Repeal of Newton’s longstanding, controversial, four-month winter parking ban will be on the November ballot, and voter preference will be binding. The repeal measure has been before the City Council in various forms and has been denied each time. Two Newton residents — Jeremy Freudberg and Peter Klapes — had tried to win Council approval. They then took to the streets, the library, public gatherings, door-to-door to successfully garner the 10,000 signatures required to place a binding initiative on the ballot.
Arguments for repealing the ban
Mr. Freudberg, who lives in Newton Highlands, and Mr. Klapes, an Oak Hill resident, object to what they call a “one size fits all” ban. Mr. Klapes argues that:
- Many streets in Newton are sufficiently wide to accommodate on-street parking without posing a hazard to large emergency vehicles.
- Repealing the ban poses a greater burden to people with narrow driveways unable to accommodate the number of household cars; people who require home health aides; or overnight guests and college students home for winter break.
- Municipal lots are not practical for people who need to drive their children to school and are not available in every Newton community.
Their Repeal website states: “The pandemic-era experiment of not having a winter overnight parking ban (for two winters) showed no negative consequences to lifting the ban and made residents’ lives easier.” Mr. Klapes says that on-street parking reduces car theft and is good for the environment since it reduces car travel. As for snow emergency considerations, Mr. Klapes said there is no question that there should be parking restrictions in snow storms. He added that snow predictions are more accurate now.
At the same time, Mr. Klapes acknowledges that all Newton streets and conditions are not the same. He and Mr. Freudberg believe there should be an analysis to determine which streets should have some parking regulation after the repeal.
Mr. Freudberg and Mr. Klapes have filed a statement that has been approved by the City as the Argument in Favor of Repeal to be included in the ballot information provided by the City to all Newton voters. Their position is:
Voting YES repeals the overnight parking ban, while keeping a parking ban during snow emergencies. The overnight ban (enacted 1936) negatively impacts many Newtonians, including those who live intergenerationally, or have overnight guests/health aides or tandem driveways. Regrettably, many gardens are paved over for driveway expansion. And it seemingly doesn’t snow much anymore!
Newton successfully “piloted” eliminating the parking ban in 2020 and 2021. Ordinances preventing abandoned vehicles and impeding traffic will remain. Traffic Council will create tailored parking regulations to protect neighborhoods and address parking concerns.
Now’s the time to eliminate the arbitrary 4-month 4-hour parking ban to allow for more effective and nuanced parking laws. Police, Fire, and DPW have had no objection to repealing the ban. Our grassroots campaign was founded by two NPS graduates, Jeremy Freudberg and Peter Klapes, who love Newton and are certain that voting YES will make Newton more equitable and sensible.
Opposition to repealing the ban
Howard Rosenof – a West Newton resident who lives near a Ch. 40B development currently under construction – is concerned about the on-street parking when the project is completed and that it benefits developers. Noting that new apartment houses charge tenants for parking spots, he fears that lifting the parking ban will motivate people to look for on-street parking, whereas the winter parking ban motivates people to find year-round parking. He suggested that on-street parking should be decided by ward and precinct depending on street conditions. Determining the criteria for on-street parking “will take the work of people of good faith,” he told Fig City News. “I want Newton to be a suburb of Boston, not an extension of Boston,” he said.
Mr. Rosenof and Elaine Gentile, former Ward 1 Alderman, have formed a Keep Our Overnight Winter Parking Ban committee, urging Newton voters to vote against repeal of the winter parking ban. They have filed the committee’s statement, which has been approved by the City as the Argument Against Repeal to be included in the ballot information provided by the City to all Newton voters. Their position is:
Voting NO keeps the overnight winter parking ban, ensures safe and accessible streets, reduces congestion and emissions, and limits parking by residents of large apartment complexes, college students and nonresidents. A “yes” vote would cause more cars on our streets, and unsafe conditions for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. “Yes” would compromise snow removal, winter driving, emergency and service vehicles, and force additional snow removal by residents. Developers should provide parking for new complexes and not rely on city streets for parking more cars than can fit on their property. Residents can already obtain waivers to park overnight in municipal lots and on the street in special cases. Longstanding and effective, the winter overnight parking ban supports safer, cleaner and quieter streets and should only be reconsidered when a careful comprehensive alternative plan is developed. A NO vote is a vote for public safety and responsible use of our community streets.
City Councilors weigh in
Long before Mr. Klapes and Mr. Freudberg transitioned from talking to City Councilors to initiating their ballot-question petition, Council members Andrea Kelley, Ward 3, and Susan Albright, Ward 2, had been working to repeal the ban. Councilor Kelley told Fig City News that in response to a survey of Newton residents, that more than 600 favored the repeal. Councilor Kelley said that previous and current Fire and Police Chiefs and the DPW Commissioners had “no problem providing safety access during the winter months with declared snow emergencies.”
The Newton Police Department responded to Fig City News by saying that it had no statement on the issue. The Fire Department said, “The Fire Department has not taken a position on the proposed repeal of the winter parking ban. We will continue to monitor conditions and work collaboratively with city departments to ensure that emergency access and public safety are maintained during the winter months. Our primary focus remains on ensuring timely response and the safety of all residents, regardless of policy changes.”
Although many opponents of repeal claim that it will help developers and increase on-street parking, Councilor Kelley disagrees. “If it passes, we will work it out,” she said. At the same time, she expressed concern that “we make it so hard on developers,” claiming that many do not want to do business in Newton. Councilor Kelley contends that the parking ban negatively impacts younger residents who don’t have access to larger driveways.
Councilor Kelley recommends that the City Council should docket the item — she suggests through the Public Safety and Transportation Committee — to form a working group to offer a comprehensive plan including public parking areas and plowing schedules. She said the working group should include relevant City departments, City Councilors, and residents — and the plan should include “opt-out” areas, including those with very narrow streets and, possibly, college areas.
John Oliver, City Councilor from Ward 1, and Pam Wright, City Councilor from Ward 3, oppose the repeal, but agree that the City and the City Council need to work on a comprehensive solution. From their perspective, the solution should come before the repeal. Among the problems they foresee in repeal is “long-term” on-street parking, particularly near colleges and commuter rail stations; likely increase in on-street parking near large developments; and a reduction in required on-site parking requirements.
Among possible solutions to problems, they suggest a city-wide, year-round overnight parking permit program; a possible city-wide alternate-side-of-the-street parking policy; and “carve outs” for village centers, narrow streets, college areas, and public transportation areas. Their proposal includes a range of enforcement options for permits.
The text of the ballot question
Shall the following measure which was proposed by an initiative petition addressed to the City Council take effect?
Repeal Section 19-174(b) of the Revised Ordinances of 2017, commonly known as the winter overnight parking ban, which states: “From December 1st through March 31st, it shall be unlawful for any vehicle, other than one acting in an emergency, to be parked on any street, way, highway, road parkway, or private way dedicated or open to the use of the public for a period of time longer than one hour between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.”
Ed. Note: We updated this article to include a response from the Fire Department and the statements For and Against, as approved by the City.
