Staff Report

The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) held its regular monthly meeting this past Tuesday, July 23, via Zoom. Chair Renee Stacey Welch presided over the session that was attended by Caroline Peters, the liaison to Jamaica Plain from the mayor’s office; Jordan Frias, the Director of Policy and Communications for District 6 City Councilor Ben Weber’s office; and Carlos Rios from State Rep. Sam Montano’s office. JPNC members in attendance included vice-chair Bernard Doherty, at-large members Purple Reign, Sarah Freeman, Michael Reiskind, and David Baron; Area A  members Willie Mitchell, Peter DeCotis, Esther Beillard, and Danielle Sommer-Kieta; Area B members Lorenzo Bartoloni and Caliga; and Area C members Katherine O’Shea and Gert Thorn.

Reiskind presented the report of the Public Service Committee. He discussed a request by Jadu LLC, doing business as Jadu at 767 Centre Street (the former location of Espresso Yourself, which closed recently) for a Common Victualler 7-Day Wines and Malt Beverages with Liqueurs License with the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. He said that Maya Mukhopadhaya is the co-owner and manager of the new establishment, which will be a coffee shop during the day and a wine bar in the evening that also will offer beer, cordials (liqueurs), and small-plate food items.

The Jamaica Pond Association recently gave its approval to Jadu for the common victualler and liquor licenses at its June meeting and Jadu went before the Boston Licensing Commission earlier in July and received a favorable vote. However, whether Jadu will receive a liquor license will depend on whether the state legislature approves legislation that will increase the number of liquor licenses in the city. In addition, there was a separate licensing matter pertaining to Jadu’s request to offer take-out. Reiskind asked the council to support the take-out license, “with the proviso that the take-out use will stay only with the current business tenant at 767 Centre Street, Jadu LLC, doing business as Jadu.”

The full council unanimously approved the request for the take-out license.  Doherty presented the report of the Parks+ Committee and covered a host of disparate topics that were taken up at the committee’s July 11 meeting. He said the committee discussed the impact of the Shattuck Hospital project upon Franklin Park. He noted that the present small housing development in the hospital’s parking lot for unhoused persons has impacted the area because of hypodermic needles discarded by the occupants that have forced residents to avoid the area with their children and dogs. In addition, Doherty noted that there is a court case regarding community opposition to the White Stadium project in which the city is seeking to partner with the new Boston women’s professional soccer team to use White Stadium as the team’s home field. Thorn expressed disappointment that a recent festival in the area saw alcohol consumed openly in front of the police, which also resulted in beer bottles being left behind by those participating. Peters said that the event organizers issued an apology for the issues that arose and that city departments performed the clean-up. However, she noted that the consumption of alcohol was permitted pursuant to the event’s license and Freeman pointed out that other upcoming events also will allow for the consumption of alcohol in public. O’Shea asked about the status of pickleball courts in the city, with Doherty noting that there is an ongoing discussion among tennis players, pickleball players, and nearby residents regarding pickleball courts.

Peters said that the city is constructing a complex at English High that will include pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts. O’Shea presented the report of the Outreach Committee. She discussed the city’s Block Party Grant program which awards small stipends to neighborhood groups throughout the city to host block parties. She said that the funding has been expended for the current summer and fall season. O’Shea also noted that the Outreach Comm. set up a table at the recent JP Open Streets event and received positive feedback from residents who stopped by. Baron presented the Zoning Committee report. He said the committee met on July 10 and took up the matter of 34 Olmstead St., in which the owner-occupant is seeking to expand her two-family home to be able to live there with another family member. He said the envelope of the building will not change and neighbors turned out to support the application.  The Zoning Comm. approved granting the variance and the full JPNC ratified the Zoning Committee’s vote.

The owner now must go before the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals to receive the variance. Purple Reign presented the report of the Housing and Development Committee. She said that the developers of the complex at 140 Wachusett St. attended the committee’s recent meeting and discussed their proposal for a 38-unit apartment building with 17 parking spaces. She said the developer focused on the affordable, family-size units that will be included in the project. However, “Community members expressed concerns about the lack of community involvement in the process, the density of the proposal, the impact on the neighborhood, and the affordability of the units,” Reign said. The project will be in an already-congested area near a school and a church. The report of the Arborway Yard subcommittee (a subcommittee of the Housing and Development Comm.) was presented by Sue Cibulsky. She said that the main topic of discussion once again was the MBTA’s proposal to locate 150-spaces of parking for its employees on the eight acres of land that had been set aside for community development pursuant to the original 2001 Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the T. Cibulsky noted that the JPNC previously sent a letter to the T in April asking for the T’s analysis of alternative sites for the parking area. However, the T has not responded to the letter and she asked the council members to send another letter to the T. 

Freeman noted that she had received requests for changes to the letter and Welch suggested that Freeman forward the changes to subcommittee, who in turn will send it to the JPNC’s Executive Committee, which then can send the new letter to the T. At the end of the meeting, Welch noted that there are three open seats on the JPNC, two in Area B and one in Area C, and asked the members to spread the word about the openings. In addition, Doherty made note of the members who have missed a significant number of meetings and who are subject to losing their seats. The JPNC’s next meeting will be September 24.