Good morning friends,

I asked restaurant owners at Spring Seasonings on Monday what was their most immediate business challenge.  More than a few had the same answer:

Hiring dishwashers.

Restaurant operators nationwide advertised tens of thousands of dishwashing jobs last year, making them one of the industry’s most-in-demand positions. And federal immigration enforcement is making it harder than ever, according to the Wall Street Journal (gift link).

While about one in five restaurant workers overall are foreign-born, the share is significantly higher in back-of-house roles like dishwashing.

For these men and women that also often means hiding in the back too, terrified of being seen, but also afraid to take public transportation.

It’s estimated that it costs business owners $2,700 to replace an average hourly restaurant worker, up from $2,300 in 2024, the Journal reports.

A big corner of Needham Center just changed hands

Property owner Linear Retail Properties has acquired a key block in Needham Center at the corner of Great Plain Ave. and Chapel Street for $7 million.

The 11,330 SF, single-story, fully leased retail block includes Needham Center Fine Wines, Gari’s Japanese Fusion Bistro, Bagel’s Best, Kumon, Beauty Muse and Citizens Bank.

The property had been owned by the Heffernan family since 1970, purchased by Michael Heffernan and later managed by him and his daughter, Betsy, for three decades.

Burlington-based Linear is a well-known, respected owner and operator of multiple properties across New England, including Newton and Wellesley.

State says its moving ahead on MassBay housing

The Healey administration and the Town of Wellesley are running out of time to get on the same page about the proposed housing development at MassBay Community College — and both sides made chess moves this past week.

Healey is looking to place 180 housing units on MassBay’s parking lot under a new state law, with proceeds benefiting college capital improvements.

But the proposal has created angst among residents who — despite repeated assurances — continue to push the falsehood that the state also intends to develop 40 adjacent acres of unprotected, state-owned forest.

Last Friday, the administration confirmed in writing its intention to permanently protect the forest, while also honoring the town's affordability requirements and holding firm at 180 units.

The state also indicated it’s done waiting. After already delaying its request for proposals to accommodate a town visioning session that the Select Board

canceled, it plans to release the RFP in July, with or without the town's embrace.

After eight months of public meetings, executive sessions and legal posturing, Select Board Chair Marjorie Freiman said Tuesday the board now wants to hear from "a broad representative group of the town."

They’ve called for a Special Town Meeting to weigh in on a non-binding, yet-to-be-finalized question on May 11.

Whatever leadership decides, the opposition group Friends of Centennial has lawyered up too, while others support the proposal.

Resident Marguerite Chatelier said she spoke for “what [she] believes is the less vocal majority of our community,” urging the Select Board to engage with the state and to “say yes to new housing and new neighbors.”

Please email the select board and tell them you support the state’s plan to create much-needed housing, permanently protect the forest and use proceeds to help the college.

We’d like to hear from you too.

Board reconsiders scope of Chestnut Hill rezoning

The Brookline Select Board is divided on how to approach a major rezoning of its Chestnut Hill commercial corridor.

The proposal would  would allow significantly denser, mixed-use development along Route 9, anchored by City Realty’s plan to redevelop the aging Chestnut Hill Office Park into housing, hotel, medical and retail space. The rezoning, however, would apply to a much larger area along Route 9.

On Tuesday officials reviewed a proposed tax agreement projected to generate $4–6 million annually, along with other community benefits — nothing to sneeze at as the town weighs what could be the largest override in state history on May 5.

But several members, including John VanScoyoc, questioned whether the rezoning should be limited to the City Realty site. Others warned broader upzoning could mean “giving up leverage” on future projects.

Town Administrator Chas Carey pushed back, saying that clearer, proactive zoning would reduce uncertainty and make Brookline more attractive to development.

(Newton folks may want to watch Carey’s remarks linked above for a comment he makes about a conversation with Mayor Laredo.)

The board will continue refining the proposal ahead of a May 26 Town Meeting

Friday grab bag

• What’s not to like about this? Cabot’s Ice Cream and Farm Grill have teamed up to create a Baklava ice cream. (Newton Beacon)
  
  
• If you’re a Brookline business or commercial property owner, we’d like to know how you feel about the upcoming property tax override.   Need to know how much your taxes will go up? Use thus online calculator  Check Brookline.News’ FAQ page for more on the May 5 vote.
  
