On November 15 the City Council received two letters — and the Mayor received another letter — from federal and state legislators and officials explaining the benefits of Newton’s Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) zoning proposal and specifically mentioning Auburndale. In this letter to the City Council president, Representative Jake…
Posts published in “Zoning”
Recently the New York Times wrote about families struggling to afford both their cars and housing (How the Costs of Car Ownership Add Up, Oct. 6, 2023). The AAA has estimated that the average annual “cost of ownership” for a new car is now over $12,000. Over the life of a 30-year mortgage a family that can get…
In a special meeting on November 15, the City Council is expected to discuss, debate, and vote on a proposal to amend the City’s Zoning Ordinance to create a Village Center Overlay District (VCOD). The proposal currently before the Council is VCOD 3.1. (See Version 3.1 Draft Zoning Ordinance Text,…
The zoning ordinance proposal currently before the City Council has become a very controversial piece of legislation. The voters indicated their displeasure in the municipal election held last Tuesday, Nov. 7 when three incumbents who favor this legislation – Alicia Bowman, Deborah Crossley, and Holly Ryan — were all defeated. Their…
After a prolonged period of discord, it is time for our City Councilors to collaborate and compromise on a zoning solution. The “ouster” [Fig City News] of 3 long-serving Councilors – most notably, the 7-term Chair of the Zoning and Planning Committee (ZAP) – and the election of 5 of the…
An electoral earthquake shook Newton politics last Tuesday, as voters swept out candidates who favored exceeding the state’s MBTA Communities rezoning requirements and favored those advocating staying within state limits. Tarik Lucas and John Oliver, whose decisive elections two years ago foreshadowed this earthquake, were the top vote-getters, while other anti-VCOD…
The Zoning and Planning Committee of the City Council has approved new zoning for business districts after a long and thoughtful process, ably assisted by the Planning Department. The Committee and the planners sought out, and benefited from, extensive public input. The committee began work several years ago with the…
A recent social media post referred to anti-development candidates. Let’s be clear. We have NO anti-development candidates. We have candidates who support Newton’s compliance with the MBTA Communities, which requires that Newton zone for a 25% increase in housing units. They support no more until an impact analysis, and additional community education…
U-CHAN (Uniting Citizens for Housing Affordability in Newton) will not be officially endorsing any candidates for City Council based on their stance on the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) zoning proposal, as the short-term and material impact on very low-income households is minimal. As an organization that is well-versed in the multitude…
Newton is on the precipice of an important decision. A decision that will determine not if Newton changes – all communities change – but how Newton changes. That decision is embedded in the Village Center Overlay District proposal now before the Newton City Council. As with every public policy decision,…