By Gazette Staff
The Public Service Committee of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 7. The committee’s purview includes issues pertaining to transportation, public safety, licensing, and public works matters.
Chair Michael Reiskind and members Bernie Doherty, Louise Johnson, Gert Thorn, Peter DeCotis, Nayima Meritage, Sarah Freeman, Purple Reign, Chase Brewster, and Willie Mitchell were on hand for the session.
The main business of the meeting consisted of further discussion of the committee’s immediate initiatives and goals for the coming year. Reiskind shared a list of the priorities that have been identified at previous meetings.
Transportation matters included:
— Improving accommodations for bicycles (such as bike lanes, bike racks, and better signage at Jamaica Pond);
— Improving pedestrian safety (by improving crosswalks and repairing sidewalks);
— Adding speed humps near schools;
— Making New Minton St. one-way; and
— Improving restrictions on emergency corners.
As for public safety, the two priorities discussed by the committee were:
— Requesting walking-beat police officers in Main St. districts; and
— Conducting licensing hearings (which already are part of the Public Service Committee’s purview).
Public works issues included:
— Updating and implementing the Master Plan for Centre and South Sts. from Jackson Sq. to Forest Hills; and
— Improving the cleanliness in the business district by working with JP Shnes, increasing the number of trash barrels and recycling receptacles, and exploring additional deposits on all beverage bottles.
The members also discussed the specific streets and sidewalks that need repairs. Among the items on the list were replacing the yellow centerlines on Elm St. and Pond St.; adding a crosswalk across Centre St. at 691 Centre St.; resurfacing portions of Mozart St., Spring Park Ave., Robinwood Ave., Cranston St., Lamartine St., Green St., So. Huntington Ave., Seaverns St., and Flora Ave.; securing the tree pits on Centre and South Sts.; filling the pothole in front of Curtis Hall; and moving the white speed hump chevron at 50 Eliot St. to its correct location.
Reiskind explained that the list will be presented to the liaison for Jamaica Plain from the mayor’s office and to the Departments of Public Works and Transportation, though he noted that typically fewer than half of the committee’s requests each year are resolved. For example, the request for a new yellow center line on Elm St. dates back to 2014.
With regard to recent licensing matters, Reiskind said that the Ethiopian Cafe in Hyde Sq., the Ula Cafe at 284 Amory St., and Third Cliff Bakery at 3531 Washington St. received liquor licenses from the city’s licensing commission in the past month. He also noted that the Miami Restaurant at 381 Centre St. was able to upgrade its previous beer-and-wine license to an all-alcohol license pursuant to the new state law that allows establishments to request from local licensing commissions.that their beer-and-wine license be changed to an all-alcohol license.
Reiskind concluded the meeting by noting that there are vacancies on the committee for interested members of the JP community.