Miguel Rosales stepped down from the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission, effective May 1, after spending the past five years as the appointed representative for Historic New England.
“Since 2016, it has been a privilege to serve on the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission as both chair and member representing Historic New England,” said Rosales. “I am deeply passionate about the preservation of the Beacon Hill Historic District and confident that the neighborhood has benefited from my devoted public service and civic leadership.”
His decision to step down from the commission at this time, said Rosales, boils to two main reasons: first, his regular term was already set to expire so he didn’t believe it was appropriate to stay on in a “holdover position” when he could instead relinquish the position to better allow Historic New England to fill it in as timely a manner as possible. Additionally, Rosales divides his time between Boston and Florida and also plans to become a Palm Beach, Fla., resident in the near future.
In gratitude to Rosales for the five years he devoted to serving Historic New England on the commission, Vin Cippola, president of Historic New England, wrote: “Historic New England is enormously grateful to Miguel Rosales for his long service on the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission. Miguel was nominated to the commission by Historic New England in 2016 and has provided significant time, energy, passion, and exceptional expertise to the Beacon Hill community in his role as commission member and chairman.
“His commitment and dedication to Boston’s distinctive architectural character are reflected both in his generous volunteer work on the commission, as well as through his professional work in bridge design and restoration, including the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge,” added Cippola
While Rosales will soon not meet the BHAC residency requirement as a resident of Boston, which undoubtedly closes a chapter for him, Beacon Hill and his time with the Architectural Commission will always remain close to his heart.
“Beacon Hill is a unique neighborhood with very important and irreplaceable historic resources,” Rosales said. “It has been an honor to collaborate with my fellow commissioners and the city staff in its preservation. Beacon Hill is the oldest historic district in the Commonwealth and its establishment in 1955 created important protections against overdevelopment and inappropriate architecture. Then and now it continues to serves as a model for the other historic districts subsequently created in Boston and beyond.”