 On Nov 29 Upham's
Corner Main Street held a meeting to discuss the additional licenses that Paraiso Restaurant has requested (takeout
and entertainment).
The general concensus of the attendees was support for
the restaurant's requests.
However, the Upham's Corner Improvement Association (UCIA)
said that in order for them to issue a letter of support, they would
need the restaurant to commit to proactively maintaining their building
and grounds.
After some discussion, Gregorio Colon, Manager of Paraiso, agreed to
the proposition. As a result both the restaurant and the Upham's Corner
business district will benefit from this relationship.
UCIA is happy to report that Mr. Colon has picked up all the litter and
trash along their Belden Street garden, saying that he even found a discarded
microwave oven.
The "broken window" syndrome applies here.
One broken window attracts more vandalism as does one piece of trash. Keeping
the area clean daily does not take long and it provides a quick "return
on investment" for the business and the business district.
Note: Photo taken this summer prior to cleanup. The presence of weeds is apparent.
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According to UCIA,
"The Improvement Association is committed to
improving the whole of
Upham's Corner. This includes the overall appearance of the
business district.
That is why we are recognizing businesses
that promote cleanliness. That is why we issued the Golden Broom
award
to John Hosmer. He cleans the front of his business faithfully
every day. Other businesses can
do the same as well."
What are the issues identified for Paraiso Restaurant?
- The landscaping that winds from Dudley Street down Belden Street
was full of weeds during the summer with no one seeming to take
responsibility for creating an attractive location in the business
district.
- That same area is a dropping off area for trash and litter which no one ever removes.
- Trash accumulates at the back of the property and is not removed (weeds, bags of trash and a discarded tire).
- Plaza tiles have fallen off or broken off so that the edge of the plaza looks like it is falling apart.
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At the meeting both Max MacCarthy and Bob Haas pointed out that the licenses being requested had nothing
to do with the cleanliness of the business.
A different perspective provided by UCIA is that the
cleanliness and overall upkeep of the business has everything to do
with the right of the business to continue to operate in Upham's
Corner.
An
example is that Paraiso restaurant was willing to clean up before a
"big event" [the Tito Jackson celebration] but daily cleaning in
support of the overall appearance of the community was not being done
[not by the restaurant and not by the property owner, Amado
Enterprises].
During
the discussion, emphasis appeared to be on not hampering a new business
[by making them clean the building and grounds]. Instead the
community needs to support the business in getting the tools it needs
for business functionality [such as
additional licenses].
On the surface this makes
sense. As Bob Haas stated, "What is important to Upham's Corner is the
business surviving." [and by implication, not spending time picking up
trash and litter].
Still, Upham's Corner should not fall prey to this fallacy:
You do
not have to choose to neglect your appearance in the community in order
to make a profit.
Take, for example, countries like France or Holland or, closer
by, cities like Jamaica Plain. They have managed to create a mindset
that places a high priority on the appearance of their businesses.
The
condition of the Paraiso property does not reflect well on the
restaurant and it certainly does not encourage non-residents to come to
Upham's Corner. |
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At first Mr. Colon talked about how hard he works and how little time he
has to "clean." Later on he agreed that picking up the trash daily
would not be much of a problem and, in fact, would benefit the restaurant.
The
Upham's Corner Improvement Association has agreed to support Paraiso
Restaurant's request for additional licenses and Paraiso Restaurant has
agreed to work on site maintenance issues including the following:
- Clean up the litter and trash daily along Belden St and at the back of the property
- Work with the owner, Salomao Amado, to tastefully landscape the strip of land along Belden and Dudley Streets
- Work with the owner, Salomao Amado, to replace/repair the loose and missing plaza tiles
- Work with the owner, Salomao Amado, to proactively maintain the overall condition of the property
The
next step, of course, is to actively engage the "landlord."
Holding a "tenant" responsible for landlord issues doesn't work.
Getting a tenant on your side and in agreement with the goals and
objectives is a great starting point.
"Mr. Amado, here we come!"
"With enthusiasm," they said, "The Improvement
Association looks forward to extending the pledge agreements to all
members of the Upham's Corner Business Community."
View Maintenance Pledge
View Letter of Support
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The
plaza at 750 Dudley Street has been constructed to be level with Dudley
Street while a strip of land winds its way down Belden Street in a
step-wise fashion.
At the top the ground begins as a narrow strip and widens as it makes
the turn, providing a spot for beautiful small bushes or ornamental
annuals each year.
At each step is a small evergreen or other bush.
Salmao Amado, owner of Amado Enterprises as well as the building where
Paraisoo Restaurant is located has a chance to create a space of beauty
in Upham's Corner.
But that is NOT how the property is being maintained.
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While the strip of
land could become a garden of colorful flowers or bushes, it was instead covered with
landscape fabric to "keep down the weeds." However, the weeds
grew anyway. You can see the weeds, the poor condition of the
soil and the landscape fabric in the photos below.
Trash has been allowed to accumulate around the bushes along the entire length of the property on Belden Street. The
owner, Imado Enterprises, despite having a business in that very spot,
is not maintaining the property.
Plaza
tiles have been breaking off for years and they are now falling off while the current and prior owners ignore the repairs
needed.
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