This from Skipjack’s Facebook page..
After being a part of the Newton community for many years we are sad to inform you that Skipjack’s in Newton has recently closed its doors. Though we are sad to say goodbye, we are excited to see what the new developers have to offer the Newton Community.
Did they own this space? I mean, why close a week before the next rent is due?
I’ll miss taking a seat at the bar at 4:50pm and ordering off the early bird dinner menu. Great value and great service. Sadly we may see the day when most traditional seafood restaurants are out of business. We screwed up a tremendously good thing.
The bar was a great place for a drink and a healthy meal. We’ll miss it!
I spoke with an attorney representing a developer who is buying the Skipjack property as well as the property where International Bicycle is located. The plan is for a new commercial building that will include retail and restaurant uses. The curb cuts on Needham Street will be eliminated and parking will be in the rear, to improve the streetscape and make this stretch more pedestrian friendly. At some point the developer will be coming in for a special permit, so keep checking the Land Use committee webpage for updates.
They never seemed that busy, but it was also a huge place. Ted, very glad to hear about the streetscape. Anything that makes Needham Street less ugly and more user friendly is fine by me!
Ald Hess-Mahan – Why the secrecy on the special permit?
Better asked, what is the permit about? I know you’re not suggesting a backroom deal, so as an agent of us, what did you mean?
A new building on Needham Street? Cool!
The transformation of Needham Street can best be appreciated over time. As a young boy I remember it as almost exclusively industrial. My children will remember it as retail and restaurants. Overall a very positive change.
@Hoss, I am not sure what you mean by secrecy, but at this point there is no application that has been filed, so no one can say exactly what the permit would be for. This is still at a very early phase of design review with the planning department, and is just a concept. I do expect that the developer will need to seek a special permit of some sort for a new use. But I don’t have any other details to share at this point.
Alderman — I was reacting to where you said the developer “will” be asking for a permit. My point is that you fully have rights to privileged conversations if you keep them privileged, but in the spirit of open gov’t it’s uneasy to me where you tell me you know something I don’t know and I should wait for the updates. You’d feel the same way if your representative did this, no?
Hoss, you now know a much I do about this plan. I was trying to be open and transparent about it. There is no “privilege” that attaches to any conversation with an alderman. Indeed, anyone who communicates with me by email receives a notice in my response that the Secretary of the Commonwealth considers all such communications to be public records. Shorter, you’re barking up the wrong tree on this one.
Ok, so your evaluation of the plan was that a permit would be required, not that the lawyer called you and said something about a permit. I apologize that I jumped to the assumption
Since I live right behind all of this, I am very hopeful that there will be some sort of family-friendly restaurant in that space. I have to confess that I was never much of a fan of Skipjack’s, aside from the bar area (and then, of course, not with my kids :). That said, more empty storefronts in Newton is not good, so here’s to whatever businesses go in those spaces!
Hoss, let me try again. The developer’s lawyer called to tell me that his client had purchased the properties and briefly described the project he had in mind, what he and the design review team (comprised of the planning department and other departments that need to weigh in on a project) had discussed, and the fact that he would likely be seeking a special permit at some point to allow him to do it. The project isn’t even final yet, so there is no way to know exactly what kinds of relief he will need, but it is likely he will need a special permit to do what he wants.
I suggest that you read up on our special permit process. The planning department has a webpage and several links devoted to the subject.
Respectfully, I don’t like this. It’s a public official’s duty to tell the market what you know – in this case the nature of special permit requirements for the project. I’m not assuming this is anything evil Alderman Hess Mahan — but you clearly know something the market doesn’t know. Why do I need to wait to get this information? You’ve in the past shown us to be very ethical and quite an expert on what gov’t is all about, in fact as ethical and as knowledgeable as any official I know about. I do appreciate that — you’re a very good person and a very good alderman. So what type of permit Ted? If the developer has plans and you know the nature of the plans and you’re sure he’ll need a special permit — the gov’t thing to do (since you revealed your discussion) is to say, for example, this developer wants to build a rocket launch pad on Needham, they didn’t discuss particulars, but they’ll need a special permit for both the tower and their launches as a minimum. I’m not going to reply again out of respect — I won’t even ask where the rockets are going!
