In the November 7 municipal election, 16,425 voters (unofficial count) cast ballots for City Council and School Committee, electing six new Council members and defeating three incumbents. Among the contested City Council seats, candidates were generally aligned in two groups based on their views on zoning:
- Eight candidates supported the MBTA/Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) combined plan. They were endorsed by Engine 6, Green Newton, and other member organizations of the Newton For Everyone Coalition.
- Six candidates opted for passage of zoning compliant with the MBTA Communities Law, but urged more deliberation of the proposed VCOD. With one exception, they were endorsed by Save Newton Villages and RightSize Newton.
Five of the six candidates favoring separation of the two zoning plans won their races. Prior to the election, Fig City News interviewed leaders of local organizations endorsing candidates in both groups and afterwards asked endorsers to reflect on the election results.
Credited with organizing Nonantum residents and businesses in opposing the planned redevelopment of the Nonantum village business center, Francis Yerardi joined forces with Carolyn Kraft to form the broader-based Save Newton Villages, a 501(c)(4), and support the six candidates who favor splitting VCOD from the MBTA Communities Law: David Micley, Randall Block, Lisa Gordon, Stephen Farrell, Rena Getz, and Alan Lobovits. All these candidates won except for Lisa Gordon, who lost by 23 votes.
The City Council will meet November 15 to discuss the VCOD proposal approved at the November 6 Zoning and Planning Committee meeting and will consider additional amendments submitted by Councilors. Although Mr. Yerardi is concerned that the City Council will not heed the voters’ message at its November 15 meeting, he hopes it will vote unanimously to pass zoning compliant with the state-mandated MBTA Communities Law and consider the VCOD separately. Mr. Yerardi hopes that “the Mayor and the City Council will do what the people want…The people gave a message.” If the City Council votes to approve the linked MBTA/VCOD package, however, he predicts people will demand a referendum to reverse that decision.
Organizations on both sides of the zoning issue sent out emails urging their supporters to attend the November 15 meeting. Mr. Yerardi predicted that Save Newton Villages supporters would outnumber the Engine 6 supporters at the meeting. In any case, Mr. Yerardi believes Save Newton Villages and Engine 6 actually agree on the need for affordable workforce housing and first-time housing, and they should work together to accomplish their goals using Nonantum’s large Manufacturing District.
Green Newton Board Chair Dan Ruben credited Save Newton Villages with doing a better job of organizing, at the same time accusing the group of “dirty politics” and creating fear by predicting large development. He decried as “unethical” the formation of the Newton For Everyone PAC, which appropriated the same name as the Newton For Everyone Coalition “to confuse people and keep them from the Coalition website.” He was also critical of robo-calls sent out by the Newton For Everyone PAC. He promised that the Newton For Everyone Coalition will continue to support the VCOD and not turn their backs on Newton’s young people who cannot find affordable housing in the current market.
Kathy Pillsbury, who is also a Coalition member and has attended most of the VCOD-related meetings, said while she did not like the election’s outcome, she hoped Councilors would work together. She said that the Newton For Everyone Coalition will continue to promote village centers. She noted that “in the heat of elections, temperatures rise,” but she predicts they will come down. Addressing affordable housing, Ms. Pillsbury believes that non-profit developers and subsidies will be necessary to build below-market rate units because land is so expensive in Newton. She also noted that developers are engaged in tearing down older houses to build developments with 2-6 units, which do not require the inclusion of affordable units.
Former RightSize Newton founder (and now Ward 4 City Councilor-Elect) Randy Block is a proponent of uncoupling the VCOD and MBTA plans. During the campaign, he relinquished his RightSize leadership role, although the organization endorsed him and four of his colleagues. (RightSize did not endorse David Micley, at Micley’s request.) Of the election, Mr. Block said, “The political atmosphere in Newton is very disheartening.” Echoing Kathy Pillsbury, Mr. Block wants to contribute to “lowering the temperature.” He hopes it is possible to recognize different options, listen to the voters’ message and negotiate. He credited out-going Ward 4 Councilor Chris Markiewicz with searching for ways to work collaboratively with other Council members.
RightSize Newton sent out an email on November 14 noting local campaign victories, asking members to appear at the November 15 meeting, and predicting that failure to uncouple the VCOD from the MBTA plan would lead to a petition drive for a referendum in the next election.
Speaking for Save Newton Villages, which endorsed the group of six candidates who prefer to decouple VCOD from the MBTA Communities Law, Carolyn Kraft said, “We will continue our effort in education/informing our fellow citizens what is at stake in our villages….especially developers pushing ahead and changing our suburban neighborhoods into an urban city. What makes Newton unique is that we are 13 small town villages within a large city. Residents love their villages and want to keep them.”
Ahead of the November 15 meeting, Council President Susan Albright, who endorsed the group of eight candidates favoring the combined zoning plan, said she is committed to negotiating a compromise “that works well for Newton. That is the goal.”