MINUTES OF THE NEWMARKET BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

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The Hampton Inn at Crosstown was host to 50 members of the Newmarket Business Association for the Association's Monthly Membership Meeting and Holiday Get-together/Networking Morning on Wednesday, December 8th.  The Hampton Inn provided a sumptuous light buffet breakfast and the perfect setting for this business/social meeting.

Kevin Twomey, Director of Safety for Boston Medical Center discusses the traffic and parking impacts of the Center's proposed Level 4 BioSafety Laboratory with members of the NBA at the Association's December meeting.  After his presentation, Kevin answered questions from those present.

Bill Moy, Community Liaison for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project discusses upcoming changes in the Southbound Expressway ramps between South Station and the South Bay Mall and the impacts of these changes on the Newmarket area.

Each year, Association members attending the December meeting are asked to bring a toy or a small donation that will go to a local charity to provide gifts for needy children in our area.  This year, at the end of the meeting, John Marston and Herb Clifford were pleased to present a number of toys and almost $600. in donations to Vonnessa Goode, Acting Director of the South End Neighborhood Action Program (S.N.A.P.).  S.N.A.P. sponsors a holiday party and toy drive each year for those children in the area that need assistance. Last year they put toys in the homes of over 150 children and had a wait list of about 75 additional needy children. We are hopeful that this year, with the help of Newmarket that everyone was helped. We certainly know that the donations from our Newmarket members were both much needed and appreciated.
 

Membership Meeting held on October 13th, 2004

Meeting called to order by President John Marston at: 8:20 Members and attendees introduced themselves. 

Guest Speaker: Tom Miller – Director of Economic Development for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. 

Summary of presentation by Tom Miller.
Gave appreciation and thanks to the Newmarket Business Associations to the input and relationship with the BRA over the years and this was reciprocated by Joe Ceffalo and appreciation was given to the commitment of Laura Valentine to these efforts.
Mentioned his considerable experience in urban renewal projects throughout the commonwealth and looks forward to working with the NBA in the future.

Stated that one of the first priorities is the reinforcement of the industrial areas of the city and to attract and retain industry, including Economic Development areas – such as Newmarket.  Intends to build upon the success of the Back Streets program and explore other incentives and methods, such as tax incentives for businesses.

Noted how Boston hosts many research and development business and wishes to develop a strategy where this can be harvested and used to develop industry throughout the city.

Explained that if any members have concerns regarding Environmental impact issues to contact the BRA for assistance.

An NBA member expressed concerns about the difficulties in assisting businesses establish in the area due to regulations and  other issues with the Inspection Service Division. Tom responded by stating they wish to improve the ability for business to establish and grow and that this process should be improved with the new Director of the ISD.

Mason School Report
Hilary from the Mason school gave a Mason school report.  The Mason school received an award form Harvard Business School for the Mason after school program.  The swimming pool is almost complete and is due to open soon.  The students scored very high in MCAS and especially within Mathematics.

Treasurers Report
To Date:
Operating Account: $10,877
Contributions Account: $10,480
Mason School Account: $17,006

Contributions Committee Report 
No updates to report from the contributions committee.

Next committee meeting scheduled for Oct 13^th at 10am. 

Safety Committee Report
No updates to report.  Members were advised to inform Sue Sullivan of any safety related issues.

A member expressed concern about illegal dumping and excessive speeding in the area of Norfolk, Howard and surrounding streets. Sue Sullivan noted that there are plans to implement increased signage noting cameras and speed restrictions for the area.

Public Affairs Report
No updates to report from Public Affairs committee.

Issues Committee Report
Albany Street Residences submitted new project report. Next moth there will be a presentation to the issues committee.
Ice house- 55 Norfolk Avenue Offer to purchase has been signed. This building has been vacant for more than 40 years.  Proposal – To create combined work and living space for artists.  BRA stated that there will be requirements that occupiers will have to meet to qualify for the spaces.  Newmarket has not made any definitive decision on this proposal and is waiting for more member feedback and more details relating to the proposal.

Other issues noted:
Joe Cefallo mentioned that there should be a time limit imposed on Newmarkets’ approval or disapproval of projects as many changes can occur in the Newmarket area during long delays in project implementations.   

Laura Valentine stated there has been approval for the development of a sidewalk at Kimball Street due for implementation in 2005/2006.  

Margaret Summers distributed leaflets regarding the ‘Listening to you Business’ workshop on November 4^th at TechSpace on Harrison Avenue.  

New Members

Members welcomed new member Julie A. Klump from Pinck & Co. located at 525 Albany Street.

