Thanks to everyone who worked to make it happen!

Unit owners will have gotten a notice about a hearing next Monday regarding rehabbing the back section of our building. Current photos and the proposed work are available online, as are the design drawings and other relevant information.

More information from Stephen (Thank you for the follow up!):

As you may know, all the EV chargers at the Roy garage are off-line. Contractor is sending a tech, but we have no idea when that will happen, or when service might be restored.

In the meantime, after discussions with Terry Ryan at the Parking department, he sent the following:”

“Hi Steve,
I am working with LAZ to get you and other EV users access to the HCID for charging.  Could you pass this along to others? I will require your first and last name along with the license plate number and contact phone number. A list would help, but just have folks email me and we will go from there.
Terry”

So, if you need access to the chargers at Hamilton, please send the above information (name, plate #, and phone #) to either Stephen or Sally or so they can make a list.

I’m told that there are ongoing problems with the EV chargers in the Leo Roy garage (see the Message from a Resident at bottom). Installing EV chargers on Association property would come with a myriad of headaches (believe me, it’s been examined at great length), but the City is already committed to having them in city garages and needs to keep them functional. Here are a few ideas residents can pursue to improve the situation. Feel free to offer input in the comments.

1. Attend LDNA meetings to be heard on the matter.
2. Research the charger situation at the Hamilton Canal garage—are those chargers more dependable?—and think about whether it’s worth having the Board explore allowing that garage as a parking option for residents. Adding a fourth parking area would make a complicated parking situation even more so, but it might be possible.
3. Look into other ways to be heard. Here are some city government links that might offer more information or useful contact points: Parking & Garages, Neighborhood Services, & EV Charging Stations.

Message from a Resident: Dear EV owners: As of 5pm on Saturday, all the charges in the Roy Garage are off-line. While this is an unusual situation, it is the latest in a worsening situation that was entirely anticipated given the increased demand. It is not at all unusual anymore to find no chargers available, and to be faced with antiquated chargers with a maximum of 6KW per hour. Plus there’s the constant issue of cable management malfunctions, thus leaving wires lying on the ground where they inevitably get run over.
Please, we’ve got to have the city, and maybe our condo board, re-examine this issue. It’s only going to get worse.

Jim Wilde, who usually plants our wonderful flower gardens in mid-to-late May, won’t be available this year so we need plenty of volunteers to pitch in in his place. Would anyone be willing to take the lead on this? Jim is happy to meet and discuss the process. Please reach out directly to Jim or to me ASAP so we can get the ball rolling. Jim makes it look easy but it’s a massive task and will take all the help we can get!

Info request from an owner:

Hello, Everyone! Has anyone had their unit front door either replaced or refinished? I have a client looking to do just that and I’m coming up empty.

Any advice would be much appreciated. You can either email me at GeorgiSMay@cs.com or just respond in the comments. Thanks! —Georgi

A resident is looking for suggestions for plumbers and handymen. It’s been a couple of years since the last post here on the subject so please chime in with any thoughts in the comments.

Also, I have a number of lightweight, non-slip, washable rug pads up for grabs. The sizes are roughly 5’x8′, 4’x6′ (2), and 7’x22″ (2) but they can easily be cut down to whatever you need. Just email me if you’re interested.

For those who haven’t noticed, we have a new bakery right across the street tucked in between Athenian Corner and Warp & Weft. Pizzelle has a delicious-sounding menu of goodies and the Lowell Sun gave them an enthusiastic write-up last weekend. I encourage everyone to check them out!

Winterfest is this Friday and Saturday. Parking will be banned on Middle, Palmer, & Shattuck streets from 10am Friday through Saturday evening. Expect those streets to be closed to traffic entirely once the festival starts at 6:00pm Friday.

For anyone fascinated by Canal Place history, a pdf of some of the complex’s original marketing materials is available. This marketing folder turned up in old office records and I have to assume it was from very early on, before the first developer went bankrupt and the complex was sold off in pieces, and before things got bad enough for the units to go for far less than the prices mentioned.

If you took advantage of the free parking at the Hamilton garage during the snow emergency, you have until 8:00pm to move your vehicle before charges begin to accrue.