WRCIA President Against Redistricting Plan that Splits Neighborhood

The following is a letter submitted by Olivia Waishek, the president of the West Robury Civic and Improvement Association to Boston City Councilor William Linehan, the chair of the City Council Committee on Census and Redistricting. The letter was submitted on Dec. 6, 2011:

To the Members of the City Council’s Committee on Census and Redistricting:

On behalf of the membership of the West Roxbury Civic & Improvement Association and as a resident of West Roxbury, this letter is written in opposition to any proposed redistricting of West Roxbury.  At present, Matt O’Malley is our District Councilor.  If approved, our community will be split and a small percentage – that which sits on the Washington Street side will be represented by Councilor Consalvo.  Streets running of off Washington: Grove, Edgemere Road, DeSoto Road, Woodley Avenue, West Boundary Road and all the streets running off of those will be segregated from the rest of West Roxbury and will become part of the Hyde Park district.  This redistricting was done once before – Maura Hennigan representing West Roxbury and Dan Conley representing the Washington Street side.  That redistricting proved to be unsuccessful. 

You are respectfully urged to keep West Roxbury whole.  We have a community that is home to many families, senor citizens, elderly housing complexes, community organization, groups, churches and schools.  Dividing the district will place the Beethoven School in Matt O’Malley’s district and the Ohrenberger Community School in Bob Consalvo’s district.

Representation by two district city councilors is needless and duplicitous.  You are respectfully requested to reconsider all the facts and leave West Roxbury one.

Respectfully yours,

Olivia A. Waishek,

President

West Boundary Road

West Roxbury, MA  02132