  
• Some Boston-area restaurants are considering adding a standard gratuity to customer bills during the FIFA World Cup, aiming to avoid confusion among international visitors unfamiliar with American tipping culture. (NBC10)
  
  
• Heidi Frail was reelected Needham Select Board chair by her colleagues after Cathy Dowd was nominated but declined due to to the expected demands of a new job she will be starting in the fall. (Needham Observer)
  
  
• AG Andrea Joy Campbell co-led a coalition of 16 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief opposing the Department of Homeland Security’s attempt to strip Temporary Protected Status from Somali immigrants.  
• Glad to see Beth Sullivan Woods has been reappointed to be the Wellesley Select Board’s liaison to the business community by Chair Marjorie Freiman this week. It’s a title she held previously until it was unceremoniously dropped in 2022. Sullivan Woods never stopped championing the town’s small businesses.
  
  
• The Halal Guys’ grand opening on 55 Needham St. in Newton is tomorrow  (April 18). (Newton Patch)
  
  
• The Green Line will be shut down and replaced with shuttle buses between Kenmore and Cleveland Circle on the C Line May 6-17. D-Line services will be increased service during the C Line shutdown.  Riders who usually get on and off at Cleveland Circle are encouraged to use the Reservoir stop on the D Line. (MassLive)
  
  
• Retired astronaut and Needham High grad Sunita Williams will be among Monday’s 32,000 Boston Marathon runners. And here’s our list of the 85 runners racing on behalf of a chamber member nonprofit.
  
  
• Chapman Construction/Design will host an "Introduction to LEED v5" event on May 7, at their Newton office. This session will cover the latest updates to green building standards. Register
  
  
• Commemorate the 112th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Newton City Hall lawn, April 24 at 5 p.m. to honor the memory of those who died and to celebrate the rich heritage of the Armenian people.
  
  
• Save the date for our 9th Annual Needham Night on Wed. Aug. 12 (5:30–7:30 p.m.) at TripAdvisor's Needham campus amphitheater, with more details to come.
  
  
• Newton Neighbors’ 5th Annual Mother’s Day Diaper Drive is underway. Last year they were able to distribute 53,000 diapers, fulfilling more than 790 requests from families needing support to purchase this expensive yet essential item.
  
  
• Stroll around  Wellesley’s Church and Linden Squares for Wellesley in Bloom on Sat. May 2. Discover over 50 pop up experiences and activities.
  
  
• Can I buy you lunch? Refer a Brookline business to the chamber and when they join, we’ll thank you with a $25 gift card to a chamber-member restaurant of your choice

Marathon Monday road closures in our communites

Wellesley

• Roads close 8:30 a.m.~3:30 p.m.
• Course follows Central St. (Rt. 135) from Natick through Wellesley Square, then Washington St. (Rt. 16) to Newton
• Only vehicle crossing: Route 9 (Worcester St.) under Rt. 16
• More info from the Town of Wellesley

Newton

• Roads close 8 a.m.~6 p.m.
• Route runs Washington St./Rt. 16 from Lower Falls, then Commonwealth Ave. to Boston College
• See Fig City News for parking/tow details

Brookline

• Roads close 8 a.m.~6 p.m.
• Course runs along Beacon St.; no vehicle crossings during closures
• No parking on Beacon St. starting 4 p.m. Sunday; pedestrian/bike crossings limited 1–3 p.m.
• More info from the Town of Brookline.

Needham results signals limits to anti-growth message

Finally today, housing and growth were not the only issues in this week’s Needham Town election.

Still, the candidates aligned with the group that successfully overturned Needham’s ambitious MBTA Communities Housing Plan in a 2025 refferendum fell short a little more than one year later.

Two open Select Board seats went to incumbent Cathy Dowd and Bill Dermody, both one-time supporters of the voter-rejected go-big plan. They handily defeated Rich Adduci, who ran a campaign focused on skepticism about how the town has handled MBTA Communities compliance and the Great Plain Ave. redesign.

The Planning Board contest tells a similar story. Oscar Mertz, a leader of the Needham Housing Coalition and a face of last year's Yes campaign, topped Gary Lesanto who’se campaign leaned heavily on Mertz’ role drafting the go-big plan.

This continues the trend from last spring’s election, where another architect of the rejected plan, Select Board Chair Heidi Frail, won too.

That’s what you need to know for today —  Bill Russell became the NBA’s first Black coach 60 years ago today — unless you need to know is your phone listening to you?

Enjoy the long weekend.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

Looking for an earlier edition? Archive here