A proposal to renovate the former Cedar Grove Gardens property on Adams Street and re-open it as a nail salon was roundly rejected by neighbors who attended a virtual abutters meeting on Monday evening to discuss the plan.
The longtime garden center and gift shop at 911 Adams St. closed in Jan. 2024. The property itself changed hands in 2018 when Peter Lee acquired it from Richard O’Mara, who had operated the floral business across from the gates of Cedar Grove Cemetery since 1979. O’Mara has since opened up a smaller shop in a Dorchester Avenue retail space near Ashmont station.
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The proposal requires a change in use from the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals, since nail salons are not included in permitted uses for the site. Monday evening’s abutters meeting, organized by the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, was a required step before the proposal can be brought before the zoning board.
More than 70 residents joined the Zoom call, which included comments from Attorney Ryan Spitz, who represents the owners and gave an overview of the plan. The property owner’s son, Stephen Lee, was also on the call. Spitz noted the building has sat empty for more than two years, placing a financial burden on the Lees.
The proposal would renovate roughly 2,740 square feet on the first floor to include manicure and pedicure stations, waxing rooms, hair services and nine on-site parking spaces. No changes are proposed for the second floor, Spitz said.
Architectural drawings show the former garden center’s yard being re-purposed to accommodate parking for up to nine vehicles.
Neighbors like Patty McMahon from the Cedar Grove Civic Association and Adams Street resident Katherine Lee questioned what the building’s second floor would be used for, noting that Peter Lee had, allegedly, previously informed neighbors that his sisters were the prospective tenants. This led McMahon, Lee and others to believe the second floor would be used as residential space for the sisters, an assumption that was voiced multiple times throughout the meeting.
While one Milton Street resident did speak in favor of the proposal as a lower-impact alternative to other potential uses, the overwhelming sentiment from those on the call was opposition — with many urging the owners to rethink the nail salon idea.
“I feel like we’re inundated with nail salons,” said Dorchester resident Nicola Dillon, who said the neighborhood would be better served by a gathering space such as a café or childcare facility.
Adams Street resident Steve Bickerton, Jr. acknowledged the owner’s financial concerns but was blunt in his assessment:
“It’s just not a good fit clearly… the dozens and dozens of people on this call that are going to say the same thing make that very clear,” said Bickerton.
Richview Street resident and owner of D and E Construction in Milton, Ergun Merdin mirrored this acknowledgement, saying, “We feel bad for them, but they made a business decision. So…a hardship does not necessarily need to be shared by the rest of the neighborhood.”
Several abutters said Adams Street and surrounding side streets are already congested, with limited parking and heavy traffic tied to nearby transit and cemetery activity. Others warned the business could intensify safety risks at a busy intersection.
Other nearby residents said the former garden center served as a lower-impact use that complemented nearby Cedar Grove Cemetery.
“A nail salon does not add to anything,” said Rangeley Street resident Renie Smith.
Some suggested housing as a more appropriate alternative, citing Boston’s ongoing housing shortage and the site’s current residential zoning. The garden business that existed on the site for nearly five decades also needed special zoning exemptions to open back in the 1970s, Spitz noted.
“This is a two-family residential zoned lot,” said abutter Glenne Jackson. “This is not zoned for a commercial business.”
Neighbors also vented complaints about poor property maintenance by the Lees since O’Mara left the site, including a recent lack of snow removal and poor communication with neighbors. Stephen Lee said he was newly involved in overseeing the property, but pledged to meet with neighbors, share his contact information, and address maintenance issues moving forward.
“I’m listening to every single comment,” Lee said. “I’ll take everything into consideration.”
Spitz said that no final decisions have been made and that the proposal remains early in the community review process. He noted the owner could potentially reconsider the project based on Monday’s feedback, including exploring residential options, which would require restarting the zoning process.
“This neighborhood is speaking loudly,” Spitz acknowledged at the close of the meeting.
If it did proceed as a nail salon proposal, it would likely go before the Cedar Grove Civic Association before a potential ZBA hearing is scheduled.
Reporter editor Bill Forry and student journalist Nevaeh Berenato contributed to this report.
