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…
Posts published in “Zoning”
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,…
There is some criticism that the Save Our Villages signs are “misleading.” While I have not bothered to count the actual number of floors depicted, I will safely assume that the graphic image on the sign was not meant to be a literal translation of Newton’s rezoning proposal, but more so…
I am endorsing the following City Council candidates – Rena Getz, Alan Lobovits, Lisa Gordon, Randy Block, Stephen Farrell, and David Micley. I am doing this because of the current City Council’s failure to examine, much less resist, Mayor Fuller’s plan to rezone Newton. If her plan goes through, there…
Although the ballot doesn’t mention it, this election is about the Administration’s Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) zoning proposal and the majority City Councilors who support it. The VCOD, a boon to wealthy real estate entities, will upzone most of Newton’s village centers and nearby residential streets for some 14,600…
Multiple concerns and issues regarding the VCOD must still be addressed. Ultimately, the City Council should separately vote on compliance with the MBTA Communities Act and provisions of the VCOD. Numerous Questions: What is the projected target population for Newton? What will be the impact on services, including schools, parking, police,…
As our website, states, RightSize Newton feels that we should implement the MBTA Communities Law and postpone the VCOD plan. “By law, we have until December 31, 2023, to comply with the MBTA law, which means that we need to zone for 8,330 units by that date. That’s what we should…
I fully support the proposed Village Center Overlay District. This is the pragmatic thing to do and this is the time to do it. Trying to hang on to a fantasy past that doesn’t meet today’s needs is not only foolish, it is harmful. This means that I also support…
We are writing this letter to alert the voters of Newton of an effort to impersonate us to spread misinformation leading up to the upcoming November 7 municipal election. Our group, Newton for Everyone, is a coalition of civic, housing and climate activists, clergy, and local businesses supporting the proposed Village Center Overlay District…