Concerns... Is Zoning Reform Really Just Upzoning for Density?
The Concern:
The previous administration announced plans to increase the number of housing units in Newton by 3,200 in the next few years (a 10% increase). Since Newton is a built-out community, the NVA is concerned that then-Mayor Warren and his allies hoped to achieve this by rezoning much of Newton to allow for higher housing density, more multi-unit housing and more apartment buildings, and that Mayor Fuller intends to continue that plan.
The previous administration announced plans to increase the number of housing units in Newton by 3,200 in the next few years (a 10% increase). Since Newton is a built-out community, the NVA is concerned that then-Mayor Warren and his allies hoped to achieve this by rezoning much of Newton to allow for higher housing density, more multi-unit housing and more apartment buildings, and that Mayor Fuller intends to continue that plan.
There were four housing strategy public engagement events, including one on November 22, 2015 at which residents (including Austin St. developer Scott Oran, right) were instructed to put Legos on maps of Newton to indicate where they were willing to see more high-density housing developments. Participants were instructed to ignore zoning, to put housing on commercial tax base sites, and anywhere else they wanted. They put it on open space, parks, wetlands, and of course, other people's private property. Despite audience requests, there were no Legos provided to represent commercial development, additional schools and public infrastructure, additional parks and open space, or any of the other land uses needed to meet the needs of additional residents. Video here.
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It may look like a battlefield map, but that's where a group of about 100 mostly high-density-housing proponents placed Lego bricks at a City-sponsored planning event to indicate where more than 3200 additional housing units could go. Whether or not they put a Lego on your property, it would be prudent to voice your objections to the high-growth assumptions underlying the exercise, this poor excuse for authentic community input, and the wasteful and expensive generation of useless "data".
More About This:
Is it Zoning Reform or Just Upzoning? RKG Associates are the consultants who have been hired to facilitate, and produce the data for, the Housing Strategy process. Here is their contract with the Administration. RKG ran the Lego workshop with the assistance of Sasaki Associates. On January 11, 2016, at a meeting of the Zoning & Planning Committee (ZAP report here), the consultants presented the "results" of the Lego exercise, which prompted pushback from City Councilors Baker, Fuller, Norton and Yates, as City Council candidate Lynne LeBlanc recounts in her letter to the TAB here. |
Even if municipal policy puts you to sleep, wake up and pay attention to this disaster in the making. Please tell everyone you know in Newton that there are plans in the works to "up-zone" most parts of Newton for increased residential density (multi-units, apartment buildings and condo developments) in areas that are currently zoned or used for single-family or two-family houses. The combination of a housing strategy process that uses taxpayer money to fund highly-paid consultants charged with producing "data" to justify up-zoning, plus the Administration, developers and high-density housing advocates pushing for overlay districts and zoning reform to increase density equals a threat to Newton's fiscal health, overcrowded schools and the quality of life for Newton residents.
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What You Can Do:
You can protect your neighborhood by speaking up, and by writing to voice your objections to Mayor Warren at swarren@newtonma.gov and to the City Councilors via City Clerk David Olson at dolson@newtonma.gov
You can protect your neighborhood by speaking up, and by writing to voice your objections to Mayor Warren at swarren@newtonma.gov and to the City Councilors via City Clerk David Olson at dolson@newtonma.gov