On December 1, the City Council approved three remaining items needed for Mark Development’s project to proceed adjacent to the Riverside MBTA station. The project needed approval of a revised special permit and two zoning changes, and if these were not approved by the end the current City Council’s term…
Posts published in “Housing”
Hundreds of business owners, civic leaders, and elected officials gathered Friday morning at the Newton Marriott for the Charles River Regional Chamber’s Fall Business Breakfast, celebrating the organization’s 110th anniversary. The event featured remarks from outgoing Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and a conversation with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who…
Newton City Hall hosted the state’s first Fair Housing listening session on November 6, moved at the last minute to the City Council Chambers as the building prepared to host former Mayor Setti Warren’s wake later that afternoon. “It’s an unusually strange day in our city,” said Mayor Ruthanne Fuller. …
After nearly eight years, over 500 public meetings, and an incredible amount of effort put in by a few thousand residents, staff, consultants, and contractors, the Cooper Center Project is almost ready to open. The grand opening weekend will begin with The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 10AM on Friday, December…
Both John Chaimanis and Fred Smith are correct. John is correct that Newton cannot build its way to affordability. The rule of supply and demand would need a catastrophic assist. Fred is correct that vertically built, multi-family housing offers the most promise to alleviate the region’s severe housing shortage. The problem is that Newton…
Much has been said -claimed- about how we must accept unqualified State housing projections and support whatever the private sector wants in the ‘supply side economics’ promise to provide “affordable housing.” Unfortunately, this is not a very effective nor realistic way to achieve much truly affordable housing. Nor shall it…
I’m an apartment renter in The Aven complex in Upper Falls. I’m astonished by a Fig City News interview (Sept. 29) which reports that John Chaimanis, at-large candidate in the 4th ward, stated that “Newton cannot build its way to affordability” because of the persistent demand to live here, combined…
Most agree that Newton needs more affordable housing — the question is HOW to achieve it. Some suggest that simply increasing the overall housing supply will cause prices to drop, following a basic supply-and-demand model. But there are serious flaws in that theory. First, what homeowner wants to see their…
Newton for Everyone held a forum on “the growing challenge of teacher retention and housing costs” on Tuesday, September 30. Heather Peske, President of the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), presented Newton-specific data on the challenge public school teachers face trying to purchase or rent in the city. NCTQ…
Everyone is invited to the monthly Social Justice Speaker (and free lunch) at First UU Society (1326 Washington Street, West Newton) on Sunday, October 26 at 12PM. This month, Chloe-Rose Crouch will speak about her work as Executive Director of the Community Day Center of Waltham, which has the highest…
Newton’s Land Use Committee held its first hearing Tuesday on Mark Development’s proposed revision to its approved development planned at the Riverside MBTA station. Reflecting market movement away from commercial development, the revision would reduce office space and increase residential units from 550 to 750. The meeting included presentations from…
On September 3, the City Council’s Public Facilities Committee voted unanimously to authorize a peer review of a request by local developer Betsy Harper for a main drain extension on Newton Centre’s Chapin Road — a project that, if implemented, would open up new land for development. It’s the latest…