= Save Long Wharf Park! =

[[attachment:DSCN1777.JPG|{{attachment:DSCN1777.JPG|looking northeast through end of shade pavilion (that would become a restaurant)|width=100}}]]
[[attachment:DSCN1779.JPG|{{attachment:DSCN1779.JPG|view of harbor from shade pavilion (that would become a restaurant)|width=100}}]]
[[attachment:DSCN1781.JPG|{{attachment:DSCN1781.JPG|looking southeast through shade pavilion (that would become a restaurant)|width=100}}]]
[[attachment:july4crowds.jpg|{{attachment:july4crowds.jpg|crowds on July 4, 2012|width=100}}]]
{{http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Boston_Long_Wharf_2.JPG/640px-Boston_Long_Wharf_2.JPG|viewing plaza and shade pavilion (from Wikipedia)|width=115}}
[[attachment:MS089.JPG|{{attachment:MS089.JPG|crowds on July 4th, 2012|width=100}}]]
[[Photos|..photo gallery]]

'''Long Wharf Park, at the seaward end of historic Long Wharf in Boston Harbor, is under threat.'''  

Since 2006, the [[http://bostonredevelopmentauthority.org|Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA)]] has been trying to lease the space to a private operator who will build a late-night restaurant and bar.  Since 2008, the North End Ten have been fighting this change as unconstitutional: The [[http://protectmassenvironment.org/article_97.htm|Massachusetts Constitution]] requires a two-thirds vote of both houses of the legislature before public parkland can be converted to other uses.  This vote, and the public debate it would require, has never happened.  The
[[attachment:LegalDocuments/bra-sjc-brief.pdf|BRA contends|&do=get]]
that it is not needed.  A [[attachment:LegalDocuments/superior-court-judgment.pdf|Superior Court judge disagreed|&do=get]].

Now the case, and the fate of Long Wharf Park, is on appeal before the [[http://www.ma-appellatecourts.org/search_number.php?dno=sjc-11134|Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court]].

On this site you will find [[LegalDocuments|legal documents]], a [[Photos|photo gallery]], answers to [[FAQ|frequently asked questions]], and [[Press|links to media articles]].  Here is the [[http://hubmaps1.cityofboston.gov/egis/Map.aspx?PropertyID=0303004000|City of Boston's GIS map]].

== What you can do ==

'''Contribute to the legal defense fund:'''

{{{#!html
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick">
<input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="WT2RHM4KUMVUY">
<input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!">
<img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1">
</form>
}}}

Thanks to generous contributions, we have raised $25,500 of the needed $35,000!

Point your friends and family, including journalists (print, blog, television) to http://savelongwharfpark.org 

== Legal history ==

''The legal proceedings have had three stages: an administrative appeal, a Superior Court lawsuit, and (pending) an appeal in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.  The documents are extensive, and the most important are included at the following link.''

[[LegalDocuments|Legal documents]]

== In the media ==

The effort to save Long Wharf Park has been in the media frequently.  See [[Press|these links]].

== Frequently asked questions ==

Here are [[FAQ|answers to frequently asked questions]].