Kudos to Waban Area Council Vice President Chris Pitts, for their comment about the zoning redesign proposal: “Newton cannot build its way to affordability…What’s the vision? What is driving this? Is it to get 8,000 more units or to raise tax revenue?”
I, too, am deeply troubled by the zoning redesign proposal and believe it will not only impact the very aspects which make Newton such a desirable place to live, it could potentially destroy the historic fabric of our city. Many of our historic buildings are not locally landmarked and could therefore be much more easily razed by developers. As a long-time resident of Lower Falls, I support creating more affordable housing but not “by right” and certainly not by making village centers more dense with high-rise buildings and unimpeded development.
Cyrisse Jaffee