Keeping our community clean and safe

Maintaining an attractive, clean, and safe community is the responsibility of all residents, as well as management. Here are some persistent issues that warrant our attention: 

Personal items: Storage or placement of personal items is not allowed in common areas. Please do not leave anything outside of your condo or storage unit, in garage spaces, in stairwells, or in other common areas.
 
Speed limit: The speed limit in our community is ten miles per hour. Not only is speeding dangerous to others, but speeding over the cobblestones creates loud noise. Be considerate of your neighbors whose units face the driveway and always be aware of pedestrians and animals.

Gym cleanliness: Our cleaning contractor, Juan, is devoting too much time to keeping the gym clean. It’s the users’ responsibility to clean up after using the gym, including wiping down all equipment. Our state-of-the-art fitness center is an exceptional amenity for everyone’s enjoyment. Let’s do a better job of keeping it that way.

Dog licenses, pet cleanup, DCR park:

• All City of Boston dog licenses expired on March 31, 2023. For the safety and security of all residents, our regulations require you to provide the Association with proof of a current City of Boston dog license each year. Please forward a copy of your current license to the Management office, if you have not already done so.
• While we understand pet accidents may occur in the building from time to time, it is the responsibility of pet owners to clean up after their pets both inside and outside the building.
• Although the DCR park adjacent to Baker Square is not the property of the Association, it is used frequently by residents. DCR regulations state that dogs must be always on leashes.

Unit Owner Information Form: Several owners have not submitted their unit owner information form. The last request for information was in August 2017 and the Board is requiring owners to submit the form now to ensure accuracy, even if the information has not changed. If you have not already done so, please submit the form to the Management Office.

Have you scheduled your heat pump preventive maintenance (PM)? Each unit owner is responsible for having a professional maintenance service performed on all heat pumps within their unit. The manufacturer recommends that this be completed at least twice per year: a cooling checkup in the spring, and a heating maintenance service call in the fall.

Spring maintenance is extremely important to prevent the condensate pans from overflowing and damaging your unit and/or the units below yours. We have had several incidents in past years with condensate pans overflowing and causing significant damage. The condensate drains are connected in the risers. Each owner should be doing their part to ensure the condensate drains work as they should. During the spring maintenance, the HVAC technicians will clean and clear your drain line, allowing the condensation to drain freely.

If your condensate pan overflows, you could be responsible for costly emergency HVAC services in your unit, and those below you could suffer serious damage. Prevention is key! Please note that if the HVAC technician does not pull your heat pump out of the cabinet, they are not able to perform the correct maintenance. Management is working to update the heat pump maintenance checklist and it will soon be available for unit owners to share with their vendors.

The photo illustrates how a poorly performed PM (or no PM) can cause extensive floor and wall damage, requiring remediation and floor replacement.

Join your neighbors for the Neponset River Spring Cleanup
Saturday, April 22

Resident Claire Hughes is a captain who is organizing a cleanup of the site around the bike path adjacent to our property and Central Avenue as part of the Neponset River Spring Cleanup sponsored by the Neponset River Watershed Association. Rain or shine, it’s scheduled for Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., but any time you can give is appreciated! Comfortable “cleanup” clothing (long pants, sturdy shoes, and favorite work gloves, if you have them) and protection (insect repellent, sunblock) are recommended. We’ll have pickers, bags, and other supplies.

If interested, contact Claire at claire[email protected] to sign up.  If you have already signed up online, meet up with the volunteers at the park near the green bridge.

Dorchester Artists from the 17th to the 20th Centuries
Virtual, Saturday, April 15, 3:00 p.m.

Co-sponsored by the BPL-Lower Mills and the Dorchester Historical Society, this virtual event will be presented by Earl Taylor, President of the Dorchester Historical Society. Registration is required for this free event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Ashmont Hill Chamber Music presents Soundscapes of India
Sunday, April 16, 4:00 p.m., Peabody Hall, 209 Ashmont Street, Dorchester
For more information and tickets.

Dorchester Lower Mills Civic Association
Tuesday, April 18, 7:00 p.m., St Gregory’s school auditorium, 2212 Dorchester Avenue

The Civic Association normally meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Meetings are hybrid – on Zoom or in person. For more information.

15^th Annual Taste of Dorchester 
Thursday, April 27, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Local 103 IBEW, 256 Freeport Street 

Benefiting the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA), Taste of Dorchester is a night of fabulous food and community camaraderie featuring 21 local restaurants and chefs, live jazz, silent auction, raffle and prizes, and free parking. Tickets are $50. Register online.

Stay tuned – Dorchester Food Coop to open this spring

Located at the corner of Bowdoin Street and Topliff Street, the Dorchester Food Coop stems from a grassroots initiative to establish a community and worker-owned grocery store that makes healthy food accessible and advances economic opportunity through neighborhood engagement. Learn more and join.  

Dorchester Day Parade
Sunday, June 4

This annual celebration of Dorchester’s settlement in 1630 is held the first Sunday in June, rain or shine. The parade starts at 1:00 p.m. on the corner of Dorchester Avenue and Washington Street, and travels 3.2 miles up Dorchester Avenue to Columbia Road.