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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Updated: Does Magoun Need New Wings?



514A Medford Street, former Basil Tree location, is now sporting a ZBA meeting notice sign informing us that a fast order food establishment called King of Wings is seeking a special permit to modify the parking requirements. As of right now, there is nothing available for plans, reports or agendas.

Update: The agenda has been posted for this meeting.

Some business owners are voicing their concern that another establishment like this could take business away from such places as Caprese, Pini's and White Sport. I, personally, like to give a business opportunity to anyone, but not at the expense of a present establishment. At this point, no community meeting has been requested. What are your thoughts?

Magoun Square is on the uptick with great new openings such as Daddy Jones Bar and an Alterations/Tailor shop and is looking to further expand with a fruit/vegetable/meat market at the former Cara Donna location, as well as, the K2 Beer and Wine store.

The word around the ward is that it is a former employee of a Magoun Square business owner that is looking to open his own establishment. This is a similar story to the opening of the Natural Market (which is neither Natural nor a market) that also provides lottery. The proprietor of this storefront learned the lottery business from a current business owner and moved on to open his own place, surprisingly, in close proximity to his former employer. Who knew Magoun was a place of such competition?

The meeting is set for one week from today at 6pm in City Hall. Please call or check online ahead of time as these requests are sometimes continued to a later date.

7 comments:

Charlie said...

Sounds great to me!

The variance for parking should be granted too, since I believe the zoning says when a new business moves in it needs to provide X number off-street spaces, including for old buildings where there isn't any physical room for parking on the site! Plus, it's better for the business district to use public shared parking anyhow, rather than each business having parking only for that business and potentially breaking up the streetscape.

Anonymous said...

I realized something as I read this. While I regularly got to White Sport (probably once a day over the holidays and once or twice a week in general) and sometimes to Pini's or Caprese, I never go to them for wings. I stay in Somerville, but go outside of Magoun Square for them. So while I am not sure what it would do to current busniesses over all, it would not have much impact on how much I frequent the other businesses.

Brendan

Anonymous said...

Caprese, Pini's, and White Sport can feel free to decrease their prices or improve their quality to compete with this new place as far as I'm concerned.

Anonymous said...

I don't think it will work given the current storefronts.

Ward Five said...

A link to the agenda was added in the post.

Anonymous said...

People need to consider the chance this person is taking in an already established food market within the square. I say we welcome them in with open arms. If the quality and prices are good it can only mean good things for the customer. A little cometition is always a good thing. Its keeps everyone honest. As for the K2 Beer & Wine store, I think we can do alot better than another liquor store in Somerville. There are already enough drunks walking and driving the streets already!!

Anonymous said...

oh we can consider the chance they are taking...know why? We have considered it before with a bunch of other food businesses that opened and then left.

With rumors that Woody's is leaving, we may need that service in the square.