Meeting was adjourned at: 9.25am

Membership Meeting held on June 23rd, 2004

The meeting was called to order at 8:05 am by President Joseph Cefalo.  He welcomed everyone and made a few valedictory remarks as outgoing President thanking the membership for support over the past three years.  Members present introduced themselves.  The slate of nominees for Newmarket Business Association Officers and Directors for the period from July 2004 through June 2005 was presented to the membership.  It was moved, seconded, and voted unanimously to close the nominations.  It was moved, seconded and voted unanimously to accept the proposed slate of Officers and Directors.  The minutes from the May meeting were amended because Charles Levin did attend the meeting but was omitted from the list of attendees.  The amended minutes were accepted by unanimous vote.    Representatives from standing committees gave their reports.  Mr. Bill Moy updated members on the status of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project.  Mr. Peter Gori, Outreach Coordinator from Boston 2004 gave a special presentation and took questions about the transportation plans during the period when the Democratic National Convention will be held in Boston.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

Mason School:

The Mason School’s “wish list” of supply items needed by the school will be posted on the school’s new website, www.masonpilotschool.org.  Please take a moment to check out the information about the school.  Principal Janet Palmer-Owens announced that the school is being repainted.  She thanked Jay Hajj, the owner of the Victoria Diner, for hosting the fifth grade class luncheon.  This special event, also attended by Nick and Charlie Georgenes, celebrates the Mason School’s graduating class and gives them an opportunity to learn proper etiquette for eating at a fancy restaurant.  Newmarket Business Association members are invited to visit the Mason School in September when the school year begins. 

Budget & Finance:

Dues notices have been mailed to the membership.  As of the meeting,  the accounts were $16,993 for the Association general fund and $2,500 for the designated Mason School fund and $14,500 in the contributions account. Thank you to everyone who helped out or donated to the March fundraiser. The success of this event means that the Newmarket Business Association is able to fund generous donations to the many needy charities and organizations in our area that seek our help. 

Contributions:

The Contributions Committee announced the donations made from January through May of 2004.  The Newmarket Business Association donated $500 to St. Mary’s Women and Infants Center; $300 to the Pine Street Inn; $1,500 to the Lena Park Community Development Rainbow Summer Camp; $500 to South Boston Neighborhood House; $1,500 to the Boston Public Health Commission’s Teen Summer Program “learn & earn”; $300 to Place of Promise; $300 to Dorchester Bay E.D.C. for neighborhood revitalization; $500 to Mass Advocates for Children; $500 to the Julie’s Family Learning Program; and $250 to the Upham’s Corner Main Street business district revitalization program.  These donations total $6,150, which was raised by the generosity of Newmarket members at the March fundraiser.  The next meeting of the contributions committee will take place on July 7^th.  Thank you for all of your support! 

Safety:

Sgt. Bill Meade of district C-6 gave the membership information about area crime statistics.  Drug arrests are up almost 50%; there have been 91 to date this year.  Larceny from motor vehicles (39 since March) and auto thefts (49 since March) are continuing problems in the area.    There is a weekly commanders meeting at Police headquarters where the captains of each of the districts covered by Newmarket coordinate their crime-fighting efforts. 

Website:

Webmaster Bob Patcha announced that the Newmarket website includes links to maps showing the road closings and detours for the July 26-29 dates of the Democratic National Convention.  The Newmarket website is constantly renewed with new feature stories, so please take a few minutes to check out the website between meetings!  The website is at www.newmarketboston.org. 

Public Affairs:

The public affairs committee will be meeting with a local film-maker about making a documentary to tell the story of the Newmarket-Mason School partnership and the Mason’s transition to a pilot school.  The Public Affairs committee is also making preparations for our August meeting which will be a special event at Jimmy’s Harborside. 

Issues:

Representatives from Enterprise Rent a Car met with the Issues Committee to present their plans for the former Beacon Oil site.  This use will be lower intensity than expected, involving only five to seven cars per day.  They will follow up with a more detailed traffic study and site plan. 

City of Boston representatives expressed concern with Newmarket Business Association’s endorsement of Pacific International’s revised plans for 23 Bradston Street.  The owners of 23 Bradston Street, the Chins,  are members of Newmarket Business Association who are seeking to expand their operation on their existing site.  They can do this as a matter of right except that they require a variance from the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals to build a parking garage to handle the needs of the additional business traffic anticipated.  The Newmarket Business Association stands by its endorsement of this project, the additional parking garage is to handle customers and employees within the  Newmarket neighborhood, not satellite parking.  Although major traffic and parking concerns exist on Bradston Street, the Chin’s have revised their plans to try to accommodate all the additional parking needs that their expansion should generate.   

The Wendy’s project is on hold. 

The Super Stop and Shop planned for the Agar site on Mass Avenue is still working out the traffic signal, ingress and egress issues.  The design and layout of the building are attractive and will be an asset to the neighborhood. 

There is no news to report on the Allied Bolt project called “Albany Street Residences”.  The developers have not yet made a presentation to the Issues committee on this project.   The Newmarket Business Association is in favor of the Mayor’s pledge that there be no reduction in the area of commercial/industrial space in the City of Boston and is against the conversion of commercial/industrial space into residences. 

New Business:

Bill Moy from the Central Artery/Tunnel project announced that there will be a new Albany Street bridge.  There will be changes to the South Bay interchange and next year they will be reconstructing Albany Street.  He was asked about the poor signs on the central artery and agreed that they are no good – especially if you are trying to find Chinatown.   

The next meeting of the Newmarket Business Association will take place on July 21^st at the Victoria.  The August meeting will be a special event. 

Pat Cusick, longtime Newmarket Member died last month.  Pat was the head of the South end Neighborhood Action Program.  The Association sends condolences to his family. 

