Condo Media - November 2022 - 38

Volunteer Spotlight
You Can Fight City Hall
Relentless Dedication Earns John Scarpaci
Recognition as Manager of the Year [By Pamela Schweppe]
There's an old saying that
you can't fight City Hall. That's
not always true. Sometimes,
you can actually win. Just ask
John Scarpaci; he's battled
City Hall twice - and won
both times.
Scarpaci serves as a property
manager for Thayer &
Associates AMO, agent for
Bishops Forest Condominium
Trust of Waltham, Mass.
The 269-unit Bishops Forest
is set on more than 70 acres
of wooded countryside within
the city limits. The majority
of these units were built during
the 1980s, when it was
common for associations to
be made responsible for their
own trash pickup.
When condominium owners
are taxed like other property
owners but are denied some
municipal services, the unfairness
is obvious. According to
Carolyn Rosen, a trustee for
Bishops Forest, the association tried for many years to have
the city take over trash pickup at the complex to no avail,
until Scarpaci came along.
" Maybe 80% of condominiums in Massachusetts have to
JOHN SCARPACI
Property Manager, Thayer & Associates, Inc., AMO
Scarpaci partnered with
LaFauci to develop a plan and
gain the support of the city
mayor. At the mayor's recommendation,
he also hired an
attorney specializing in zoning
and land-use issues.
Upon his election, LaFauci
honored his promise to pursue
the issue, but it languished for
a year because of the COVID
lockdown. In March 2021,
however, he made a presentation
to the city council, which
voted nearly unanimously to
approve trash pickup services
for Bishops Forest. Scarpaci
finally was successful on
behalf of his client. " It all
came together well, " he says.
" John spent a lot of his
time after hours on the phone
talking to the mayor and to
the ward council, and he made
inroads. He was able to get it
done, which is something that
we couldn't do, " says Rosen.
pay for their own trash, " Scarpaci estimates. " That can be a
large budget item today. " Figuring out ways to save money for
his client is always a priority for him, so he decided to tackle
the issue head-on, even if the obstacle was City Hall.
He's battled City Hall twice -
and won both times.
It happened that Anthony LaFauci was running for city
councilor in Waltham's Ward 1, where Bishops Forest is located.
36 CONDOMEDIA November 2022
" We've lived here for over 25 years, and it's been an ongoing
issue. It's nice that he's been able to accomplish it. "
That's not Scarpaci's only win on behalf of Bishops Forest.
The complex also has a semi-private pool, which requires a
city permit. Under the terms of the original permit, Bishops
Forest was required to have an attendant at the pool seven
days a week - far more than was needed. With the help of the
association's attorney, Scarpaci petitioned the city councilors
and the health department to reduce the pool attendant
requirement to weekends only. Once again, he was successful.
" He was able to get the city to see that it wasn't necessary, "
says Rosen.
As a result of his efforts on behalf of Bishops Forest,
Scarpaci was honored with the Manager of the Year award
at CAI-NE's annual banquet in March. Notes Rosen, who
nominated Scarpaci for the award, it was well deserved.
Condo Media - November 2022

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