Good morning,

Wellesley has an Elm Street. So does Brookline. And Watertown.  Whether any of them still have actual elm trees is another question.

But they undoubtedly used to. The American elm once defined New England's streetscapes and riverbanks before Dutch elm disease wiped out most of them.

But now scientists in Vermont are working to bring elms back, injecting saplings with the fungus directly — to identify which ones are truly resistant and can serve as breeding stock for a restored population.

Elms aren't just stately and beautiful. They're flood-resilient. With the Charles running through all of our communities, their return could be highly advantageous.

Last call extension may face local approval hurdles

Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill last night temporarily allowing bars to stay open one hour later than currently permitted — but that doesn't mean many, or perhaps any, establishments in our communities will participate.

Even if a local licensee wanted the later closing time, it would need municipal authorization. Most local licensing boards aren't speedy, so Beacon Hill probably waited too long to benefit many places outside of Boston and Cambridge.

Plus, this special provision expires July 31, so the whole thing might not be worth the paperwork.

Also, contrary to what many media outlets are reporting, it's not an extension until 3 a.m. It's one added hour to whatever a bar's existing last call time is. Many licenses in our communities mandate an earlier close.

Municipalities can also create "social consumption districts" during this period, allowing alcohol in designated public spaces.

Later hours or not, here's our directory of restaurants and bars showing World Cup matches across our communities.

Zussman family puts Newton Centre portfolio on market

A five-building portfolio representing a major slice of what people love about going to Newton Centre is on the market.

The Piccadilly Square properties — spanning parts of Union Street, Langley Road and Beacon Street — have been controlled by the Zussman family’s Boston Development Group for five decades.

The late David Zussman began rejuvenating the block of historic buildings in 1972. Now his daughter, Jodie Zussman, is looking to retire and plans to sell these properties, along with others in the company’s portfolio, reports the Globe’s Jon Chesto.

The portfolio includes some of Newton’s best restaurants and shops, including Thistle & Leek, Baramor, Sweet Tomatoes, SALT Patisserie, Rosenfeld’s Bagels, Café St. Petersburg, Union Pharmacy, Fulfilled Goods and Derby Farms & Flowers, plus many office tenants.

Jodie Zussman told Chesto the retail spots are 98 percent occupied.

All five buildings were rezoned under Newton’s VCOD process, the city’s answer to the MBTA Communities Act. The district allows 4.5-story mixed-use development by right, with the ability to add more stories by meeting certain affordability requirements. Two of the properties —(buildings 3 and 5 on the map below) are single-story.

 Study: This could boost single-family construction 15%

Single-family construction could increase by about 15% and overall housing production by roughly 5% if voters approve the Starter Home ballot question this fall.

That’s according to a Tufts Center for State Policy analysis estimating the proposal would create roughly 750 additional homes annually across Massachusetts.

The impact wouldn’t be evenly distributed. Boston-area suburbs like ours would likely see the greatest benefit by opening up opportunities for the kinds of smaller single-family homes that have vanished over time

The initiative would cap local minimum lot-size requirements at 5,000 SF in eligible areas, about the size of a basketball court.

Compare that to:

• In Needham, the minimum lot size is 10,000 SF
• Watertown’s 10,000 SF
• Newton’s ranges up to 25,000 SF, though some districts allow 3,500–5,000 SF
• Wellesley’s districts range from 7,500 SF to 20,000 SF

ICYMI: Here’s what the New York Times wrote about the idea last week.

Business education group salutes Rep. Alice Peisch

The Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (our chamber is an affiliate member) honored Wellesley state Rep. Alice Peisch yesterday for her two decades of leadership on education policy.

Pedro Martinez, commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, called Peisch “a true leader for education.” Dr. Steven Zrike, the state’s secretary of ed, said she understands the needs of “schools more than any elected official.”

Accepting the award at the UMass Club in Boston, Peisch urged passage of the new  high school graduation framework, warned that the state is “lacking a sense of urgency” on education challenges and said the state should stop giving school districts money “and allowing them to decide how to spend it.”

Tuesday grab bag

• A retail store inside a bank? The Village Shop, a first-of-a-kind pop up retail concept, will be opening inside The Village Bank in Wellesley.  Interested brands apply here.
  
  
• Thank-you Andrew Vrees, president and G.M. at WCVB for calling out Beacon Hill and local municipalities on failing to act on housing. “The  time for incrementalism is over.
  
  
• Here’s an alternative perspective from a Wellesley resident.
  
  
• A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration's $100,000 fees on employers seeking visas for skilled foreign workers is an unlawful tax and must be voided. (Reuters)
  
  
• After enjoying great success since opening in 2022 in Newton Center, chef Thiago Silva is looking to expand SALT Patisserie  into Wellesley Square at the site that was a Starbucks for 30 years. (Swellesely Report)
  
  
• The Watertown Farmers Market season begins tomorrow (Weds) from 2:30-6:30 p.m.  Watertown News has a list of vendors.
  
  
• The Brookline Farmers Market opened last week: Thursdays, 1:30-6:30 p.m.
  
  
• Newton for Everyone hosts “Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes: Why Newton’s Housing Rules Aren’t Working - and How the City Is Beginning to Fix Them,” June 17, 7 p.m. Details
  
  
• The Bulfinch Group has named Doug Reiss, partner and principal owner at the Needham-based financial services firm and long-time chamber supporter.
  
  
• Moments Cafe —- a coffee and wine bar — is opening soon on Washington St in West Newton in the space formerly occupied by Flora’s Wine Bar.
  
  
• The Quinobequin Intertribal Paddle Run, organized by Huah Mothers Path To Ancestors, brings paddlers to the Newton Historic Boathouse in Auburndale, June 27, 10 a.m. for a community paddle in support of water protection and healing.
  
  
• I scan a lot of headlines quickly to prepare this newsletter.  This one I erroneously thought read “Why is everyone crazy about Need-ham?”

Brookline celebrates affordable housing milestone

Finally, Brookline celebrated the opening of its largest affordable housing development in more than half a century yesterday.

The six-story, 115-unit building at 32 Marion St. replaces the former Colonel Floyd Apartments, a two-story, 60-unit public housing development built in 1959, reports Nathan Metcalf at Brookline.news.  

The new development serves low-income seniors and adults with disabilities and, unlike the building it replaced, is fully accessible, with elevators, exercise, media and multipurpose rooms, plus an outdoor garden and roof deck.

That’s welcome news and a credit to the folks at the Brookline Housing Authority.

The bad news? The wait list to get in was roughly 750 applicants long before leasing began.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know about the restaurant that stopped charging for food and saw its profits go up.

Please support your local restaurant. Be back Friday.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

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