Members of the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association in Jamaica Plain voiced their continued concerns with the state of a landmark property at 19 Kenton Road at its August meeting this week.
In 2024, developer Marc Federico presented plans for a new three-story, eight-unit building with roof decks on the property.
However, following a petition from local residents the following year, the house built around 1858 was declared a landmark by the Boston Landmark Commission.
The petitioners for the landmark status noted that the house features a significant number of original, classic Italianate details: overhanging gables, eave brackets, hood moldings, projecting bays, and arched windows. In addition, they stated that 19 Kenton Road contributes significantly to the design quality and historical character of the entirety of Kenton Road, a short, narrow, tree-lined street that has only 15 houses, featuring a mix of historic architectural styles: Italianate, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Second Empire, with the most recently built house dating to 1905.
However, since 2025, SNA members and neighbors say the developers have neglected the house and property so that it is both a nuisance and hazard to the neighborhood.
At Monday night’s SNA meeting, Zavia Dickerson, Mayor Michelle Wu’s Jamaica Plain liaison, said she will be contacting the inspectional services department, the landmark commission, and potentially the property owners to find the best way forward to deal with the property.
“I’ve been going by there, I’ve been calling 311, I’ve been speaking to Zavia Dickerson, about nothing happening,” said SNA Steering Committee member Joy Silverstein. “There are now three inspectional service department tickets on their door, and it is definitely weed overgrown. I don’t know what else to do and I am beyond myself.”
SNA Steering Committee member Carla-Lisa Caliga said it looks like the developers are trying to neglect the building so it gets condemned, even though the building has been landmarked.
“Not only is it overgrown, there are invasives that are going over to the neighbors, and there are holes that small animals can fit through into the house,” Caliga said. “They are not doing anything.”
Dickerson said ISD has been issuing tickets to the property owners.
“Unfortunately, we can’t force them to develop, all we can do is force them to take care of their property,” said Dickerson. “We have issued tickets and I have emailed the developers.”
Silverstein asked how effective the tickets issued by the city were. Dickerson said she would get in touch with ISD about the procedure for moving forward with unpaid citations.
SNA Steering Committee member Chase Brewster said he has heard that there is the possibility of the city placing a lien on the property to pay for city crews to do maintenance.
“The issue isn’t overgrown weeds, the issue is the house, but the hose is being consumed by the vegetation,” said Jennifer Uhrhane, a Jamaica Plain resident who helped lead the landmark push for 19 Kenton Road. “There is ivy on a good chunk of the house, and that ultimately can be pretty destructive. People don’t want wildly overgrown weeds and hedges and all that stuff, but the concern is the house itself and the structure of the house itself.”
Uhrhane said she has spoken to the landmarks commission in the past, and what she heard is that there is little bite behind the efforts to ticket and fine the property owners.
“There is no demolition by neglect ordinance, which Boston really needs … there is nothing, as far as I understand it, that prevents them from letting the house sit and rot and fall down, despite it being a landmark,” she said. “That is the main concern, if there are rats and anything else getting in there, it means anything else can get in there, too; but it’s the structure of the house, the house has been landmarked and if they are not going to do anything with it, they need to sell it. I know the city can’t force them to do that, but they need to understand that there are people watching them, including the mayor’s office, including city council, and that they all expect them to do the right thing, which is to make it habitable, and that’s all that the people want.”
In other business, SNA member Peter Fraunholtz provided an update on the progress of the White Stadium construction project.
“Construction is ongoing, it is slow and steady,” he said. “The women’s World Cup is going to end at the end of July in 2027, so next year, we’re probably looking at a maximum of seven games in White Stadium once it gets up and running.”
Fraunholtz said he has also been to the soccer stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island where the Boston Legacy are playing several home games this year before moving to White Stadium next season. He said most of the activity around the stadium was family friendly, and that there was also a noticeable amount of people visiting local bars and restaurants before the game.
The capacity of the stadium in Rhode Island is about the same as White Stadium, Fraunholtz said, although he added that it appears there is more outside space around White Stadium. The train stop was about 10 minutes from the stadium, and the satellite parking areas were about five minutes away, he said.
Fraunholtz said he has contacted the Legacy team about making sure the train schedules are coordinated with the matches and some other issues, but overall, he said the experience at the Rhode Island stadium was a positive one.
Several SNA members did ask about when the city would provide information on where the satellite parking areas will be for Legacy games at White Stadium.
Dickerson said the city is working to finalize those plans and they should be public in the next two to three months.