By Marc Larocque

Rich Johnson has a love/hate relationship with Mission Hill.

He enjoys the neighborhood because it has a great view of the city skyline. But he’s upset by the trash that clutters the streets. The diversity in the community is something he likes. But prevention and removal of graffiti that mars fences, apartments and stores, is something he will fight for.

It started in the ’80s when he traversed Mission Hill for partying purposes, to listen to live music and meet new people.

“There was a real artist vibe here,” he said.

After graduating from Northeastern with a degree in communication studies, he worked in radio at WBCN for years before he received a job at the Department of Environmental Protection about 15 years ago.

“When I started visiting Mission Hill again in 2002, the closeness of the community floored me,” Johnson said. “They just welcomed me right in when I went to the meetings, asking me ‘Who are you? What are you doing?’ I never saw anything like that in Brighton. Where I was living, it was crowded, dense and no one talked to each other.”

In June 2003, he bought a condo on Sunset Street. He became the president of the Community Alliance of Mission Hill (CAMH) in January 2007.

“I was a little worried to buy up here, because I’m a light sleeper,” Johnson said. “Two days before I closed the deal on my condo, it was really crazy. Loud. Beer cans everywhere.”

Johnson said a lot of older residents and families with young kids have realized this is a problem.

“The intensity of that contention increased since I’ve been here,” Johnson said. “Kids are focused on being kids and that’s normal. But let’s find something we have in common and work on those things together. One group that doesn’t get held accountable is the property owners, who are at the root of the issue.”

Johnson, as president of the CAMH, wants to take achievable steps and think a little bit more creatively to increase the quality of life on Mission Hill. The biggest problem is trash, and that students don’t recycle, Johnson said.

“I understand that students think they aren’t going to be here a long time,” the 43-year-old said. “Students here love Boston. But I’d like to see more pride in Mission Hill. I don’t want kids coming here just to party. I don’t want landlords and realtors to advertise this place as somewhere to party. But maybe if we get a few younger community members that are interested, then maybe we can send some messages back that might be effective. Maybe saying hello to neighbors is too much to ask of students. But sometimes I get surprised.”

On Wednesday, two Northeastern students attended a CAMH meeting. That night, Johnson unveiled the Mission Hill Clean Streets Committee, which is focused on addressing trash issues through notification forms. He advocated for Big Belly solar trash compactors to replace barrels and littering fines to be attached to property tax.

“Rich is right,” Mitch Allen, a junior economics major who lives on Calumet Street said after the meeting. “We need to take simple steps. I hope we can get those Big Bellies.”

After the meeting, Johnson mused on public relations campaigns with names like Let’s talk trash that could appeal to community members.

“I had this idea for a mascot, an anal retentive Rat,” Johnson said. “He’d be neurotic, like me. His name is Richard and he gets mad when he’s playing flamenco guitar and can’t concentrate because of the trash.”

“Don’t be a dirty rat,” Johnson said.

He said he wants students to stop putting bottles in trash bags on the streets, causing transients to ravage the garbage leaving a mess on the streets. Anyone living in Mission Hill can contact Johnson at [email protected] and he will personally deliver a recycling bin to your home.

“I hope younger community members don’t see me as this enforcer type,” Johnson said. “I’m trying to get the city to do the enforcement. The real Rich Johnson wears a smile.”

Some might see that smile while he’s riding on his bike or while he’s working out at the Marino Center. You might see it at the Mission Bar and Grill. And if you get to know him, you’ll realize his love of Mission Hill overpowers his hate.

“I’m really happy with living up here,” he said. “I’ve been really pleased. We have our battles, but I like being up high on the Hill.”