In Greg Reibman’s December 1 Charles River Regional Chamber newsletter article “Inactions Have Consequences,” he seems to blame the “slow-turning wheels of government” and “predictable neighborhood teeth-grinding” for the current delay of the massive development at Riverside. Not only is his description disrespectful of the thoughtful, careful, and precedent-setting process that led to the 2020 agreement on Riverside, it’s also inaccurate. For instance, the demise of the 2013 Riverside proposal was not due to it being “scaled back to appease neighbors.” In reality, it was caused by various factors, including a significant miscommunication between the MBTA and the developer. During Riverside II, the vision planning process, as well as the public meetings (an “excruciating” number, according to Mr. Reibman) and subsequent negotiations was an entirely appropriate response to the size and scope of the proposed development.
Further, the notion that listening to neighborhood concerns is somehow frivolous or a waste of time, is absurd. Newton Lower Falls and Auburndale will be irrevocably changed by the 1.025 million square-foot Riverside development, positioned in between two close-knit, historic, and residential communities. To suggest that residents—taxpayers— should not have had a say in what happens to their city is at best arrogant and at worst undemocratic. Inaction may indeed have consequences, but large-scale development that is heedlessly rushed through leads to far more disastrous outcomes.
Cyrisse Jaffee
