|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
Beacon Hill is a fascinating, early 19th century neighborhood with narrow streets. The beacon on this hill that used to warn settlers about foreign invasions is long gone, and today Beacon Hill is a close-knit community in a downtown location. A great place for families, this historic neighborhood is a blend of classic Boston architecture and expansive green space. The row houses are nearly all in brick in Federal, Victorian and Georgian styles. This National Historic District is exceptionally well-preserved, with well maintained houses, low-traffic streets paved with cobblestones and gas-lit street lighting. The neighborhood t is known for its beautiful doors and door surrounds, brass door knockers, decorative iron work, brick sidewalks, flowering pear trees, window boxes, and hidden gardens. An ideal surrounding for the urban romantic. Furthermore, the architecture is protected by restrictive regulations that allow no changes to any visible part of a structure without the approval of an architectural commission. (See Exhibits #1 and #2) Furthermore, it is important to note that Beacon Hill is a residential neighborhood. Most people think of city living as anonymous and isolating. But this cozy enclave, filled with nearly 10,000 people, is more like a village than an anonymous city. It has a rich community life, with neighbors knowing neighbors and everyone meeting on the Hill's commercial streets and at its myriad activities. Beacon Hill contains a South Slope, a North Slope and a Flat of the Hill. Charles Street is the neighborhood's main street and is filled with antique shops and neighborhood services. The Massachusetts State House is at the top of the Hill overlooking Boston Common. Approximately one mile square, Beacon Hill is bounded by Beacon Street, Bowdoin Street, Cambridge Street and Storrow Drive. (See Exhibit #3) In addition, it is important to note that the Beacon Hill ranks as one of the prime residential real estate markets of Boston. The neighborhood’s land density has been to calculated to approximately 0.94 square miles according to Boston’s City Hall. Furthermore, according to the United States census the population of the neighborhood totals to 26,721 occupying 17,912 housing units. It is also important to note that the neighborhood’s population has been reduced by 1,133 due to increasingly smaller household size (lowest in Boston at 1.49) and a major increase (777) in one person households which now represent 61.9% of all households in the neighborhood. Moreover, according to the Unites States census the Beacon Hill community has increased its family households nearly twice as much as its non-family household (437 to 230), and married couple families jumped by 468 as single parent families fell by 31. In addition, the neighborhood recorded a significant decline in whites (-1,970) over the decade, a smaller decline in African-Americans (-168), and increases in Asian (338) and Hispanic (198) populations. The current racial composition occupancy characteristics of Beacon Hill has been divided as follows: RACIAL COMPOSITION 1999 % 2000 % White 24,624 88% 22,654 85% African American 960 3% 792 3% Native American 40 0% 38 0.01 Asian Pacific Islanders 1,282 4.6 1,620 6.1 Hispanic or Latino 901 3.2 1,099 4.1 Others 47 0.02 79 0.03 Furthermore, it is important to note that over the last decade the community gained only 98 more youth 17 and under, but lost 2,300 18-24 year olds, with a corresponding drop of 1,212 in the number living in group quarters probably as a result of Emerson College’s move to downtown, while at the same time increasing its population of 50-59 year olds by 1,023 as affluent empty-nesters returned to the city. In addition, according to the 2003 census, the Beacon Hill community contains 17,912 housing units. 5,241 or 29.3% of the housing units are owner occupied, 11,317 or 63.2% are renter occupied and 2,087 or 11.6% are vacant. It is important to note that in the last decade the community lost 63 housing units, however, the occupied units jumped by 670 as the vacancy rate declined substantially by 732 units from 11.6% to 7.6%, with most of the gain reflected in the number of owner-occupied units (+639). The median gross rent for the community has reported to be $1,187. The chart below describes the housing characteristics of the community over the last decade: Moreover, the census reported that the median household income of the community sums up to $66,427. The community has a poverty rate of 10.3% and an unemployment rate of 6.0%, where as the census the reported a 19.5% poverty rate and a 7.2% unemployment rate for the city of Boston. The chart below it’s a comparative demographic chart between Boston and the community of Beacon Hill. The elected official for the Beacon Hill community is city councilor Michael P. Ross and the neighborhood coordinator is Nikko Mendoza. The Nazzaro Community Center located at 30 North Bennet Street is the only community center serving the neighborhood. Moreover, the Boston Public Library located at 666 Boylston Street and the West End