Joyce Parcel (Open Space)

Overview

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On November 7, 2006, the residents of Quincy voted to adopt the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which provides a steady funding source for three important community concerns — the preservation of land for open space, the restoration of historic sites, and the creation of affordable housing.

This 1.4-acre site, referred to by many as the Joyce parcel, was one of the first parcels to be purchased by the city and preserved as open space using CPA funds. This parcel, nestled behind homes on Forest Ave., Grove St., Emerald St., and Ferritter St. in West Quincy, links the neighborhood to Cunningham Park. Few areas of the city have seen as much loss of open space over the years as this neighborhood. Residents claim to regularly see deer and wild turkeys roam this site.

The success of the CPA campaign was the result of a volunteer effort by members of the Quincy Environmental Network (www.qenet.org) who worked tirelessly to get the measure on the ballot and successively passed in all 30 precincts.

Site History:

The owner of the Joyce parcel had proposed building five single-family homes and a new roadway, which had always existed in old city plans as a “paper street.” The new roadway, called Holliston St., would have provided access off Forest St., ironically eliminating much of the area’s forests. An extensive drainage basin would have also been an unwanted addition to the neighborhood.

A small band of neighbors fought to keep this development out of their backyards, but with few wetlands on the site, the state’s Wetlands Protection Act was little help. In the end, the owner collected his permits and was ready to move forward with construction until the city stepped in and purchased the land from the owner.

Quincy Green Map
updated 08/2008 by Quincy MA Green Map