On October 16, Ward 1 City Councilors Alison Leary and Maria Scibeli Greenberg, and Zoning and Planning (ZAP) Committee Chair Councilor Deb Crossley, docketed an item for the October 26 ZAP meeting to allow the current Nonantum VCOD plan to be removed from consideration. Instead, the plan would be referred to the Planning Department “to consider rezoning certain manufacturing districts adjacent to the village of Nonantum, to appropriate uses and scale, relative to the proximity to the village center.” The plans for the original area along Watertown Street representing the heart of the Nonantum business and residential area has ignited considerable local opposition. Many area business owners argued that they would not withstand the financial burden of relocation during development and construction. They also expressed concern that they could not afford higher rents in newly developed mixed-use buildings. At the October 26 ZAP meeting to finalize the VCOD and send it to the entire City Council, the members voted to remove Nonantum from the proposal.
Fran Yerardi, principal in Bay State Properties and an organizer of the Nonantum business community, and Terry Sauro, who chairs the Nonantum Neighborhood Association, urged City Councilors to consider the large, underused manufacturing zone behind Watertown Street as a more desirable area for mixed-use development. “We need more workforce housing. We don’t need more $2 million condos,” Mr. Yerardi has said repeatedly, in proposing the alternative site. Currently, townhouses and condominiums represent residential development along and adjacent to Watertown Street. They are replacing older, two- and three-family, naturally affordable housing.
At the ZAP meeting, Ward 1 At-Large City Councilor John Oliver made the case for reconsidering the Nonantum proposal and was joined by both Councilors Alison Leary and Maria Scibeli Greenberg, who had strenuously supported the original village center plan. Councilor Greenberg said, “It’s a pause. It’s all about compromise. Noting that the large manufacturing area was unique to Nonantum, she said “there’s a lot of potential there.” Councilor Vicki Danberg, who represents Ward 6 on ZAP, also supported consideration of the manufacturing district. “I looked on a map and saw how much housing there could be compared with the proposed site,” she said, explaining her vote in favor of pausing the original VCOD plan and asking the Planning Department to look at the manufacturing district.
According to Council President Susan Albright, “Nonantum is unique because of the very large manufacturing district directly proximate to the village center. It made sense to take a pause and see what should be done to enhance Nonantum while invigorating the manufacturing district — for housing and/or commercial or updated manufacturing.” At the same time, Councilor Albright is not sure about phasing in the non-MBTA villages – like Nonantum, which has no MBTA access. She suggests that in the current construction slump, there will not be sufficient development to provide useful information for phasing-in other plans.
In his recent newsletter, Charles River Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman enthusiastically supported the alternative site:
Prior to approval Monday, the Zoning and Planning committee agreed … to remove several blocks …of beloved mom and pop businesses in the village of Nonantum (east of Adams Street and along Washington Street) from the overlay district.
In exchange, there was a consensus… to explore rezoning of a largely dormant manufacturing zone which abuts many of those Washington Street businesses for possible housing or mixed use.
Upzoning of …these underused and poorly maintained manufacturing lots could be a win for both the merchants … and everyone looking for solutions to the housing shortage.
Having seen the area before the October 26th ZAP meeting, Mr. Reibman called President Albright and other Council members asking them to reconsider development plans for Nonantum. Having been involved in a somewhat contentious exchange with Nonantum residents in a September community meeting, Mr. Reibman underscored the importance of listening to one another. He observed that when people disagree, it doesn’t make them or their ideas bad.
When asked about the ZAP vote to “pause” to remove the current Nonantum Overlay Design, Chuck Proia, a third-generation Nonantum resident who participated in the Planning Department neighborhood “vision” sessions, responded, “I would hope it is more than a pause.” He noted that during the visioning sessions, participants told the Planning Department “If you want to increase density, that’s (the manufacturing zone) the area.” but he feels they were not listening. Mr. Proia, a Newton firefighter, lamented the lack of workforce housing in the city, making it impossible for most City employees to live in Newton.
Councilor Oliver has been a frequent critic of the Nonantum Center proposal, terming it “almost punitive” for the local businesses. Since the MBTA Communities Act is requiring compliance and zoning for 8,330 residential units, he asks, “What can the MBTA do to improve services?” In his view, adding many more residential units will create more traffic jams and will have a negative impact on the environment. As for the manufacturing zone lots, he said he would like to explore creative solutions for the area, noting that the Chapel Bridge Park office building was an adapted mill building now housing research and development projects.
Asked the reason the manufacturing zone had not been considered in the Nonantum VCOD, Planning Department Deputy Director Jennifer Caira explained that the initial focus had been village centers. Manufacturing districts, such as the area proposed by Nonantum residents, were part of the plan, for consideration after the village center planning. In fact, the Planning Department was applying for grant money to study the adjacent California Street manufacturing zone to create the best mix of residential, commercial, and light manufacturing development. The Department will study the area proposed by the community in place of the village center. She agreed with Councilor Leary’s assessment that studying the large manufacturing district would take time.
In describing the VCOD process, Ms. Caira explained that “the VCOD is how we are meeting the state [MBTA Communities] law.” But, she said, each village center is different, and the Planning Department has been studying each village center to determine the mix of residential and commercial development that would best meet their needs. Pointing to the Multi Residential Transit (MRT) areas, Ms. Caira suggested that MRT areas would discourage tear-downs, and instead would promoted adaptive reuse of older homes and buildings.
Councilor Leary observed that “Newton is a desirable place to live – well-run and with good schools.” Those things drive up prices, she said. She urged people not to give up on the MBTA, predicting that if it gets better, people will take it. Nonantum, she predicts, “will become one of our premiere villages,” and she looks to a future when people do not need to drive to get to the places they want to go.
Ed. Note: We revised this article to more clearly explain Planning Department Deputy Director Jennifer Caira’s remarks.