Can someone who speaks equine help me translate? Mr. Ed?
Hoss, I have told you all I know about this project, which is that a developer is buying two adjacent properties on Needham Street, and that he plans to demolish the existing buildings and replace it with a commercial building that may include retail and restaurant uses. I didn’t tell his attorney he needs a special permit–he told me he thinks it is likely that he will be coming in to seek one. I referred you to the special permit process because I think it is important for people to understand how it works.
When a developer or builder or homeowner wants to do something with their property, they come to the Inspectional Services desk to obtain a building permit. Depending on what zone they are in and whether they can do what they want by right or need a special permit, they may be referred to design review, where various departments will evaluate the project and advise the owner of relevant zoning as well as relief that may be required. Once owners come up with a site plan, they may apply for a special permit. The Chief Zoning Code Official then has 6 weeks to analyze the project and draft a memo which describes the project and all of the relief that may be required for a special permit. Depending on what the memo says, the owner may or may not ask to have the special permit docketed with the board of aldermen. Or, the owner may decide to amend the plan and do something different either to avoid the special permit process, or to improve the project and thereby improve the chances of getting a special permit approved. Certain information about the project must be filed with the application to make sure the application is complete before the board holds a public hearing. All of this is administrative in nature and does not involve the board of aldermen at all.
Owners, and their representatives, will often advise aldermen that they are working on a project which may eventually come before the board. The planning department actually encourages special permit applicants to meet with aldermen and the neighborhood to solicit feedback about their project, so they can address any concerns or considerations that will affect the area around their property before applying for the special permit. I am chairman of the Land Use committee, which reviews special permit applications on behalf of the board, so owners and their representatives will frequently give me a heads up that they will be coming in for a special permit at some point. This helps me with scheduling and logistical considerations. For instance, in June, twice as many applications for special permits came in for public hearings than we have in an average month. This presents some challenges, particularly because many of the aldermen will be on vacation for part of the summer and we will likely be taking up Riverside Station up in September. It is important to me that every applicant gets the same consideration and due process that they are entitled to, so I work closely with the planning department and petitioners to make sure that we can get through the process in a timely manner without sacrificing thorough consideration and review.
When I saw that this blog about Skipjack’s was posted, I thought I would share a little information about what was happening with the site so that people would know where to look so they could follow the process. I am trying to be as forthcoming as possible without speculating. In all candor, and with all due respect, you seem to be looking for something that just isn’t there.
Hoss:
And that’s precisely what Alderman Hess Mahan did. The restaurant closes and within an hour of the news breaking, he shared information that was speculative only (i.e. nothing filed, no formal plans), providing far more context than we had previously. He had no obligation to come on a blog and share that, as explained, nothing official is before the aldermen.
If you have a beef about non-transparent aldermen look 23 other ways before you look in the direction of the Land Use Chairman. (And that’s not an indictment of the rest of the board, just a comment about the guy you’re criticizing).
I feel sorry for International Bicycle in all this. Sounds like they’re going to be pushed out of their current Needham Street location, and will have to find a new place if they want to continue to do business. It’s been in a very convenient location for every type of cyclist to get gear and services.
Ok Greg, so everyone in the business community would wait and keep clicking on a link to see what special permit might squash them like a bug. Very well
Yes everyone should keep clicking please.
And as they say in the chambers, I’d like to affiliate myself with Aldermen Hess-Mahan’s comments about the nerve of a certain anonymous participant on this site.
Hoss, this is one of the reasons that more aldermen do not participate on the blogs; they can’t win for losing. Tell you what, though, the irony is not lost on me that I am being (falsely) accused of a lack of transparency by an anonymous blogger who chooses to keep his identity a secret. It is kind of hard for me to take you seriously when you don’t have the courage or integrity to use your real name to lob grenades at a public official.