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: PETER GORI OF BOSTON 2004

Peter Gori is the Outreach Coordinator for Boston 2004.  His e-mail is pgori@boston04.com and the website for information is www.Boston04.com.   The Newmarket Business Association website also links to the maps showing road closings, etc. planned for the four days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston, July 26-29.  The State Police will be doing random commercial vehicle inspections.  The convention statistics are 5500 delegates, 15,000 media (3500 foreign press), 15-25,000 others including 10,000 demonstrators.  The area near the Fleet center will be severely restricted; all deliveries in that area must take place between 2am and 12 noon.  There are 14,000 volunteers who will be helping to make the convention happen.  Preparations and planning have been in the works for 20 months with the security decisions handed down by the US Secret Service and FBI plus every other imaginable federal and state and city agency.  The closures will be substantial: for emergency vehicle access, there will be 24 hour/day closures of one lane of I93 from Woburn to Boston and the zipper lane will be inbound from the Braintree split into Boston restricted to emergency vehicles.  There will be full closure of many important roads starting at 4pm on the 4 days of the convention.  On ramps will be closed by Mass highway and State Police.  Please check out the maps and traffic reports to see how these road closures and diverted traffic routes will affect your travel. 

The meeting adjourned at 9:00am.

Membership Meeting held on May 12th, 2004

The meeting was called to order at 8:00 am by President Joseph Cefalo.  He welcomed everyone.  Members present introduced themselves.  The minutes from the April 14^th meeting were accepted by unanimous vote. A representative from Congressman Michael Capuano’s office, Jon Lenicheck introduced himself and offered the Congressman’s well wishes and assistance. 

SPECIAL GUEST: COMMISSIONER WILLIAM J. GOODE III
The new commissioner of Inspectional Services, William J. Goode III, introduced himself to the members.  He pledged to work in partnership with the Association, to be a regular participant in our meetings, and to cooperate with our members.  He views the Inspectional Services Department simply as a public safety agency with enforcement actions to correct dangerous conditions rather than as a punitive agency to stifle positive development in the area.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

Mason School:

The Mason School distributed copies of the “wish list” of supply items needed by the school.  Principal Janet Palmer-Owens explained that she spends her limited funds on trying to retain the staff and there is nothing left for school supplies.  In the past, Newmarket Business Association members have donated virtually everything on the school’s wish list.  The Junior Achievement program has begun with many volunteers from Slade Gorton company working with the students. Interested members can still volunteer to be a part of this wonderful program.  Work on the swimming pool is underway with completion expected in July.  The students take the MCAS examinations next week.  Newmarket Business Association members are always welcome to visit the Mason School. 

Budget & Finance:

Dues notices have been mailed to the membership.  As of the meeting, with approximately 70% of dues received, the accounts were $17,385 for the Association general fund and $2,538 for the designated Mason School fund and $17,580 in the contributions account. Thank you to everyone who helped out or donated to the March Gala. The success of this event means that the Newmarket Business Association will be able to fund generous donations to the many needy charities and organizations in our area that seek our help.

 Contributions:

The March 24^th Gala in honor of Nick and Charlie Georgenes was a terrific success.  The final figure raised was $17,580 – a new high for the Newmarket Business Association!   Thank you to everyone who contributed to this excellent event - a fun evening to raise funds for worthy causes.  Thank you for all of your support!

Safety:

The position of chairman of the Safety Committee is available.  Please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan if you are interested.  The chairman discusses any safety concerns with the Police and Fire Chiefs in our area.  This position does not take a major time commitment, but it is a great service to our membership.  Until a new chairman has been announced, please report any safety concerns to Sue Sullivan. Representatives from the Police Department, Fire Department and MBTA Police attend our membership meetings and work together with the Association to solve problems in our area.

Website:

Webmaster Bob Patcha is feeling better and extends his regrets that he was unable to attend and report at the meeting.  The Newmarket website is constantly renewed with new feature stories, so please take a few minutes to check out the website between meetings!  The website is at www.newmarketboston.org.

Public Affairs:

The South End News published an excellent feature story on the Newmarket Business Association.  Copies of the article were distributed to members at the meeting.  Because of the positive experience of doing this article, The South End News indicated a willingness to do an ongoing series explaining more about the Newmarket Business Association.  The Public Affairs committee is planning to continue the great Public Relations by getting the story out about the success of the Mason School partnership with the Newmarket Business Association.  The Public Affairs committee is also making preparations for our June annual meeting.

Issues:

Pacific International presented their revised plans for 23 Bradston Street to the Issues Committee.  They have resolved the issues raised earlier.  A motion to send a letter of support for the proposal to the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Zoning Board of Appeals was moved, seconded, and unanimously adopted at the meeting.

The proponents of the Wendy’s and Super Stop and Shop developments for Mass Ave are cooperating on a traffic study.  They are reviewing ingress and egress to the sites to deal with poor sightlines near the railroad bridge over Mass Ave.

