 27, the Chelsea City Council approved a Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to understand energy consumption in buildings throughout the City. The goal is to reduce their emissions gradually to net-zero by 2050.
This energy benchmarking ordinance, known as BERDO, now requires large residential and non-residential buildings with 20,000 square feet of gross floor area (GFA) or more or residential buildings with 20 units or more to report energy use data. Additionally, all Chelsea Housing Authority buildings will be required to report regardless of gross floor area or unit count.
This energy benchmarking ordinance, known as BERDO, now requires large residential and non-residential buildings with 20,000 square feet of gross floor area (GFA) or more or residential buildings with 20 units or more to report energy use data. Additionally, all Chelsea Housing Authority buildings will be required to report regardless of gross floor area or unit count.