Several BHCA leaders were among a citywide contingent of residents who met a few days ago with City Council President Zeke Cohen over the council’s proposed bill 25-0066. That bill would eliminate zoning restrictions that limit the cutting up of large single-unit residences into as many as four apartments as a matter of right without approval from city council or the zoning commission.
Efforts to encourage owners of neglected Bolton Hill properties to fix them up or sell them to new owners have reached a stable point, with no new recent additions to the list. “We are continuing to track 25 mismanaged properties,” Jeff Thompson, who chairs BHCA’s Neglected and Mismanaged Properties Committee, told the December association meeting. Ten of these properties are in legal proceedings: 5 are in foreclosure (or in court to determine ownership) and 5 are in receivership, he said. Four of these have cases this month, so some progress is underway.
BHCA’s Annual membership meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. with the election of new officers and board members. Although open to all, only members who have paid their 2025 dues are eligible to vote. The event will be catered by Mera Kitchen with desserts and drinks.
For nearly 30 years, Midtown Community Benefits District has kept Bolton Hill and three other nearby neighborhoods cleaner, greener, and safer, supplementing city government services. But unless property owners in those locales vote Yes before March 27 to re-certify Midtown, those services will disappear.
Residents of Bolton Hill and three nearby neighborhoods can expect a special election this spring to re-affirm support for the Midtown Benefits District, the advocacy and improvement group created by a voter referendum in the mid-1990s to strengthen public services for the neighborhoods.
BHCA has decided to broaden the mailing list for the Bolton Hill Bulletin to include all neighborhood residents, students, retirees and others who are not yet dues-paying members. But after a healthy debate about the proposed recommendations, the association board voted not to eliminate free first-year membership for new members.
💡 Hey, neighbor: have you got a light?💡
✂️ Artscape is scheduled, earlier and shortened ✂️
⚖️ State Center settlement is a small step toward redevelopment of the site ⚖️
♿ City agrees to spend more to make some sidewalks suitable for wheelchairs ♿
BHCA has contracted to implement new association management software, Neon One, to streamline operations, enhance member value, and support the association’s growth. At the September board meeting, members approved up to $2,500 for this investment, selecting Neon One after evaluating several options and reviewing membership management tools used by other associations.
When the leadership of our association chose to change the name from the Mount Royal Improvement Association to Bolton Hill Community Association in 2018, it was about much more than changing some words. It was a recognition of what had happened in the past with an eye to the future. With that refocused foundation, we have been and will continue to partner with Madison Park, Marble Hill and Reservoir Hill to enhance the quality of life for our greater neighborhood.
Lee Tawney, a 44-year resident of the neighborhood and founding leader of BHCA’s summer Arts in the Parks music series, has been nominated to become the next president of the community association.
