MAXFIELD & COMPANY REALEXPERIENCE ESTATE • EXCELLENCE (617) 293-8003 MAKE EVERY DAY, EARTH DAY JP’S KIDS SPECIAL SECTION, PAGE 12-13 Vol. 30 No. 7 24 Pages • Free Delivery 25 Cents at Stores BOOK YOUR Jamaica Plain POST IT Call Your Advertising Rep Printed on (617)524-7662 Recycled Paper AZETTE 617-524-2626 G APRIL 23, 2021 WWW.JAMAICAPLAINGAZETTE.COM Judge sides with TOURING JP State holds public hearing for School Committee Shattuck campus proposal on Exam School BY LAUREN BENNETT Many residents and organi- zations have said they would admissions policy On April 13, a public hearing like to see the existing Shattuck was hosted by the state’s Division site be returned to parkland for BY SETH DANIEL of Capital Asset Management Franklin Park and have suggest- and Maintenance (DCAMM) to ed that these services be sited at Federal Judge William Young present the project proposal for the MBTA’s Arborway bus yard late last week issued his decision the Shattuck Hospital campus instead, while others expressed on the challenge to this year’s on Morton St. in Jamaica Plain, that they feel these services are altered Exam School Admission and to allow for public comment needed as soon as possible and process, saying that the tem- on the proposal. agree with the plan as proposed. porary admissions system did The Shattuck Hospital plans As previously reported by the not discriminate by race against to move to the Newtown Pavil- Sun, the state has four goals for white and Asian students, but ion in the South End in 2024, the proposed project, including: it should be a system in place and throughout a several year •Provide stable health care only one year to accommodate process, the community has been and housing options for under- COVID-19. outspoken about what should be served populations, including In a 48-page opinion, Judge done with the campus site. The the chronically homeless; Young stressed that the plan proposed plan includes turning •Provide integrated, ‘per- was well-thought out and accom- the existing 13 acre campus into son-centered’ behavioral and plished the goals of making the an area for supportive housing, physical health care and hous- school more geographically and integrative health care, and oth- economically diverse, and though er services. Continued on page 2 race was spoke of, it wasn’t a plan that sought to racially bal- ance the Exam Schools – which would be unconstitutional. SNA hears from mayoral candidate “It comes down to this: This year, the best way for a rising David Halbert; updates on projects MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY JEREMIAH ROBINSON seventh or ninth-grader to get Acting Mayor Kim Janey spoke with Marianao Narzario, 5, BY LAUREN BENNETT transportation options” in the into one of Boston’s three pres- inside of Rosanna Beauty Salon in Egleston Square onTuesday, city, and asked what Halbert Continued on page 10 April 20, during her business and infrastructure tour of Egleston The Stonybrook Neighborhood would do to address that. Square. See more photos on pages 18-19. Association (SNA) met virtually “I think about it in two ways,” on April 12, where At-Large City Halbert said, bringing up the Council candidate David Halbert ongoing conversation about a fare SNA escucha al candidato al consejo, ofrece actualizacione spoke abut his campaign and ad- free transportation system. He dressed questions from the com- said that he would be “advocating BY LAUREN BENNETT ha identificado una falta de op- sarrollo de Boston (BPDA). munity. Then, members heard and working in concert with our ciones de transporte equitativas “Estamos atropellados por es- subcommittee updates on various friends at the top of Beacon Hill.” La Asociación de Vecinos de en la ciudad y preguntó cómo tas entidades”, dijo una residente, Stonybrook (SNA) se reunió vir- Halpert abordaría eso. preguntándole a Halbert qué haría projects in the neighborhood. He also said it is important to tualmente el 12 de abril, donde el Dijo que trabajaría con Beacon para reformar las organizaciones. Halbert gave a brief overview get “people off the roads and onto candidato a consejero municipal Hill, y agregó que es importante Halbert recomendó dividirlas of his campaign, saying that he mass transit.” David Halbert habló sobre su cam- que “la gente salga de las carret- en una agencia de planificación y is a proponent of affordable hous- JP resident Caliga said that paña y respondió a preguntas de eras y se incorpore al transporte otra de desarrollo. ing, as well as a supporter of “we have felt very powerless” as la comunidad. público”. También habló sobre las refor- education, as he has two young residents when it comes to the Halbert dio una breve descrip- Los miembros de la comuni- mas de la ZBA introducidas por daughters, one of them a Boston Zoning