@Hoss… huh? I’d bet good money that whatever is happening at the International Bicycle site, the building’s tenant was already informed by the new landlord (ie. developer) that the current lease agreement will not be renewed whenever it expires. From what I know, there are usually stipulations in long-term commerical leases about giving notice on these sorts of things well in advance.
Anyway, it’s not as if the Alders can force a landlord to keep a tenant. And since no special permit has been filed yet (and probably won’t be until the developer has a plan to propose), that’s not something that people can watch for.
Ted Hess-Mahan — Why so diffensive?
Ted, I think the great majority of folks here appreciate your openness and candor.
I’ve seen the variance / special permit process at work, at least superficially as a concerned community member. So I “get it” in terms of where we are in the process. We know an application will be filed: no idea yet if it’s to address a trivial matter, or to propose something outrageous, or something in between. But at that point there’ll be an opportunity for review and comment. Thanks to you we have a very early heads up that the process will start to wind up (and I foresee spending some quality evenings in City Hall in the next 12 months).
I second — or third — that. I think it’s unreasonable to expect that the chair of the Land Use Committee would proactively inform Newton residents every time there might be some commercial development in the city. I would suggest to Hoss that if you want to learn all the land use news that quickly, you should consider running for alderman. And, as others here wrote, Ted devotes far more time sharing and explaining information than do any of his colleagues.
Back to the topic at hand: I, for one, am very bummed to see Skipjacks go. I could walk there, they served great sushi, and I had some great political discussions at the bar!
dulleS, based on the footprint, don’t expect anything trival. Shouldn’t the lugage store across the street, or the bookstore, or the greek restaraunt, or the kitchen supply store be fully prepared to divest based on what has been discussed? I don’t see what’s so special about the permit process where i can’t know the nature of this until a permit is made.
@Hoss, I’m just someone who’s seen special permits wend their way through review as a concerned citizen… so I may get the language and the details wrong.
But my impression is that a special permit is needed for pretty much anything that breaks existing zoning laws. It could be too few parking spaces, or maybe something about the sidewalk; it could be combining the two adjacent parcels of land into one parcel to build an otherwise perfectly average building, if there are some restrictions on the parcel(s)… on the other hand, the developer could propose building a 60-story skyscraper on the property.
The special permitting processes I’ve seen have always had opportunity for public comment. Concerned citizens (residential and businesses) in the neighborhood can come in and have their say, and in my experience it carries a lot of weight on modifying plans for the final permit.
If you’re concerned about this, I invite you keep an eye out, then come to City Hall once the special permit is applied for and the appropriate committees/public hearings are held for review & public comment for the Needham Street properties. At that point, you’ll have the opportunity to tell Ted and the rest of the Alders in person what you really think, on the official record. I’ve found most of the Alders to be very responsive to rational citizen concerns.
…and before it’s misunderstood, if the developer were to propose a 60-story skyscraper that’d be dismissed in about five seconds. I could file to put up a 300 foot tall Hello Kitty statue on my residential property, but I wouldn’t get very far with that either.
Speaking as a neighbor, a local writer AND a participant on this site, I want to thank Alderman Hess-Mahan for this insight and perspective on the process.
Hoss, two things: 1) people who look for conspiracies where there are none are generally not taken seriously, even at those times when they have a legitimate point (and I don’t believe this is one of those times) and 2) neither are those who aren’t more careful with their spelling.
The information the alderman has provided about the process of applying for a permit, etc. is all publicly available and while, yes, it might require some work for you or anyone else to find it, it is OUR job as citizens to seek out this information, not the aldermen’s job to disseminate it. If Alderman Hess-Mahan or any of the aldermen or city officials were to share with us (not just us on this blog, but all of “us” in Newton) each and every casual conversation related to permits, etc. they would have no time to actual make any decisions or facilitate any change. I can only imagine what the reaction would be then (probably a lot like the reaction the candidates for the Governor’s Council are getting over on our site).
