I recently sent the letter below to Mayor Fuller and the City Council. I am hoping that others interested in these issues will speak out as well.
Dear Mayor Fuller and Dear Council Members:
The Dudley Road Estate is an opportunity for the City of Newton to practice what it preaches about the value of woods and trees as an environmental resource and public good in the face of a blatantly urgent climate crisis.
I have lived in Newton for 32 years and have never before seen the level of development — both large projects and single family tear downs — that is currently projected and underway in our city.
When will it be enough? Is there concern about this? Is anyone proposing that the Dudley property — at the very least the 13 acres of “vacant” land — be preserved in its natural state as a carbon sink to counterbalance all the development?
Development, no matter the window dressing of “affordable housing,” means money for a city. I understand that. But if we are serious about addressing climate change we need less development and more trees, we need to value open land left intact, we need a strong tree ordinance in place and a moratorium on cutting trees in the interim — in other words, we need a total re-ordering of our priorities.
The Dudley Road Estate is a rare opportunity for Newton to begin to do just that.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Claire Nivola
