The Boston Air Pollution Control Commission voted at a December 2023 meeting to reject an application to keep in use 30 exempt, longtime parking spaces on a strip of land along Harvard and Hudson Street near the future site of affordable housing.

The land currently is part of a lot used by Tufts Shared Services, the non-profit corporation that handles infrastructure needs for both Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center. The lot has been, for about 20 years, used as parking for various purposes, including church services and hospital stays. It is owned by the Chinese Christian Church of New England, which at one time had a church building in Chinatown but has since moved its operations to Brookline. 

Stacia Sheputa,  Director of Communications and Community Engagement, Mayor’s Office of Environment, Energy, and Open Space explained : “All parking lots and garages that are within a parking freeze area and subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction need active permits. At this time, the APCC （Air Pollution Control Commission） does not have a formal appeal process under the Downtown Boston parking freeze regulations. Property owners may file an application at any time even if a previous application has been denied, particularly if their circumstances have changed and they believe their project meets the criteria for the issuance of parking freeze permits. The City of Boston is committed to working with the public as well as our state and federal partners to support quality of life and clean air. For more information about initiatives, such as a community clean air grant program that our team piloted in recent years, visit boston.gov/air-quality.” She further proposed that Boston’s parking freezes reduce air pollution caused by cars by capping the number of off-street parking spaces in a given area. The Downtown Boston parking freeze was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1973 as part of implementing the Clean Air Act. 

At the APCC Hearing, Sampan observed that some commenters thought they were choosing between a park and a parking lot, but a park was not an option at this time, as the Tyler Street parking lot is privately owned and the owners have no interest in selling.

James Foley, Executive Director of Tufts Shared Services (TSS), stated at the meeting :

“Tufts Shared Services is pleased the APCC has granted us use of the Tyler Street parking lot through July 31, 2024. We have leased this lot for 17 years. Its 30 spaces are used by people undergoing day surgery at Tufts Medical Center, providing a critically important service and convenience to these patients and their families. TSS has been a strong, long-standing partner in the Boston Chinatown neighborhood, including supporting local businesses, schools, churches and youth organizations. At the request of the Chinatown community, we have hosted the National Chinese Volleyball Championship, art installations and community movie nights, and we are very supportive of efforts to cultivate green spaces around Chinatown. We fully intend to remain a visible, valued advocate and partner in the community, and look forward to continuing to provide this important and needed parking benefit on Tyler Street to our friends, neighbors, and those receiving care.”

TSS received letters of support from the following neighborhood organizations: 

• AACA – Asian American Civic Association, Inc.
• CBA – Chinatown Business Association
• Chinese Freemaiso
• Chinese Merchants Association
• Gee How Oak Tin
• Kwong Know Chinese School
• St. James the Greater Roman Catholic Church
• Chinese Economic Development Council (CEDC).
• Boston Planning & Development Agency
• Boston Asian YOUTH ESSENTIAL SERVICE
• Petition of parishioners of Saint James the Greater Roman Catholic Church (280 signatures)

Lydia Lowe of the Chinatown Community Land Trust said that she hoped the park advocates can get a chance to sit down and talk with the property owners so that we can figure out the best way to work together and meet different community needs. She explained that it was always her group’s understanding that the church-owned spaces would cease to be used for parking after the nearby property was given for community use. It is now being developed as affordable housing. 

Lowe told Sampan, “Dozens of letters came from individual residents and tenant associations throughout Chinatown as well as organizations such as the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Chinatown Community Land Trust, the Chinatown Resident Association, the Chinese Progressive Association, and Friends of the Chinatown Library. Eleven speakers at the hearing pointed to air pollution, pedestrian safety, heat island effects from over-paving as major community concerns, and asked that the City deny the parking permit and instead work with the property owner and the community to explore creating a park next to the future Chinatown Library.”

City Councilor Ed Flynn, who represents Chinatown, says that he had been contacted by neighbors and community organizations.  “Residents felt that this parking lot will be an ideal spot for green space, and that a park will better contribute to the overall vibrancy of the neighborhood and health of the residents. He noted that Tufts is a valued partner to the community and that he hoped all parties can work together to ensure that Chinatown will be a healthy and vibrant neighborhood for all. 

“I am tentatively pleased with the decision of the Air Pollution Control Commission. … I hope that when they reconvene in June, they will decide to end Tufts lease permanently,” said  Dr. Heang Leung Rubin, principal and founder of CHIC Community Engagement Consulting. Tufts Medical Center, the primary user of the parking lot, should understand the importance of supporting an alternative use that could contribute more to the health and well-being of the community. Tufts in 2017 agreed to give up rights to a lot of nearby land, known as parcel R-1, for community use,” in an email to the SAMPAN. 

In addition, Jie Mei Deng, a resident who lives across the street from the land in question, said that she hopes the property owner and the City would consider the benefits of developing the land as a green park or community garden. “Residents’ needs and health should be the priority. Instead of just looking at parked cars or an empty lot in the summer, it would be so nice to have a green space there, where elderly and children can sit outside together with our neighbors to cool off.”

But others, such as Reverend Chunxiang Zhang, pastor of Saint James the Greater Church, pointed out the need for parking for the church’s members to attend services in Chinatown. Saint James the Greater Church has been blessed by the generosity and goodwill of Tufts Shared Services (TSS) for granting our parishioners and our many visitors access to the Tyler Street parking lot for weekend Mass services, special celebrations, and various activities. The TSS parking access on Tyler Street has made it possible for our parish to thrive as a community that actively practices their faith and attracts countless visitors of all nationalities from different states and countries.  A significant percentage of our parishioners are 65 years old and older; the eldest rely on adult children for transportation to the church.  Public transportation is not a feasible or accessible option.  Our church’s 300+ families travel from all over Massachusetts to attend Mass services and activities (more than 95% of our parishioners live outside of metro Boston), as well as New Hampshire and Rhode Island and further. Our recent petition of parishioner signatures is a testament to the critical need of this parking lot for the spiritual health and well-being of our families and future generations of Catholics.  Without Tufts’ generosity and care, our church would cease to exist.  We look forward to our continued partnership and collaboration for the well-being of all the people there and we will serve in Boston’s Chinatown for many more years to come.

James Chan, president of Chinese Merchants Association and a Chinatown resident, said that Tufts Shared Services should continue to be able to use the lot, noting TSS’ history of supporting the community, both businesses and nonprofits. For instance, right after the pandemic, Chinatown businesses were struggling to recover and TSS stepped up and worked with the Chinese Merchants Association and Chinatown Business Association to come up with a pilot program to provide discounted parking on that site for patrons going to Chinatown businesses. They also let St James church use the lot on the weekends,” Chan said in a statement to the SAMPAN.

Jane Leung – Executive Director of  Boston Asian Youth Essential Service stated, “Air pollution is a big concern for the world. Boston Chinatown is no exception. I understand that cars parking in lots and garages are contributing to the pollution, but why is the Air Pollution Control Commission not looking all all lots and garages, and not just on the TSS (Tufts Shared Services, Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center) Tyler Street parking lot.  The Tyler Street parking lot will address the parking needs of patients and others when they have appointments at the hospital.”

Felix Liu, President of Kwong Kow Chinese School said, “We still support Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University to use the Tyler Street parking lot. It’s hard to be fair. Because  the decision was already made to use one part of the parking lot to build a nice library which I support. In the other part of the parking lot, there are about 30 parking spaces which are owned by the Church. They have all the right to decide what to do with it; if they decide to build, for income or rent it to Tufts. Tufts needs parking spaces for their operation and they have been a good neighbor in Chinatown. I don’t have any issue whatever will happen.”