Courage!
Courage!
Greetings!
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Milton voters resoundingly rejected their town’s MBTA Communities Plan on Wednesday, dealing a blow to a state law that will only truly be a success if all 177 communities in Eastern Massachusetts each do their share to combat our region’s housing shortage.
I worry this week's outcome will contribute to another shortage too: Courage.
As in the courage local elected and appointed officials must muster; a willingness to put careers on the line in order to reverse decades of exclusionary zoning laws and make our communities more affordable, welcoming and vibrant.
You can’t blame them. It easy to see why any municipal decision maker would be feeling timid right now.
In addition to Milton, they watched what happen in Newton: Three incumbent city councilors, and one candidate for an open seat, were defeated while supporting a plan that would have allowed for additional height and small multi-family buildings to be built next to, or above, restaurants and shops in all of Newton’s village centers.
I worry this week's outcome will contribute to another shortage too: Courage.
As in the courage local elected and appointed officials must muster; a willingness to put careers on the line in order to reverse decades of exclusionary zoning laws and make our communities more affordable, welcoming and vibrant.
You can’t blame them. It easy to see why any municipal decision maker would be feeling timid right now.
In addition to Milton, they watched what happen in Newton: Three incumbent city councilors, and one candidate for an open seat, were defeated while supporting a plan that would have allowed for additional height and small multi-family buildings to be built next to, or above, restaurants and shops in all of Newton’s village centers.
And while I’m not a fan, I don't really blame officials in Wellesley for proposing an MBTA Compliance plan that avoids up-zoning single-family residential areas near its three commuter rail stations.
Instead, Wellesley wants to rely on existing, mostly commercial parcels that already allow, or have, multi-family units now.
That includes counting the already-approved, half built, 90 percent leased, not transit-oriented, The Nines on the corner of Route 9 and I-95 for more than half of Wellesley’s MBTA Communities mandated units.
Of course, it’s not fair to ask local leaders to put themselves at risk if we sit on the sidelines. We need the courage to have their backs and they need our voices.
A shortage of places to live is crushing employees’ spirits, crushing our economy and leading to an exodus of talent. We need to stand with those who are making hard, politically risky decisions on election days, at town meetings, before city councils and planning boards, and most importantly in our daily conversations.
And we need more folks with courage to roll up their sleeves and do the work.
Speaking of Wellesley's spring election
Speaking of Wellesley's spring election
ICYMI: Here’s the video of our conversation with the four candidates running for two seats on Wellesley’s select board on March 5.
Here's the segment where we talk about MBTA Communities and housing.
Tripadvisor weighing take over offer
Tripadvisor weighing take over offer
Tripadvisor may be weighing an acquisition offer, the company disclosed this week without naming a possible buyer.
The Needham-headquartered travel site struggled during the pandemic but is bouncing back, the Globe Arron’s Pressman writes, in part by on adding more travel experiences for consumers that can be booked through the company’s Viator site.
“The strategy appears to be working so far. Revenue increased 22 percent in the first nine months of 2023 to $1.4 billion, though the company lost $22 million compared to a profit of $22 million in the same period of 2022,” he adds.
Friday grab bag
- If you make, or are thinking of making, videos to promote your products, services or organization, Jay Dobek from the Needham-based production house Last Minute Productions host a free series on YouTube explaining no cost ways to up your game.
- Another chamber member, Mindy Popp at Popp & Associates wrote yesterday to tell us about a widget she’s using to make her website ADA compliant.
- The next Watertown Square Area Plan community meeting is Feb. 29, 6:30 p.m. at 64 Pleasant Street. Details.
- Fly Together is hosting a night of music, art, and community with "Art in Motion" supporting local Watertown Black artists and vendors tonight (Feb. 16), 6:30 p.m. at 100 Parker Street. Tickets are on a sliding scale and revenue goes toward the artists.
- Rebecca Dalmas, a pioneer in restoring literacy rates, will be speaking at a Wellesley Rotary Club of Wellesley event, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m. at Mass Bay Community College. Details.
- If this was 'Jeopardy!,' the response would be "What is next week?" And the clue would be: “When Spring Seasonings tickets go on sale to members." So watch your email.
Your favorite chamber’s team is growing
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Please join me in welcoming someone who is actually pretty well know to many of you already: Theresa Fitzpatrick
The long-time Newton resident, serial volunteer and finance professional has over 20 years of experience in the event industry.
She started this week as our Programs & Events Manager, a new position for us.
Fitzpatrick has been a chamber member for years through her own event management business.
The long-time Newton resident, serial volunteer and finance professional has over 20 years of experience in the event industry.
She started this week as our Programs & Events Manager, a new position for us.
Fitzpatrick has been a chamber member for years through her own event management business.
Now she’ll be responsible for planning, organizing and directing programs and events for you. She’ll help cultivate prospective host venues from member businesses and coordinate events to engage our members.
Say hello at tfitzpatrick@charlesriverchamber.com or 773.888-1654
Why aren't we housing more migrants here?
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Finally today, our affluent suburban communities have been criticized lately for not doing our share to house the soaring number of migrant families entering Massachusetts.
For example, when state officials laid out plans earlier this month to move migrant families to a community center in Roxbury, neighbors showed up with signs reading: “Boston is Full” and “Why Roxbury? Try Wellesley.”
A few days later, same thing happened in South Boston.
For example, when state officials laid out plans earlier this month to move migrant families to a community center in Roxbury, neighbors showed up with signs reading: “Boston is Full” and “Why Roxbury? Try Wellesley.”
A few days later, same thing happened in South Boston.
Sen. Nick Collins held a press conference in front of a possible shelter site in his district asking why the UMass Mount Ida campus in Newton isn’t being used as a shelter instead.
Then came last week’s embarrassing (for us) analysis in the Globe, which found of 94 communities known be hosting emergency shelters more than half have a median household income below $100,000. Just nine of the 94 communities — including Acton, Concord, and Lexington — have household incomes above $150,000.
“The sense is that wealthier communities are not bearing any of the burden,” Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell told the Globe. “Communities like Newton or Wellesley could bear some of the obligation that we are under.”
It’s a fair critique, don’t you think? I do.
I write that even as we learned this week that Newton has been quietly operating a Catholic Charities-run shelter for migrant families since November, a program public safety officials knew about but hadn't made public for safety reasons.
In addition, FamilyAid’s planned long-term family shelter in West Newton is now under construction, opening in the coming months.
Last year, Newton also welcomed with open arms a proposal to host families at the former Hotel Indigo until the state determined not to move forward, due to the high cost of transforming the property.
As for Mount Ida, the state considered it, but determined it was not a “viable option,” according to the governor's office.
The state says the process for placing shelters is driven by the availability of space and factors such as their proximity to critical services including public transportation.
Also: One reason less affluent communities are often picked for shelters is that they have vacant or underused properties. We don’t have a lot of unused anything in our built-out suburban towns.
“It’s in no one’s interest to pretend they should be someone else’s burden or point the finger at other municipalities,” Globe columnist Marcela Garcia wrote recently.
“Don’t get me wrong, every community has to do its part — of course, that includes Newton, Wellesley, and Weston. The problem with quantifying cooperation from each city and town in a crisis is deciding what legitimate metrics to look at.”
I'd like to know what you think?
That’s what you need to know for today – National Caregivers Day -- unless you need to know why the many typos I make in this newsletter twice weekly aren’t as bad as the mistake these guys made.
Have great weekend,
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President & CEO
617.244.1688
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