Community Notepad: Tony’s Notes (August 2, 2026)

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Notes

State Primary: Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Voter Registration Deadline: Saturday, August 22, 2026

For the State Primary, any absentee request by mail must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. If you qualify, you have until Monday, August 31 at 12 p.m. to vote absentee in person in the Boston Election Department Office, City Hall 241.

Early Voting: Saturday, August 22 through Friday, August 28 (Locations and Times TBD)

Applications to request a vote-by-mail ballot must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, for the State Primary on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

To access the Accessible Electronic Voting system, you must first submit a complete Vote by Mail application.

Allston Brighton Voter Registration Drive

“Democracy is not a spectator sport”

The Voter Registration Deadline for the September 1, 2026 State Primary Election is Saturday, August 22, In Person 5 pm; Online 11:59 pm; Postmarked by August 22. voteinma.com

Events

Celebrate 2026 National Night Out

(Flyer Attached)

12 Brighton Avenue (Blue Sakura) Abutters Meeting

Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services · Tuesday, August 4, 2026, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm · Virtual via Zoom

Seeking common victualler all alcohol license with closing time of 12AM.

The purpose of this meeting is to get community input and listen to the resident’s positions on this proposal.

Meeting ID: 165 793 0523

Please note, the City does not represent the occupant(s)/developer(s)/attorney(s)/applicant(s).

Email Contact: Sigurgeir Jonson (sigurgeir.jonson@boston.gov)

Allston Construction Mitigation Subcommittee Meeting

Tuesday, August 4, 2026 @ 6:00 pm · Virtual via Zoom

Chaired by Harvard Allston Task Force (HATF) member Ed Kotomori, this subcommittee invites developer construction mitigation and community relations staff, Boston Police Department District 14, local and state elected officials and their representatives, and local North Allston neighbors, to discuss issues surrounding construction and safety issues in the neighborhood. All are welcome to attend and contribute.

Email Contact: Priscilla Anderson (prilla32@gmail.com)

Park Fitness Kick It by Eliza with Olivia

Tuesday, August 4, 2026, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm · Repeats weekly, May 5 – August 25, 2026

Participate in FREE fitness classes offered by one of our certified instructors. Our classes are a partnership between the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Boston Public Health Commission. The series is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

Kick It is a music-driven, kickboxing-inspired fitness method with 13 rounds. The class brings high intensity interval training with kickboxing, boxing, rhythmic components and a meditative cool down. All levels welcome! All you need is a yoga mat, sneakers, water, and yourself.

Click the link below to sign up for the class on Eventbrite, which will allow you to add it to your calendar and receive updates, if there are changes or cancellations due to weather, etc.

Brighton Common, 30 Chestnut Hill Ave, Brighton, MA 02135 · Contact: Jennifer Misiaszek

Licensing Board Virtual Transactional Hearing

Wednesday, August 5, 2026 @ 10:00 am · Register for the meeting

2. SM International Inc d/b/a Khau Galli
38 Brooks St, Brighton, MA 02135 · License #: LB-615751
Holder of a Common Victualler has petitioned to change the Closing Hours of the licensed business from: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM To: 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM

3. Stage Karaoke, LLC
138 Brighton Av, Allston, MA 02134 · License #: LB-99011
Holder of a Common Victualler 7 Day All-Alcoholic Beverages License has petitioned to change the d/b/a of the licensed business — To: Viva Karaoke & Studios.
Attorney: Dennis A. Quilty

10. LLH, LLC d/b/a Trader Joe’s
199 N Harvard St, Allston, MA 02134 · License #: LB-314275
Holder of a Retail Package Store All-Alcoholic Beverages License has petitioned to change the manager of the licensed business — From: Brian Thomas Foote To: Linnea Spear

11. Brighton Ma Lodge 2199 BPOE of the USA Inc. d/b/a Protective Order of Elks
326 Washington St, Brighton, MA 02135 · License #: LB-98793
Holder of a Club All-Alcoholic Beverages License has petitioned to change the manager of the licensed business — From: Christopher Turowsky To: Casey Long.
Attorney: Curt F. Bletzer

17. AHF Speedway Holdings, LLC d/b/a Charles River Speedway
1420–1440 Soldiers Field Rd, Brighton, MA 02135 · License #: LB-464491
Holder of a Common Victualler 7 Day All-Alcoholic Beverages License has petitioned for the approval of a Management Agreement between AHF Speedway Holdings, LLC and To The Races, LLC

Email Contact: wendy.law@boston.gov

Brighton Farmer’s Market

(Flyer Attached)

Boston University IMP Extension/Renewal Task Force and Public Meeting

Boston Planning Department · Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

This is a Task Force and public meeting for the proposed Institutional Master Plan extension/renewal for Boston University, located in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the overall Institutional Master Plan and the potential impacts. The meeting will include a presentation followed by questions and comments from the Task Force and the public.

Register: bosplans.org/BUTFpub
Meeting ID: 165 235 2500 · Toll-Free Call-in: 833.568.8864
Email Contact: tyler.c.ross@boston.gov

201-207 Brighton Avenue Public Meeting

Boston Planning Department · Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

This is a virtual Impact Advisory Group (IAG) / Public Meeting for the proposed project at 201-207 Brighton Avenue, located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an update of the project to the Impact Advisory Group and public in order to gather comments and feedback for the development team.

