If you build it (correctly), they will come
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If you build it (correctly), they will come
Due to our big (sold out) Spring Business tomorrow — and the Celtics game tonight — our twice-weekly Need to Knows newsletter is landing in your inbox one day early.
Looking forward to seeing many of you tomorrow at the Needham Sheraton. And welcome back, Kristaps Porzingis.
Every Newton building owner needs to know about this
There’s no debating our collective need to reduce carbon emissions.
Next week, the Newton City Council will hear public comment on an ordinance aimed at doing just that.
Here are three questions worth asking about this particular proposal:
- Will the proposed rules place an unmanageable, or unrealistic, burden on some, but not all, property owners?
- Will these rules impact Newton’s economic competitiveness by driving up rents; rendering some properties obsolete; or affecting accessed values and our tax base?
- Or, doesn’t it matter because our climate is so vulnerable that we must pursue every step possible, regardless of hardship?
The Fuller administration's proposed Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance, or BERDO, would require close to 300 nonresidential property owners (including nonprofits and houses of worship) to file annual fossil fuel usage reports on a phased-in schedule, or eventually risk a $300-a-day fine. (Every three years owners would also be required to pay an independent agent to verify their reports.)
Ultimately, also on a phased-in schedule, each owner will be required to reduce fossil fuel use, or also be subject to hefty daily fines.
- The nearly 300 impacted properties (about 20 million SF in total) represents 23% of the city’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (See graph on page 8)
- Fuller wants to add 120 multi-family buildings (accounting for another 5% of GHG emissions) to the ordinance next year, with some councilors reportedly wanting to do so sooner. This may be the most challenging since it includes older, hard-to-upgrade, apartment buildings that generally are the city’s only naturally affordable units and might displace tenants or drive up rents.
- Unaddressed are the biggest emissions generators in Newton: Single-family homes and other residential properties under 20,000 SF. Those homes produce a whopping 33% of Newton’s overall GHG emissions.
The Zoning & Planning Committee will take public comments on the ordinance Monday (June 10), 7 p.m. in person and virtually (the Zoom link isn’t posted yet, email me and I’ll be sure you get it).
You can also send feedback to the city council and watch this video presentation.
One more thing about Newton BERDO
Newton BERDO is modeled on similar programs in place in Boston and Cambridge.
While Newton’s ordinance is less burdensome in many ways, several chamber members who also own properties in Boston tell us how hard it is to get BERDO-related calls returned and reporting questions answered, let alone technical support.
And Boston BERDO has an entire team dedicated to assisting with this program, while Newton’s plan would launch with just one FTE.
We’ve all seen how staff shortages hamper permitting, inspectional services and other city services. We’re skeptical that one FTE is adequate, or if the city has the financial resources to hire the team BERDO will require.
Watertown is considering BERDO too
The Watertown City Council is also considering a BERDO ordinance although to our knowledge it is not yet scheduled.
No celebrating Boston tax hikes the burbs
On the surface, one might imagine suburban building owners cheering yesterday’s Boston City Council vote in support of Mayor Michelle Wu’s desire to hike commercial property taxes beyond the already existing tax shift.
Sure, this could make suburban properties more competitive.
But our economic vitality is linked to Boston’s economy. Anything that makes downtown less competitive won’t help our region in the long run.
Friday Thursday grab bag
- The Biltmore Bar, O'Hara's/Paddy's and other restaurants will face off in a Bloody Mary competition at Baramor in Newton, Sunday (June 9) at 11 a.m. Proceeds benefit the New England Hemophilia Association. RSVP.
- Fruit juice company Welch’s is leaving Concord and moving its headquarters to Reservoir Place in Waltham. (Boston Globe)
- Transit Matters has started a shutdown-tracker site of upcoming (and past) maintenance shutdowns on the four MBTA subway lines. (Universal Hub)
- The owner of two Wen’s Yunnan Noodles & Ramen restaurants in downtown Boston will open Noodle Doodles, a Japanese noodle bar in the 1,500 SF space on Great Plain Ave. in Needham, next to the new Union Pharmacy. (Needham Observer)
- The U.S. Small Business Administration hosts "Disaster Recovery for Businesses Affected by Storms in September 2023" June 13, 9 a.m. RSVP
- Watertown Farmers' Market opens for the season on Wednesday (June 12), 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Vendors listed here.
- Join Newton Conservators and Friends of Hemlock Gorge for Exploring Hemlock Gorge Sunday (June 9) at 10 a.m.
- Some Wellesley property owners will find a new stormwater fee on their monthly utility bills in July. Enter address here to find out if your property is included. FAQ’s here.
- The unicorn on the Boston Marathon logo has a new, slightly gruffer, look. (WCVB)
- Charles River Watershed seeks volunteers for a community chestnut removal project in Red Wing Bay in Needham, July 13.
- Watertown just joined the communities offering a 311 Service Center.(Watertown News)
Is this heaven? No, it’s Watertown Square.
Finally today, if the Watertown Square Area Plan is as good in execution as it looks on paper, then an area that has long felt like a place most drivers pass though going somewhere else could become a regional destination.
In other words: If you build it (correctly), they will come.
The plan aims to simplify driving through the square while at the same time creating wider sidewalks, safer crosswalks, better bus stop locations, bike lanes, more greenspace, pop-up shops, public art and enhanced access to the Charles.
It also unlocks opportunities for multi-family housing (exceeding MBTA Communities Act requirements), providing more reasons for people to visit, linger and choose to live in Watertown Square, along with more incentives for economic development and growing tax revenue.
The plan derived from months of public engagement and study which is all summarized in this report.
But now comes the hard part.
Getting it right includes changing zoning, identifying funding and executing the changes in a way that doesn’t substantially harm existing businesses during a multi-year process.
Next Thursday (June 13) at 6 p.m. the Watertown City Council and Planning Board will host a joint hearing on the plan, including the zoning.
Here’s the details. Hope to see you there.
That’s what you need to know for today – the 80th anniversary of D-Day – unless you need to know that bus stops don’t need to be boring, they can be shaped like fruit.
Keep spending locally, y’all.
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President & CEO
Charles River Regional Chamber
617.244.1688