The Albany Fellows/CDC of Boston project in the former Branch Electric site on Harrison Ave is being revised to beef up the industrial component, and reduce impacts of the project due to its scale and heavy housing elements.  The Newmarket Business Association is in favor of the Mayor’s pledge that there be no reduction in the area of commercial/industrial space in the City of Boston and is against the conversion of  commercial/industrial space into residences.

The Allied Bolt project for 117 units of dense housing has raised serious opposition from all of the abutting sites and other neighbors.  The developers have not yet made a presentation to the Issues committee on this project.

The State Department of Capital Asset Management (“DCAM”) has announced the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the former incinerator site.  A copy of the RFP was available at the membership meeting.  The former incinerator site is 2.89 acres and is limited by the legislation to industrial, commercial or manufacturing uses.  DCAM will take into consideration the number of jobs created and the compatibility of the use with the surrounding industrial neighborhood.  Proposals submitted under the RFP are due by Tuesday, June 15, at 3pm.  Please contact Joseph Cefalo if you are interested in learning more about the former incinerator site.

First Student will be leaving the Mass Ave facility on July 1^st and relocating to the former Laidlaw bus site.

Construction will begin on the Bubbles Car Wash soon.

New sidewalk construction is underway on Norfolk Street.

Neighborhood Services/Community Outreach

Charlie Georgenes reported on the 15^th Annual Clean Up Day held on May 4^th.  Charlie Georgenes coordinated the effort and thanked the following participants for their assistance, generosity, and participation: Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea J. Cabral; Richard Pacitti  the Coordinator of Community Works; Sgt Robert Griffin and ten inmates from the Community Works program; Inspectional Services Commissioner William J. Good III; Frank Frattaroli the Deputy Commissioner ISD Field Services; other representatives from the Inspectional Services Department; Public Works Commissioner Joseph Casazza as well as Joseph Canavan and Jack Dooley from the Public Works Department; Mass Bay Commuter Rail’s Dana Roderick and two flagmen; Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers Restaurant’s Field Construction Manager Ed Mitchell; Union Construction Inc. President Joe Consalvo and his wood-chipping team; Tim Riedy of Riedy and Associates and his crew of three; Jay Hajj, the new owner of the Victoria Diner, who hosted the lunch break, with contributions from Joe Pierik, VP of Edens and Avant and Mary Alibrandi, Assistant VP of Citizens Bank in Newmarket Square.  This is truly a community effort to spruce up our neighborhood and it gives us all a more professional appearance.  Photographs of the 15^th Annual Clean Up Day were circulated at the meeting.

New Business:

Katsiroubas Brothers has completed their renovation.  This was undertaken with bond assistance from the Backstreets Program.  The ribbon cutting with Mayor Menino will take place on Monday, May 17 from 1-2 pm.  All are welcome to attend.

The Newmarket Business Association’s Annual Meeting will take place at our June meeting.  President Joseph Cefalo and Secretary Bonnie Gossels will be stepping down and new officers will be elected at the Annual Meeting.  Since this is an “off-year” election, the current Board of Directors will remain in place.  It was moved, seconded, and unanimously voted to form a Nominating Committee chaired by Carl Lizio and including Bonnie Gossels, Charles Killian, Marlowe Sigal, Jack Sullivan, Ben Goldfarb, and Robert Patcha.

Membership Meeting held on April 14th, 2004

The meeting was called to order at 8:10 am by President Joseph Cefalo.  He welcomed everyone.  Members present introduced themselves.  The minutes from meetings held in January and February were accepted by unanimous votes.  Captain Russell from Boston Police Department District 6 introduced himself and took questions from the membership.  Representatives from standing committees gave their reports.

SPECIAL GUEST: CAPTAIN PAUL RUSSELL – DISTRICT C-6

Captain Paul Russell introduced himself to the membership.  He was appointed the new Commander of Boston Police District 6, which is delineated by West Broadway, Massachusetts Avenue, and Melnea Cass Boulevard.  District C-2 is on the other side of Mass Ave and District C-4 is on the other side of Melnea Cass Boulevard.  Newly appointed Police Commissioner O’Toole moved Captain Cunningham from district C-6 to District 7.  Captain Russell pledged to work with the Newmarket Business Association’s Safety Committee which meets with the Captains of the three districts to resolve issues reported by the membership.  Captain Russell distributed his business cards and explained that Community Service Officer Billy Meade and Sergeant Detective Paul Murphy would be working to resolve issues reported by the membership.  It is very important for Newmarket members to phone in to the Police Department and report even minor incidents, since the Police Department uses a statistical computer program to track crimes by location in the City of Boston.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

Mason School:

The Mason School students provided wonderful entertainment and inspiration at the March gala!  The Mason School “wish list” of materials and supplies is posted on the Newmarket website.  Please check if there is anything that you can provide to help out. Special thanks go to Brian Maloney who supplied a camcorder to the Mason School to replace the one that was stolen.  Thefts continue to be a problem; the pocketbooks of two Mason schoolteachers were stolen on April 13^th.  Repair work is in progress on the swimming pool; they anticipate the pool will be back in service in July.  Newmarket Business Association members are always welcome to visit the Mason School.

Two Newmarket Business Association members have offered a challenge to match contributions to the School up to $500.  Donate now and double your money!

