Chester Square Park Information
 Sept
2008: Update on status as
of end of August.
Delays
There were delays caused by problems with the lighting.
A confusion in reading the drawings resulted in the replacement
of all the wiring in the parks, and held up the work. It
probably also resulted in the street lights being off for
some weeks. We are told it has been corrected now. Also,
the excavations uncovered a completely unknown set of drains
and water lines leading from one park to the other. It isn't
clear whether these were the water lines that serviced the
original single fountain or whether it was intended in 1952
when the road went through the park, to provide hose bibs
to the two smaller remaining parks. It took time to trace
and remove the lines.
Construction
The construction is proceeding from low numbers to high
numbers on the even numbered side of Mass. Ave. and in reverse
on the odd numbered side of the street because of the need
to allow a clear entry at one end of each park for construction
vehicles.
Current Status
In both parks, the fountain foundations have been poured.
We are assured that although they look octagonal, they will
in fact be round when the granite is installed. Huge 8'
diameter dry wells have been installed to provide drainage
for the fountains in the fall when they are emptied. The
water meter pits are done and one curved wall has been poured
but the water lines have not yet been connected and the
center planter bases have not yet been poured on either
side.
Underground Waterlines
The Mayor, at the ground breaking ceremony, noticed that
there were no underground water lines to water the grass
in the park and instructed the Parks Department to put them
in. So, we have underground watering paid for by the cheaper
price we got for using solid granite instead of veneer,
which is what we wanted to use in the first place. That
is a win-win of huge proportions.
June 2008:
Park renovation commenced. Slated to be completed by mid
October, 2008. Park to be seeded and have grass growing
in the Spring of 2009.
April 2008:
CSANA received word that the bid for complete renovation
of the twin parks in the square has been awarded. The successful
bid, one of ten received by the Boston Parks Department,
will allow the landscaping plan for the parks to be implemented
in permanent granite..
December 2007:
Parks & Recreation meets with CSANA and neighbors to
go over final plans which are slated to start in Spring/Summer
2008.
August 2007:
CSANA meets with Parks & Recreation to discuss plans.
June 2007:
$500,000 approved for parks.
February 2007:
Parks re-design added to budget.
November
2006: Bidding
process for the parks begins.
January 2006: Park
redsign plan introduced to
the public.
See the plan
drawing (pdf) 
October
2005: Acorn
Lamp posts are installed.
May 2005: Chester
Park Trees are trimmed.
April 2005:
Friends of Chester Park choose Architect
March
2005: Chester
Park Committee receives proposals
from landscape architects
February 2005:
Requests for Quotes are sent to City/Browne Fund approved
landscape architects
Fall 2004: Chester
Park Committee schedules numerous field trips around the
metro area to inspect parks funded by contributions from
the Browne Fund.
2004: CSANA
Receives $15,000 grant from
the Edward
Ingersoll Browne Fund for
Park Restoration Design
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