Greenway board wants horticultural society out

The board created to run the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy in downtown Boston wants the Massachusetts Horticultural Society stripped of its right to occupy three prime blocks of the new parkland near South Station.

Frustrated by lack of progress on the 30 acres of parks and cultural institutions intended to replace the old Central Artery, the conservancy board made that request yesterday to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which is running the Greenway project as part of the Big Dig.

It is one of several recommendations designed to speed development and hasten the conservancy's control over the corridor.

Peter Meade, chairman of the conservancy's board, acknowledged to Turnpike board members that eliminating the horticultural society could be controversial. But, he said, the society is financially ``not prepared to build a significant Garden Under Glass, which was the reason for their designation in the first place."

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society has indeed struggled financially, but recently has shown signs of stabilizing under new leadership. Thomas Herrera-Mishler, the society's executive director , reacted forcefully to the recommendation, saying he was ``quite puzzled by Peter Meade and the Conservancy's whole approach. "

``Mass. Hort has had three solid years of financial performance based on audited reports," he said.

The move to ``de-designate" the horticultural society for the blocks between the Evelyn Moakley Bridge and Summer Street comes after it tried and failed for years to deliver on its plan for a ``winter garden" on the Greenway.

Because that vision was incorporated into state environmental approvals granted about 15 years ago, the Turnpike Authority -- if it accepts the conservancy's recommendation -- would have to undergo a potentially lengthy regulatory process to win approval of the horticultural society's removal.

Recently the society has geared up again and gained support for its Greenway mission -- though that has been scaled back to a plan for gardens and a modest educational center. Those are not scheduled to be completed until 2008.

Meade acknowledged the horticultural society ``does not have nothing to bring to the table." The conservancy envisions working with the society on horticultural issues the length of the Greenway.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino, however, sided with the conservancy. ``Mass. Hort has been out there for 10 years trying to do something, and they haven't done a thing," he said. `` We can't live with all these false and broken promises."

The conservancy designated one of its board members, Edwin Schlossberg, husband of Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg and grandson-in-law of Rose Kennedy, to head a committee that would determine the future of the three blocks. The parks are scheduled to be completed by the end of summer next year .

The conservancy also recommended that other institutions with plans to build on Greenway development blocks be given deadlines for architectural and financial plans.

The YMCA of Greater Boston, which gave up on trying to build a facility and community center on a North End block because of the high cost, would have until the end of this year to reconsider. The Boston Museum Project, the New Center for Arts and Culture, and the Harbor Island Pavilion, designated for other blocks, would have until July to submit plans.

Other recommendations in the 50-page report include:

Scrapping a tentative plan for a Greenway park commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and placing it somewhere else in Boston.

Speeding up designation of the conservancy as ``the single organization" with authority for the whole Greenway -- both parks and development blocks -- and responsibility for its maintenance.

Employing organic landscape management techniques in the corridor.

Turnpike Authority chairman John Cogliano said the board would take the report and recommendations under advisement. Mary Z. Connaughton and other board members said they want to be fair to all organizations working on Greenway projects.

Thomas C. Palmer Jr. can be reached at tpalmer@globe.com.