Many numbers have been thrown around about how many housing units might be built with the proposed zoning. These high numbers are reported with no explanation of what they mean and how they were calculated. One does not need a math or engineering degree to understand and explain the plan…
Posts published in October 2023
Two different signs have become visible across Newton, representing two points of view about the City’s proposed rezoning plan. Save Our Villages Two months ago, signs saying “Save Our Villages” began appearing on Newton lawns. An anonymous Newton resident who opposes the City’s proposed rezoning plan ordered and paid for the…
Some City Councilors are pushing to separate the Village Center zoning and the MBTA Communities Act zoning with the goal of changing zoning only to meet the minimum theoretical number of housing units allowed under the new rules. By confining the zoning process to just the MBTA Communities Act requirements,…
Cows haven’t been seen roaming the Garden City since the 17th century — at least not until one recently showed up outside Bill Joyce’s Newtonville home. At the corner of Newtonville Avenue and Harvard Street, the colorful bovine beast stands on a patch of grass, gazing at passersby. Named “Commit,”…
Deb Crossley is running for her eighth term as one of two At-Large City Councilors from Ward 5. Her involvement in guiding Newton’s direction began when then Mayor David Cohen appointed her to work on a Comprehensive Plan for the City. Councilor Crossley wrote the Energy and Natural Resources portion…
Andreae Downs is running for her fourth term as one of two At-Large members of Newton’s City Council from Ward 5. Chair of the Public Safety and Transportation (PS&T) Committee, Councilor Downs said her focus in running for office is on building community. In her view, local government is the…
During nearly a decade as a member of the Waban Area Council, Rena Getz, who is currently President of the Council, believes she has been an effective advocate for her neighborhood and the broader Newton community. She is running to be one of two Ward 5 At-Large Councilors, challenging the…
Eight candidates for City Council have written a detailed letter raising concerns about the upcoming debates organized and hosted by Newton’s four Neighborhood Area Councils. The writers – Martha Bixby, Alicia Bowman, Deb Crossley, Vicki Danberg, Andreae Downs, Dan Gaynor, Holly Ryan and Doris Ann Sweet — said that the…
The Charles River Regional Chamber recently announced that it “is partnering” with a coalition “housing and climate advocates, civic leaders and clergy in support of passing the proposed Village Center Overlay District, which will also allow the city to be in compliance with the state’s MBTA Communities Law.” The coalition, using the slogan…
I am writing with deep concern about the effect the Village Center Overlay District discussion has had on civic life in Newton. In my opinion, it is simply sucking the oxygen out of the city and the current City Council. My greatest concern is the growing anger that is now…