I am a retail development consultant with 30+ years’ experience. I worry about the impact the proposed new zoning code would have on our Village Centers and its retail shopping environment. The proposal reflects outdated mid-20th century thinking instead of 21st century retail realities. The fact is the current generations…
Posts published in “Zoning”
Newton Highlands is one of the Village Centers slated for significant zoning redesign, and this has been a subject of ongoing discussion at the monthly meetings of the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council (NHNAC). At its April 6 meeting, Area Council President Jeremy Freudberg reported that on March 13, the…
The Zoning & Planning Committee voted to hold the following (see Report and watch the video on NewTV):
The Zoning & Planning Committee voted to approve the following (see Report and watch the video on NewTV): The Zoning & Planning Committee voted to hold the following:
As I write this, Newton’s citizens are voting on three override questions. I have no idea how that will play out. What I do know is that there is a fundamental decision that must be made in Newton. Specifically, who should carry the burden of the cost of increased services…
The Charles River Region Chamber of Commerce opposed the general override as a threat to Newton’s small businesses. It cited economic headwinds (inflation, high borrowing costs, a possible recession, etc.) to argue Newton’s small businesses face enough challenges and this is no time to increase their tax burden. The Chamber wrote: “Without…
The recently rekindled debate on the scope and possible impact of the proposed Village Center (VC) Zoning plan has seen a variety of reactions from citizens and neighborhood groups. In public meetings hosted by the Zoning and Planning Committee, representatives from these groups presented their concerns (without reference to any…
Let’s start with 4 values propositions on which I hope most agree: Unfortunately, it seems that some people either do not share the 4th value in this list or are readily willing to sacrifice it with the massive village centers upzoning proposal that the Zoning & Planning Committee (ZAP) is…
The Newtonville Area Council (NAC) has produced a 3D model that purports to illustrate what would be allowed by right in the first draft of the Village Center Zoning Proposal. The Building Professionals Zoning Working Group analyzed the NAC presentation. We found a number of inaccuracies and unrealistic assumptions. The…
Up-zoning Newton’s village centers will dramatically impact the future of our Garden City. Residents need visualizations of the up-zoning ZAP plans to ask the City Council to approve in May. The Planning & Development Department has not provided this basic information to the community, instead spending time and resources on…