On Friday, for the first time since Covid, the members of the Charles River Regional Chamber gathered in-person for the Chamber’s Annual Fall Breakfast, filling the the Marriott’s Grand Ballroom in a sold-out event.
Mark Sokoll presented the Chamber’s highest honor, the R. L. Tennant award, to past Chair Linda Sloane Kay for her years of leadership and her ability to “accomplish the difficult and still have time for the impossible.” Among her accomplishments, he cited the Chamber’s effective response to Covid, expansion to include Wellesley and Watertown, and the Chamber’s rebranding. Linda Sloane Kay quoted her father, Marshall Sloane — founder of Century Bank and an earlier recipient of the same award — saying, “Wherever your business is located, be immersed in the community.”
Keynote speaker Jeff Speck — a nationally renowned city planner/urban designer advocating for more walkable cities — said that for people to choose walking, it must be “useful, safe, comfortable and interesting.” He discussed projects in Newton along Washington Street and at Riverside (Mark Development is a client of his), explaining how a revised design for Riverside now has less parking, lower buildings, and office/lab space replacing earlier plans for a housing tower and hotel. He praised Newton’s work in “form-based” zoning for village centers and, while making a pointed comparison between the Newton Centre Triangle and a Walmart parking lot, sketched an alternative design with more green space and improved traffic flow. He favors the use of roundabouts (not rotaries!).
Chamber President Greg Reibman — whom Mark Sokoll called “the most successful Chamber president east of the Pacific Ocean” — moderated a panel discussion with the chief executives of the Chamber’s four communities: Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Needham Manager Kate Fitzpatrick, Watertown Manager George Proakis, and Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop. Mayor Fuller noted that Newton will soon get its first roundabout and spoke about the Riverside and Northland projects and Village Center zoning. When asked about how the City can incorporate the views of those who do not yet live in Newton, she said it’s important to listen carefully to those who currently live in the community, “making sure we’re hearing from everyone,” specifically noting Newton’s efforts to listen to voices of people with lower incomes, people of color, and those in LGBTQ communities. She said that while “we need to fine-tune” traffic patterns in West Newton square, data has shown that the recent redesign has made the village more walkable, with fewer accidents. In closing, she urged the members of the business community to get involved at all levels — “state, Chamber, city, village, and block.”
Fig City News is a member of the Charles River Regional Chamber.
