Battle over Prouty Garden Moves to Courtroom

Yesterday in Suffolk Superior Court, a judge heard our case to protect the Prouty Garden.

The hearing was scheduled in direct response to the civil complaint that a Ten Taxpayer Group  filed in Superior Court a couple of weeks ago seeking injunctive relief to stop the hospital’s ongoing construction activities around, and now in, the Prouty Garden.

In our view, these construction activities are directly associated with the construction of the hospital’s proposed new clinical building planned for the Prouty Garden site. By law and regulation, the hospital is not allowed to commence construction on its new building project (to include the surrounding buildings that will be modified as part of the overall project) until, and unless, it receives approval of its Determination of Need (DoN) application. This application is currently under review by the DPH. 

Boston Globe columnist Thomas Farragher has written another strong column reiterating the vital importance of the Prouty Garden. Please read it, add your comments, and share with your friends and colleagues. 

Battle over Prouty Garden moves to courtroom

In the meantime, the hospital continues to keep the garden half closed for its construction activities. This is particularly sad given that Mother's Day is this coming Sunday and is often a special time for inpatient families to enjoy the garden and escape the hospital walls, even if only for a short time. 

Here's how the Prouty Garden looks today:

And here's how that same area looked on a warm day just a few months ago:

This is beyond distressing and outrageous. 

All photos, credit: Friends of the Prouty Garden