Budget & Finance:

Dues notices have been mailed to the membership.  As of the meeting, the accounts were $15, 718 for the Association general fund and $2,538 for the designated Mason School fund.  Our designated Contributions Fund will be increased by the proceeds from the March Gala which are still being collected.  Please send back you dues payment if you have not already done so.  Because of the limited funds available to operate the Association, breakfast meetings now feature a $5 voluntary contribution by attendees.

 Contributions:

The March 24^th Gala in honor of Nick and Charlie Georgenes was a terrific success.  The final figure raised will be announced at the May membership meeting because there are still a few bids to collect.  Ben Goldfarb, Herb Clifford, Sue Sullivan, Joe Cefalo and all the donors and volunteers did a great job of pulling this phenomenal event together!  The Mayor gave his presentation and then stayed longer than expected and the Mason School students gave a wonderful performance.   Thank you to all members for generous donations, generous bids and volunteering your time and efforts to this event.  The funds raised at this event are used throughout the year by the Newmarket Business Association to support local charities that have been hard hit by the economy and State and Federal funding cutbacks.  The Contributions Committee has assembled an album of thank you letters from past recipients that was on display at the Gala.  Thank you for all of your support!

Safety:

The position of chairman of the Safety Committee is available.  Please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan if you are interested.  The chairman discusses any safety concerns with the Police and Fire Chiefs in our area.  This position does not take a major time commitment, but it is a great service to our membership.  Until a new chairman has been announced, please report any safety concerns to Sue Sullivan. Representatives from the Police Department, Fire Department and MBTA Police attend our membership meetings and work together with the Association to solve problems in our area.

Website:

Webmaster Bob Patcha reports that the Newmarket website reached a new record of   1400 unique visitors March.  The Newmarket website is constantly renewed with the Mason School “wish list” and new feature stories, so please take a few minutes to check out the website between meetings!  The website is at www.newmarketboston.org.  The website features many useful links to members’ websites, city agencies, etc.  Special thanks go to Bob Patcha for creating and updating this state-of-the-art professional website for the Newmarket Business Association! 

Public Affairs:

The Gala fundraiser took place on March 24^th at Anthony’s Pier 4; it was a fitting tribute to Charlie and Nick Georgenes former owners of the Victoria Restaurant and founders of the Newmarket Business Association.  Boston Mayor Thomas Menino was the keynote speaker and students from the Mason School gave a spirited performance.  Thank you to everyone who made this event such a success!

Issues:

In response to the Newmarket Business Association’s Issues Committee raising the need for a comprehensive area traffic study and concerted effort by Backstreets Program manager Lara Valentine, the Boston Redevelopment has included the cost of this comprehensive traffic study as a line item in the budget.  Please contact your city councilors and representatives in City Hall to support this comprehensive study.  As each development proposal looks at traffic and parking, they define their boundaries in order to justify a finding of “no significant impact” based on that single project.  When all of the projects that are currently under development and proposed reach completion, we seek to avoid absolute gridlock.  Now is the time to look at the big picture.

The State Department of Capital Asset Management (“DCAM”) has announced the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the former incinerator site.  A copy of the RFP is available at the membership meeting.  The former incinerator site is 2.89 acres and is limited by the legislation to industrial, commercial or manufacturing uses.  DCAM will take into consideration the number of jobs created and the compatibility of the use with the surrounding industrial neighborhood.  Proposals submitted under the RFP are due by Tuesday, June 15, at 3pm.

Two new projects have been proposed that would eliminate industrial/commercial uses and change them into residential buildings: the Albany Fellows project (former Branch Electric building) and the Albany Street Residences project (the Allied Bolt & Screw building).  The Albany Street Residences proposal includes Single Residence Occupancy units, apartments and condominiums totaling 117 units of housing.  This proposal also includes apartment towers above the height restrictions under current zoning and inadequate parking.  The site is currently part of an effective buffer zone featuring light industrial and commercial uses.  The Newmarket Business Association is in favor of the Mayor’s pledge that there be no reduction in the area of commercial/industrial space in the City of Boston and is against the conversion of these commercial/industrial space into residences. A group called Albany Fellows Associates is submitting a proposal to develop the former Branch Electric building and the CDC of Boston site next door into a mixed use project that will include 265 condominiums or apartments.  This site is adjacent to Boston Body Works and the residential component flies in the face of industrial district zoning.  Lara Valentine reported to the meeting that the BRA specifically asked for light industrial use to be included in the project.  This project is in early stages and further information will be brought to Newmarket Business Association. 

The owners of 23 Bradston Street gave a presentation to the Issues Committee about their proposed expansion from 19,000 square feet to 36,000 square feet.  The site has an Asian grocery and the expansion calls for the addition of a 400 seat dim sum restaurant on the second floor with offices on the third floor and a new multi-story parking garage.  The Issues Committee supports this proposal, since the owners have addressed the concerns raised last year, but continues to have concerns about the intersection with Southampton Street, inadequate parking, difficult truck access, and lack of enforcement on Bradston Street.

