Saint Mark’s Area Civic Association (SMACA) Meeting Minutes
September 27, 2022 7:00pm
Basement of St. Mark’s Church
Minutes by Kendra Beaver, Secretary

Attendees (including speakers): 31
Police Report — Officer Mike Keaney
● Aug. 30 - Arrested a young man with a gun at Neponset Ave & Adams St; arrested same person
10 days later at Gibson & Adams St with another gun
● Sept. 3 - Motor vehicle went through a red light at Dot Ave & Gibson St; man was arrested for
drug possession, not having a license/insurance, as well as running the red light
● Sept. 4 - 3am call for someone shot in front of 26 Melbourne St; found a 33 y/o man deceased
and numerous people leaving the building; 31 y/o man shot as well
● Sept. 7 - Washington & Welles Ave; arrested 24 y/o with loaded magazines
● Sept. 19 - Lithgow & Talbot; arrested two young men with loaded ghost guns; both have past
histories with firearms
● Sept. 21 - 6-7 shots fired near Samoset & Roseland St; no one came forward to say they were
shot; found ballistics 2 days later in front yard of 27 Roseland St
● Dorchester Open Streets festival had no incidents! 🎉
● New Commander at District 11
Representatives of Elected Officials updates & answers to questions
● Julie Ryan ([email protected], 617-635-3455), Councilor Frank Baker’s office
○ Reach out with any constituent services issues, concerns, questions, unresolved cases
○ Redistricting happening in the City Council (required by law every 10 years by the
census); Councilor Baker picking up new areas and he “wants to make it diverse”;
might pick up the South End, Andrew Sq, etc.; no changes yet around Fields Corner
● Colleen Lofgren (774-225-1320), Representative Daniel Hunt’s office
○ MA House of Representatives seats getting redistricted as well; SMACA area will stay
the same but Rep. Hunt will also be picking up some of the Ashmont/Adams area
○ Reach out to Colleen with any constituent issues
Neighborhood Development Proposals
1. 625-629 Adams Street
a. Original building: Commercial 1-story property owned by Lee family for many yrs
b. Old proposal: Originally proposed a new three-story building (came with concerns
about density re: no parking & look of the facade)
c. New proposal: Add a one-story addition to the existing building that would be
comprised of two apartment units
d. Abutters meetings/feedback:
i. Held two abutters meetings
ii. One abutter was concerned about what was occurring in the rear of the
property, which has been resolved
1
iii. At the most recent abutters meeting, there were no concerns expressed after the
Lee family reduced the facade to parapet level to make it a typical commercial
expression in terms of the units
e. VOTE: 16 in favor, 0 opposed
2. 4-6 Ashmont Park
a. Original buildings: Two identical single-family houses
b. Previous proposals: Developers came to SMACA in January and proposed a 4-unit
building (had 9 previous violations (forbidden use, off street loading, floor area ratio,
height, usable open space, etc.))
c. New proposal:
i. Proposing two triple-deckers (3 units each) which abides by zoning laws for
size/height
ii. Originally had lots of parking along the back → reduced the parking to one per
unit (not a violation) and added 1200 ft of greenspace
iii. Each unit is 3 bedroom/2 baths
iv. For sale units (not renting)
v. Private roof deck for unit 3 on one of the buildings (not a violation), and it is
pulled back from the side
vi. Reduced to 2 violations: (1) open space [“mathematically impossible to meet the
open space requirement without removing the parking”], and (2) “side yard
insufficient” because the shared driveway is 14-feet long split between the two
lots making it 7 feet per unit (supposed to be 10 feet per unit)
d. Abutters meetings/feedback:
i. Concerns from abutters that the properties are still too large for the street
ii. Question of abutter: Why didn’t they design it with a gabled roof like other
buildings on the street?
1. Developers: Based on chair of ZBA feedback, gabled roof would trigger
additional violations
iii. Question of attendee: Will there be fencing?
1. Developers: No, some transparency to view the greenery; Dracut Street
said they want the chain-link fence rather than a privacy fence
iv. Contact abutter, Dale, at [email protected] if you’d like to sign an
opposition petition for the development as currently proposed
e. VOTE: 6 in favor, 10 opposed
3. 18-20 Parkman Street
a. Original building: Lots zoned for 2-family buildings
b. Previous proposals: Most recent past proposal was 9 units
c. New proposal:
i. 3-story, 6-unit condos for sale, 12,241 sq ft.
ii. 9 spaces of off street parking
iii. Design of building changed in terms of exterior shape: right-side setback has
been decreased
iv. Violations: Heigh violation (not in feet but regarding stories), violation for
off-street parking (required ratio of 2:1 in Dorchester zoning), insufficient lot
size for the district
v. ZBA meeting on Oct. 4 at 11:30am
d. Abutters meetings/feedback:
i. Whether a 6-family building in a 2-family district is acceptable
2
ii. Abutter question: Average listing price, and any affordable housing?
1. Developers: No affordable housing component to this size of a unit,
impossible to give an estimate of price since that will change by the time
the units are up for sale
iii. Attendee question: How many beds in the units?
1. 3 units will be 3 beds/2 baths, other 3 will be 4 beds/2 baths
iv. Abutter question: Is there a way to do a pitched roof to match the atheistic of
the street?
1. Developers: Majority of people wanted the look we have now (which is
not a pitched roof); BPDA may change the look
v. Abutters said they’d be agreeable to a 4-unit building, but the developers were
not in favor of that saying “they can’t make money” on that
vi. Abutter have 52 signatures of Parkman St residents in opposition of this plan;
vii. Abutter asked developers to do some climate measures (e.g. to reduce heat or
flooding) and they did not include anything; the lot is currently the largest
greenspace on the block
e. VOTE: 3 in favor, 12 opposed
Community Announcements
● FYI: Members will soon receive an invitation via email to participate in a very short and simple
SMACA feedback survey… Please fill it out for us!
● There will be a set of neighborhood yard sales in the Ashmont/Adams area on Saturday, Oct. 1
● After 5 years, the Doherty-Gibson playground has taken shape!
● Report back on SMACA tabling during the Dorchester Open Streets event on September 24: It
was a great success with a large turnout! Thanks to all who stopped by!
● Consider adding a future agenda item for a general conversation about changes happening in
our neighborhood & what the future of our neighborhood should/is going to be
● Please share our new SMACA flyers by forwarding it to a friend virtually or posting them in
your neighborhood by printing them out
Meeting adjourned around 8:40pm