Registration Link: bosplans.org/201BrightonAveIAG
Meeting ID: 165 588 6077
Email Contact: dan.polanco@boston.gov

Public Meeting on Update to Dimensional Definitions and Code Structure

Boston Planning Department · Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The Planning Department is hosting a public meeting to present on a zoning amendment to Update to Dimensional Definitions and Code Structure.

This amendment to the Zoning Code is focused on updating the zoning definitions for dimensional requirements, such as building height, yards, building lot coverage, and more. This amendment updates these dimensional definitions to make them easier to understand and better aligned with current practice and city planning goals. This includes adding visual diagrams, simplifying language, and updating how some dimensions are measured. This amendment will also simplify the structure of the Code to remove redundant text, streamline articles, and delete unused definitions. This is part of the City’s broader goal of modernizing the Zoning Code so it is easier to read and understand.

Registration: bosplans.org/DimDefs-080526
Meeting ID: 165 629 5801
Email Contact: maya.kattler-gold@boston.gov

Parks Fitness Family Yoga with Maryssa

Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm · Repeats weekly, May 6 – August 26, 2026

Join us for an invigorating outdoor yoga class dedicated to cultivating core strength and enhancing workable flexibility. These sessions will focus on engaging and strengthening your abdominal muscles through a series of dynamic poses and mindful breathing exercises. As you flow through each movement, you’ll work to improve your flexibility, enabling greater ease and grace reaching your personal fitness goals!

Portsmouth Street Playground, 35 Portsmouth St, Brighton, MA 02135 · Contact: Jennifer Misiaszek

Age Strong Advocate Hours with Daisy

(Flyer Attached)

Office Hours: Updates to Dimensional Definitions and Code Structure

Boston Planning Department · Thursday, August 6, 2026, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm · Virtual

Please join staff from the Planning Department at our virtual office hours!

This will be a space to drop-in and talk with our staff about the Updates to Dimensional Definitions and Code Structure.

There are no formal presentations or planned agenda items at these office hours, so we ask that you review the information and materials available on our initiative page and come prepared with any questions that you have.

Office hours are held on a sign-up basis – if there are no sign-ups for an office hour session six (6) hours before the start of that session, then it will be canceled for the day.

Registration: bosplans.org/DimDefsOfficeHours
Email Contact: maya.kattler-gold@boston.gov

Allston Brighton BNBL Tournament

(Flyer Attached)

West End House Scholarship Reception

(Flyer Attached)

Residency Final Event

Unbound Visual Arts · Friday, August 7, 2026, 6:00–8:00 pm

On August 7th, we’ll be hosting the last event for Essay, an installation project by J. Grace Giordano, our 2026 Artist-in-Residence!

Over the course of the residency, the space has been built, edited, and revised using a set of systems pulled from linguistics, creating a new, daily iteration of the evolving installation work. View the installation in its final stage on the 7th, and engage with a printed, written, and photographic archive recording the project’s changes throughout the residency.

RSVP: eventbrite.com

Intro-To-Bluebikes Group Ride!

(Flyer Attached)

Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation (CDC) Block Party

(Flyer Attached)

Performance: Francesco Barone

Unbound Visual Arts · Sunday, August 9, 2026 @ 3:00 pm

Presenting an afternoon of classical guitar, award-winning guitarist Francesco Barone has performed widely across the United States as a soloist and chamber musician. He has been featured by guitar societies, including the Boston Classical Guitar Society and The New England Guitar Society. As a prizewinner of the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society Guitar Competition, his performances have also been broadcast on NPR. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts and a Master of Music from The Hartt School, University of Hartford and currently teaches at Saint Anselm College.

Stay for some *ice cold* refreshments following the performance!

Note: The performance will take place on the main level of the building, not in the gallery.

Reserve your spot: eventbrite.com

Updates

Zoning Board of Appeal Hearing

Inspectional Services Department · Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Recommendations — 9:30 am

Case: BOA-1851194 · 16 High Rock Way, Ward 21 · Applicant: Macro Construction
Article(s): Article 51, Section 9 Rear Yard Insufficient · Article 51, Section 9 Side Yard Insufficient · Article 51, Section 9 Front Yard Insufficient
Purpose: Kitchen addition Front vestibule addition Back Addition for master bathroom and office space
Outcome: Motion to approve subcommittee recommendations was accepted.

Public Comments

Want to know more about the planning initiatives that are happening in Allston-Brighton? Check out The Boston Planning & Development Agency’s (BPDA) planning website bostonplans.org to stay informed and learn about opportunities to comment. It is important to share direct community feedback about what is needed to make Allston-Brighton a great place to live and work now and in the future!

Penniman Road Play Area Improvements (Survey)

Take the survey

Cleveland Circle Intersection and Safety Improvements (Feedback)

Submit feedback

Leo M. Birmingham Park 25% Design Development Public Meeting 7/23/2026 (Comment Period End August 6, 2026)

mass.gov — Leo M. Birmingham Park Meeting
mass.gov — DCR Public Comments

185 Corey Road (SPRA Comment Period End August 11, 2026)

bostonplans.org — 185 Corey Road

Boston University Charles River Campus Institutional Master Plan (IMPNF Comment Period End August 21, 2026)

bostonplans.org — BU Charles River Campus IMP