The MBTA bus maintenance facility on Southampton Street has been using Atkinson, Topeka, and South Bay Avenue in direct contradiction of their commitment not to do so.  On March 27, 2004 the MBTA relocated fifty-four buses from Cabot Street to the former LMB lot near Southampton Street.  The work on the new MBTA Southampton Street facility has been delayed with completion not expected until September.  This delay has caused the “temporary” use of Atkinson, Topeka and South Bay Avenue causing problems for area businesses (especially Peninsula of Boston and Waldo Bros.) and the Greater Boston Food Bank.  There was NO NOTIFICATION that South Bay Avenue would be opened up!  The MBTA never made any attempt to inform or meet with parties affected by this change.  The bus schedule overlaps the shift change at the prison causing major traffic problems.  The MBTA representatives at the meeting agreed to meet with area businesses and the Food Bank to try to improve conditions during the “temporary” six month period before the Southampton Street site is completed.

Construction will begin on the Bubbles Car Wash soon.

Wendy’s is waiting for the results of further traffic and parking studies.

New sidewalk construction is underway on Norfolk Street.

An Enterprise Car Rental business has been proposed for the Beacon Oil site.

New Business:

The was a brief discussion of the need to compensate Sue Sullivan better for the superb work she does for the Association. 

There was a brief discussion of the ramifications of the major power outage that happened on Sunday, April 11, 2004.

The meeting adjourned at 9:10m.

Membership Meeting held on February 15th 2004

The meeting was called to order at 8:10 am by President Joseph Cefalo.  He welcomed everyone.  Members present introduced themselves.  Representatives from standing committees gave their reports.  Guest speakers from NSTAR explained the ongoing electric infrastructure improvements in the Newmarket neighborhood and took questions from the membership.  Anthony Gilardi, the Interim Director of the South Boston Resource Center gave a brief presentation about the workforce development program.  Please notify him of any employment opportunities (617) 635-0771.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Mason School:
There was a meeting held to address the problems with the swimming pool used by the Mason School and the community.  The City of Boston has allocated the money for substantial repairs; they anticipate the pool will be back in service in July.  The faculty is currently preparing the students for their MCAS exams.  There is a “wish list” of  office supply items needed by the school.  Please try to donate such items as glue sticks, pens, paper, manila folders, tape, magic markers, crayons, etc.  If you are willing to volunteer your time, there are still openings in the Junior Achievement program starting up at the Mason School.  .  Please sign up to volunteer in the Junior Achievement program being developed for the Mason School.  You will be paired with another volunteer for one classroom.  Junior Achievement will be a five week program and the time commitment is one hour per week.  The school is in need of a bargain priced camcorder and digital camera to replace items that were stolen.  Newmarket Business Association members are always welcome to visit the Mason School.

Two Newmarket Business Association members have offered a challenge to match contributions to the School up to $500.  Donate now and double your money!

Budget & Finance:
Dues notices have been mailed to the membership.  As of the meeting, the accounts were $2,700 for the Association general fund, $3,100 for the designated contributions fund, and $2,000 for the designated Mason School fund.  Please send back prompt payments of your dues!  Because of the limited funds available to operate the association, future breakfast meetings will feature a $5 voluntary contribution by attendees.

Contributions:
No new charitable contributions were made in the past month.  Please plan to attend the March 24^th fundraiser and donate to support Newmarket Business Association’s charitable contributions.  The money raised from this single event pays for our organization’s charitable contributions for the rest of the year.  Thank you for all of your support!

Safety:
The position of chairman of the Safety Committee is available.  Please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan if you are interested.  The chairman discusses any safety concerns with the Police and Fire Chiefs in our area.  This position does not take a major time commitment, but it is a great service to our membership.  Until a new chairman has been announced, please report any safety concerns to Sue Sullivan. Representatives from the Police Department attend our membership meetings and work together with the association to solve problems in the area.

Website:
Webmaster Bob Patcha reports that the Newmarket website had approximately 950 unique visitors in January.  The Newmarket website is constantly renewed with new feature stories, so please take a few minutes to check out the website between meetings!  The website will also feature a comprehensive list of the silent auction items available at the March 24^th fundraiser tribute to the Georgenes Brothers.

Public Affairs:
The Spring fundraiser will take place on March 24^th at Anthony’s Pier 4 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm.  This event will be a tribute to Charlie and Nick Georgenes former owners of the Victoria Restaurant and founders of the Newmarket Business Association.  Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be the guest speaker.  Please save the date and plan to attend.  The event will feature a silent auction and drawing for a plasma screen TV.  Please contact Sue Sullivan with your donations for the silent auction.

Issues:
The issues committee has been making the case to the Boston Redevelopment Authority that a comprehensive traffic plan for the area is needed.  The BRA has included the cost of this study as a line item in the budget.  Please contact your city councilors and representatives in City Hall to support the comprehensive study.  As each development proposal looks at traffic and parking, they define their boundaries in order to justify a finding of “no significant impact” based on that single project.  When all of the projects that are currently under development and proposed reach completion, we seek to avoid absolute gridlock.  Now is the time to look at the big picture. 

