Nineteen Newton City Councilors submitted this letter urging Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Chair of the House Committee Ways and Means Committee, to support a $75,000 funding request (Budget Amendment #1005) submitted by State Representative Kay Khan, for a needs assessment for the DCR building located at 107 Charles Street in Auburndale. The building has been used to host substance abuse recovery meetings since the early 1970s. Alcoholics Anonymous has regularly hosted 12-step recovery meetings serving state employees and residents in Newton and surrounding communities in the Greater Boston and the Metrowest area. According to the letter, the building has been in declining condition due to budget constraints over the years and Councilors suggest “the need to maintain this building as a location for recovery meetings is “even more urgent” particularly “with the plan for the nearby Hotel Indigo to become a shelter for homeless families.” The Councilors join with AA Groups and the Riverside Greenway Working Group in “preserving this building as part of a master plan for the park and serving a combination of uses.”