Branch library located at 151 Cambridge Street are the public libraries serving the community of Beacon Hill. It is important to notice that there are no public schools located within the Beacon Hill community, however there are schools in the surrounding areas such as Snowden High, Boston High and Quincy High that serve the community presently. The Massachusetts General Hospital is the only public health facility serving the community of Beacon Hill. (See Exhibit #4) The political relationship between the mayor and the city councilor has been moderate. When the mayor implements a new public policy program the city council will assist the mayor. Furthermore, every city councilor provides the mayor with information and the needs of different neighborhoods. The city council with the approval of the mayor may from time to time make by laws or ordinances for the following: a) to create a new department or agency; b) to abolish, in whole or in part, any department or agency; c) to reorganize, in whole or in part, any department or department head or any agency or agency head; d) to confer or impose on any department or agency any power or duty of the city not appertaining at the time of the making of the bylaw or ordinance to any department or agency; e) to transfer any or all of the powers, duties and appropriations of any division of any department or agency to another division of the same department or agency; f) to transfer any or all of the powers, duties and appropriations of any department or division thereof or of any agency or division thereof either to another department or division thereof or to another agency or division thereof; and g) to increase, reduce, establish or abolish the salary of any department or agency head. It is important to notice that every department or agency head is appointed by the mayor without confirmation by the city council. Furthermore, heads of the department are appointed for terms of four years beginning with the first of May of the year in which they are appointed and shall continue thereafter to hold office during the pleasure of the mayor. The mayor may remove any head of a department or member of a board (other than the election commissioners, who shall remain subject to the provisions of existing law) by filing a written statement with the city clerk setting forth in detail the specific reasons for such removal, a copy of which shall be delivered or mailed to the person thus removed, who may make a reply in writing, which, if he desires, may be filed with the city clerk, but such reply shall not affect the action taken unless the mayor so determines. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the school committee, the public facilities commission, or any official by law appointed by the governor. In addition, it is important to note that all appropriations, excepting those for school purposes, to be met from taxes, revenue or any source other than loans, shall originate with the mayor. According to chapter 452 of the Acts of 1948 as amended through January 1,1996 the mayor, not later than the second Wednesday in April of each year, shall submit to the city council the annual budget of the current expenses of the city and county for the forthcoming fiscal year, and may submit thereafter such supplementary appropriations orders as he may seem deem necessary. The city council may reduce or reject any item but, except upon the recommendation of the mayor, shall not increase any item in, nor the total of, a budget, nor add any item thereto, nor shall it originate a budget. Not later than the second Wednesday in June, the city council shall take definite action on the annual budget by adopting, reducing or rejecting it, and in the event of their failure so to do, the items and the appropriation orders in the budget as recommenced by the mayor shall be in the effects if formally adopted by the city council and approved by the mayor. The city council shall take definite action on any supplementary appropriation order and any order for a transfer of appropriations by adopting, reducing or rejecting it within sixty days after it is filed with the city clerk; and in the event of their failure so to do, such supplementary appropriation order or transfer as submitted by the mayor shall be in effect as if formally adopted by the city council and approved by the mayor. Furthermore, it shall be the duty of the of the city and the county officials when requested by the mayor, to submit to the mayor forthwith in such detail as the mayor may require estimates for the next fiscal year of the expenditures of the department or office under their charge, which estimates shall be transmitted to the city council; provided, however, that the mayor shall neither submit, nor thereafter reduce, the appropriations for the city council at or to a level below that which existed for the previous fiscal year, nor shall the city council reduce the appropriations for the mayor’s office below that which existed for the previous fiscal year.
Approximate Word count = 6357
Approximate Pages = 25.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|