A lifelong resident of Ward 8, Holly Ryan is running for re-election as Ward Councilor, a seat that is elected by the voters of Ward 8. She spoke recently with Fig City News.
First elected to the Newton City Council in 2019, Ms Ryan sits on the Zoning and Planning Committee and the Programs and Services Committee. Ms. Ryan said she was recruited to run for City Council by Ward 8 residents when her predecessor, Cheryl Lappin, decided not to run for re-election. At the time, Ms Ryan was most concerned about a wave of teardowns of modest houses in Ward 8. Before running for the City Council, Ms. Ryan was (and is) politically involved at the state level, as a member of the Democratic State Committee and co-chair of its LGBTQ+ Outreach Subcommittee. As well, she was a co-founder of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, which pushed for the state’s ban on transgender discrimination.
Ms Ryan is a proponent of the Village Center Redesign Project, having worked on the policy as a member of the Zoning and Planning Committee. She said the entire process of developing the Village Center zoning has been an exercise in compromise. She said there were differences within the Council on the proper building heights in the village centers but said that the building height maximum of 3.5 to 4.5 stories was a good compromise.She emphasized the importance of compromise in politics and of working with people with whom one disagrees.
She sees multiple potential benefits from the Village Center Redesign Project, including more housing and a chance to re-invigorate the village centers, which she said, are “tired.. She’s an advocate for vibrant village centers, which she said should include more housing and a wide variety of venues, such as supermarkets, restaurants, and pharmacies. She said that each village center has different needs, and the discussions in City Council have sought to reflect that. Larger village center buildings with several floors of housing provide the density needed to support more varied retail establishments. As well, she believes that a greater variety of businesses in the village centers can encourage people to live there without needing cars.
Ms. Ryan stated that there is a large need for affordable housing and said that to build housing that is truly affordable for most requires financial contributions at the city, state, and federal levels. She spoke favorably of the West Newton Armory housing development and the Newton Affordable Housing Trust, but said they are only a start, and much more is needed.
Regarding her elected role, she said that constituent service is the number one job for a Ward Councilor, and this includes actions such as helping residents with potholes, raised sidewalks, and fallen cable and electrical wires. She said she works as a team with the two Ward 8 Councilors-at-Large for some local projects such as park and playground improvements. She said her long experience in politics has brought her many personal connections at the state level that help her do her job.
Her campaign website is hollyryan.squarespace.com.