There is a meeting scheduled by the State Department of Capital Asset Management (“DCAM”) to discuss the process for  Request for Proposals (RFP) for the former incinerator site.  The site is 2.89 acres and is limited by the legislation to industrial, commercial or manufacturing uses.  DCAM will take into consideration the number of jobs created and the compatibility of the use with the surrounding industrial neighborhood.  Copies of the notice of the meeting, the legislation, and the site plan were available to members at the meeting.

Construction will begin on the Bubbles Car Wash soon.

The triangle easement holders are being offered parking spaces as if the lot had been organized properly.  The parking structure contemplated for this site will probably require satellite parking for an income stream to make the project feasible.  The Newmarket Business Association is opposed to satellite parking as a use anywhere within the Newmarket area.

Representatives from Wendy’s hamburger chain gave a presentation to the Issues Committee on their plan to develop a restaurant on the parking lot diagonally across the Victoria Restaurant.  There will be more discussion on curb cuts, traffic patterns, etc. for this proposal.  The Issues committee requested that there be an agreement to allow the Victoria Restaurant to continue using the parking at Wendy’s for overflow parking during breakfast hours when Wendy’s is not open for business.

BFI will be rebuilding their transfer station on Norfolk.  This work will included odor remediation equipment, sidewalk and landscape improvements, etc.  There will be no change in the number of vehicles entering and exiting the site.

The old pizza market site is under agreement with the Greater Boston Food Bank.  The smokestack will be demolished.

Mayor Menino announced the final Roxbury Strategic Master Plan.  There will be a neighborhood advisory group of 15; 70 applicants have submitted their names to serve on the advisory group.

 New Business:
Save the Harbor, Save the Bay has an event scheduled on February 17 from 5:30-7:30 to take place at the Children’s Museum.  There will be details of the bike path and other harbor trails.

A group called Albany Fellows Associates is submitting a proposal to develop the former Branch Electric building and the CDC of Boston site next door into a mixed use project that will include 265 condominiums or apartments.  This site is adjacent to Boston Body Works and the residential component flies in the face of industrial district zoning.  Lara Valentine reported to the meeting that the BRA specifically asked for light industrial use to be included in the project.  This project is in early stages and further information will be brought to Newmarket Business Association.

The gas station at 90 Southampton Street is closed because construction on Bubbles Car Wash is slated to begin soon.

Edens and Avant, the owner of South Bay Center has acquired the former Agar site on Massachusetts Avenue adjacent to South Bay Center.  Joe Pierik from Edens & Avant gave a presentation to the members about their plans for the site.

Edens & Avant is a privately-held, family-owned business based in Columbia, South Carolina.  Edens & Avant owns 290 “necessity” retail (i.e. grocery-anchored) shopping centers in 20 eastern seaboard states from Maine to Florida.  Edens & Avant owns the South Bay Center and purchased the Agar site from Eastern Development in November of 2003.  Their plan is demolish the Agar building and to erect a new 75,000 square foot super Stop and Shop on that site.  They also plan to develop several smaller pad buildings offering service uses (bank, restaurant, apparel retail, etc.) on part of the Agar site.  The remainder of the Agar site will be parking and roadways continguous to the existin South Bay Center parking lot.  The road improvements in front of Super 88 market will be finished in the Spring.  The existing Stop & Shop within South Bay Center will be redemised into several other retail shops.  Target will be moving into the vacant K-mart space. 

South Bay Center is an effective buffer between the hardcore industrial & wholesale  commercial uses that characterize the  Newmarket area and surrounding residential uses.

This project is beginning the article 80 process with the BRA, filing the project notification form next week.  It is anticipated that construction will begin in Summer of 2004 and the retail stores will open in Summer of 2005.  There will be ample opportunities for public comment.  There will be a Newmarket Business Association representative on the IAG for this project.

As a part of this redevelopment of the Agar site, school bus contractor First Student will need to find a replacement school bus parking lot.

Traffic engineer David Black of Vanasse Hangen explained their preliminary findings and answered questions from members.  They expect that the timing of vehicle trips will help with traffic flow during peak periods on Mass Ave and Southampton Street because the shopping center’s peaks are evenings and weekends – not the peak periods for Newmarket industries.

The meeting adjourned at 9:20 am

Membership Meeting held on January 15th 2004
The meeting was called to order at 8:10 am by President Joseph Cefalo.  He welcomed everyone present and wished everyone a happy new year.  He announced that Charlie and Nick Georgenes sold the Victoria Restaurant to Jay Hajj who owns Mike’s City Diner in the South End.  Jay Hajj welcomed everyone to the Victoria.  Jay Hajj has generously offered to let the Newmarket Business Association continue using the Victoria as home base for meetings, etc.  Members present introduced themselves.  The minutes from the December meeting were distributed and accepted unanimously.  Representatives from standing committees gave their reports.  Guest speakers from Edens and Avant explained their plans for the former Agar site and took questions from the membership. 

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Mason School:
Annika Moran will be serving as an intern at the Mason School.  She is studying at Harvard and learning life-lessons from Janet Palmer Owens, the principal of the Mason School.  Special Thanks to Tim Riedy who arranged to have the parking lot plowed this winter.  Safety issues are improving.  Please send letters to the Mayor’s office requesting that the neighborhood swimming pool be repaired and put back in service.  The pool has been non-functional since September of 2003.  Please sign up to volunteer in the Junior Achievement program being developed for the Mason School.  You will be paired with another volunteer for one classroom.  Junior Achievement will be a five week program and the time commitment is one hour per week.

