Business

Stonybrook Neighborhood Association Outlines Development Vision for Area

By |

The Stonybrook Neighborhood Association (SNA) voted overwhelmingly on April 11 to adopt its 10-page The Neighborhood Vision for Washington Street. The Vision is a document that includes retail, commercial, open space and public realm recommendations. It addresses height, scale and density for the neighborhood. The Vision is in response to the JP-Rox Plan recommendations for the Washington Street corridor in which SNA members have been active. It is the result of many SNA Washington Street Corridor subcommittee meetings led by Bill Reyelt, Jennifer Uhrhane, Kate Ziegler and Ruth Page, among others.

2,824 Views
Richard Heath
Opinion

State Of Our Neighborhood Needs Opposing Views

By |

The Sixth Annual State Of Our Neighborhood on April 7 was a sunny and happy affair. The elected officials were sage and the non profit advocates satisfied. Everyone agreed with everyone else. At the March 14 City council hearing on Just Cause Eviction the opposition was heard and their views were blunt: restraints on evictions "destroys property," "coddles problem tenants," "increases crime like illegal drugs," "breaks a contract between landlord and tenant," "the system will fall apart," "they're robbing us of our property." One opponent was Gilbert Winn who chairs the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and is owner and manager of Winn Properties (one arm of which is Winn Residential that manages thousands of income-based rental apartments for Community Development Corporations like Codman Square NDC and Urban Edge.)

Councilor Andrea Campbell asked him, "What are the solutions?" Winn broke out in a big grin and said "Money! There's not enough money for affordable housing.

1,714 Views
Elections

The Housing Report Card at JP’s State Of Our Neighborhood

By |

The sixth Jamaica Plain State of our Neighborhood (SOON) community town hall convened on a damp Thursday evening April 7. The annual gathering was organized in large part by the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) -- which has emerged in recent years as a leading social housing advocate in Jamaica Plain -- as well as by Egleston Square Main Street, the Hyde Square Task Force, Jamaica Plain New Economy Transition, among others. The hallmark of SOON is the town hall format wherein elected officials take questions from a neighborhood panel on specific topics. This year, arts and culture and food justice were included in the line-up, and, as usual, housing made the list, leading to a spirited panel discussion, as well as an opportunity for local non-governmental organizations, including City Life, the Boston Tenant Coalition and Mass Alliance, to network and strategize. "Make no mistake about it: It's advocacy that makes all the difference," said State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, who was joined on stage by State Rep. Liz Malia, District 6 City Councilor Matt O'Malley, District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson, and Sheila Dillon, Chief of Housing and Director of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development.

1,662 Views
Elections

JP Neighborhood Council Election Day Set For April 30

By |

The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council will hold its election for members on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The JPNC is an elected advisory board whose recommendations are usually, though not always, accepted by the city's Zoning Board of Appeals, Licensing Board and other civic boards. The poling places are:

Stop and Shop. 301 Centre St,  Jackson Square
JP Licks. 659 Centre St. Jamaica Plain center
Harvest Co-op 3815 Washington St Forest Hills

There are currently 19 members on the JP Neighborhood Council; four at-large and 15 area members.

1,861 Views
Development

Residents Bristle at New 5-Story Condo Building Proposed for Washington Street and Montebello Road

By |

The proposed developments for Jamaica Plain just keep on coming. No sooner was a six-story development proposal at 3200 Washington St. approved then along comes a new proposal for a five-story building at 3193-3195 Washington St. at the opposite corner. This new proposal includes 49 units with 30 one-bedroom units condominiums. There would also be ground floor retail space and 24 parking spaces under and behind the building. No Project Notification Form (PNA) has been filed with the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) yet.

3,650 Views
Arts

CityPOP Egleston Opens For One-Year Run In Jackson Glass Building

By |

The grand opening of CityPOP Egleston, a new arts-centered community space, brought light, energy, balloons and enthusiasm to the old Jackson Glass and Rainbow Foods building at 3195 Washington St. on a balmy Friday evening, April 1. City Realty Group, which owns the building and plans on building new on the site, recognized that an abandoned, shuttered building doesn't look especially good in the interim, so its leaders decided to spread some goodwill in what is emerging as a youthful arts community on the edges of an upward mobile Egleston Square. "It's not really done yet, but we wanted to kickstart it in the community," said an obviously proud Cliff Kensington, City Realty's coordinator for CityPOP Egleston. "We'll have bigger event in June."

2,726 Views
Real Estate

Washington Street Population Could More than Double

By |

If you want evidence why the city has finally launched a long-awaited planning effort for JP, look no further than this eye-popping prediction: Planners expect the Washington Street corridor to see population growth of as much as 2.5 times current levels. That possibility was among the top topics of discussion last Monday as the first neighborhood review of the proposed development guidelines at the Egleston Square Neighborhood Association monthly meeting. Chaired by Alvin Shiggs and Carolyn Royce; the discussion was led by Sue Pranger. Marie Mercurio, senior planner for Jamaica Plain and coordinator of Plan JP/Rox, was joined by her colleague Tim Davis, senior housing advisor for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, to answer questions and clarify concerns about the draft development guidelines. The planning push is a once-in-a-generation effort to shape the neighborhood's future.

2,942 Views
Development

Jamaica Plain Gets $6.2 Million in City Funds for Affordable Housing

By |

Mayor Martin Walsh announced funding for 12 affordable housing developments in Boston last week, from Chinatown to Codman Square. Two of these developments are at opposite ends of Jamaica Plain, both near Orange Line stations: Parcel U at Forest Hills, and the General Heath Square Apartments at Jackson Square. Of the $28 million in funding announced by Walsh March 22, $21 million will come from federal and state funds through the Department of Neighborhood Development, and $7 million will come from Neighborhood Housing Trust Fund linkage funds. At Forest Hills, $3 million was awarded to The Community Builders (TCB), which is planning to build a 76-unit midrise apartment building at 93-95 Hyde Park Ave. at Ukraine Way, within sight of the Forest Hills terminal.

5,214 Views
Real Estate

O’Malley, Malia Back Yale Terrace Neighbors in Dispute With Bicon Dental

By |

At a brief formal meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, Yale Terrace residents made a plea that Bicon Dental Implants document exactly what it does in its brick building at 501 Arborway. The property does not appear to have permits allowing the dental clinic or professional school activities it advertises as taking place there. ZBA chair Christine Araujo referred the matter to the city law department. Speaking to the JP News the next day, Yale Terrace resident and plaintiff's spokesperson Gerry O'Connor, who is also an attorney, said that the long effort to simply require Bicon to file an accurate occupancy permit is not over. He said the hearing was brief; Vincent Morgan, DMD, president of Bicon [which has a staff of 15 dentists, technicians and hygienists] was there but didn't speak, and about 20 Yale Terrace residents attended.

2,635 Views
Government

Health Care Costs, Addiction Services on Rep. Sanchez’s Agenda

By |

State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez outlined a few of what he called "challenges" to an almost full Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council on March 22. "We have a new governor and lot of new members but I've been there for 14 years," said Sanchez, D-Jamaica Plain. "The budget is a challenge, but it's not like last year." First elected in 2002 to succeed the late legendary state Rep. Kevin Fitzgerald, Sanchez is the chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. During the Neighborhood Council, Sanchez spent most of his time on health related issues notably the "opiate epidemic...

1,593 Views