I am writing to give feedback on the village zoning project. I have been watching development in Newton for 48 years and am very upset at the damage that is being done to the city. The unrestrained demolitions of smaller houses that are replaced with gigantic and expensive duplexes have reduced our architectural and economic diversity. There have been five such demolitions within one block of my house. Historically important homes have been razed, some despite “promises” from developers. There has been absolutely no effective response to this ongoing attack on the quality of life here.
There has been an astonishing lack of transparency in this process. The overloaded and confusing “zoning presentation” at the library is all smoke and mirrors that does not lay out the proposals in an understandable way. Most obviously, there is no info on which villages are considered small, medium, and large.
I have seen a draft list that categorizes Thompsonville as medium size. This is ludicrous! Thompson should be in the new category of tiny! Calling Thompsonville a medium-sized village makes it obvious that developers are driving this zoning effort: How many huge buildings along Route 9 can we developers build in Thompsonville?
I strongly urge you to revamp this effort so it’s honest, community-driven, and inclusive.
- Tell us which villages are considered small, medium, and large and what are the designation criteria.
- Approach the project to benefit the community, not developers.
- Respect the scale and nature of each village.
- Promote truly affordable housing.
- Preserve the architectural history of Newton and its diversity of housing.
- Be environmentally responsible.
We must have a transparent and community-focused zoning effort that is clear, effectively explained, and inclusive and give adequate time for residents to respond, not just six weeks.
Susan F. Tornheim