Whoops- make that “to actually make decisions”…
Ted – thank you so much for your repeated willingness to share information on this blog. I appreciate the info on why Skipjack’s is closing. I’m sad to see long-time businesses close and hope they’ll be able to find a new home in Newton.
Whoa there… I’m not assuming any conspiracy. The public official mentioned in public a discussion but stopped at giving details about an aspect of the discussion. A good conspiracy starts with silence… I was simply trying to get information that someone has come forward to discuss (a developer to our alderman).
Not to beat a dead Hoss, but to show you that I am acting in good faith (and because the conference call I had scheduled for this morning has been postponed), I will try to show you that there I am not keeping any secrets.
The lots where International Bicycle and Skipjack’s are located are zoned Mixed Use 1. There are a limited number of “by right” uses in an MU1 zone, and a number of uses that are allowed only by special permit (e.g., retail, restaurant, service establishment, to name a few). The zoning ordinances also require a certain amount of parking available on site, which can be waived by a special permit. Depending on how much parking is required, how much parking is provided, and how many parking credits the owner gets for a pre-existing use, the owner may or may not need a parking waiver for a proposed use. In addition, special permits may be required for extensions of an existing, non-conforming use or structure. And there are any number of other uses that may require a special permit, which may or may not be relevant here. The developer could even come in for a zone change to a business or other type of zone on this site, in connection with the special permit.
What I know, and what I have told everyone here, is that a developer wants to buy the property and demolish the existing buildings so it can build a new commercial building that may include both retail and restaurant uses. The only other details I know about the site plan is that, after participating in design review, the developer indicated a preference for eliminating some or all of the curb cuts on these properties and putting the new building close to the street to make the project more pedestrian friendly, and putting the parking in back. This is a major improvement as Skipjack’s has multiple curb cuts and International Bicycle has one long curb cut along the whole frontage of its property. I have seen cars back out onto Needham Street at rush hour when exiting International Bicycle, presenting a problem for motorists and pedestrians, so this would be a tremendous improvement.
At this point, to my knowledge, the developer has not submitted an application for a special permit so there is no way to tell exactly what relief will be required, or how big the building will be, how much retail and restaurant square footage is involved, what kind of stores or restaurants are interested in renting space, or much of anything else that I have not already told you. So there really is nothing else to tell. Your continued insistence that I am withholding information is either cynical or irrational or both.
BTW, in my continuing effort to keep the public informed, you can now follow the Land Use Committee on Twitter for information and updates on projects of general and specific interest.
Thanks for the permitting lesson Mr. Chairman.
Now for a trivia question anyone remember the little bar/burger place that used to be located on or close to the Skip Jacks site? Can’t remember what it was called.
Was it “Collin’s Cafe”?
Newton has yet to replace the legendary “Callahan’s” that was across the street.
@Greg. I think it was a very sleazy bar called “Collins.” I went in there once and never again. Very dirty and very unfriendly.
I am not cynical on this one because I trust the source, but I may be irrational in general. The alderman said there “will” be a special permit application furthcoming so I thought it odd that I as directed to wait for updates. Public officials make mistakes very unitentionally around disclosure all the time. In this case I thought it reasonable (not irrational) to know what special permit “will” be furthcoming and not directed to wait. If that was a forceful “grenade” that pierced anyone, well, I can try to be more gentle. Maybe I’ll read Dale Carnegy over the wkend
Hoss,
You are a clown. When someone is being difficult for the sake of being difficult, they become a clown. Your best bet is that Skipjacks is replaced by a way too big shoes and red ball nose shop.
That belongs in the Blog Comments Hall of Fame
I think a Chick fil a restaurant that’s about
4000 sf would be a lovely addition to Needham Street..
J. Mach- NIMBY.