In a special meeting on November 15, the City Council is expected to discuss, debate, and vote on a proposal to amend the City’s Zoning Ordinance to create a Village Center Overlay District (VCOD). The proposal currently before the Council is VCOD 3.1. (See Version 3.1 Draft Zoning Ordinance Text, Version 3.1 City-wide Map, and VCOD Version 3.1 Individual Village Center Maps Clean.)
Several organizations on different sides of the zoning issue — Engine 6, RightSize Newton, League of Women Voters Newton (LWVN), Newton Needs Change (aka Newton for Everyone PAC), etc. — are encouraging their members and the general public to attend the meeting either in person (Council Chamber) or virtually (Zoom link), as the Council will likely vote out a proposal in that meeting.
In advance of the vote, Mayor Fuller stated in her November 14 newsletter — entitled “Getting to Yes on Zoning” — “I think the City Council voting ‘Yes’ on those six village center / MBTA station areas (Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Newton Highlands Eliot T Stop, Newtonville, Waban, and West Newton) that meet the MBTA Communities Act zoning requirements is a good approach right now.” (These six village centers are circled in blue in the map above.) The Mayor’s recommendation is similar in concept to a proposal made by nine City Councilors in August.
She also encourages adding Auburndale (circled in red in the map above) to the zoning proposal, suggesting “we will run a high risk of not getting the funding support we need from the Healey-Driscoll Administration to rebuild the stations.” (This fall, several business owners in Auburndale village center signed this petition objecting the inclusion of Auburndale in the VCOD.)
UPDATE: On November 15, Representative Jake Auchincloss wrote this letter to the City Council to note that, while no one factor precludes or guarantees success, zoning for more housing near Newton’s commuter rail stations — he specifically mentioned Auburndale — could help win Department of Transportation approval for future applications by the MBTA to modernize Newton’s three commuter rail stations under the All Stations Accessibility Program.
The Mayor explained that most of the debate leading up to last week’s elections (in which three incumbents — Crossley, Bowman, and Ryan — were not re-elected ) was on the “perceived pros and cons of the proposed zoning.” She said that her “takeaway” is that “there is general consensus Newton needs to comply with the MBTA Communities Act and the proposed zoning (perhaps with a few more edits) for the six village centers / public transit nodes should be approved. In contrast, going ahead with zoning for all 13 village centers / MBTA station areas right now clearly makes a lot of Newtonians uncomfortable.”
Before the election, in her September 22 newsletter, Mayor Fuller had said, “I’m enthusiastic” about the proposed zoning — then VCOD 3.0.
Greg Reibman, President of the Charles River Chamber, which is a member of the Newton for Everyone Coalition, said, “The compromise proposed by Mayor Fuller makes a lot of sense. I urge the full council to support it along with the addition of Auburndale. At the same time, it’s disappointing that only some of our villages will be allowed to thrive and prosper through upzoning while our remaining villages will still be stuck with 1950s-era rules that make it easier to build a McMansion than a small three-family home.”
Ward 1 At-Large Councilor, John Oliver, who was one of the nine Councilors proposing to adopt only the MBTA-compliance portion of the proposed zoning, said, “I am looking forward to the discussion that begins tomorrow night (referring to Wednesday’s meeting). I am excited that the Mayor and the rest of the council are hearing the concerns of our residents.”
Ed. Note: We updated this article to include Rep. Jake Auchincloss’s letter to the City Council regarding how Newton’s land use policy might affect its competitiveness for federal transportation grants.
