Friday, January 4, 2013
The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Stoneham resident and former Board of Selectman R. Paul Rotondi.
[Editor's note: The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Stoneham resident and former Board of Selectman R. Paul Rotondi.] The Beacon Hill Gang (BHG) is coming to confiscate Stoneham taxpayers’ wallets. One if by the community preservation surcharge, two if by making the trash fee permanent and three if by eliminating the 2 ½ percent limit on yearly operating budget increases. Stoneham’s real estate tax revenue is forecasted to increase dramatically over the next few years as a result of the completion of four major developments. The BHG’s goal is clear, to use this money to feed the never ending appetite of the local government bureaucracy, rather than to use it to provide taxpayer relief. Their strategy is to go beyond …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Check out some of the stories making headlines in the Stoneham region this week.
Here are some of the stories making headlines in the Stoneham region this week: Report: James Marzilli Facing New Accusations: James Marzilli, the former state senator from Arlington who pleaded guilty last year to lewdly harassing four women on the streets of Lowell in 2008, is facing new accusations, but he will not be charged, according to a Fox 25 News report this evening. Police Seek Public Help in Beacon Hill Sexual Assault Case: Boston police are asking the public for their help in a home break-in and sexual assault on Beacon Hill. Officers posted the image of a suspect on BPDnews.com and asked anyone who recognizes the man to come forward. Banned in Brookline: Polystyrene Food and Beverage Containers: The use of Polystyrene, more…
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The city's zoning board ruled against the applicants Tuesday morning.
The city's zoning board decided Tuesday to oppose a request by the owners of 12 Grove St. that would have allowed Villa Mexico Cafe to relocate there from Grampy's gas station on Cambridge Street. The ruling ends the restaurant's effort to open on Grove Street. "Zoning forbids this use. It’s not a personal thing," Robert Shortsleeve, the chairman of the city board, said. The space lies in a zone in which properties revert to residential use if they have not been housing a business for more than two years. This address has not been in commercial use for at least 15 years. The owner of Villa Mexico Cafe, Stoneham resident Julie King, was asking for a variance to this statute. But opponents to the application said that a restaurant at 12 …
After months of trying to gain the support and funds needed to move to a new location in Beacon Hill, Julie and Bessie King, Stoneham residents and owners of the restaurant, will appear before the city's zoning board Tuesday morning.
After last month's attempt to connect with Grove Street residents fell through, the owners of Beacon Hill-based Villa Mexico Cafe are going before the city's zoning board Tuesday morning for a final hearing on whether they will be allowed to move their business from Grampy's gas station on Cambridge Street to 12 Grove St. The restaurant must leave the gas station as it is slated to be redeveloped this summer into office buildings. While they originally were going to leave in December, they have been allowed to stay in the gas station as they search for a new home. The new location the owners of Villa Mexico, Julie and Bessie King, both of Stoneham, very much want is a spot on the ground floor of 12 Grove St., which is being offered to …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The cafe's owners, Julie and Bessie King, both of Stoneham, are hoping to iron out any concerns Grove Street neighbors in Beacon Hill might have before the zoning board meeting March 27.
Although Villa Mexico didn't get the neighborhood's zoning committee approval to move their restaurant to 12 Grove St., the owners are hopeful that with the support of the neighbors they will be able to do so. Stoneham resident Julie King, who owns the cafe and runs it with her daughter, Bessie, sent out a flyer two weeks ago to Grove Street residents, asking them to meet with her March 21 at 6:30 p.m. at her restaurant in Grampy's gas station, at 290 Cambridge St., to discuss any concerns they have about her business. "As a business owner who has operated in Beacon Hill for more than five (5) years, I am mindful of the concerns of my neighbors. I will do everything to ensure that the impacts associated with operating 12 Grove Street are …
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Villa Mexico Cafe owner Julie King will seek the approval of the Beacon Hill Civic Association's Zoning and Licensing Committee Wednesday night.
Over the five years Villa Mexico Cafe has been on Cambridge Street, it's earned a devoted clientele, many of whom were skeptical that one of the city's best burritos could be found in the back of a gas station. Adam Conrad was among the dubious. "But then I was actually brought here. I had one bite and it changed my mind." Finding a New Home But as of the end of this month, the gas-station burrito will be gone. And whether Villa Mexico finds a new home on Beacon Hill is uncertain. A major factor will be whether the Beacon Hill Civic Association approves a zoning variance Wednesday night. Villa Mexico has been asked to leave Grampy's by the end of this month. The gas station itself will be vacating the space next year to make room for the…
Paul Rotondi
9:00 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
Jed: I would like to thank you for proving the talk about the existence of the uniformed voter is not a Myth. First, the Budget Agreement wasn’t mine; it was approved by the Board of Selectman unanimously and by a majority of the Finance Board and School Committee. Second, it doesn’t tie the hands of the departments; departments have complete authority to spend their money as they see. It merely … more ›