The Jamaica Pond Association (JPA) met virtually on March 1, where members voted on a zoning matter on Castleton St., as well as discussed new parking signage on South Huntington Ave.
22 Castleton St.
Anita Lauricella, the owner of the second floor unit at 22 Castleton St., had previously come before the JPA with a proposal to split her unit into two separate units, creating a third unit for the building. She would live in the smaller third floor unit, as it is just her and her dog, she said at the last JPA meeting.
At the previous meeting, the JPA wanted to see a different design for the proposed dormers and windows. Architect Bob Lauricella said at this meeting that “we tried to line the windows up with the second and first floor,” though they are not exactly lined up in certain places. He also explained that the way the dormer appears from the front of the building has been “reconfigured” to address concerns raised, as well as other minor changes to the proposed windows and dormers.
JPA member David Moir said he believes “it’s great if you gave the windows on the inside that will work for you.” He added that “I think you’ve done a good job,” and said he supports the project.
Anita Lauricella said that there is “support from neighbors on both sides and in back of me as well.”
Several residents came to the JPA meeting to express their support for this project, including Gerald Autler, a neighbor on Zamora St. who said he is supportive of “people using existing space in their homes” to create a new unit that allows them to stay.
Resident Skye Gibson said that she is “grateful” that Anita Lauricella is her neighbor. “It would be very sad if she would have to leave her home because of the design concerns.”
She said that the neighborhood is not only about “aesthetics,” and that she had no concerns with the original proposal.
The JPA voted not to oppose the new design.
Signage on S. Huntington Ave.
Resident Barbara Hakim spoke about parking signs that have been put up along South Huntington Ave. that are labeled as resident parking for Mission Hill, but the “mail, zip code, taxes, [and] everyone agrees that South Huntington is Jamaica Plain,” she said.
She called the installation of these signs a “huge and gross mistake,” and “instead of expanding our parking ability, it has restricted it tenfold.”
Justin McClarey, a representative from City Councilor Matt O’Malley’s office, said that “no one was aware that these signs were going up. I agree that they should have been flyered.”
He said that the City typically considers the right side of South Huntington Ave. ‘Back of the Hill,’ and he said he’s reached out to the parking clerk’s office.
“I’m confident that we can get these blocks fixed to be Jamaica Plain,” McClarey said, though he added that he cannot “guarantee” they will absolutely be fixed, but based on past similar issues, he believes it can be changed “at least up until Heath St