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Residents, police, city officials say no to later hours at Allston McDonald's

The smallish Tedeschi on Comm. Ave. at Harvard plans to move into the Kelly's Roast Beef space across Harvard.

The move, which will require approval of the Zoning Board of Appeals, prompted the owner of the McDonald's franchise on Harvard Avenue to seek city permission to extend his closing hour from 2 to 3 a.m., at a Boston Licensing Board hearing today.

Bob King, who owns ten McDonald's franchises in the city, said he's worried the new Tedeschi, which might seek to move its 24-hour license across the street, will stock the sort of hot food that might compete with his outlet's offerings - especially if they add tables and chairs to the large space.

"I think they're going to suck the wind out of our sales," he said. An extra hour would give him something approaching "parity" with Tedeschi, he said.

However, at a meeting of the Brighton Allston Improvement Association last month, Tedeschi officials said they are only seeking part of the Kelly's space and would sublease the rest.

King added that people flooding out of local bars at 2 a.m. need a place to eat, and noted that the T now runs late into the morning on Fridays and Sundays.

But that's just why the Allston Civic Association and Boston Police District D-14 opposed the time extension.

"If we start creating places for people to go when the bars close, they're not going to leave our neighborhood," Paul Berkeley, president of the Allston Civic Association said. Berkeley added the city has long bent over to try to accommodate students and other late-night types in Allston, but that it's time the city started considering the needs of long-time residents raising families in the neighborhood again.

Berkeley said King wasn't asking for mere parity, but for an advantage, one that could lead to more places seeking 3 a.m. closing times. He said the neighborhood's Burger King - at Brighton and Allston - shuts at midnight.

Sgt. Michael O'Hara of D-14 said the intersection of Harvard and Comm. Ave. is already one of his district's higher crime areas and that police are concerned that vagrants already congregating there would only see the extra hour as a chance to further gravitate there.

The mayor's office and City Councilor Mark Ciommo also opposed the extra hour for the McDonald's.

After hearing the strong opposition, King said, fine, he'll stick with 2 a.m. if that's what people want. However, he invited them down to take a look at his outlet and the vacant Kelly's to see what he sees.

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Comments

I think it says something profound about McDonald's food (which I eat more often than I should, I'll admit) that they're worried about the competition from a convenience store. Personally, I'm not sure a hot-dog-on-a-roller or a sub-wrapped-in-plastic is really going to tempt too many people away from a Quarter Pounder, but what do I know? The guy's probably worried that he'll have to hire more late-night staff because people won't want to wait in a long line at McDonald's if there's any other option available.

Also: I miss Riley's. :(

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about the pointless bureauracy in this City that a supermarket has to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals to take over a building formely occupied by a restaurant.

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McDonald's is a franchise, making it a small business and a big business at the same time. The owner is understandably concerned that a convenience store will siphon away customers buying coffee and snacks, because it will lower the value of his restaurant from perhaps $1.5 million to $1.4 million. Meanwhile adding hours to the schedule might add that $100k back.

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To vocalize my support for anything that even closely resembles a 24 hour city in Allston. I live across the street from this intersection. Boston is embarassing when it comes to late night activity. People from out of town can't believe it when they're visiting, "I thought Boston was a big city??" is frequently mentioned. Seriously, when are things going to change here? I am getting old........

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When more people other than just angry, scared, change phobic do nothings start attending meetings. So many people say they want things to change, but then the only people who go to meetings are the vocal minority who fear change of any kind. Ive been to meetings like this, the change-a-phobes scream and yell and then there are so few representatives of the majority of the city, those that want to do things after 10pm, or who don't think a new 4 story building in the neighborhood is going to ruin the planet, that the city takes the easy way out and declines to allow new things. Attend these meetings, get others to attend as well, and things will change. Or just comment on websites and nothing will change.

Seriously, when are things going to change here?

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Once the boomers die off (soon....soon) can we begin to take boston and other places to the 21st century where they deserve. Thank for nothing boomers

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That I am not thrilled about a Tedeschi in that location. Really, is that the best we can do? That's a high profile spot at a busy intersection right on the Green Line. I think a Trader Joes would even fit in there...