Budget & Finance:
The motion was made, seconded, and voted unanimously to increase the dues for the coming year by $50.  Dues notices for 2003 will be arriving in your mail with the new amount.  Please send back prompt payments!  The 2003 dues will be $200 for companies with 10 or fewer employees and $350 for companies with 11 or more employees.  Treasurer Jim Stauffer reported on the balances in the organization’s accounts.

Contributions:
No new charitable contributions were made in the past month.  Please plan to attend the March 24^th fundraiser and donate to support Newmarket Business Association’s charitable contributions.  The money raised from this single event pays for our organization’s charitable contributions for the rest of the year.  Thank you for all of your support!

Safety:
The position of chairman of the Safety Committee is available.  Please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan if you are interested.  The chairman discusses any safety concerns with the Police and Fire Chiefs in our area.  This position does not take a major time commitment, but it is a great service to our membership.  Until a new chairman has been announced, please report any safety concerns to Sue Sullivan.  Police Captain Cunningham recently gave a presentation on reported crimes in the area.  He has pledged to work with our organization to improve conditions that we bring to his attention.

Website:
Webmaster Bob Patcha reports that the Newmarket website had approximately ten thousand unique visitors last year.  He has also been adding more links to members’ own websites.  At a modest cost, Bob Patcha can design a display advertisement to come up on your company’s link to our membership page. The Newmarket website is constantly renewed with new feature stories, so please take a few minutes to check out the website between meetings! 

Public Affairs:
The Spring fundraiser will take place on March 24^th at Anthony’s Pier 4.  This event will be a tribute to Charlie and Nick Georgenes.  Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be the guest speaker.  Please save the date and plan to attend.  The event will feature a silent auction and drawing for a plasma screen TV.  Please contact Sue Sullivan with your donations for the silent auction. 

A letter nominating Charlie and Nick Georgenes for the Robert Quinn Community Service Award was signed by many of the members present at the meeting.

Issues:
The issues committee has been making the case to the Boston Redevelopment Authority that a comprehensive traffic plan for the area is needed.  As each development proposal looks at traffic and parking, they define their boundaries in order to justify a finding of “no significant impact” based on that single project.  When all of the projects that are currently under development and proposed reach completion, we seek to avoid absolute gridlock.  Now is the time to look at the big picture. 

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the incinerator site is expected to be announced by the state DCAM group in February. 

A group called Albany Fellows Associates is submitting a proposal to develop the former Branch Electric building and the CDC of Boston site next door into a mixed use project that will include 265 condominiums or apartments.  This site is adjacent to Boston Body Works and the residential component flies in the face of industrial district zoning.  Lara Valentine reported to the meeting that the BRA specifically asked for light industrial use to be included in the project.  This project is in early stages and further information will be brought to Newmarket Business Association.

The gas station at 90 Southampton Street is closed because construction on Bubbles Car Wash is slated to begin soon.

Edens and Avant, the owner of South Bay Center has acquired the former Agar site on Massachusetts Avenue adjacent to South Bay Center.  Joe Pierik from Edens & Avant gave a presentation to the members about their plans for the site.

Edens & Avant is a privately-held, family-owned business based in Columbia, South Carolina.  Edens & Avant owns 290 “necessity” retail (i.e. grocery-anchored) shopping centers in 20 eastern seaboard states from Maine to Florida.  Edens & Avant owns the South Bay Center and purchased the Agar site from Eastern Development in November of 2003.  Their plan is demolish the Agar building and to erect a new 75,000 square foot super Stop and Shop on that site.  They also plan to develop several smaller pad buildings offering service uses (bank, restaurant, apparel retail, etc.) on part of the Agar site.  The remainder of the Agar site will be parking and roadways continguous to the existin South Bay Center parking lot.  The road improvements in front of Super 88 market will be finished in the Spring.  The existing Stop & Shop within South Bay Center will be redemised into several other retail shops.  Target will be moving into the vacant K-mart space. 

South Bay Center is an effective buffer between the hardcore industrial & wholesale  commercial uses that characterize the  Newmarket area and surrounding residential uses. 

This project is beginning the article 80 process with the BRA, filing the project notification form next week.  It is anticipated that construction will begin in Summer of 2004 and the retail stores will open in Summer of 2005.  There will be ample opportunities for public comment.  There will be a Newmarket Business Association representative on the IAG for this project.

As a part of this redevelopment of the Agar site, school bus contractor First Student will need to find a replacement school bus parking lot.

Traffic engineer David Black of Vanasse Hangen explained their preliminary findings and answered questions from members.  They expect that the timing of vehicle trips will help with traffic flow during peak periods on Mass Ave and Southampton Street because the shopping center’s peaks are evenings and weekends – not the peak periods for Newmarket industries.

The meeting adjourned at 9:20 am.

NBA Presidents Letter...    January 1, 2004

                                                                    Joe Cefalo

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