Sumner Hill is registered as a National Historic District. The Board of Directors is currently exploring local designation in the form of an Architectural Conservation District. We sponsered an association wide meeting on October 14, 2008 at St John's Church with the Boston Landmarks Commissioner Ellen Lipsey and Katie McLaughlin to discuss the pros and cons of such a designation and what it would mean to the residents of Sumner Hill. We evaluating the data from the meeting.
Please see the following article in the July 11, 2008 issue of the Jamaica Plain Gazette
http://www.jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/2881
See link below for March 8, 2009 update from Board to the SHA
Streetlights
We have been asking the city to complete a job started in 1989. At that time infrastructure and sidewalk pits were installed along Greenough Ave and other parts of the Hill. You can see the square cutouts in the sidewalks on several streets.
With the determined efforts of several Sumner Hill residents and the progressive thinking of a new Commissioner of Public Works, we have a comittment from the city to complete the job.
THe City has agreed to install the Pendant Type lights such as those on Hyde Park Ave. Sumner Hill is still holding out for Acorn Lights. The City states that the Acorn lights do not provide the illumination per pole as do the Pendant Lights. An illumination study is being done by Sumner Hill to confirm or challange the City's assertion.
Vote to approve lights.
At the February 10, 2009 meeting of the Sumner Hill Association the Board of Directors by a vote of 6/2 approved to accept the city's offer to install Pendant Lights. This is a preliminary vote and no action by the City will be taken with out further consideration of the Association at-large.