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Fuck off with trader joes.....

you people don't fucking get it. the minute you put a "trader joes" in there all of the locally owned produce shops that have been running for years will go out of business,

if you are a student who has a 4 year stay then your opinion is irrelevant.

NO wall marts, NO chain grocery stores. if you put in a big store that sells everything, then everything around it will suffer, fuck off

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When are the owners of the harvard avenue property going to take some pride. Harvard avenue looks like a dump its filthy it makes Allston look like a ghetto. Is there something the city can do to clean it up? Its sad to see it looking to junky when all the other neighborhoods have fixed up their main centers .

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Here's a picture of Mr. King saying the line in the fourth paragraph:

http://i.imgur.com/n9LkxyK.jpg

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"If we start creating places for people to go when the bars close, they're not going to leave our neighborhood,"

Uh wouldn't the same patrons of the bars be the same people who live nearby? Don't they deserve to get food before going home? So technically they aren't really leaving regardless.

Not sure seeing his point.

Sure Allston attracts non-Allstonites, but I think the vast majority of patrons LIVE in Allston and Brighton.

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I guess you've never ridden the B Line on a Friday or Saturday night, have you?

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Adam, are you referring to the Tedeschi's already at Harvard and Brighton moving into the Kelley's old space at Harvard and Comm?

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The tiny one.

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Oh wow. That one is so tiny I forgot all about it. Thanks for clarifying!

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You show me a family that lives between the Pike, Allston St, Star Market, and Comm Ave, and I'll blow you.

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And not all families are white, you know.

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(I don't want your "prize.")

There are plenty of (mostly Asian) families in that area.

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I know several families who live in that area, and have seen others around, in passing.

No 'prize' please.

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Don't confuse Will with facts. He's wicked fackin smaht, khed.

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There really aren't a whole lot of families in that area, can't think of a section of Boston with less actually.....

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I can think of half a dozen families in the GAP blocks alone. I know that there are quite a few families in the apartment buildings at 1-15 Linden, and there's a gentleman with three musical daughters who I think lives on Highgate - I frequently see him walking them up to the school bus stop in the morning, toting their instruments.

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Some areas off Moss Hill seem to be filled with old Yankee Types, but many of those kids go to private schools so maybe why the neighborhood is so quiet.

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I don't live in another section of Boston, and I have no idea how many families there are in Moss Hill. (Heck, I didn't even know where Moss Hill was until I looked it up.) I know my own neighborhood, and I know that there are many more families than you and LaTulippe give credit for.

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Despite the 6 families you know.

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You keep saying this, but you don't live there and I do. I personally know 6 families on just a couple of streets, and am aware of MANY more families who live on the streets I go down on my way to work, etc. And my point is this: THERE ARE FAMILIES THERE. I don't care if there are other neighborhoods with more families. I don't care whether or not there are families in some little neighborhood in JP. The argument that there are NO families living "between the Pike, Allston St, Star Market, and Comm Ave" is bullshit.

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Will isn't going down on anyone for finding a family that lives there. There aren't many, probably less than any other neighborhood in the City, maybe the state except for some retirement communities.

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I have no dog in this hunt, but I am demographically curious.

Twenty seconds later, I found all the numbers right here http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getatt...

Enjoy.

Allston has more families than Fenway, North End, and Mission Hill, and is tied with Longwood Medical Area.

p.s. to Adam: why wouldn't this link imbed?

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There are probably hundreds of kids that live in there. We are talking about the section Will mentioned. Although I admit, I thought he said linden st, not allston st. There are more families that live over there, but on the other side of Comm Ave.

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Phew! The quaint village of Allston would have lost so much charm if the McDonald's was allowed to stay open until 3am.

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I've drunkenly stumbled into this McDonalds many a time and I really don't see a need for it to stay open until 3am. The Tedeschi is already a few doors down so I doubt the move would impact the McDonalds' sales very much.
Also the workers won't be able to take public transit home if their shift ends at 3am. The only people who lose out are the bro's from BU and lets be honest, no one cares about them.

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One less good coffee place.

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