Board of Appeal ((ZBA) ción de su campaña y dijo que es dad han expresado sentirse impo- la Consejera Lydia Edwards, cla- Public Schools student. and the Boston Planning and un defensor de la vivienda y la tentes cuando se trata de la Junta sificándolas de “críticamente im- SNA Steering Committee Development Agency (BPDA). educación asequibles. de Apelación de Zonificación (ZBA) member Trevyn Langsford said El Comité Directivo de la SNA y la Agencia de Planificación y De- Continued on page 3 that there is a “lack of equitable Continued on page 3 2 • JAMAICA PLAIN GAZETTE • APRIL 23, 2021 for these services that has been hopes to issue the RFP this year, terms of how it can help the there is “an important set of Shattuck brought up several times in the and the final project proposal South End.” needs” that this proposal seeks community. draft can be found at mass.gov/ Fox said that the South End to fulfill, “and we must find a Continued from page 1 “Our discussions with the service-details/shattuck-cam- community supports the propos- location,” as she does not believe ing systems; MBTA have indicated that this pus-redevelopment-at-mor- al as is. Franklin Park is the best loca- •Provide substance use dis- is not an option at this time, and ton-street-proposal. Kathy Brown of the Boston tion for them. order (SUD) and mental health we are moving ahead with this The majority of the hearing Tenant Coalition was a part of She and others support the services that play a critical role project at this site,” she said. was dedicated to allowing the the Citizen’s Advisory Board for use of the Arborway Yard site in regional public health and In a Request for Proposals public to make comments on this the Shattuck planning process, because it provides easy access to treatment systems; (RFP) for the site, DCAMM “will proposal. and said that there is an “unbe- public transportation, along with •Provide safe, stable and sup- include all of these elements” of Many residents spoke in favor lievable housing crisis” that has “a more accessible site for sup- portive housing that contributes the proposal, “including team of the proposal, saying they be- been made worse, and there is a portive services and the 75–100 positively to health outcomes, qualifications,” Sheffner said, lieve these services are crucial great need for emergency shelter housing units for the formerly and contributes to the supply of and will look at things like “re- and this plan would provide a and substance abuse treatment. unhoused, as proposed by Massa- supportive housing in the region. sponsiveness to the program and space for them to become a re- “Please move forward on the chusetts Health and Human Ser- DCAMM project manager Lo- design goals, financial feasibili- ality. plan,” she said. vices, eight acres for communi- ryn Sheffner explained some of ty,” and the schedule for imple- Sue Sullivan, Executive Direc- However, many JP and Rox- ty-serving development, residen- these goals further at the public mentation. tor of the Newmarket Business bury residents, like Louis Elisa, tial units and affordable housing, hearing, saying that they include “The RFP will seek a single Association, said that “I truly don’t feel that the Morton St. the opportunity to provide space a “minimum” of 75 to 100 sup- master developer,” she said— think we should stay with the site is the right place for these for the MBTA’s electric bus fleet, portive housing units, as well which could either be a sole de- vision that is intended,” as the services. and continued direct access to as “integrated health services veloper or a partnership—“to city is in “desperate” need of Elisa expressed his concern Franklin Park,” Mauney Brodek including both services currently propose a redevelopment plan affordable housing. She supports with the siting of these services, said in a statement. offered on the site and new types and lead implementation.” the proposal as is. as he believes it is “not well Former governors Bill Weld of services/programs cited in the She said that after approval “We will be the new host for thought out,” and will isolate and Michael Dukakis also sup- Vision Plan,” according to a slide from the state’s Asset Manage- the Shattuck Hospital and as people from the rest of the sur- ported the use of the MBTA Ar- presented. ment Board (AMB), the RFP will such, we have a really import- rounding community. He said borway Yard for these services, The state is also looking at be issued and “advertised for no ant and vested interest in this that “no amount of transporta- with Dukakis saying that “this “other allowable public health less than three months,” accord- process and how the Shattuck tion” to and from the site will be is precious parkland.” He said uses pursuant to deed restric- ing to a slide presented.