Good morning,

Great news for Watertown homeowners:  Gov. Maura Healey just signed a home rule petition that will prevent your property taxes from increasing by around 18%.

Not great news for Watertown businesses: You’re going to have to fork over the difference.

This legislation allows the city to give residential property taxpayers relief by permanently shifting up to 175% of the property tax burden from the residential class to the retail, office, lab and other commercial uses.

We understand that the City Council, along with Sen. Will Brownsberger and Reps. John Lawn and Steve Owens pushed for the shift to help cost-burdened homeowners as the city’s commercial sector has expanded.

We only wish the city’s gushing victory statement had expressed a little empathy and appreciation for the businesses being asked to pay a greater share.

Because this win for homeowners is coming out of someone else’s pocket.

Auchincloss backs starter homes at Chamber event

Congressman Jake Auchincloss became the first member of the state's congressional delegation to throw his support behind Question 7, the starter home ballot initiative.

Auchincloss made the announcement Wednesday at a Charles River Regional Chamber Young Professionals Group housing event at Tripadvisor.

He was joined by housing economist Andrew Mikula (in photo, right), chair of the ballot campaign.

The measure would allow single-family homes to be built in any residentially zoned area as long as the lot has at least 5,000 SF, at least 50 feet of land bordering the street with access to public sewer and water services.

Tréa Lavery at MassLive has a full report. We will share NewTV’s video from our event next week.

A $2 million buzzkill for Newton

The City of Newton has been ordered to refund more than $2 million to three recreational marijuana shops, reports the Globe’s Yogev Toby.

Middlesex Superior Court Judge Asha White ruled that the city failed to prove that a 3% “community impact fee” it charged the businesses was actually used to offset costs caused by hosting a dispensary — things like traffic congestion, substance abuse and increased crime,

That, of course, is because these lawful businesses never created the kinds of havoc opponents feared back in 2018, when Newton voters rejected an effort (led by Lisa Gordon, now a City Councilor) to ban or limit marijuana shops in the city.

So where did the money go?

Part went to acquire and train Officer Leo, the adorable golden retriever K9 that everyone loves — but whose duties don’t include fighting crime, traffic or drug use.

Other funds went toward the Washington Street pilot project, including those hideous oversized planters that no one loves.

“Even accepting the City’s assertion that Officer Leo was purchased to help educate young people about substance abuse issues, there is no indication that the substance abuse issues in question were specifically related to either marijuana or, more importantly, the Plaintiffs’ business operations,” White ruled.

Ascend, Redi and Garden Remedies paid the fees between 2018 and 2022, then stopped, deeming the fees “unequivocally unlawful,” according to their lawsuit.

White agreed, finding that the city failed to connect the costs to the operation of the businesses, writes Toby.

Friday grab bag

• Another legacy business lost: After nearly 100 years in operation, the wonderful Nigohsian Carpet & Rug is closing. “Your kindness and confidence allowed our family business to thrive for almost a century,” owners Charlene Nigohsian and Bill Fallon wrote on Facebook.
  
  
• The Wellesley Health Department is offering grants up to three years at $20,000 per year for programs supporting Wellesley residents and businesses focused on prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery from substance use disorder. The funds come from settled lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers and must be used for specific programming. Details.
  
  
• Three Watertown City Councilors -- Theo Offei, John Gannon  and Anthony Palomba – have taken the unusual step of rescinding their endorsement of state Sen. Will Brownsberger to support his Sept. 1 primary opponent, Daniel Lander. (Boston Globe)
  
  
• The chamber’s virtual business-focused debate between Brownsberger and Lander is this coming Monday (Aug. 10) at 1 p.m. RSVP
  
  
• Representative John Lawn and Newton City Councilor Alison Leary faced off in another debate this week, hosted by WCA-TV and Watertown News. The contest will be decided in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary.Watch the debate or read the recap.
  
  
• Gateway Arts is hosting a Community Day at 15 Station Street in Brookline tomorrow (Aug. 8) 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., with caricature drawing, studio tours, a summer sale offering artists 50% commission, and live music sessions. Details.
  
  
• Michael Thorbjornsen, the Wellesley High grad won his first PGA golf tourney, the Rocket Classic in Detroit, with a strong finish in the fourth round last weekend.
  
  
• And then there’s Jack Toomey, a former Wellesley Little League star who has signed a professional contract with the New York Mets.
  
  
• Newton Centre’s popular SALT Patisserie confirmed an October opening for its Wellesley Square cafe at the former Starbucks location. Chef Thiago Silva is also in talks for Boston and Harvard Square locations. (Swellesley Report)
  
  
• Brookline’s Small Business Development Committee will discuss the town’s proposed outdoor light ordinance, Tues. (Aug. 12), 9 a.m. via Zoom. EDAB feedback here.
  
  
• The Waltham City Council overrode Mayor Jeannette McCarthy’s veto of rezoning along Route 128. The rezoning, which will facilitate a 1,200-home development of a vacant office park by BXP. (Waltham Times)
  
  
• Nicely done, Covet + Lou in Newton Highlands! The shop was cited by New York Times’ readers as one of their “25 Favorite Clothing Stores Across the U.S.”
  
  
• The way to curb inflation is not by changing inflation-measuring metrics. That’s like saying Babe Ruth didn’t exist. It doesn’t make it true.

Newton launches immigrant rights & resource web page

The City of Newton has added a helpful new page to its city website explaining immigrant and bystander rights amid ongoing ICE activity.

The same page also explains police department policies and includes links to a wide variety of related resources.  Newton Police say they don't honor ICE detainers. But two recent cases show ICE picking up people anyway after release from custody, according to the Newton Beacon.

Needham and Watertown up next, two more to follow

Finally, here at the chamber, we pride ourselves on both our regional presence and our local touch.

That means paying attention to the regional, state and federal issues that matter to our economic vitality, as well as what happens inside our individual city and town halls.

We also recognize that business doesn’t stop at a municipal border. That's why we offer more networking opportunities for members across our footprint than any chamber around.

Yet another staple is our annual celebratory “Nights” — one for each community in our footprint.

• We held Brookline Night earlier this summer.
• Up next is Needham Night this Wednesday (Aug. 12) at Tripadvisor.  
• Then, Watertown Night, Aug. 27 at Mighty Squirrel Biergarten at Gore Place.

We're planning Newton Night and Wellesley Night for this fall. (Interested in hosting? Contact Gabby Mantello on our events team. Interested in sponsoring? That's Lise Elcock.)

And a reminder that you don’t have to be from any given community to enjoy these celebrations.  Everyone is welcome!

P.S. Not familiar with the origin of the photos above?  You’ve gotta watch this.

That’s what you need to know for today — Purple Heart Day — unless you need to know how to pick a watermelon. 

Woah….Red Sox!

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

I value your feedback

Max Woolf contributed to today’s newsletter.